Roman Maria Alexander Sheptytsky, known as Metropolitan Andrey, was born into a family of Polonized counts in the 19th century. According to his mother, at the age of eight, he made a firm decision to never resort to dishonesty. In his youth, he studied and served in Kraków while traveling across Europe and the Russian Empire. In 1888, during an audience with Pope Leo XIII, he received a blessing for his aspiration to become a Basilian monk. After completing his higher education, he took monastic vows, adopting the name Andrey.

In 1896, he became the abbot of St. Onuphrius Monastery in Lviv, and in 1899, Emperor Franz Joseph nominated him as the Bishop of Stanyslaviv. Here, he pioneered addressing the faithful in their native language, even using the Hutsul dialect. In 1901, Sheptytsky was appointed Metropolitan of Galicia. During his tenure, he reorganized the Lviv Theological Seminary, founded the Lviv Theological Academy, and established numerous other institutions.

Metropolitan Andrey distinguished himself with tireless dedication to the development of Ukrainian society. He used his personal wealth to support educational, cultural, and social initiatives.

Cultural Support:

• Founded the Ukrainian National Museum in Lviv
• Created one of Europe’s largest collections of icons.
• Donated over 4,000 books to libraries

Social Assistance:

• Transformed a local clinic into a modern hospital.
• Established the Land Bank in Lviv.
• Provided scholarships and supported artists, such as O. Novakivskyi, O. Kurylas, M. Sosenko, and M. Boichuk.

During the first Soviet occupation of Galicia, Sheptytsky witnessed atrocities that deeply impacted the region and his family, including the murder of his brother and the destruction of the family estate. In 1941, he welcomed the “victorious German army” for liberating Galicia from the Soviets. However, he soon became disillusioned with the Nazi regime. He protested the extermination of Jews by writing twice to Heinrich Himmler and to Pope Pius XII. His letter “Thou Shalt Not Kill” prompted the Nazis to search St. George’s Cathedral, including the crypt. Together with his brother Clement, Sheptytsky sheltered over 300 Jewish children in monasteries.

Preparing his monks for a new wave of Soviet oppression, he advised them to learn practical trades.

Metropolitan Andrey passed away on November 1, 1944. Despite Soviet occupation, his funeral turned into a massive demonstration. The process of his beatification is ongoing. His brother, Clement Sheptytsky, was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2001.

Iconography

The impact of Metropolitan Andrey’s contributions to the Ukrainian Church and culture cannot be overstated. Even during his lifetime, iconographers began portraying him in sacred art, though this was not typical for Ukrainian tradition. His likeness was incorporated into depictions of saints by artists such as A. Manastyrskyi, O. Kurylas, M. Boichuk, and Y. Butsmaniuk. After Ukraine’s independence, artists began openly depicting Metropolitan Andrey, though usually without a halo.

Mykhailo Skop