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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.
After nearly 20 years as a Roman Catholic priest, Father Steven Koplinka, now pastor of St. Nicholas Parish, embraced the Byzantine Catholic Church of both his ancestors and became incardinated in the Eparchy of Parma. This year, Father Koplinka celebrates 40 years of priesthood.
“I’m very happy serving the Byzantine Catholic Church,” said Father Koplinka, who had entered the Benedictine monastery in Benet Lake, Wisconsin, in 1970. He made first profession in 1972, and made final profession of solemn vows three years later. He was ordained a Benedictine priest May 12, 1979.
Within a few years, Bishop Emil Mihalik, the first bishop of Parma, came to the monastery looking for priests who were interested in becoming biritual and helping at St. Irene Byzantine Catholic Parish nearby. His Eastern Catholic ancestry still unknown to him, Father Steven (then Father Quentin in religious life) volunteered. He helped out at St. Irene Parish, from 1985 to 1995, before being transferred to St. Mary Parish in Whiting, Indiana, for 10 months.
He was then sent to St. Nicholas Parish in Cleveland, where he served from 1995 to 1998. During these years, his monastery began to dwindle and he decided to become incardinated as a priest of the Eparchy of Parma. His subsequent pastoral assignment was at St. Mary Parish in Cleveland, where he served for 16 years.
“I was happiest at St. Mary’s in Cleveland, where we worked hard with the principal, Rita Basalla, to keep St. Mary School open,” he said. “I consider this as one of the accomplishments of my priesthood, though I give full credit to Rita.”
In April 2014, Father Koplinka was re-assigned to St. Nicholas Parish in Northwest Indiana, where parishioners celebrated his 40 years of priesthood with a luncheon in the parish hall after Divine Liturgy May 19.
Caption: Father Steven Koplinka poses with cake during a celebration at St. Nicholas Parish in Munster, Indiana, May 19, for his 40th anniversary of priesthood. (Photo: Fran Makuh)
As published in Horizons, Aug. 25, 2019.
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