The following are vocations from the Eparchy of Van Nuys - A Byzantine Catholic Diocese covering over 15 States from Anchorage to Las Vegas. At last count 20 parishes…
1 seminarian, 1 postulant, and 6 oridnations to the diaconate this year.
Keep them in your prayers!
* Ms. Melissa Morrow from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Albuquerque, entered Holy Annunciation Monastery of the Byzantine Carmelite Nuns in Sugarloaf as a postulant on July 16.
* Mr. Diodoro Mendoza of Our Lady of Wisdom Church, Las Vegas, has been accepted as a candidate to study for the holy priesthood at SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary for the Fall Semester of the 2007–2008 Academic Year.
* Mr. Brian D. Escobedo was ordained to the Minor Orders, Subdiaconate and the Diaconate on July 22 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Albuquerque.
* Mr. John Bradley will be ordained to the Minor Orders, Subdiaconate and the Diaconate July 29 at Saint Anne Church, San Luis Obispo.
* Mr. Michael Mandelas will be ordained to the Minor Orders, Subdiaconate and the Diaconate on August 19, 2007, at Saint John Chrysostom Church, Seattle.
* Mr. James Danovich and Mr. Michael Hanafin will be ordained to Minor Orders, Subdiaconate and Diaconate on August 25 at St. Stephen’s Pro-Cathedral, Phoenix.
* Mr. Michael Sullivan will be ordained to the Minor Orders, Subdiaconate and the Diaconate on August 26 at Saint Thomas the Apostle Church, Gilbert, Arizona.
Hat tip to Sophia Wannabe from the Byzantine Forum for the info.
His Grace, +JOHN (The Eparchy of Parma, OH) already ordained 5 men to the diaconate this year:
* Fr. Dcn. William Frederick (St. Joseph Byzantine Catholic Church Brecksville, OH)
* Fr. Dcn. Paul Latcha (St. Basil Byzantine Catholic Church Sterling Heights, MI)
* Fr. Dcn. Jeffrey Martin (St. John Chrysostom Church Columbus, OH)
* Fr. Dcn. Daniel Surniak (St. Mary Magdalene Church Fairview Park, OH)
* Fr. Dcn. Nicholas Szilagye (St. Luke Church Sugar Creek, MO)
Recent ordinations by Bishop Andrew to the diaconate for the Eparchy of Passaic (Covering most of the Eastern searboard down to Florida):
June 23, 2007 at St. Mary Church, Wilkes-Barre, PA.
* Fr. Dcn. Edward Frey
* Fr. Dcn. Soroka
* Fr. Dcn. Lawrence Worlinsky
July 1, 2007 at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Rahway, NJ.
* Fr. Dcn. Mark Koscinski
* Fr. Dcn. Charles Laskowski
Please understand that the largest two or three Roman parishes in the US have more members tha all of the Byzantine Catholic Church in America put together. Most of our parishes are so small they would not have full time priests in most Latin Diocese. At the last training period at the Byzantine Catholic Seminary there were 16 candidates from 3 of the 4 eparchies in the Metropolia present.
16 men ordained across the country from a population of some 30,000 or so just this summer. As a Greek Catholic, to me that is very special, and encouraging. We are a little flock in the great sea of America that did not even ordain married men deacons ten years ago.
Even a flock that is small in numbers yet large in faith can offer much fruit. Sometimes we look around at the low Mass attendance in churches built to hold much more and we think to ourselves “There should be more!” and despair. Well there in fact SHOULD be more, but there is no room for despair!
Many faithful years to them all! Keep them in your prayers!
David Bennett
Jennifer
asimplesinner
Fr. J.
Chad Toney
Jorge Flores
Jonathan B
carmelbennett
nicenehobbit
Jason S
jaybird68
papaz
July 30, 2007 at 3:47 pm
While Greek Catholics are far from shabby and small in number compared to the Latin Rite, why are 90 percent or more of the surnames of the candidates for pastoral ministry
NOT Byzantine or Greek Catholic?
Is the Byzantine Catholic Rite being watered down with respect to its original ethnic roots by an incursion of multiculturalism and conversions from other religious sects?
July 30, 2007 at 5:52 pm
Anon.,
Isn’t the purpose of the Church (whether Latin or Byzantine) to “make disciples of all nations”. So, isn’t it GOOD therefore if those “from other religious sects” convert to Christ and begin attending a Byzantine parish?
Also, if non-Greeks (non-Slavs, non-Arabs) but who ARE Catholic join a Byzantine parish it is usually because of having fallen in love with the Eastern liturgy, prayers, way-of-being-Christian. It isn’t so they can “water down” Byzantine Catholicism.
You sound rather angry over something. Hope you get that straightened out in yourself and get that chip off your shoulder.
July 30, 2007 at 6:59 pm
Do you realize that Greek Catholics are not ehtnic Greeks? Are you looking for ethnic Greek surnames?
These folks serve the a church founded by ethnic Rusyns… As a matter of fact, more than a few of the names of the candidates I listed ARE Rusyn/Hungarian/Slovak/Czeck…
Danovich, Latcha, Surniak, Soroka, Worlinsky, Koscinski, Laskowski, Szilagye,
But what is in a name? This is my grandmother’s church, so my surname does not reflect an Eastern European background…
But let me be more plain, how do ethnic people water down a faith? An ethnic club maybe, but how can it be asserted that Spanish, Irish, or German surnames indicatea a faith is being watered down?
July 30, 2007 at 7:50 pm
I’m glad the newly-born Church didn’t keep us Gentiles from watering down their Jewish roots or there would be no Greek or Latin roots for other folks to water down.
July 31, 2007 at 7:03 pm
Fr. Dennis St. Germain of the Melkite Church comes to mind….
While certainly not of arabic extraction, after 25 years of service in the Melkite Church (and I think more than a decade as a deacon) he was ordained a priest of the MCGC - and NO ONE can question the man’s credentials as a Byzantine!
Fr. Emmanuel McCarthy, Melkite priest and father of 13, including Benedicta, who, as a young girl was miraculously healed through the intercession of St. Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), a miracle which was instrumental in her (Edith Stein’s) canonization, also comes to mind.
If there is a “Byzantine Gene” it is found in the Soul, not the DNA.
January 20, 2008 at 12:08 pm
We love our new deacon here in Seattle! As id the liturgy at St. John Chrysistom wasn’t fantastic as it was, it is all the much more beautiful now w/ Fr. Dcn. Mandelas.
July 20, 2008 at 7:23 am
We Byzantine Catholics are a tiny island in a vast Latin Rite sea. The reason for non-Slavic names is first, intermarriage and second, Latin Rite Catholics who are attracted to the Byzantine Rite and third, conversions. Many of our churches are 50% Latin Rite in origin. Most people who are officially Byzantine Catholic are members of a Latin Rite parish and may not even be aware of their status.
The founders of our churches came to America a hundred years ago. There are few of us left with strong ties to the old country.