8105 North 16^th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85020-3999

Phone: (602) 861-9778 Fax: (602) 861-9796

www.eparchy-of-van-nuys.org

Most Reverend Judson Michael Procyk’s untimely death on April 24 was a shock to the whole Metropolia, but extended far beyond its boundaries. Because our Eparchy is far removed from the Pittsburgh center of the Metropolia not as many of our parishioners had personal acquaintance with the Archbishop. Some did remember among other occasions his presence at the blessing of our Holy Resurrection Monastery in Newberry Springs, California in November of 1996. The monks considered his officiating a "tremendous honor."

During his brief time as Metropolitan, Archbishop Procyk strengthened the finances of the archdiocese, gave his priests more voice in its governance, and became a significant figure in the ecumenical landscape of Pittsburgh. He also did much to restore the traditions of the Eastern Catholic Church in America.

Parishioners from back East who knew the Metropolitan well especially as Rector of the new Cathedral in Munhall labeled him dynamic and energetic. He was quick to join in any work to aid his people and his parish, even helping to prepare food and serve in the cathedral hall when necessary.

He was characterized by one of his closest priest-friends as "multi-talented," and a lover of people and parish work. This latter was the reason that he had turned down two previous opportunities to become a bishop.

"He brought a lot of dignity to our church through his personal presence and through his interactions with others on the local and national level," said Rev. John Petro, Rector of SS. Cyril & Methodius Seminary.

Bishop Donald W. Wuerl, spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, issued a statement which read as follows, "Archbishop Procyk was a pastorally-gifted servant of the Lord. His understanding of the role of the Eastern Churches in the Church Universal has enriched all of us in Southwestern Pennsylvania."

A letter from Cardinal Ignace Moussa I Daoud, Prefect of Vatican’s Congregation for Eastern Churches, mentioned that the Metropolitan’s death was felt throughout the Eastern Catholic world in America and elsewhere. He praised Procyk’s "ready spirit of self-sacrifice" and his "warmth of character."

The Metropolitan, the spiritual head of an estimated 200,000 Byzantine Ruthenian Catholics in the United States, is buried on the grounds of Mount St. Macrina motherhouse and retreat center in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.

Two parishes of Van Nuys Eparchy have celebrated progress lately. St. Gabriel the Archangel Church celebrated the completion of a major property renovation project recently. This included the paving of the parking lot, new walls and gates, landscaping and the new sign displaying the church name and icon.

Following the Divine Liturgy on St. Thomas Sunday, parishioners and guests shared a potluck dinner with live musical entertaining as part of their Bring-A-Friend Sunday. They then returned to church for a thanksgiving service in gratitude for the completed work.

A procession to the parking lot, the blessing of the area, and words of thanks and acknowledgements concluded the celebration.

Our Lady of Wisdom parish recently had ground-breaking for a new church. Officiating at the ceremony was the Rt. Rev. Stephen G. Washko, Eparchial Administra-tor in the presence of the parishioners and nearby clergy. The parish has seen much growth through the committed parishioners and pastor, the Rt. Rev. Francis Vivona. The first church, a temporary modular building, was purchased, set up and blessed just two years ago. It will serve as a hall once the new edifice is completed.

The development of St. Gabriel’s 2.75 acres of property is phase one of a master plan, which will culminate in the building of a new church. More immediately, the project is a preparation for the parish’s 25^th anniversary celebration scheduled for 2002.

Rev. Nicholas Zachariadis, Hegumen of Holy Resurrection Monastery in Newberry Springs, California, will be one of the seven main speakers at the June conference Orientale Lumen V, to be held at the Catholic University in Washington, D.C. His talk with that of other main speakers will be published after the conference. The conference entitled "Primacy and Conciliarity: Finding a Common Vision" draws scholarly Roman Catholics, Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians to discuss their respective traditions and learn from each other.

The conference is sponsored by the Society of St. John Chrysostom and Catholic University of America and provides opportunities for participants to share in a dialogue of love and understanding. It is under the patronage of His Holiness Gregory III, Greek-Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, Alexandria, Jerusalem and all the East.

The 20^th anniversary of his ordination to the holy priesthood was the occasion of a prayer and dinner celebration for Rev. Christopher Zugger in late April. A Moleben for Vocations concelebrated by the Rt. Rev. Stephen G. Washko, Eparchial Administrator; Rev. Robert Pipta, Vocation Director, and Father Chris began the celebration, which took place at the Marriott Hotel in Albuquerque. Father Chris’s entire family was able to join him along with 125 others for the occasion.

Father Chris has made prayer for vocations the special intention of every Liturgy he has offered since his ordination. Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish has produced its first two vocations during his pastorate: Sr. Teresa Margaret of St. Joseph, OCD in the Carmelite cloister in South Dakota; and Michael O’Loughlin, who plans to enter SS. Cyril & Methodius Seminary in the fall.

Four Greek Catholic seminarians from Mukachevo and central Ukraine have also served summer internships in the parish. The Traveling Icon program has been a continuing mainstay of parish life, and the 20^th anniversary celebration was designed to give thanks to God for all these graces.

An Altar Servers workshop at St. John Chrysostom Byzantine Catholic Church in Seattle drew 28 boys and young men, present servers in the church. The purpose of the workshop was to review and refine the skills for the special task of serving at the Holy Table. The initial prayer service and presentation was given by the pastor, the Rt. Rev. Joseph M. Stanichar. He stressed the importance of what it means to be an altar server.

Michael Mandelas then facilitated small group discussions covering aspects of serving, such as processions, bowing and attending the priest during key points in the Liturgy, namely the proclamation of the Gospel and reception of the Eucharist. Proper and uniform signing of the cross was also reviewed.

A spaghetti luncheon at a nearby restaurant ended the workshop, with the attendees sharing their appreciation for the learning involved, and their new awareness of the dignity of their part in the service they render.

Listed below are the goals and update of the Bishop’s Appeal thus far. The parishes are encouraged to submit completed pledges into the Chancery as soon as possible so that the donations can be acknowledged. The update is as of May 23.

The Bishop’s Appeal only lasts until the end of May. The parishes are asked to get their fulfilled pledges in to the Pastoral Center by June 15. Rebates are given only for goals paid by this date.

The book covers the history of the various Catholic communities (Armenian, Byzantine and Latin) throughout the U.S.S.R. in the era from the Revolution of 1917 until the dissolution of the Eparchy of Mukachevo in 1949 and the suppressions of the Ukrainian and Ruthenian Greek Catholic Churches.

This is the first book to collect the history, stories and memoirs into one English volume. It represents 12 years of research and writing. Available in hardcover, the book has over 500 pages with 4 maps and 22 photographs (including one hidden from Communist agents in the false bottom of a trunk for nearly 60 years). It is available through Borders and Barnes & Noble bookstores, from amazon.com, or in bulk from Syracuse University Press through Therese Walsh, Assistant Marketing Manager, at 315-443-5546.

The book covers all of the Byzantine Catholic Churches, from the small Russian Greek Catholic Exarchate to the large Ukrainian Metropolia of L’viv. An extensive section records the repression of our "mother diocese" of Trans-Carpathia, Ukraine. For Latin Catholics, the book includes the history of diverse communities of Poles, Germans, Georgians in their traditional homelands inside U.S.S.R. and in the conditions of deportations that devastated Church membership.

Fr. Zugger is presently heading a pilgrimage to the shrines of our Church in Hungary and Trans-Carpathia. He is also researching his next book, which will detail further repression of our Church in Russia. It will include interviews with survivors of the Gulag and the underground system that preserved the Faith from 1949 until 1991.

Fr. John Zeyack will lead a tour to the cities and towns associated with the Byzantine Ruthenian Church in the United States. Leaving from Newark on August 6, the tour will cover the cities of Uzhorod and Mukachevo in the Zakarpatia Region of Ukraine, the Greek Catholic Otpust of Klokocov, Kosice, Svidnik, and Bardejov in Slovakia, and Prague in the Czech Republic, before returning to the United States on August 17.

For more information, please call or write: Rahway Travel, 35 E Milton Ave., Rahway, NJ 07065 (732-381-8800 or 800-526-2786).

¡ Initial plans are already set up for the Second Annual Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Shrine in Olympia, Washington, on August 17–19. They include confessions, Divine Office and Divine Liturgies. Literature is available from the Rt. Rev. Joseph Stanichar, Temporary Administrator of St. George Byzantine Church there. Our retired Bishop Kuzma had named this as an official pilgrimage site for the Eparchy of Van Nuys.

¡ The Vatican promulgated a decree on April 24 recognizing the martyrdom of the Ruthenian Bishop Theodore Romzha, Apostolic Administrator of Mukachevo, Ukraine, who was killed in 1947. He is expected to be beatified in late June during the Pope’s visit to Ukraine.

¡ Peter’s Pence Collection is the last Sunday in June.

¡ Eternal Memory — +Mary Hutsko, mother of Rev. Joseph Hutsko, died May 28 in Fontana, California, where she had been ill for some time. She was returned to Whiting, Indiana, her home, for burial.

¡ The Sisters of the Order of St. Basil the Great will celebrate their Eighth General Chapter July 9-24 in Rome, Italy. Forty-five delegates will be coming from ten countries. The sisters earnestly request the prayers of the faithful for this Chapter.