Our Clergy • Наше духовенство

Bishop of Toronto and the Eastern Eparchy of the UOCC (2021).

Bishop Andriy (Peshko) was born on April 27, 1972 in Ukraine. In 1979 he entered Elementary School and received the Certificate of Secondary Education in 1989.

In 1989 he enrolled into the first year of St. Petersburg Theological Seminary, from which he graduated in 1993.

In 1994 -1995 he studied at Christ the Saviour Seminary (Carpatho-Russian Diocese of the Ecumenical Patriarchate) in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA under the omoforion of His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas (Smishko) of Amissos.

In 1995-1999 he completed the full course of the Kyiv Theological Academy. On December 25, 2000 the Academic Council of the Kyiv Theological Academy awarded him the “Candidate of Theology” – after the defense of his dissertation titled: “Historical–Liturgical Research of the Rites of Installation and Ordination in the Orthodox Church”.

On April 8, 2001 he was ordained a deacon by His Eminence Archbishop Vsevolod (Maidanksy) of Scopelos at St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral in Chicago.

On September 29, 2003 he was elevated to a rank of protodeacon.

On September 21, 2005 with the blessing of Archbishop Vsevolod he was tonsured a monk and given the name of Andriy (in honour of St. Andrew the First-Called) at St. Volodymyr Cathedral in Chicago.

On September 25, 2005 he was ordained to the rank of hieromonk and was promoted to a rank of ihumen by His Eminence Archbishop Vsevolod. On October 21, 2005 in the Holy Transfiguration of the Lord Cathedral in London (England) he was elevated to the rank of Archimandrite.

On November 22, 2005 His All Holiness Bartholomew I and the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate unanimously elected him as the Bishop for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Europe and the Diaspora with the title ‘Bishop of Krateia’.

On December 13, 2005 at St. Volodymyr Cathedral in Chicago he was consecrated to Bishop by Archbishop Vsevolod of Skopelos, Metropolitan Nicholas of Amissos, Metropolitan Constantine (Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA), Archbishop Nicholaj (Romanian OC of USA and Canada), Archbishop Job of Chicago (Orthodox Church of America), Archbishop Antony (UOC of the USA), Archbishop Yurij of Toronto-Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada.

On August 20-24, 2008 at the Extra Ordinary Sobor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada (UOCC), held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, he was chosen ‘Bishop-elect of Saskatoon, Vicar of the Central Eparch of the UOCC – Extraordinary Sobor, UOCC.

On February 1, 2011 he assumed the responsibilities of Bishop of the Eastern Eparchy of the UOCC.

Jaroslaw Buciora obtained his master’s degree in Theological Studies from the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (Brookline, Massachusetts) and his PhD in Theology from the Christian Theological Academy (Warsaw, Poland). He has served in various parishes across Canada, including at St. Volodymyr Cathedral of Toronto and the All Saints of Ukraine Chapel since 2011.

As an Orthodox theologian and ecumenist, the Very Rev. Archpriest Dr. Buciora concentrates his research on systematic Orthodox theology, particularly in ecclesiology, with a specific emphasis on the situation of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. He is the author of two books, three monographs, and over 50 theological and analytical articles and presentations. Currently he represents the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada on the Canadian Council of Churches as a member of the Faith and Order Commission and Governing Board, and is a chaplain in the rank of Captain for the Royal Canadian Regiment in Toronto.

Fr. Jaroslaw has two adult children with his wife, Natalia.

Vasyl Kobrii graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree, Theology, in 2018 from St. Andrew’s College, University of Manitoba, where he stayed on as a Religious Education Worker. On August 7, 2021, His Grace Ilarion (Rudnyk) ordained him into the Holy Diaconate at Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral, Winnipeg, MB. It was with great joy that on Sunday March 6, 2022, His Grace The Rt. Rev. Bishop Iliarion (Rudnyk) Locum Tenans of the Metropolitan Cathedral ordained Father Deacon Vasyl Kobrii to the Holy Order of Priesthood at St. Volodymyr Cathedral of Toronto.

Fr. Vasyl is married to his wife, Uliana.

Kostyantyn Yastreb graduated from the Volyn Technical University in 1994 and was invited to stay on to complete his graduate studies. From 1994 to 1995, he served in the Military Center for Automation of the Control Systems of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Army in Kyiv.

He became a parishioner of St. Volodymyr Cathedral of Toronto upon his arrival in Canada in 1999 and works at the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario, Courts Services Division.

He moved to Hamilton in 2007, where he joined the Church of the Intercession and was tonsured a reader in 2012, and began theological studies at Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary in Jordanville, NY. He was ordained a deacon in 2017 at Holy Intercession Church in Hamilton and continued his studies, graduating in July of 2018.

In November 2020, Father Deacon Kostyantyn Yastreb was enrolled in the clergy of the Pereyaslav-Vyshnevets Diocese of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

His efforts in organizing volunteer assistance for the Ukrainian Army and Church were recognized in 2015 with the medal "For Dignity and Patriotism", the Order "Unity and Freedom” in 2016, and an Honorary Award of the Security Services of Ukraine in 2017.

Fr. Dcn. Kostyantyn has two children with his wife.

Bohdan Sencio was educated at the Orthodox Seminary and Theological Academy, where he received a master's degree in Theology. During five years of study at the Academy, he served as a subdeacon under two metropolitans - under Stepan Rudyk and Vasily Doroshkevich. 

He then served as a deacon in St. Magdalene's Cathedral in Warsaw, where he was ordained a priest, after which he served as rector of churches in various parts of Poland for nine years. He then served in Buffalo, New York for eight years before becoming the rector of the Cathedral in 1987.

Rt. Rev. Protopresbyter Magister Bohdan Sencio served as a chaplain at the Ivan Franko Homes for retired seniors as well as other seniors' homes in the Greater Toronto area, attending to both the Orthodox and Greek Catholics with visits, prayers and services in their chapels.

After 33 years of service to the Cathedral parish, Fr. Bohdan retired in July, 2020.