The Pittsburgh Byzantine Catholic Young Adult group traveled Aug. 26 to Christ the Bridegroom Monastery in Burton, Ohio to meet the Sisters and tour the Monastery. Natalia Wohar, a student from Duquesne University, graciously organized the trip. One man came … Continue reading
BCW Stories
Pilgrimage on the Mount
Sister Ruth Plante, Provincial, Sisters of the the Order of St. Basil the Great at Mount St. Macrina in Uniontown, Pa., told pilgrims to the 84th annual Pilgrimage on Sept. 1 she still runs to her mother. “I know that … Continue reading
Concern, Hope
I think it’s human nature to believe you’re the only person who has ever endured a troubling situation, whether it be at home, school, or work. As I listened to priests, deacons and faithful from the Archeparchy’s 73 churches for … Continue reading
Statement on the Report of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury
From The Office Of The Metropolitan September 5, 2018 We, as members of the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania, cannot help but be profoundly saddened by the revelations of child abuse committed by clergy and the response or lack thereof of … Continue reading
Assembly 2018
Now the hard work begins. Following three days of brainstorming at the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh’s Assembly 2018, action plans to grow the Church and ensure its vitality into the 21st century will begin to be put into practice in its 73 parishes during the coming months.
The Assembly, held Sept. 16 to 18 at St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Munhall, Pa., brought together more than 150 priests, deacons, sisters and faithful. Its theme — “Concern for Our Future: Renew, Revitalize, Rejuvenate” — asked those gathered to address the needs of the Church by examining issues of education, social ministry and outreach to encourage new and renewed interest.
From reviving ECF programs and posting videos of homilies on Facebook to selling pirohi at community events and sending care packages to students, many ideas will go from the drawing board to reality:
Deacon Ray Zadzilko of SS. Peter and Paul in Patton, Pa., said he wants to be part of his church’s effort to offer adult education classes on the Divine Liturgy and offer outreach to nearby St. Francis Universiy and Mount Aloysius College. “We concentrated on what was doable,” he said. Continue reading
Byzantine Spirituality Conference 2018
This month’s Archeparchial Assembly will lay a foundation for our parishes to RENEW, REVITALIZE, AND REJUVENATE. This year’s Byzantine Spirituality Conference is designed to equip the participants of the Assembly, Catechists and all interested adults to go from a “maintenance-mode … Continue reading
The Jesus Prayer Project
W h i l e the Jesus Prayer has a long and venerable history, I’m not heading that way at all. I simply want to share about my current experience with the Jesus Prayer. Oddly enough it was abstract art, … Continue reading
Pope Francis: Abuse victims’ outcry more powerful than efforts to silence them
VATICAN CITY — “No effort must be spared” to prevent future cases of clerical sexual abuse and “to prevent the possibility of their being covered up,” Pope Francis said in a letter addressed “to the people of God.” “I acknowledge … Continue reading
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
cardinal daniel n. dinardo: “we are profoundly saddened” WASHINGTON, D.C. — Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, hosted a series of meetings last month responding to the broader issue of safe … Continue reading
“How am I going to serve?”
How am I going to serve? The word “deacon” (diaconos) in Greek means “servant,” and so this question is well worth asking for a man discerning a call to the diaconate. This question of how we are going to serve vividly entered the minds of the 13 men in the Diaconal Formation Program at the Byzantine Catholic Seminary of SS. Cyril and Methodius in Pittsburgh, Pa. on one unforgettable night this year.
It was June 22. We had received hours and hours of training in liturgical practicum from Father Robert Pipta, rector of the Seminary. On that night it was our chance to execute, and we all knew that close attention would be placed on how we were going to serve.
We had drawn a number at random, and that number stood for our order in line to practice serving as a deacon in the Presanctified Liturgy. We went from start to finish through the Liturgy with no comments on whether we were standing facing the wrong direction, using the wrong melody, and the like. How am I going to serve? What am I going to intone? Where do I stand, exactly?
These questions multiplied as the 13 men in diaconal formation took the Liturgical Practicum exam on that Friday night. As each of us had our numbers called, Continue reading
