Mykhailo's older brother, Gregory, became a priest also and served the village of Prysowce (Ukr: Prysivtsi) as its Greek Catholic pastor.

On 17 August 1815 Mykhailo Levytskyi was designated Metropolitan of Lviv by Emperor Francis II of Austria and so confirmed by Pope Pius VII on 8 March 1816.

He founded 383 parochial schools, cared for the publication of textbooks for them, and he supported the creation of educational associations of priests.

Together with John Mohylnytskym he sought the introduction of teaching in the Ukrainian language in schools in Eastern Galicia.

Later defined as conservative, he was close to the Polish gentry circles, and enemy of modern trends in social and cultural life.