the official newspaper of the archeparchy of pittsburgh
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Schedule for the 81st Annual Pilgrimage in honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Page 3
Inside
Two centuries of service sisters celebrate 70 , 60 th
th
jubilees
by Sister Margaret Kapusnak, OSBM
for the gift of the fidelity of these three sisters. This joy continued during the festive meal following, a time which is always punctuated by a lot of laughter and reminiscing. Sister Martha Elizabeth Moyta entered the Sisters of St. Basil from Holy Ghost Parish, North Side Pittsburgh, Pa. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from College Misericordia in Dallas, Pa., and a Master of Science degree in Religious Education from LaSalle University in Philadelphia, Pa. Sister Martha Elizabeth spent almost 25 years in elementary education before being assigned to the Diocesan Religious Education Office in Pittsburgh, Pa. During her years in this ministry, Sister Martha worked with others on the “God With Us”
family fun, times 95 Another memorable Byzantine Catholic Family Day at 95th event in Pittsburgh’s Kennywood Park Page 9
sunday, august 16, 2015
seminary alive
Center of learning and spirituality offers virtual and actual opportunities Page 11
‘Final step’ toward holy Diaconate for three men
candidates ordained to minor orders at cathedral by archbishop william
Nick Havrilla, Sr.
UNIONTOWN — In this year 2015, called for by Pope Francis as the Year of Consecrated Life, jubilees are an opportunity for all of the Sisters of Saint Basil the Great to thank God for the gift of their vocation. After two days of presentations and discussion during their annual Community Days in mid-July, the Basilian Sisters paused to honor three of their own celebrating significant years of religious dedication. Celebrating their 70th Anniversary of religious life were Sister Martha Elizabeth Moyta and Sister Leocadia Sevachko; celebrating her 60th Anniversary was Sister Barbara Swindells. The hallmark of every such celebration is the Divine Liturgy of Thanksgiving offered for the intentions of the Jubilarians. Joyful voices were raised in praise and thanksgiving
vol. 60 no. 11
Standing in humility before Metropolitan Archbishop William are subdeacons Jeffrey Mierzejewski, Brian Norrell and Gary Stafford, who received the Mystery of Ordination to Minor Orders and Subdiaconate at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Munhall, Pa. Sunday, July 19.
Jubilees continued on page 3
Sister Barbara Swindells, Sister Leocadia Sevachko, and Sister Martha Moyta radiate the joy of their Jubilee celebration following the Divine Liturgy of Thanksgiving at the Sisters of St. Basil Monastery Chapel in Uniontown, Pa.
Ordained to Minor Orders Sunday, July 19 at The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Munhall, Pa. were Jeffrey Mierzejewski (St. Elias Church, Munhall, Pa.), Brian Norrell (St. Basil the Great Church, Irving, Texas) and Gary Stafford (St. Basil the Great Church, Irving, Texas). The three are part of a group of men who began their journey toward the Holy Diaconate in the summer of 2011 when they entered the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh’s Deacon Formation Program at the Byzantine Catholic Seminary of SS. Cyril and Methodius. Metropolitan William C. Skurla ordained the men during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy before an assembly of family, friends and faithful. Concelebrants included Very Rev. Archpriest Eugene P. Yackanich and
Seminary Rector Very Rev. Robert M. Pipta; also present were Very Rev. Archpriest and Cathedral Rector Dennis M. Bogda, who also is the Archeparchy’s Syncellus for Clergy, and Protosyncellus Very Rev. Andrew J. Deskevich, who acted as Master of Ceremonies. Assistentia included Subdeacon Bohdan Savula and Seminarian Svyatoslav Zadorozhniy (Eparchy of Mukachevo) and Martin Bovee (Cathedral). The Archieparchial Choir under the direction of Darlene Fejka led the responses. A dinner reception at the Cathedral Center followed the ordination services. Subdeacons Jeffrey, Brian and Gary now await announcement of the dates of their impending ordinations to the Diaconate. n More photos and overview of this service appear on pages 4 & 5