UNIONTOWN, Pa. — Family, tradition and friendship were strong themes among the hundreds of pilgrims at the 85th annual pilgrimage in honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help at Mount St. Macrina Aug. 31-Sept. 1. Bishop Gregory Mansour of the Maronite Eparchy of St. Maron of Brooklyn, New York, was the guest preacher at the closing Divine Liturgy of the pilgrimage, organized by the Sisters of St. Basil the Great. “There is a big difference between a pilgrim and tourist,” Bishop Mansour told the pilgrims. “People are going on a tour to get their money’s worth, that things go right for them. A pilgrim could have the most awful thing happen to them and then offer it up. They recognize that life isn’t only about them. READ MORE.

BURTON, Ohio — About 300 people attended the annual eparchial pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch, Aug. 17-18. The theme for this year’s pilgrimage was, “Rejoice, hope of all.” The pilgrimage began on Saturday afternoon with the lesser blessing of water, followed by Great Vespers with litija and blessing of pilgrims. At the blessing of water, Father Marek Visnovsky, the protosyncellus of the eparchy, said “quenching the spiritual thirst” is what’s important. He encouraged the pilgrims to drink the water and to bless themselves with it. Containers were available for people to take the water home. Vespers were celebrated by Father Visnovsky, with Bishop Milan Lach, SJ, of Parma presiding, retired Bishop John Kudrick of Parma in attendance, and Deacon Joseph Hnat serving. Subdeacon Miron Kerul-Kmec Jr., and seminarian Michael Kunitz assisted. READ MORE.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,   The celebration of the golden anniversary of the founding of our Eparchy of Parma is slowly winding down. Throughout this anniversary year, with our spiritual programs and festivities, we have expressed gratitude to God for His many blessings and graces in the past fifty years. At the same time, our great anniversary also motivates us to ponder our future — how do we want to move forward? Growing and advancing is not about starting from scratch, but about taking our cues from who we are and what we have at our disposal, and having the courage to see the future with hope. With this letter, I wish to present to you my vision for our future. READ MORE

PARMA, Ohio — Soon after the start of the new pastoral year Sept. 1, the Catholic Church in the United States will observe Catechetical Sunday Sept. 15. The national council of Eastern Catholic Eparchial Directors of Religious Education (ECED) has issued resource materials to Eastern Catholic parishes across the country in preparation for the launch of their respective Eastern Christian Formation programs this fall. The catechetical theme for all Eastern Catholic Churches in the United States this year is “The Journey to Emmaus,” from the Gospel of Luke (24:13-35). READ MORE.

CLEVELAND — The property of Holy Ghost Parish in Cleveland was sold by the eparchy this summer. Holy Ghost was one of the first Ruthenian parishes to be founded in Cleveland in 1909. It was suppressed in 2009, due to low membership. That same year, Bishop John Kudrick of Parma, now retired, founded the Byzantine Catholic Cultural Center, originally housed in the cathedral complex. He then moved the Cultural Center to Holy Ghost Church and rectory, located in the increasingly trendy Tremont neighborhood, in 2012. However, the church was found to have structural problems and the Cultural Center was re-situated in the cathedral complex and chancery offices in 2015. READ MORE.

DAVISBURG, Mich. — Sacred Heart parishioner Marissa Gross won first place in the Special Needs Class Equestrian Competition at the Oakland County Fair, held in Davisburg, Michigan, July 13. Gross, 26, who has Down Syndrome, began horseback riding eight years ago. READ MORE.

SOLON, Ohio — St. John the Baptist Parish has turned to two martyred bishops for their intercession in reviving the small faith community. About 30 people attended an evening celebration at the church for the reception of the relics of Blesseds Paul Gojdich and Basil Hopko July 23. Father Frank Firko, former postulator for the bishops’ cause of canonization and pastor of Holy Ghost Parish in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, was the keynote speaker. He brought literature about all three martyred bishops, including Blessed Theodore Romzha of the Eparchy of Mukachevo, Ukraine, as well as large icons depicting the lives of the bishops. READ MORE.

BARBERTON, Ohio — Miron Kerul-Kmec Jr. took one step closer to the priesthood this summer. Bishop Milan Lach, SJ, of Parma ordained the 26-year-old to minor orders of lector, reader, acolyte and subdeacon at his home parish of St. Nicholas July 28. At the same liturgy, Bishop Lach blessed the church’s completed icon screen, which was updated over a nearly four-year period with new icons by the subdeacon, who is also an iconographer. READ MORE.

Summer 2019: What do we need? Fewer rainy days and damaging storms? Less bickering and competition among our civic leaders, so they could work together for good and effective government? More people to come to church? Crime and violence to be gone? Peace throughout the world? Healing and health for those who are suffering? Healing the pain of broken relationships? The list could go on and on, and these are but a few of the ills with which we struggle in this time in which we live. However imperfect we think our lives may be with questions such as these, this is the gift of time that God has given to each of us in which to live every day as best we can. READ MORE.

MUNSTER, Ind. — Growing up in Long Island, New York, Father Steven Koplinka never understood why his family, who worshipped in the Roman Catholic Church on Sundays, chose to have funeral liturgies at the local Orthodox parish. It was only in his mid-life, after he was ordained a priest, that his aunt explained that both his maternal and paternal grandfathers were Byzantine Catholics who had immigrated to Long Island from Belarus. “There were no Byzantine Catholic parishes on Long Island in those days, so they went to the Roman parish on Sundays,” he told Horizons. READ MORE.

UNIONTOWN, Pa. — The Sisters of St. Basil the Great gathered July 30, in a spirit of joy and gratitude, to celebrate this year’s six diamond jubilarians and their years of dedicated service to God and the church. Over the years, each jubilarian in her own way expressed her commitment to be a praying, healing and life-giving presence in the Byzantine Catholic Church in the United States. READ MORE.

Basilian Sister Ann Fedyszak (formerly Sister Aloysius) died at Mount Macrina Manor Aug. 12. She would have celebrated her 65th anniversary of religious life Sept. 15. Sister Ann was born in Warren, Ohio, the daughter of the late Elias and Anna (nee Volchko) Fedyszak. She entered the Sisters of St. Basil Sept. 15, 1954, from Sts. Peter and Paul Byzantine Catholic Parish in Warren. She made her final profession Aug. 21, 1960. READ MORE.

Two blind men live close to where I do in Parma. Sometimes, I observe how they walk and get around with their white canes. When I see them, I often thank God for the gift of my sight, for the gift to see around me all of God’s creation. Many times, we don’t appreciate what we have. We take things for granted, like our sight, until we come to the point where we risk losing them. In today’s Gospel (Mt 9:27-35), Jesus heals two blind men who cried out, “Son of David, have pity on us!” It is wonderful that Jesus Christ is really the healer of our sight — our physical sight but also our spiritual sight. Many of us have sight, but we are blind. We are blind because we do not see all around us that God is present in our brothers and sisters every day. We are blind in this way, and yet we are proud of it. READ MORE.

The Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma is seeking to hire a Development Director, whose responsibilities will include the annual appeal, major donor relations, planned giving, capital and endowment campaigns, special events planning, and grant-writing. Learn more about this new position with the eparchy.

UNIONTOWN, Pa. — The 85th Annual Pilgrimage in honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help will be held at Mount St. Macrina, Aug. 31-Sept. 1. This year’s theme is “Mary, Cause of Our Joy.” The pilgrimage holds the distinction of being the oldest and the largest Byzantine Catholic pilgrimage in the country. READ MORE.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — “One city equals one bishop” was the topic discussed at the 23rd Orientale Lumen Conference in the nation’s capital June 17-20. The phrase refers to canon 8 of the Council of Ephesus (AD 431) which prohibited a bishop or metropolitan to infringe on the territory of another bishop by ordaining or otherwise exercising authority in the other’s territory. It also made reference to the apostolic canons (numbers 35/36) which forbade a bishop from ordaining in cities or places not subject to him. Canon 8 of the Council of Nicea (AD 325) also stated that there should only be one bishop in one church. READ MORE.

Sacred Heart Byzantine Catholic Parish in Livonia, Michigan, now houses a specially designed reliquary for the Shroud of Turin theca, which contains a 5-by-1-millimeter thread from the burial linen of Christ. The reliquary was placed in the church’s All Saints Shrine. The troparion for Good Friday, which mentions Joseph of Arimathea, is etched onto the reliquary. Tours are available by appointment. Call the pastor, Father Joseph Marquis: (313) 282-4327.

MERRILLVILLE, Ind. — Americans work hard for everything they have, said Father Michal Bucko, the new administrator of St. Michael Parish in Merrillville, Indiana. The 36-year-old Slovak priest said the American work ethic was the most significant impression he formed in his first year in the United States. “I’ve seen the life of people in America and the American reality. People in America have a hard life. Life is harder here than in Slovakia,” he said. “Here, people need to work more to have goods and services that in Europe are normal to have, like maternity benefits.” READ MORE.

FLUSHING, Mich. — St. Michael parishioners Elizabeth and Ernest Harbin were honored last month for being the longest-married couple in the state of Michigan. The Harbins have been married 73 years. Father James Batcha, parish administrator, blessed the couple before the entire congregation during the Divine Liturgy June 30. It was just after the Ambon prayer during the Divine Liturgy. The Harbins were presented with a certificate from Worldwide Marriage Encounter, the Catholic marriage enrichment apostolate that recognized their marriage as the longest in the state. READ MORE.

CHICAGO — The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops voted on several proposals “to hold bishops accountable for instances of sexual abuse of children or vulnerable persons, sexual misconduct, or the intentional mishandling of such cases” at their June 11-14 general assembly in Baltimore. According to a memorandum issued by the USCCB June 13, the bishops “specifically committed to involving and utilizing lay professional experts” in their new policy. The bishops agreed that “independent lay oversight is crucial” in holding bishops more accountable in cases of abuse. They also established a “new, independent mechanism for the reporting of such cases.” READ MORE.