Through times of trial, division, repression, and new growth, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has remained faithfully at the foot of the Cross.

The leader of this Eastern Catholic Church, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, grew up in Ukraine during a time when his Church was illegal, and his family had to carry out their religious practices in secret. Born in the western Ukrainian city of Stryi on May 5, 1970, he grew up hearing stories of his parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents who had to deal with the demands of shifting political situations and the conflicts of Eastern Europe. He studied for the priesthood in an underground seminary and learned from the witness of priests and bishops who were imprisoned for their faith — including some who lost their lives on account of their fidelity to Christ and his Church.

Today, in the interviews contained in this book, His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk offers deep insights about the direction in which the world is going, including the struggle the Church once again faces, thirty years after the fall of the Soviet Union, in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“This wonderful book is an invitation to encounter the mind, heart, and soul of one of the great Catholic leaders of the twenty-first century, Major-Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk. Read it, and come away enriched.” — George Weigel, Distinguished Senior Fellow and William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies, Ethics and Public Policy Center, Biographer of Pope St. John Paul II

“In 2022, Ukraine and Ukrainians found themselves at the epicenter of global change. The world is captivated by their struggle and sacrifice for God-given freedom and dignity. Sviatoslav Shevchuk, a man of prayer, has lived through tectonic social and political transformation, experienced unexpected turns in his own life, and today serves as a respected national leader. During his youth in the USSR, he was a member of the catacomb Church. He went to nursing school and an underground seminary before being conscripted into the Red Army. Eventually, Fr. Shevchuk became one of the first post-Soviet, Ukrainian-born professors of theology, a seminary rector, and then bishop — at the time the youngest in the Catholic Church. Leading the dispersed Ukrainian faithful in Argentina, he developed a close personal relationship with  Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio, the future Pope Francis. At 41, Bishop Sviatoslav was elected head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. He has led an international Ukrainian community through the Revolution of Dignity, eight years of Russian-Ukrainian war, a global pandemic, and most recently a full-scale Russian invasion. This volume is a result of four years of encounters and honest conversations between an American journalist and a Ukrainian patriarch who with his people stands at the foot of the Cross. Patriarch Sviatoslav’s candid search for answers to life’s challenges may help you face yours.” — Borys Gudziak, Archbishop of Philadelphia and Metropolitan for the Ukrainian Catholics in the United States

“During the last 100 years the people of Ukraine have suffered terribly from the impositions of foreign totalitarian regimes. Throughout this time the Catholics of Ukraine have witnessed with fortitude and fidelity to the enduring power of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Today, that witness continues in extraordinary ways and constitutes a providential testimony for the benefit of the universal Church. Especially now, when the presence of Christianity is fading throughout much of Europe, At the Foot of the Cross provides a unique look at where Christianity remains bright and is growing. It is a must-read for Catholics concerned about the future of global Christianity as well as what is happening in Ukraine today.” — Carl Anderson, Past Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus

“John Burger has given us a book that is both extraordinary — and extraordinarily timely. These interviews with Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk draw us into the heart and mind of one of the most important and compelling religious leaders of our day, capturing his passion, his vision, and his deep and unwavering faith. Anyone who cares about what is happening in Ukraine at this moment needs to read this book. You will come away enlightened, enriched, and most of all, inspired.” — Deacon Greg Kandra, journalist and blogger, The Deacon’s Bench

“The Ukrainian people’s heroic resolve against a powerful aggressor and how it impacted the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 overall defied US government and world expectations. It will be assessed and discussed for years to come. This book examines a critical factor in this resolve, one that many outside experts overlook — the threat Russia poses to religious freedom. For Ukrainian Catholics, religious oppression by Russia was well known. This book recounts the story of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which for decades was forced to maintain the Faith in secret when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. Told through the eyewitness testimony of the head of that Church, this book provides one important reason why Ukrainians are fighting against Russian control today.” — Nina Shea, Director, Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom, Former commissioner, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom

“A book-length interview of the leader of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, by a seasoned Catholic journalist. The book could not be more timely — the Church of catacombs, persecuted by the Communists, has returned to the underground, with priests going into Kyiv’s metro to offer wartime liturgies. More generally, the book explores the story of the Eastern Catholic Church and its spirituality, a history and spirituality which is not well known even among Western Catholics. It is a personal and communal history told by Sviatoslav Shevchuk on behalf of the Church, but the book is also Shevchuk’s biography, retelling his formation by the underground priests and nuns and exploring the current situation of a Church and a people under siege. It is the Church’s biography as much as it is his biography; it is a book on behalf of the Church. It is the history of a Church which was born ‘at the foot of the cross,’ still living their Good Friday and waiting for the resurrection. Clearly written and articulated, this is a must-read primer for anyone who wants to learn the history of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Shevchuk’s personal history, and the history of the Ukrainian people.” — Ines Angeli Murzaku, PhD, Professor of Religion and Director of Catholic Studies Program, Seton Hall University