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Family matters

Father Marek Visnovsky recalls the first time he saw his wife, Miriam. The moment occurred on a bus ride when they were coming back to the Faculty of Theology in Slovakia following Christmas break. “I saw this beautiful girl in a packed bus. It was about a one-hour drive. We just kept looking at each other and that girl happened to be Miriam,” he said.

“When I got out of the bus at the stop at the Seminary, I kind of winked at Miriam and she winked back at me. Then
I could not sleep. Something sparked there and the next day I could not wait to go to University where we studied together.”

Marek who serves St. Mary Parish in Cleveland, Ohio, and Miriam visited the Byzantine Catholic Seminary of SS. Cyril and Methodius on Feb. 8 as part of its Seminary Seminar series to discuss the life of a married priest and family.

Both were born and raised in Slovakia and married in 2004. Marek was ordained into the priesthood in May 2004 and
two month later, they moved to Cleveland., where he began his ministry at Holy Spirit as an assistant priest.

Miriam said she initially turned down Marek because of her classroom duties.

“I wanted to study and I focused on studying…I had a group of girlfriends and we just wanted to study. We didn’t pay attention. He was in a class with us and we had a respect for all the seminarians. They were sitting in front of us; we were in the last pews.” Marek said it was a “little like being thrown in the water” when his family moved to the United States. He was preparing homilies and eulogies in English and struggling to understand the peculiarities of the language. “I wasn’t prepared for that. In nine months, we buried 45 people,” Marek said.

“Sometimes you have three funerals in a week. It is a shocker.” “He said, ‘I came to America and people are ready to go and see God,” Miriam said, with a laugh. Marek said one of the best pieces of advice he received was to listen and simply observe. “That’s what I try to do because I believe, and I can see it after 13 years of being a priest, a young seminarian or Continue reading →

EWTN launches “Pro-Life Weekly”

Program is Partnership with the Susan B. Anthony List EWTN Global Catholic Network, in partnership with the Susan B. Anthony List, will launch a new half-hour weekly program that will inform and educate viewers about current issues of importance in … Continue reading →

“Now there is a great need for prayers”

When Pope John Paul II was a comic-book hero by David Mayernik Jr., editor One of my hobbies is collecting comic books. I’ve been reading them since I first started reading — “Archie,” “Richie Rich” and “Scooby-Doo” were favorites — … Continue reading →

The Sick, Our Everyday Heroes

by Sister Constance Veit Little Sisters of the Poor Over Christmas, two of my family members were talking about a mutual friend who, though chronically ill, routinely does heroic acts of kindness for others. Though they get exasperated with her … Continue reading →

Mark Your Calendar

Women’s Spirituality Day Amy Brooks will be one of the presenters during Women’s Spirituality Day at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Munhall, Pa. on May 6.      Brooks, who was born with with the rare condition … Continue reading →

Spiritual Growth in the Season of Lent

The Sunday of Zacchaeus begins our planning for our Lenten efforts to open our hearts for the celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord. For all, there are the pastoral guidelines for fasting and attendance at weekend Divine Liturgies and Pre-sanctified, and Holy and Great Week services. As always, there is the goal that we do something extra to spiritually help us to grow closer to God during the Season of the Great Fast.

When I ask someone how they feel about their physical health, they are able to explain their list of illnesses and what medicines they take and their efforts to stay healthy. For young people, they are more active and unrestricted in what they can eat and do. As they get older the lists of drugs and operations gets longer and the efforts to stay healthy get shorter or more difficult to maintain. The measures of body weight ad vital statistics give a clear indication of whether they are getting stronger or weaker physically.

When I ask someone how they feel about their spiritual health, most people look puzzled, but when you ask them the question if they feel like they are getting closer to God and what is holding them back, they are able to answer. They know how often they attend their church, how often they confess their sins, how they schedule their personal prayer and fasting, and what they do to serve their church and community.

Like physical exercise, it gets harder for most to do the spiritual and community tasks as we get busy. The actual measures of spiritual health are less defined than physical health. But after explaining what they are doing, most people are able to say whether they are falling away from or growing closer to God.

Whether you feel that you are growing closer or falling away from God the question remains the same. What are you going to do for the Great Lenten Fast?

For children and for beginners, we chose something to give up for during this Great Fast. Cutting out chocolate or some other food for children or even adults can still be an excellent daily reminder of our connection to loss and suffering of Christ, who died for our sins. The return of the missing treat on Easter Continue reading →

“A Taste of Heaven”

St. Gregory Cookie Sale NOURISHES Body and Soul by Father Valerian Michlik, St. Gregory, Upper St. Clair, Pa. Patrons were anxiously waiting for the doors to open for this year’s “Taste of Heaven” cookie sale at St. Gregory Church  in … Continue reading →

Building Bridges

Usually when I drive home from work at the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh Chancery in Pittsburgh, there’s a man standing to the side of traffic on the ramp leading up to the West End Bridge.

He holds a tattered cardboard sign indicating he is homeless, walks back and forth, and holds out his hand for any cash or coins motorists can do without.

Unfortunately, I’m certain he’s not the only such person standing on Pittsburgh’s many bridges during rush hour.

A few days before Christmas, I watched a driver two cars in front of me stop his car to talk to the man and hold out his arm to offer him a few dollars and some change. As the cars in front of him proceeded to make their way to the bridge, leaving a gap Usually when I drive home from work at the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh Chancery in Pittsburgh, there’s a man standing to the side of traffic on the ramp leading up to the West End Bridge. He holds a tattered cardboard sign indicating he is homeless, walks back and forth, and holds out his hand for any cash or coins motorists can do without. Unfortunately, I’m certain he’s not the only such person standing on Pittsburgh’s many bridges during rush hour.

A few days before Christmas, I watched a driver two cars in front of me stop his car to talk to the man and hold out his arm to offer him a few dollars and some change. As the cars in front of him proceeded to make their way to the bridge, leaving a gap between his vehicle and the others, I’m embarrassed to say my first response was to get perturbed and hope the driver would press his right foot on the gas pedal again to make up the difference.

After all, myself and the other automobiles lined up in a row behind me had to get to dinner inside our warm homes. I have to admit it wasn’t my proudest moment. I won’t presume to speak for anyone but myself but I am well-aware it can be very easy to get wrapped up in one’s own problems and not think about the needs of other people.

That’s certainly not the Christian way. I did some reflection upon this moment before I sat down to write Continue reading →