THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE ARCHEPARCHY OF PITTSBURGH
blessing of vehicles Priests, faithful of the Archeparchy celebrate the Feast of Elijah Pages 9 to 10
Inside
VOL. 65 NO. 8
young adult retreat Annual retreat sponsored by Sisters of St. Basil the Great goes virtual Page 12
Taking another step
Archbishop William Skurla (left) ordains seminarians Kyprian Wojiciechowski and Robert Jones to the Sub-diaconate July 12 at St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Munhall, Pa. Robert was also ordained to the Diaconate, At right is seminarian John Welch. For more photos, see pages 6 to 7. Photo by Nick Havrilla Sr.
seminarians kyprian wojiciechowski, robert jones ordained to sub-diaconate at st. john the baptist cathedral Third-year seminarians Lector Robert Jones and Lector Kyprian Wojciechowski were ordained to the order of Sub-diaconate by Archbishop William Skurla during an afternoon Divine Liturgy on Sunday, July 12 at St. John Cathedral in Munhall, Pa. He also ordained then-Sub-Deacon Robert to the Diaconate. Concelebrating with Archbishop William for the liturgy and ordinations were Very Rev. Robert M. Pipta, Rector of SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Pittsburgh, Pa.; and Rev. Father Kevin E. Marks, Director of
Vocations for the Archeparchy. Very Reverend Andrew J. Deskevich served as Master of Ceremonies and altar servers Martin Bovee and Seminarians John Welch and Luke Iyengar assisted. George Janocsko, cantor of the cathedral, led the singing of the congregational responses. In his homily, Archbishop William noted the emotional upheaval of the time in which we are living because of virus restrictions and social unrest. He emphasized the message of the Lord’s call to different vocations from the Epistle reading, and he also referred
to the Gospel which taught of Jesus, the healer of bodies and souls. During their journey to the priesthood and beyond, Robert and Kyprian are called to reach out to others with that same care. Though other clergy, family and friends were able to come and share the joy of the newly ordained, attendance was limited because of the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic. The liturgy was livestreamed for those at home throughout the Archeparchy and beyond. n
AUGUST 2020
basilian sisters community gathering Sisters come together at Mount St. Macrina in Uniontown, Pa. Page 15
eternal memory
most rev. milan Sašik cm, bishop of the eparchy of mukachevo Most Rev. Milan Sašik C.M., the Slovak-born Ruthenian Catholic Bishop of the Eparchy of Mukachevo Transcarpathia Ukraine, fell asleep in the Lord unexpectedly on July 14. Bishop Milan was born into a Latin Catholic family on September 17, 1952 in the village of Lehota in Slovakia. During his theological studies at the Major Seminary in Bratislava, he joined the Vincentian Community of Lazarists (Congregation of the Mission). After his ordination to the priesthood on June 6, 1976, he served several Latin parishes in Slovakia. From 1990 to 1992, Bishop Milan studied at the Pontifical Institute Terasinium in Rome where he earned the Licentiate Degree. On Oct. 5, 1992, he began working at the Apostolic Nunciature in Kiev, Ukraine, a responsibility he fulfilled until he was appointed bishop. He, together with Bishop Jan Babyak S.J. of the Eparchy of Prešov, Slovakia, was ordained to the Episcopacy by Pope John Paul II in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on January 6, 2003. After ordination he was first named the Apostolic Story continued on page 2
Most Rev. Milan Sašik CM, Bishop of the Eparchy of Mukachevo