Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh
Encyclopedia
The Byzantine Catholic Metropolia of Pittsburgh is an autonomous Byzantine Rite
particular church
of the Catholic Church, originally serving members of the Ruthenian Catholic Church
(mostly Rusyns
from the Carpathian Mountains
, but also Hungarians and Slovaks) and their descendants in the United States
. It is to be distinguished from the Latin Rite Diocese of Pittsburgh
.
The Metropolia itself has four components:
Although Rusyn Americans constitute the majority of members of the Metropolia, the Church has ordinary
jurisdiction over the faithful of certain Churches within the Slavic Tradition of the Byzantine Rite that do not have an established hierarchy
in the United States, specifically those of the Hungarian, Slovak
, and Croatian Greek-Catholic Churches.
When the Ruthenian Catholic Church in Europe
was under atheistic Communist rule, and because of persecution, unable to organize publicly, the impossibility of regular communication with it meant that the distant American Metropolia, unable to be treated as a normal metropolia of an Eastern Rite Catholic Church (canons 133–139 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches
), has been treated as a sui iuris
(autonomous) Metropolitan Church (canons 155–173 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches). The Holy See
's Annuario Pontificio
has, however, always listed it not as a separate particular Church
but as a Metropolia of the Ruthenian Church.
, becoming the Eparchy of Pittsburgh of the Ruthenians in 1963, the Metropolitan See of Munhall of the Ruthenians in 1969, and changing its name to Pittsburgh of the Byzantines in 1977. The dates of foundation of the suffragan sees are: Passaic 1963, Parma 1969, Van Nuys 1981.(changed to Holy Protection of Phoenix in 2010)
The church's Byzantine Catholic Seminary of SS. Cyril and Methodius
, established in 1950, is located on Pittsburgh
, Pennsylvania
's Observatory Hill. In addition to the training of priests, it offers a program in Deacon
Formation as well as a Cantor
's Institute.
In January 2007 Metropolitan Basil Schott, Archbishop of Pittsburgh promulgated a major revision of two of the major Divine Liturgies
(Chrysostom and Basil) of the Byzantine Catholic Church.
† = deceased
Byzantine Rite
The Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite is the liturgical rite used currently by all the Eastern Orthodox Churches, by the Greek Catholic Churches , and by the Protestant Ukrainian Lutheran Church...
particular church
Particular Church
In Catholic canon law, a Particular Church is an ecclesial community headed by a bishop or someone recognised as the equivalent of a bishop.There are two kinds of particular Churches:# Local particular Churches ...
of the Catholic Church, originally serving members of the Ruthenian Catholic Church
Ruthenian Catholic Church
The Ruthenian Catholic Church is a sui iuris Eastern Catholic Church , which uses the Divine Liturgy of the Constantinopolitan Byzantine Eastern Rite. Its roots are among the Rusyns who lived in the region called Carpathian Ruthenia, in and around the Carpathian Mountains...
(mostly Rusyns
Rusyns
Carpatho-Rusyns are a primarily diasporic ethnic group who speak an Eastern Slavic language, or Ukrainian dialect, known as Rusyn. Carpatho-Rusyns descend from a minority of Ruthenians who did not adopt the use of the ethnonym "Ukrainian" in the early twentieth century...
from the Carpathian Mountains
Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the second-longest mountain range in Europe...
, but also Hungarians and Slovaks) and their descendants in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is to be distinguished from the Latin Rite Diocese of Pittsburgh
Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh is a Roman Catholic diocese. It was established in Western Pennsylvania on August 11, 1843. The diocese includes 211 parishes in the counties of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Greene, Lawrence, and Washington, an area of with a Catholic population of 719,801...
.
The Metropolia itself has four components:
- Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of PittsburghByzantine Catholic Archeparchy of PittsburghThe Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh is the Catholic archeparchy governing all of the Byzantine Catholic Church in the Western portion of Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, and in the states of Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and West Virginia...
(60,200 faithful, 84 parishes, 83 priests) - Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of ParmaByzantine Catholic Eparchy of ParmaThe Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma is the Catholic eparchy governing most Byzantine Catholics in the midwestern United States. Its headquarters are at 1900 Carlton Road, Parma, Ohio. The current bishop is the Most Reverend John Kudrick....
(12,401 faithful, 37 parishes, 38 priests) - Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of PassaicByzantine Catholic Eparchy of PassaicThe Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic is the Catholic eparchy governing most Byzantine Catholics in the eastern United States. Its headquarters are at 445 Lackawanna Avenue, Woodland Park . The current bishop is the Most Reverend William C. Skurla.The Eparchy was erected July 6, 1963 and its...
(24,031 faithful, 89 parishes, 84 priests) - Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix (2,849 faithful, 19 parishes, 25 priests).
Although Rusyn Americans constitute the majority of members of the Metropolia, the Church has ordinary
Ordinary
In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...
jurisdiction over the faithful of certain Churches within the Slavic Tradition of the Byzantine Rite that do not have an established hierarchy
Catholic Church hierarchy
The term Hierarchy in the Catholic Church has a variety of related usages. Literally, "holy government", the term is employed in different instances. There is a Hierarchy of Truths, which refers to the levels of solemnity of the official teaching of the faith...
in the United States, specifically those of the Hungarian, Slovak
Slovak Greek Catholic Church
The Slovak Greek Catholic Church, or Slovak Byzantine Catholic Church, is a Byzantine Rite particular Church in full union with the Roman Catholic Church. L'Osservatore Romano of January 31, 2008 reported that, in Slovakia alone, it had some 350,000 faithful, 374 priests and 254 parishes...
, and Croatian Greek-Catholic Churches.
When the Ruthenian Catholic Church in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
was under atheistic Communist rule, and because of persecution, unable to organize publicly, the impossibility of regular communication with it meant that the distant American Metropolia, unable to be treated as a normal metropolia of an Eastern Rite Catholic Church (canons 133–139 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches
Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches
The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches is the title of the 1990 codification of the common portions of the Canon Law for the 22 of the 23 sui iuris Churches in the Catholic Church. The Roman or Latin rite Church is guided by its own particular Canons...
), has been treated as a sui iuris
Sui iuris
Sui iuris, commonly also spelled sui juris, is a Latin phrase that literally means “of one’s own laws”.-Secular law:In civil law the phrase sui juris indicates legal competence, the capacity to manage one’s own affairs...
(autonomous) Metropolitan Church (canons 155–173 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches). The Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
's Annuario Pontificio
Annuario Pontificio
The Annuario Pontificio is the annual directory of the Holy See. It lists all the popes to date and all officials of the Holy See's departments...
has, however, always listed it not as a separate particular Church
Particular Church
In Catholic canon law, a Particular Church is an ecclesial community headed by a bishop or someone recognised as the equivalent of a bishop.There are two kinds of particular Churches:# Local particular Churches ...
but as a Metropolia of the Ruthenian Church.
History
The Archeparchy of Pittsburgh was originally established, in 1924, as the Apostolic Exarchate for the Byzantine-Rite Faithful of SubcarpathiaCarpathian Ruthenia
Carpathian Ruthenia is a region in Eastern Europe, mostly located in western Ukraine's Zakarpattia Oblast , with smaller parts in easternmost Slovakia , Poland's Lemkovyna and Romanian Maramureş.It is...
, becoming the Eparchy of Pittsburgh of the Ruthenians in 1963, the Metropolitan See of Munhall of the Ruthenians in 1969, and changing its name to Pittsburgh of the Byzantines in 1977. The dates of foundation of the suffragan sees are: Passaic 1963, Parma 1969, Van Nuys 1981.(changed to Holy Protection of Phoenix in 2010)
The church's Byzantine Catholic Seminary of SS. Cyril and Methodius
Byzantine Catholic Seminary of SS. Cyril and Methodius
The Byzantine Catholic Seminary of SS. Cyril and Methodius is a degree-granting school of theology in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States which prepares candidates for priestly ministry to the Byzantine Catholic churches of North America....
, established in 1950, is located on Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
's Observatory Hill. In addition to the training of priests, it offers a program in Deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
Formation as well as a Cantor
Cantor (church)
A cantor is the chief singer employed in a church with responsibilities for the ecclesiastical choir; also called the precentor....
's Institute.
In January 2007 Metropolitan Basil Schott, Archbishop of Pittsburgh promulgated a major revision of two of the major Divine Liturgies
Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. As such, it is used in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. Armenian Christians, both of the Armenian Apostolic Church and of the Armenian Catholic Church, use the same term...
(Chrysostom and Basil) of the Byzantine Catholic Church.
List of Bishops and Apostolic Administrators
-
- † Gabriel Martyak (1916–1924) (Apostolic Administrator)
- † Basil TakachBasil TakachBasil Takach was the first bishop of the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh, the American branch of the Ruthenian Catholic Church.-Early life:...
(June 15, 1924 – May 13, 1948) - † Daniel IvanchoDaniel IvanchoDaniel Ivancho was the third bishop of the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh, the American branch of the Ruthenian Catholic Church.-Early life:...
(May 13, 1948 – December 12, 1954) - † Nicholas ElkoNicholas ElkoNicholas Thomas Elko was the third bishop of the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh, the American branch of the Ruthenian Catholic Church. At the age of 46 he became the first American-born Bishop of the Greek Catholic Church...
(February 5, 1955 – December 22, 1967)- † Edward V. Rosack (July 3, 1967 - December 22, 1967) (Apostolic Administrator)
- † Stephen KociskoStephen KociskoStephen John Kocisko was the first Metropolitan Archbishop of the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh, the American branch of the Ruthenian Catholic Church-Early life:...
(March 5, 1968 – June 12, 1991) - † Thomas DolinayThomas DolinayThomas Victor Dolinay was the second Metropolitan Archbishop of the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh, the American branch of the Ruthenian Catholic Church.-Early life:...
(June 12, 1991 – April 13, 1993)-
- † Michael DudickMichael DudickMichael Joseph Dudick was an American priest and bishop of the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh, the U.S. branch of the Ruthenian Catholic Church....
(April 1993 - February 1995) (Administrator of the Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh)
- † Michael Dudick
- † John Bilock (April 20, 1993 – September 8, 1994) (Apostolic Administrator - Archeparchy of Pittsburgh)
- Russell Duker (September 1994 – November 15, 1994) (Apostolic Administrator - Archeparchy of Pittsburgh)
-
- † Judson ProcykJudson ProcykJudson Michael Procyk was the third Metropolitan Archbishop of the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh, the American branch of the Ruthenian Catholic Church.-Career:...
(February 7, 1995 – April 15, 2001)-
- Andrew Pataki (April 2001 - June 2002) (Administrator of the Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh)
- John Kudrick (May 2001 – July 9, 2002) (Apostolic Administrator - Archeparchy of Pittsburgh)
-
- † Basil SchottBasil SchottBasil Myron Schott, O.F.M. was the Archbishop of the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh from 2002 until his death....
(July 9, 2002 – June 10, 2010)-
- William Skurla (June 10, 2010 – present) (Administrator of the Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh)
- Eugene Yackanich (June, 2010–present) (Apostolic Administrator - Archeparchy of Pittsburgh)
-
† = deceased
See also
- List of the Catholic bishops of the United States#Metropolia of Pittsburgh for the Ruthenians
- Slovak Greek Catholic ChurchSlovak Greek Catholic ChurchThe Slovak Greek Catholic Church, or Slovak Byzantine Catholic Church, is a Byzantine Rite particular Church in full union with the Roman Catholic Church. L'Osservatore Romano of January 31, 2008 reported that, in Slovakia alone, it had some 350,000 faithful, 374 priests and 254 parishes...
- Basil ShereghyBasil ShereghyMonsignor Basil Shereghy was a leading Ruthenian Catholic Church priest and professor, as well as a cultural activist for Rusyns in the United States....
- St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Cathedral (Pittsburgh)St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Cathedral (Pittsburgh)St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Cathedral is the mother church of Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh, the American branch of the Ruthenian Catholic Church...
- St. John Chrysostom Byzantine Catholic Church (Pittsburgh)St. John Chrysostom Byzantine Catholic Church (Pittsburgh)St. John Chrysostom Byzantine Catholic Church is a historic Eastern Catholic church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the neighborhood of Four Mile Run, which is an isolated section of Greenfield at the bottom of Junction Hollow. Its address is 506 Saline Street.Today it...
- Mount Saint MacrinaMount Saint MacrinaMount Saint Macrina is the site of the largest pilgrimage among Ruthenian Byzantine Catholics in North America. It is also home to the monastery of Byzantine Catholic Order of Sisters of St...
- St. Michael Byzantine Catholic Church ToledoSt. Michael Byzantine Catholic Church ToledoSt. Michael the Archangel Byzantine Catholic Church Oregon , OhioSt. Michael parish is a Ruthenian Catholic Church, which uses the Divine Liturgy of the Byzantine Rite. Accordingly, St...
Sources and External links
- The statistical information given above has been taken from the 2005 edition of the Annuario PontificioAnnuario PontificioThe Annuario Pontificio is the annual directory of the Holy See. It lists all the popes to date and all officials of the Holy See's departments...
. - Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh at Catholic-Hierarchy.org
- Byzantine Catholic Church in America - unofficial website
- Metropolia of Pittsburgh
- The Archeparchy of Pittsburgh
- The Eparchy of Passaic
- The Eparchy of Parma
- The Eparchy of Van Nuys