MINERSVILLE -- His Beatitude Sviatoslav Schevchuk walked down the aisle of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Minersville on Tuesday to greet kids who go to the school next door.
The Major Archbishop is considered the leader of the Ukrainian Catholic Church around the world.
Students from the school, like Nadia Zimmerman, were pretty excited to meet him.
"It was a big honor to be here and for him to be here. It was very amazing!"
The students presented the leader of the church with gifts, including a miner statue for him to remember his trip to the coal region.
The children also sang in at least three different languages and some even spoke to him directly.
"Fun, a little scary at times when I was speaking, but it was fun," said Hayden Lapointe, a fifth grader.
The kids had a question and answer period where they learned that His Beatitude's favorite pastime is soccer.
"To be with them and listen with them, especially to be able to respond to their questions, for me it was an outstanding experience," Beatitude Sviatoslav said.
Many of the kids and the adults say it was such an honor for the patriarch to come to Schuylkill County where the first Ukrainian Catholic Church started in the United States.
"It's a once in a lifetime thing for our children, so we're so blessed and lucky that he chose our parish," said Katielynn Montag, principal of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic School.
Before he left, the children asked the Major Archbishop to pray for them.
In return, he asked them to pray for Ukraine and to live with joy.
