Let us begin the time of this bright Fast, giving ourselves over to the spiritual struggle.  Let us sanctify our souls and purify our flesh. Let us fast not only from food: let us also abstain from every passion and cultivate spiritual virtues.  And let us faithfully persevere in this, so that we may be worthy to see the holy Passion of Christ our God and the joy of His holy Resurrection. 

Simple abstinence forbids the use of meat but not of eggs, dairy products or condiments made of animal fat. 

Simple abstinence is observed on every Friday of Lent.  Although not obligatory, the faithful are encouraged to observe abstinence from meat on Wednesdays during this sacred penitential season. 
 

Strict Abstinence 

Strict Abstinence (fast) forbids the use of meat, eggs, and dairy products.  Facsimiles, substitutes, and synthetic derivatives violate the intention and spirit of the law of strict abstinence. 

Strict Abstinence (fast) is observed on Pure Monday (the first day of the Lent—February 15th) and on Good Friday (April 2). 
 

Dispensations 

Pastors/administrators and parochial vicars, for a just cause, may grant to the individual faithful as well as to individual families dispensation, transferals, or commutation of the prescribed strict or simple abstinence into other pious practices.  Superiors of religious houses enjoy the same faculties relative to their subjects.  

Expectant/nursing mothers, infants and children to the age of 7 years are exempt from the law of the strict abstinence. 

Parents and pastors are to see to it that childern are educated in the authentic sense of penance and  fasting. 
 

Liturgical Observance 

The Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts is to be celebrated on Wednesdays and/or Fridays of Lent in the evening. According to our Byzantine Catholic Tradition, the Divine Liturgy is not to be celebrated during the weekdays of Lent with the exception of the Feast of the Annunciation.  Priests are to follow the Petras Typikon in this matter. In place of the weekday Divine Liturgy, one of the Lenten Liturgical Hours is to be celebrated. 

Pilgrims from St. Stephen Pro-Cathedral and Good Shepherd Monastery encountered the Mother of God at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe last December 11 and 12 in Mexico City.  Seven pilgrims from St. Stephen Pro-Cathedral under the leadership of the Right Reverend Archimandrite Wes Izer, SDB traveled to Mexico City on December 7 and returned on December 13, the day after the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  While in Mexico City, they visited the Metropolitan Cathedral and assisted at the Liturgy offered by the Cardinal Archbishop of Mexico City on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 

They also had an opportunity to do some sight-seeing in and around Mexico City.  Three days were spent at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in preparation for her Feastday on December 12th.  The pilgrims climbed Tepeyac Hill where the apparitions took place and prayed in the Chapel at the top of the hill.  They also visited the three other chapels located on the Shrine property.  On the Feast, the Pilgrims were joined by the members of  the Monastery of the Good Shepherd in Tijuana.  The Reverend Juanito Jensen celebrated the Liturgy in Spanish at 4: 00 in the Basilica joined by Father Wes and Father John Dorich.  Over 10,000 faithful assisted at the Liturgy as 100,000 pilgrims prayed, sang and dance in honor of the Mother of God. The highlight of the Pilgrimage was entering the new Basilica and encountering the original Our Lady’s Icon and spending time before her image not made by human hands! 

The Right Reverend Archimandrite Wesley Izer, SDB, the Reverends Robert 
Pipta and Kurt Burnette and Mr. John Montalvo III of Phoenix represented the Eparchy at the first meeting of the Byzantine Catholic Seminary Advisory Board in Pittsburgh on January 7 and 8.  His Eminence Metropolitan Judson  elcomed the Board members and expressed his gratitude to them for their  willingness to serve in an advisory capacity to the Council of Hierarchs and the Seminary Staff.  The Board is composed of priests, deacons, religious and laity.  After introductions, the two-day meeting was spent in acclimating the Board to the seminary buildings, programs, policies and staff.  The last item 
of business was the election of the Executive Officers of the Board. Four laity were elected including Mr. Montalvo who was elected Treasurer.  The next meeting will be held in May. 

Six men of the Eparchy have applied to study for the permanent diaconate.  These men are currently completing applications for the Program that will be held over the next four summers for two weeks at the Byzantine Catholic Seminary in Pittsburgh.  Recommendations from their pastors and fellow parishioners will also be sought.  During March the applications will be reviewed.  Acceptance of candidates to the program will be announced by the end of March. 

+  Julia Kovach, the mother of the Reverend John Kovach,  fell asleep in the Lord on January 23, 1999 in Mumford, Ohio.  Our prayerful condolences are extended to Father John and the Kovach Family.  

Gilbert: In the past few months, St. Thomas the Apostle Church has been slowly undergoing a radical transformation. The old parish hall (picture below) was demolished and debris removed to make way for the erection of a new parish hall.  A new tower topped with an onion dome (pictured above) is also being added to the front of the church. 

Father Philip Acquaro, donning a white hard hat, is seen from 5:30 AM until about 11:30 AM every workday directing the construction work with his able crew.  The parishioners hope to be in the new facility sometime the beginning of March.  

Anchorage:   St. Nicholas of Myra Church recently celebrated the blessing of the main dome on the church.   During Vespers, the dome was blessed, and at the singing of the hymn “O Joyful Light” the dome was illuminated from within.  This one-of-a-kind copper dome twinkles as the light shows from within through a uniquely patented construction process.   The local television and radio stations carried coverage of the event! 

Phoenix:  For the second year  the Eastern Catholic Clergy Associates of Arizona and their parishioners celebrated Theophany together. This time it was at the Ukrainian Church of the Assumption on January 5 at 7:00 PM with the pastor, the Reverend Hugo Soutus, leading the Vesper-Divine Liturgy of St Basil the Great.  Participating in the Liturgy were 200 clergy and faithful from the Melkite, Ukrainian, Chaldean, Latin and Byzantine Catholic Churches in Arizona.  The Reverends Stephen Washko of St. Stephen Pro-Cathedral in Phoenix, Philip Acquaro, CSB of St. Thomas the Apostle in Gilbert and William 
Skurla of St. Melany in Tucson and members of their parishes represented the Byzantine Catholic Church at the festivities.  At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the solemn Sanctification of Jordan Water took place with each participant being given a container of Jordan Water to take home.  Fellowship followed in the parish hall. The ECCAA has been meeting monthly for the last three years. Originally the group gathered to foster comradery  among the Eastern clergy and then began to focus on pastoral and social events for the 
parishioner of our Eastern Churches as well. 

Home Purchased for Bishop 

Phoenix: His Grace Bishop George with the consent of the Eparchial Consultors purchased a modest three-bedroom condominium located at 17th Street and Northern in Phoenix, a few blocks from St. Stephen Pro-Cathedral.

This will serve as the official residence of the next Bishop of Van Nuys.  Since the Northridge earthquake and the subsequent relocation of the Pastoral Center to Phoenix, Bishop George has been residing in the condominium he purchased for his own retirement at St. Stephen Pro-Cathedral complex.  The money that was realized from the sale of the Bishop’s home in Northridge was used to purchase this new home. 

Eparchial Clergy active   13 
Eparchial Clergy outside    2 
Eparchial Clergy in Missions   1 
Retired Eparchial Clergy    3 
Total Eparchial Clergy   20 
Permanent Deacons    3 

Seminarians     3 
Religious Priests in Eparchy   5 
Religious Brothers/Novices   7 
Religious Women     4 

Parishes:    16 
Missions      3 

Infant Baptisms:   66 
Adult Baptisms   12 

Chrismations:   127 
First Eucharist:   116 

Marriages:    23 

Deaths:    33 

Total Church membership 3,063 

Students in Elementary ECF 366 
High School Students  104 

*Jan. 5 Assumption Church  7 PM 
  Vigil of Theophany 
  Vesper-Divine Liturgy and 
  Sanctification of Jordan Water 

*Jan. 7-8 Byzantine Catholic Seminary 
  Pittsburgh Seminary Advisory 

Board Meeting 

*Feb. 6 St. Stephen Pro-Cathedral 
  Teresians Day of Recollection 

*Feb. 8-11 Lutheran Retreat House 
  Cave Creek, Arizona 
  Eastern Clergy Retreat 

*Feb.12 Anaheim Convention Center 
  Los Angeles Religious Education 

Congress Divine Liturgy  5:15 PM 

*March 6-7 Pastoral Visitation 
  Saint Irene Outreach 
  Portland, Oregon 

*March 8 Mount Angel Seminary 
  St. Benedict, Oregon 
  Seminarians’ Evaluation 

*Protosyncellus Schedule 

Sister Barbara Swindells, OSBM appointed to the Byzantine Catholic Seminary Advisory Board as a representative of the Eparchy of Van Nuys, effective February 1, 1999. 

Right Reverend Archimandrite Wesley Izer, SDB, Reverend William Skurla, and Sister Madeline Boback, OSBM are appointed to the Deacon Review Board, effective February 1, 1999.