ɪn lˈeɪt nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti ˈeɪt ðɪ ˈeɪdʒɪŋ pˈeɪtɹɪˌɑːɹk dˈaɪmɪtɹˌɪi, hɪz hˈɛlθ wˈiːkənɪŋ, dɪtˈɜːmɪnd ðætðə fjˈuːtʃɚɹ ʌvðə tʃˈɜːtʃ wʊd biː stɹˈɛŋθən ɪf ɪt wʊd tˈɜːn wˈʌns ɐɡˈɛn tə ðə juːkɹˈeɪniən daɪˈæspɚɹə, wˌɪtʃ hæd meɪntˈeɪnd ðə jˈuːeɪˌɑːk dˈʊɹɹɪŋ nˌɪɹli sˈɛvənti jˈɪɹz ʌv kˈɑːmjuːnˌɪst ɹˈuːl ɪn juːkɹˈeɪn.
In late 1998 the aging Patriarch Dymytriy, his health weakening, determined that the future of the Church would be strengthen if it would turn once again to the Ukrainian diaspora, which had maintained the UAOC during nearly 70 years of Communist rule in Ukraine.