by Mother Cecilia Hritz, nun of Christ the Bridegroom Monastery
BURTON, Ohio — Through the sponsorship of a benefactor, the nuns of Christ the Bridegroom Monastery made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, organized by the Melkite Eparchy of Newton, this past July. It was the first time in the Holy Land for most of the nuns of the monastery. On the first full day of our pilgrimage, my amazement grew as each new site increased in importance. I was in awe when we visited the place where some of the prophets are buried. Then we visited the place where the greatest of the prophets, John the Baptist, was born. READ MORE.
HOMER GLEN, Ill. — Warm winter weather drew the largest crowd yet to the fourth annual Christmas on the Prairie, held at Annunciation Parish Dec. 2. About 400 people attended the event throughout the afternoon, organized to celebrate the life of the real Santa Claus — St. Nicholas of Myra, patron saint of the Byzantine Catholic Church. READ MORE.
MUNSTER, Ind. — About 200 people from the Midwest parishes gathered for the St. Nicholas Banquet Dec. 3, hosted this year by St. Nicholas Parish. Bishop Milan Lach, SJ, apostolic administrator of Parma, celebrated the 10 a.m. Divine Liturgy at St. Nicholas church, which preceded the banquet. Father Steven Koplinka, the pastor, Father Andrew Summerson and Augustinian Father Bernie Danber concelebrated. Subdeacon Bryan Scotton assisted at the altar. READ MORE.
BRECKSVILLE, Ohio — About 250 people gathered for the second annual Bridegroom’s Banquet at St. Joseph church Nov. 11, raising a total $157,000 to benefit Christ the Bridegroom Monastery. Donors pledged $82,000 and generous benefactors pledged $75,000 in matching funds. READ MORE.
CHICAGO — A Byzantine Catholic layman, who participated at a nuclear disarmament conference at the Vatican last month said he believes the Eastern churches can provide a vital contribution to assist Pope Francis in the promotion of his teachings on nuclear disarmament. Jack Figel, founder of the Orientale Lumen Foundation and a faithful of the Eparchy of Passaic, was among the scholars, activists and representatives of bishops’ conferences at the Nov. 10-11 conference, sponsored by the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. READ MORE.
by Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service, with additional reporting by Horizons Staff
BALTIMORE (CNS) — The U.S. Catholic bishops faced some big issues during their Nov. 13-15 annual fall plenary assembly. Among these issues were immigration and racism and how to raise the national level of discussion on these topics starting in the church pews. This USCCB meeting was the first for Bishop Milan Lach, SJ, who was appointed apostolic administrator of Parma in June. READ MORE.
FLUSHING, Mich. — Byzantine Catholics from the Eparchy of Parma’s Michigan parishes were among the 60,000 faithful to attend the beatification Mass for Capuchin Father Solanus Casey at Detroit’s Ford Field Nov. 18. Blessed Solanus is only the second male born in the United States to be beatified. The first, Father Stanley Rother of Oklahoma, who was martyred in Guatemala, was beatified Sept. 23. READ MORE.
CHICAGO — Renowned for its reverence for ancient tradition, the Byzantine Catholic Church is rather unhurried to add new feasts to its liturgical calendar. However, in the past 20 years, the Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic Metropolia in the United States has added at least four new feast days, namely for three 20th-century martyred bishops — Blesseds Paul Gojdich, July 17, Basil Hopko, July 23, and Theodore Romzha, Oct. 31 — and one feast dedicated to the Mother of God, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Dec. 12. READ MORE.
One hundred years ago, my great-grandfather arrived in Chicago, not for a holiday, but because of the harsh poverty in his home country of Slovakia. He came here with the hope of making and saving some money, and then deciding whether he would remain here or return.
PARMA, Ohio — The Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma has launched its annual Stewardship Appeal, with a fundraising goal of $190,000. This year’s theme is “Let Your Light Shine” (Mt 5:16) and seeks to encourage all of the faithful to be beacons of Christian hope in their communities. The campaign will run from Dec. 1 to March 31, though donations will be accepted until the end of the fiscal year, June 30, 2018. READ MORE.