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FLUSHING, Mich. — The first-ever Eastern Catholic parish in Puerto Rico was established this spring, when a formerly Orthodox parish entered into full communion with the Catholic Church.
The priests and faithful of St. Spyridon Parish in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, were welcomed into the Catholic Church June 10, during a Divine Liturgy, celebrated by Father Alberto Figueroa Morales, vicar general of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Juan.
The liturgy was held at the Divine Child Chapel, located outside San Juan, where the community has worshipped for the past 10 years.
Their reception into the Catholic Church became official with the signing of an agreement between the authorities of the archdiocese and the parish. The clergy made a profession of faith in a ceremony at the chancery, and congregation members made their profession of faith during the June 10 liturgy, which included the commemoration of the “bishop of Rome” and of the local archbishop in the litanies.
Among the priests received into communion were the pastor, Father Andrew Vujisic, and his associate, Father Peter DiLeo-Vulic. Father Christopher Grist, a priest affiliated with the parish, was received into the Catholic Church as well.
In the absence of an Eastern Catholic bishop for the island, the parish is currently under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic archbishop of San Juan. As all Eastern Catholic churches in similar circumstances, they retain their Eastern Christian theological, liturgical and spiritual traditions and practices.
Father Maximos Macias, a Ukrainian Catholic monk who teaches at the Pontifical University of Puerto Rico, is a longtime friend of St. Spyridon Parish, which was formerly part of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
He said Fathers Vujisic and DiLeo-Vulic came to Puerto Rico at the request of the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Mexico in 1995, to minister to the Greek and Slavic Orthodox faithful there.
He said he easily recognized that the two men were steeped in the traditions of Eastern Christianity.
“It was their beards and caps that gave them away,” he said.
An enduring friendship quickly began among the three men. Father Maximos soon learned that the small Orthodox congregation had no worship space of its own and he invited them to use the chapel of the Capuchin Franciscan friars of San Juan.
In time, the archbishop invited them to occupy the vacant Divine Child Chapel at the archdiocese’s former leprosarium.
Father Maximos, who is on a panel of the Puerto Rican Episcopal Conference to promote ecumenism, said there was never any effort to proselytize or induce St. Spyridon Parish to join the Catholic Church. However, as their friendship grew, so did the interest of the Orthodox priests to explore communion with the Catholic Church.
For some years during this same period, St. Spyridon Parish had been seeking to come under the authority of different Orthodox bishops who could provide the support they needed, said Father DiLeo-Vulic in an email interview.
Unable to secure a canonical release, the community sent a petition to Archbishop Gonzalez in 2015, requesting information about entering into full communion.
As part of the process, St. Spyridon community reviewed the history of the Union of Brest, by which other former Orthodox churches entered into full communion with the Catholic Church in 1596, he said.
The 33 articles of the Union of Brest “reflected precisely our position as a community,” he said. The community then prepared a memorandum of agreement and submitted it to the archdiocese for review.
“After consultation with the Congregation for Eastern Churches, canonists, and other experts, it was approved,” he said.
The faithful agreed unanimously to enter into communion with the Catholic Church, he said.
“All of the parishioners signed the memorandum and an individual libellus,” he said.
Since joining the Catholic Church, the clergy and laity of St. Spyridon “now have peace,” he said. In addition, there are now “scores of people (mostly Latin-rite Catholics) visiting regularly,” he said.
Sunday liturgies fill the small chapel with about 30 people. Liturgies and services are primarily in Slavonic on Sundays and feast days, with Vespers the night before.
The parish has a boys club, called “The Fire Falcons,” which meets regularly. Most parishioners are of Eastern European origin, though there are some American and Puerto Rican converts.
Father Maximos said there is no effort by the archdiocese to impose Latin-rite liturgical norms and customs on the community.
“In keeping with their holy tradition, the people of St. Spyridon go to confession at Vespers on Saturday, followed by the Divine Liturgy on Sunday after the required fast. This is followed by catechesis, given by the priests, in addition to a social hour,” he said. “Here are the building blocks of their strong faith, which they are bringing with them into the Catholic Church. Catholics like myself have much to learn from them.”
According to Fathers DiLeo-Vulic and Grist, about 16 other priests of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Mexico and their parishes are also currently in the process of seeking communion with Catholic Church.
Father DiLeo-Vulic said St. Spyridon is the largest Eastern Christian church on the island. There is a Syriac Orthodox mission with about 15 families, and a small all-Puerto Rican congregation of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
Six Roman Catholic bishops serve about 70 percent of Puerto Ricans, who identify as Catholic; the rest of the population is mostly Protestant. Though Jews number about 3,000, and Muslims about 5,000.
Caption: A member of the congregation kisses the blessing cross, held by Father Alberto Figueroa Morales, vicar general of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Juan, at the end of the June 10 liturgy at St. Spyridon church. Father Maximos Macias stands in the background. In profile in the right corner of the photo is Father Peter DiLeo-Vulic. (Photo courtesy of St. Spyridon Parish)
As published in Horizons, Sept. 10, 2017
