In Solidarity with Ukraine: The Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma Held Its Clergy Days
The Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma held the Clergy Days on April 25-28, 2022 at the Jesuit Retreat Center in Parma, OH
The event, led by the eparchy’s Ordinary, Bishop Bohdan J. Danylo and attended by the priests, ministering in the eparchy that stretches from the State of Ohio to the State of Florida, comprised a few parts with the overarching accent on the current war in Ukraine, especially accentuating the tremendous support and the outpouring of love for the people of Ukraine from the people in the United States that St. Josaphat Eparchy has been receiving. On the first day, Bishop Bohdan, among other things, went over the 2021 Pastoral Letter of the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church titled “The Hope to Which the Lord Calls Us” that included a general discussion of the situation in Ukraine with the mentioning of a significant amount of the financial donations for the country that the eparchy received and how they were being distributed for the various needs in Ukraine. A meeting of the eparchy’s presbyteral council likewise took place on that day.
The event’s second day included presentations by Bishop Bohdan, Fr. Jason Charron of Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church in Carnegie, PA and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Ukrainian Catholic Church in Wheeling, WV who spoke on the pastoral conversion based on “The Hope to Which the Lord Calls Us,” Allyson DiProfi and Ashley Sanchez from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland’s Catholic Charities’ Migration and Refugee Services and Immigration Legal Services who talked about some practical immigration legal aspects of dealing with the situations of people who are fleeing the war in Ukraine and have the desire to come to the United States, and Fr. Kevin Bezner of Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke Ukrainian Catholic Mission in Arden, NC who spoke about the developing of the networks of communion as well as about the path to curing wounds and healing traumas in today’s world. The participants of the Clergy Days had likewise been shown a newly released and wonderful video titled “Oil of Gladness: The Mystery of the Anointing of the Sick” that was produced by the eparchy’s Office of Pastoral Ministry and Sisters of the Order of St. Basil the Great under the direction of Sr. Ann Laszok, OSBM, who, together with Sr. Olga Marie Faryna, OSBM were present during the showing of the video. Since both Sr. Olga and Sr. Ann are leaving St. Josaphat Eparchy this year due to having been called to return to the Basilian Sisters’ Motherhouse in Fox Chase Manor, PA for new ministries, during the dinner Bishop Bohdan thanked the Sisters for their long service in St. Josaphat Eparchy, wished them the Lord’s blessings in their new ministries, and presented them with a memorable gift that was concluded with the singing of the “Mnohaya Lita” (“Many Years”) to both of them.
The third day of the event was dedicated to the spiritual renewal, which was led by Very Rev. Chorbishop Anthony Spinosa, Director of the Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon – a known pilgrimage site of the Maronite Catholic Church in the United States. In his conferences, Chorbishop Anthony, among other things, spoke about the blessings and challenges of the priestly ministry in the modern world with a particular accent on the service of the priest as a prophet, a shepherd, and an ambassador of the Lord.
During the Clergy Days, the participants also took part in the prayer services of the Hours in the main chapel of the retreat house as well as in the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, presided by Bishop Bohdan, on April 27th at St. Josaphat Cathedral in Parma.
The clergy event ended with the presentations on various eparchial matters by Bishop Bohdan J. Danylo, Very Rev. Canon Steven Paliwoda, Eparchy’s Chancellor, Chief Financial Officer, and pastor of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Lorain, OH and St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church in Rossford, OH, Fr. Lubomyr Zhybak, pastor of Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church in Youngstown, OH and St. Anne Ukrainian Catholic Church in Austintown, OH as well as the head of the eparchy’s offices of youth ministry and children and youth protection, and John Kurey who is in charge of the eparchy’s stewardship office.
Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma
