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.
Lifelong parishioner Steve Bandura, along with some children who attend Eastern Christian Formation, Andrew Kenney, Alex Quarles, and Nadia Quarles, welcomed Bishop Lach at the beginning of liturgy with the traditional Ruthenian gifts of bread, salt and a key to the church. The cantor, Sam Michel, led the choir with responses in both English and Slavonic.
After liturgy, St. Nicholas Parish hosted the 58th Annual Midwest Deanery St. Nicholas Day Celebration at the Carmelite Monastery Banquet Hall nearby. Msgr. Frank Korba, Fathers Michael Evanick, Bryan Eyman, Basil Hutsko, Thomas Loya, Stephen Muth, John Russell and Hierodeacon Paisiy Firman of Holy Resurrection Monastery in St. Nazianz, Wisconsin, joined the other clergy present at the banquet. John Pruzin, Jr.’s Tamburitzan Orchestra offered the musical entertainment.
Longtime St. Nicholas parishioner George Toth served as the master of ceremonies. He opened the program by leading everyone in singing the Hymn to St. Nicholas, and Father Eyman led the opening prayer.
Prior to dinner, parishioners Donna Tang, Debbie Laczkowski and Mary Ann Medved presented Bishop Lach with new vestments and a mitre on behalf of all of the Midwest parishes, missions and outreaches. The mitre is decorated with small icons of the three Byzantine Ruthenian martyred bishops, Blessed Paul Gojdich, Basil Hopko and Theodore Romzha, and Father Methodius Dominik Trcka.
After dinner, St. Nicholas ECF students, presented the bishop with roses and a cross, anchored by an icon of St. Nicholas.
The married couples in the region celebrating a jubilee anniversary were also recognized.
The highlight of the program was the talk given by Bishop Lach, during which he shared his experience growing up under communism in Europe and his vocation story.
Richard Palasz, parishioner of Annunciation Parish in Homer Glen, Illinois, introduced a new lay initiative in the Midwest region, called the St. Ephrem Fellowship. More on the fellowship will be reported in a future issue of Horizons.
Laura Ieraci contributed to this report.
Caption:
Alex Quarles presents Bishop Milan Lach, SJ, with the key to the church prior to Divine Liturgy at St. Nicholas Parish Dec. 3. (Photo: Laura Ieraci)