On September 15, 2021, Father John Kovach, a retired priest of the Eparchy of Parma, fell asleep in the Lord in El Monte, California, at the age of 81. He surrendered his soul to the Lord in the 56th year of his priesthood. During his years as an active priest, Father Kovach served the Metropolitan Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, the Eparchy of Parma, and the Eparchy of Van Nuys (now the Eparchy of Phoenix). Please join us in praying for the eternal rest of the soul of Father Kovach.

The Parastas and Funeral Divine Liturgy for Fr. Kovach were held at St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Parma, Ohio. Bishop Milan Lach and seven priests, Fr. Marek Visnovsky, Fr. Dennis Hrubiak, Fr. John Kachuba, Fr. Bryan Eyman, Fr. Bruce Riebe, Fr. Joseph Repko (Eparchy of Parma), Fr. Michael O'Loughlin (Eparchy of Phoenix), and Dc. Gregory Loya (Eparchy of Parma), celebrated the Funeral Divine Liturgy on Tuesday, September 28, 2021.

Fr. John Kovach was buried in a coffin that had been made for him and which he kept in his rectory at the parishes he was assigned to during his active ministry. His final resting place is at Calvary Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio by the graves of his parents.

In blessed repose, grant, O Lord, eternal rest to your departed servant the priest John and remember him forever. Eternal memory, eternal memory, blessed repose, eternal memory.

The 1st Annual Bishop's Golf Classic was held on Monday, August 23, at Medina Country Club in Medina, Ohio. The day began with registration and an express breakfast, followed by a 9:30AM start. There were 80 golfers including Bishop Milan Lach and four priests of the Eparchy, as well as George Juba, President of GCU, the title sponsor of the event. After the game, golfers were welcomed back to the club for drinks, lunch, and a raffle. During lunch, Bishop Milan Lach thanked everyone for their support of the Eparchy, and invited them to truly enjoy the gift of community that God had given them through this event.

Please click the title above to see the photos from the event.

Please click on the title above to read guidelines for Catholics who choose not to receive vaccines.

You are invited to join Bishop Milan Lach and the people of the Eparchy of Parma at the Assembly of the Byzantine Catholic (Ruthenian) Metropolitan Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on November 5-6, 2021. There will be talks, breakout sessions, and prayer with the opportunity to connect with the faithful from the entire Metropolia.

Early bird registration at a discounted rate ends August 30, and the deadline for registration at the regular rate is October 15. Please note there will be no refunds.

To register, please click on the title above to print out the PDF brochure. All instructions are given on the brochure to complete registration.

Eighteen teens from the Northeast Ohio area and Michigan camped out and participated in liturgical services, talks, and fun activities at the Shrine of Mariapoch in Burton, Ohio for the Byzanteen Youth Camp of the Eparchy of Parma. The camp was organized and run by the members of the Youth Committee for the Eparchy of Parma. The clergy present throughout the weekend were Bishop Milan Lach, Fr. Marek Visnovsky, Fr. Robert Jager, Fr. Lukas Mitro, and Fr. John Russell. The Nuns of Christ the Bridegroom Monastery were also present, assisting with food prep, activities, liturgical services, and talks. On Saturday night, the last evening of the camp, teens shared their experiences and expressed their gratitude for the liturgical services, the talks, and time for Confession.

The Eparchy of Parma congratulates Bishop Milan Lach, SJ on his 20th Anniversary of priesthood! Bishop Milan was ordained to the priesthood on July 1, 2001, in the Cathedral of the Birth of Virgin Mary the Holy Mother of God in Košice, Slovakia by Bishop Milan Chautur, CSsR.

The Eparchy of Parma thanks Bishop Milan for his love and hard work for our church! We pray that Bishop Milan will always be given the strength to continue to carry out his vocation as priest for the good and salvation of the people of the Eparchy of Parma.

Mnohaja i blahaja lita!

Calling all teens to join us for the Eparchy of Parma's Byzanteen Youth Camp! This camp will be held at the Shrine of Mariapoch in Burton, Ohio, from Thursday, July 22, to Sunday, July 25, and is open to all teens ages 13-18. Please click on the title above to register for this event. Registration closes on July 5, so make sure you sign up as soon as possible! We look forward to you joining us!

Ave Maria University is offering a generous $28,000 scholarship exclusively for Eastern Catholic students! This is a life-changing opportunity for young men and women to study at an authentically Catholic university endorsed by The Newman Guide!

It’s not too late to receive this scholarship for the fall 21’ semester! Click on the title above to be taken to the Ave Maria University website for more information on how to apply. Please share this opportunity with any Byzantine Catholic who is looking to attend a Catholic college.

Ave Maria University is a dynamic liberal arts university offering 31 majors and 28 minors. Tom Monaghan, founder and chancellor of the university has long admired the Eastern Catholic Rites and their deep traditions. Emanating from this profound respect, the university is offering generous scholarships for Eastern Catholic students to study at Ave Maria University.

U.S. Bishop Chairmen for Doctrine and for Pro-Life Address the Use of the Johnson and Johnson Covid-19 Vaccine.
The USCCB has directed the faithful, that one has the moral obligation to choose either the Pfizer or Moderna Covid-19 vaccine instead of the Johnson and Johnson Covid-19 vaccine when given the ability to choose.
“The approval of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine for use in the United States again raises questions about the moral permissibility of using vaccines developed, tested, and/or produced with the help of abortion-derived cell lines.
“Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines raised concerns because an abortion-derived cell line was used for testing them, but not in their production. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, however, was developed, tested and is produced with abortion-derived cell lines raising additional moral concerns. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has judged that ‘when ethically irreproachable Covid-19 vaccines are not available … it is morally acceptable to receive Covid-19 vaccines that have used cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production process.’[1] However, if one can choose among equally safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, the vaccine with the least connection to abortion-derived cell lines should be chosen. Therefore, if one has the ability to choose a vaccine, Pfizer or Moderna’s vaccines should be chosen over Johnson & Johnson’s.
“While we should continue to insist that pharmaceutical companies stop using abortion-derived cell lines, given the world-wide suffering that this pandemic is causing, we affirm again that being vaccinated can be an act of charity that serves the common good.”
Please click the title above to be taken to the USCCB website.

The Sisters of St. Basil the Great in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, are celebrating their 100th Anniversary this year. This particular community of nuns were very influential in the Eparchy of Parma by teaching in our schools and they were originally founded at our church, Holy Ghost, on Kenilworth Avenue in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio.

In 1918, because of the influenza epidemic, many children were left orphans. To provide for them, an Orphange was opened, under the care of two Sisters and three postulants. Later in 1920, these Sisters and postulants were replaced by Rev. Mother Macrina, O.S.B.M., with two other Sisters and six candidates. These Basilian Sisters, under the superiorship of Mother Macrina, began a Motherhouse as a new branch of the Sisters of St. Basil the Great for the "Uhro-Rusins" or "Carpatho-Rusins". On June 19, 1921, the six candidates received their veils. In June 1923, all the Sisters were transferred to the St. Nicholas Orphanage of the Greek Catholic Union in Elmhurst, Pennsylvania, and later after a time in Factoryville, Pennsylvania, they established their Motherhouse at Uniontown, Pennsylvania. - Excerpt from the Golden Jubilee Commemorative Book for Holy Ghost, Cleveland, Ohio, 1959.

Vatican City - Adrian Dancă January 12, 2021 - Vatican News . "With deep sorrow, we inform all Greek Catholic believers and all Romanians that today, January 12, 2021, at 15:20, His Holiness Florentin Crihălmeanu, Bishop of the Greek Catholic Diocese of Cluj-Gherla, died suddenly at the Monastery of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Mother of God from Cluj-Napoca ”: we find this out from a communication of the Press Office of the Greek Catholic Episcopate of Cluj-Gherla, sent through the spokesperson Fr. Daniel Avram.
Born in 1959 in Iași, he moved with his family to Turda. In 1984 he graduated from the Faculty of Mechanics of the Polytechnic Institute of Cluj. He attended clandestine theology classes during communism, and in 1990 was ordained a priest by Bishop George Guțiu. He continued his specialization studies in theology at the Pontifical Urban University of Rome and became a professor at the Greek Catholic Theological Institute in Cluj. In 1997 he was consecrated bishop by St. John Paul II in St. Peter's Basilica, being at that time the youngest Catholic bishop in the world. From 2002 he became the bishop of the Greek Catholic diocese of Cluj-Gherla. Succeeding in harmonizing the zeal of pastoring souls and deepening theological culture, in 2005 he received his doctorate in theology at the Urban University.

Please click on the title above to read Bishop Milan Lach's Christmas Pastoral Letter for 2020.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has issued a statement on the moral acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccines that are currently available. Please click on the title above to be taken to the Vatican website for the entire statement.

Please keep in your prayers the soul of Sr. Emma Pauline Fedorchak who fell asleep in the Lord on December 14, 2020. Sr. Emma Pauline was a Sister of St. Basil the Great and served the Eparchy of Parma as a teacher at the former St. Mary’s School in Whiting, Indiana; the school of the now closed parish of St. Michael’s in Gary, Indiana; and at the former St. Mary’s in Chicago, Illinois. She usually taught grades 1-3.
Please click on the title above to view her obituary from the Sisters of St. Basil the Great at Mt. Macrina.

The Ohio Catholic Bishops Conference has issued a statement regarding the moral acceptability of the available COVID-19 vaccines. Please click on the title above to read the complete statement.

On December 3, the funeral services were held for Bishop Emeritus Gerald Dino of the Eparchy of Phoenix at the Cathedral of St. Stephen in Phoenix, Arizona.
On Saturday, November 14, at 4:02pm MST, Bishop Emeritus Gerald N. Dino of the Eparchy of Phoenix fell asleep in the Lord. He had suffered two strokes and the most recent one was very devastating. He now can rest in the embrace and love of Almighty God.
Bishop Gerald is survived by his sister Joyce, brother-in-law, Bob Strikla, and his brother James Dino. Please keep them in your prayers as this has been extremely difficult for them.
Bishop Gerald was born January 11, 1940 in Binghamton, New York. On March 21, 1965, he was ordained a priest for the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic. On December 6, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him bishop of the Eparchy of Van Nuys, and on March 27, 2008 he was consecrated a bishop. At his request, Pope Benedict XVI transferred the see of the Eparchy of Van Nuys to Phoenix, Arizona in February 2010.
On reaching the age of 75, Bishop Gerald submitted his resignation to Pope Francis, who accepted it and appointed his successor John Stephen Pazak in May 2016. Bishop Gerald continued to serve the Eparchy of Phoenix as Protosyncellus until his death.
T he Eparchy of Parma extends its condolences and prayers to the clergy and people of the Eparchy of Phoenix. Vicnaja pamjat'!
                                                               

On Sunday, August 16, the Eparchy of Parma made their annual Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch in Burton, Ohio. Please click on the title to view the complete article.

This year, we celebrate the 350th Anniversary of the weeping of the Icon of Our Lady in Klokočov, Slovakia.  Having been blessed with our own copy of this miraculous icon, the Eparchy of Parma is hosting a pilgrimage of the Icon of Our Lady of Klokočov to the parishes within the Eparchy.  Please click the title above for the full article.