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His continuing studies of the Church Fathers convinced him of the correctness of the position of the [[Orthodox Church]]. In 1930, after expressing his views in published papers, Fr. Gabriel was dismissed from his position with the academy. Not cowered by his dismissal, Fr. Gabriel continued his critique of [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholicism]] throughout the 1930s. At the Uniate congress in 1936 in Lvov, Father Gabriel read a paper on the Ideology of the Unia, arguing that the Greek Catholic Church was doomed and that it was necessary to return to the fathers’ faith.<ref name="DECR"/> He courageously developed the same theme at the Lvov diocesan clergy congress in 1943.<ref name="DECR"/> He was convinced of the error of the [[Unia]] and its wrongful effect on [[church]] life. During this time he formed a body of supporters who agreed with his position.

On [[February 23]], 1946, Metr. John of Kiev received Fr. Gabriel and twelve other priests from the Unia to Orthodoxy. By the end of the month two of these priests , Antoni Pelvetsky and Mykhailo Melnyk, had been consecrated bishops. Over the following months additional priests and [[laity|laypeople]] joined Fr. Gabriel's movement. <ref group="note">A criticism of Fr. Gabriel by [[Eastern Catholic Churches|Byzantine-Ruthenian Catholic]] priest Christopher Lawrence Zugger argues that:<br>:"Partly hoping to save his son (who, he had been told was a prisoner of the Soviets), partly out of anti-[[Latinization|Latin Catholic]] feelings, partly out of conviction, Kostelnyk led the destruction of his own Church with the assistance of two other apostate priests, Antoni Pelvetsky and Mykhailo Melnyk." (Rev. Christopher Lawrence Zugger. ''"[http://books.google.ca/books?id=HnUnJ7X10BMC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false The Forgotten: Catholics of the Soviet empire from Lenin through Stalin]."'' Syracuse University Press, 2001. p.423.)</ref>

<blockquote>"On 8 and 9 March 1946 a Council took place in [[w:St. George's Cathedral, Lviv|St George's Cathedral in Lvov]], presided over by Fr Gabriel. The two new bishops and the other ex-Uniat clergy were also present. Other Orthodox bishops also took part, as well as 204 Uniat priests and a few laypeople. The main speaker at the Council of Lvov was Fr Gabriel. He affirmed what all Orthodox know, that the 'Union' of Brest was the greatest catastrophe ever in the spiritual and national life of western Russia. Fr Gabriel called for the return of all Uniats to the Faith of Kiev, 'the Slav Jerusalem', the Orthodox Mother-Church and for freedom from papist tyranny and heresy. The following morning all 204 Uniat clergy renounced the Latin errors. They were united with the Orthodox Church through the sacrament of confession by the newly-received ex-Uniat clergy. This was followed by the concelebration of the Divine Liturgy. A message was sent to Patriarch [[Alexei I (Simansky) of Moscow|Alexis]], which welcomed the day of spiritual freedom that had arrived, announcing the reunion of Uniats with the Orthodox Church and the Universal Faith of the First Millennium."<ref>Orthodox England. ''[http://orthodoxengland.org.uk/lvov.htm Hieromartyr Gabriel of Galicia (1886-1948): A Carpatho-Russian Martyr for Christian Unity in Western Russia].'' St John's Orthodox Church, Colchester.</ref></blockquote>

On [[September 20]], 1948, after the [[Divine Liturgy]] Fr. Gabriel was attacked on the steps of the Cathedral of the Transfiguration in Lvov and killed by one, Vasily Pankiv a political terrorist, who killed himself immediately after his deadly assault. He was a member of a terrorist group, led by [[w:Roman Shukhevych|Roman Shukhevich]], chief of the Ukrainian Rebel Army (UPA).<ref name=Interfax>Interfax-Religion. ''[http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=5186 The initiator of elimination of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church could be canonized].'' 23 September 2008, 12:16.</ref><ref group="note">On the other hand, according to the ''[http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/default.asp Encyclopedia of Ukraine]''argues that:<br>:"He was killed under mysterious circumstances; while Soviet authorities have blamed his murder on the Vatican and Ukrainian nationalists, the evidence suggests that the assassination was masterminded by the Soviet police." (Bohdan R. Bociurkiw. ''[http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?AddButton=pages\K\O\KostelnykHavryil.htm Kostelnyk, Havryil].'' Encyclopedia of Ukraine, Vol. 2 (1989).)</ref> Fr. Gabriel was buried in the [[w:Lychakiv Cemetery|Lychakov cemetery]] in Lvov. His funeral was attended, at least according to some Soviet authors, by around 40,000 people. Church leaders decided to inform the highest Soviet administrators of "the great loss" they suffered. Among others, J.V. Stalin and Nikita Khrushchev were contacted.<ref>[http://rdsa.tripod.com/biografeng.html Havriil Kostelnik (1886-1948)].</ref>

On September 20, 1998, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the demise of Protopresbyter Gabriel Kostelnik, the [[Divine Liturgy]] was celebrated in St. George’s church, followed by a [[Memorial Services|Panikhida]] at the tomb of Father Gabriel at the [[w:Lychakiv Cemetery|Lychakov cemetery]] conducted by Archbishop Augustine of Lvov and Drogobych. Later, a historic conference was held on the theme ''‘Protopresbyter Gabriel Kostelnik and His Role in the Revival of Orthodoxy in Galicia’''.<ref name="DECR"/> A message from His Holiness Patriarch [[Alexei II (Ridiger) of Moscow|Alexei II]] said that "the death of Protopresbyter Gabriel Kostelnik was an irretrievable loss for the spiritual life of his legacy – the people of God who reunited with Holy Orthodoxy at the Church Council of Lvov and for the Russian Orthodox Church as a whole."<ref name="DECR"/>

<center>''Holy Hieromartyr Gabriel, pray to God for us!''</center>

* Orthodox England. ''[http://rdsaorthodoxengland.tripodorg.comuk/biografenglvov.html Havriil Kostelnik htm Hieromartyr Gabriel of Galicia (1886-1948): A Carpatho-Russian Martyr for Christian Unity in Western Russia].'' St John's Orthodox Church, Colchester.

* Orthodox EnglandBBC Summary of World Broadcasts. ''[http://orthodoxengland.org.uk/lvov.htm Hieromartyr Gabriel of Galicia (1886"Anti-1948): A CarpathoCommunist and Anti-Russian Martyr for Christian Unity in Western Russia]Soviet Link Between Uniatism, Nationalism and Fascism."'' St John's Orthodox ChurchNovember 18, 1986, ColchesterTuesday. 

* BBC Summary of World Broadcasts[http://rdsa.tripod.com/biografeng.html Havriil Kostelnik (1886-1948)].* Rev. Christopher Lawrence Zugger. ''"Anti-Communist and Anti-[http://books.google.ca/books?id=HnUnJ7X10BMC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false The Forgotten: Catholics of the Soviet Link Between Uniatism, Nationalism and Fascismempire from Lenin through Stalin]."'' November 18, 1986Syracuse University Press, Tuesday2001.