Iryney Bilyk
Quick Facts
Biography
Bishop Iryney Ihor Bilyk, O.S.B.M. (Ukrainian: Іриней Ігор Білик; born 2 January 1950 in Knyazhpil, Dobromyl Raion, Drohobych Oblast, Ukrainian SSR (present day – Staryi Sambir Raion, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine)) is a Ukrainian Greek Catholic hierarch. He served as Auxiliary Bishop of Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Ivano-Frankivsk from 15 August 1989 until 21 July 2000 (from 16 January 1991 as Titular Bishop of Novae), as an Eparchial Bishop of Buchach since from 21 July 2000 until 27 July 2007 and as Canon of Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore since 27 July 2007.
Life
Bishop Bilyk was born in the family of clandestine Greek-Catholics Ivan and Anna (née Krentiv) Bilyk. After graduation of the school education, he three times joined different universities, but two times was excluded, because of religion persecutions. Finally, after a compulsory service in the Soviet Army, he graduated Faculty of Physics in Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv in 1977. Then he worked almost ten years in the Soviet North Caucasus in Kabardino-Balkar ASSR.
During all this time he was clandestine member of the Order of Saint Basil the Great, where he had a profession in October 1967 and a solemn profession on October 13, 1978. Bilyk was was ordained as priest on October 14, 1978, after complited clandestine theological studies. Then he continued his studies, after liberty of the Ukrainian Catholics in the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
He served as priest clandestinly in time of persecution and after this, during 1990–1994 was the Rector of the new-revived Theological Academy in Ivano-Frankivsk.
On August 15, 1989 Fr. Bilyk was consecrated to the Episcopate as auxiliary bishop. His consecration was the last one in the "Catacomb Church", before Dissolution of the Soviet Union. The principal and consecrator was clandestine bishop Sofron Dmyterko. On January 16, 1991 this consecration, among other clandestine consecrations, was confirmed by John Paul II with appointment as Titular Bishop of Novae.