Our ancestors in the Carpathian region were poor, but they possessed a great spiritual treasure in their great devotion to the Most Holy Mother of God, whom they sincerely loved and venerated as the Mother of the Ruthenian land (“Mati rus’koho kraju”l. And the Blessed Mother showed her motherly concern for our poor people by her miraculous icons, the most famous of which is the Weeping Icon of Mariapovch (in Hungarian: Maria-P6cs). Continue reading →

PENTECOST and OUR BAPTISM BY THE HOLY SPIRIT “We celebrate the feast of Pentecost and of the descent of the Spirit, the fulfillment of promise and the achievement of hope. 0 how great and how exalted is the mystery!” (Pentecost Vespers, STICHERA, Tone 1) With these words we begin our liturgical celebration of Pentecost, solemnly concluding the yearly remembrance of our salvation. These words are taken from the famous homily of St. Gregory the Theologian, “On the Holy Spirit” which he delivered in Constantinople on the day of Pentecost, 381 A.D. (Oration 41,5) Continue reading →

“God is love, let us love Him!”
(from Bishop Gojdich’s Episcopal Insignia)

Bishop Gojdich did not seek episcopal dignity. Rather he chose a hidden life in the Basilian order as a monk. But Divine Providence placed him at the helm of the Presov Eparchy. As a Good Shepherd he served his people with dedication and love. Fragile in body but strong in spirit, he distinguished himself by the holiness of his life. In his dedicated work he was sustained by his great love of God and his people. The atheists condemned him for his loyalty to the Catholic Church. He died in prison as a valiant confessor of the Catholic Faith. Continue reading →

“I love you, 0 Lord, my strength; You are my stronghold and my refuge!” -Ps. 18, 2-3 These were the words which Bishop Theodore G. Romzha, the Apostolic Administrator of the Mukachevo Eparchy (1944-1947), chose as his motto, i.e. the guiding principle of his episcopal ministry. He was only 33 years old and yet he had to face the invasion by the Soviets, followed by the persecution of the Greek Catholic Church in Subcarpathian Ruthenia. However, he did not lose heart. He defended his spiritual flock with great courage and love. He even laid down his own life for his sheep. Therefore, he justly deserves our esteem. In him we gained a powerful protector in heaven. Continue reading →

“The life of Bishop Takach is an open book, in which every page is written by him with love and dedication.” DUSHPASTYR, 1924, p. 152

The Holy Spirit reminds us to remember our spiritual Shepherds who preached the word of God to us and kept watch over us and, reflecting on their lives, “”.to imitate their faith.” (Heb. 13-7) The Most Reverend Basil Takach, our first Bishop in the United States, was truly a Shepherd whose unshakable faith and dedicated love deserve our admiration and imitation. It is most proper, then, on the occasion of the Fortieth Anniversary of his death, to remember him and to pay a well deserved tribute to him. Continue reading →

By his steadfast loyalty to the Holy See, his great love of the people, and his dedicated pastoral work Bishop Basil Hopko, the Auxiliary of Prjashev (1947-1976), proved beyond any doubt that he was indeed worthy of his episcopal dignity. As bishop he suffered persecution, imprisonment and great humiliation for his Catholic faith. However during the rehabilitation of the Greek Catholic Church in Czechoslovakia ” his own did not accept him” (In. 1 :11) as thei r Shepherd and cunningly removed him from the administration of the Prjashev Eparchy. In his distressing agony he humbly resigned to the holy will of God. Since he bravely suffered as a ” prisoner for the Lord” (Eph. 4:1), he deserves to be honored as our Confessor of the Faith. Continue reading →

The Evangelists tell us that our Lord Jesus Christ from the very beginning of His public life showed His merciful love and compassion toward the sick and the suffering who were seeking His help. And St. Matthew assures us that Jesus “cured every disease and illness.” (Mt. 9:35) In other words, Jesus considered the healing of the sick as a part of His messianic mission (Is. 61 :1), and afterward He entrusted this healing mission also to His disciples. (Mt. 10:8) Continue reading →