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Eparchy of Parma
What is an “eparchy,” anyway?
The world-wide Catholic Church consists of smaller
geographical territories called “dioceses” from Latin or
“eparchies” from Greek. Every eparchy/diocese is headed by a
bishop, a successor to the apostles. His Grace, Bishop John
Kudrick leads our Church of Parma. The Eparchy of Parma
encompasses the geographical area of Ohio (except the eastern
border counties), Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin,
Minnesota, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota and
South Dakota. Byzantine Catholics living in those states are
members of our local Church of Parma.
What’s our story?
Wishing to foster religious life among Byzantine Catholic
faithful in the United States, Pope Paul VI issued the decree
"Christi Ecclesia" officially establishing the Eparchy of
Parma on Feb. 21, 1969.
The new Eparchy of Parma encompassed the states of Ohio
(except counties on the eastern border) and all states west of
Ohio, including Alaska and Hawaii. His Grace, the Most Rev.
Emil Mihalik (1969-1984) became our first bishop.
In 1982, at the request of the American Byzantine hierarchs,
the Holy See established the western Eparchy of Van Nuys,
reducing the territory of the Eparchy of Parma.
Having grown under the episcopacy of Bishops Andrew Pataki
(1984-1996) and Basil Schott (1996-2002), the faithful now
enjoy the leadership of His Grace, The Most Rev. John Kudrick
(2002-present).
Bishop John, his clergy and the faithful entrusted to his
care, embrace our past and look toward the future with hope,
certain that we are a church empowered by the Holy Spirit “to
set hearts on fire” by the way we worship and by the way we
live.
BISHOPS
His Grace, The Most Rev. John Kudrick (2002-present)
Bishop John Kudrick was born on Dec. 23, 1947, in Lloydell,
Pa., the son of George and Amelia Kudrick (both deceased).
He attended Adams-Summerhill High School, from which he
graduated as valedictorian, and attended Saint Francis College
in Loretto, Pa., where he received a bachelor of arts in
philosophy and in mathematics in 1970.
He entered the Third Order Regular of St. Francis on Jan. 29,
1967, in the Province of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. After
graduating from Saint Francis College, he continued his studies
for the priesthood at St. Francis Seminary in Loretto, from
which he received a master of divinity degree in 1975. He also
studied at Indiana University of Pa. and received a master of
science degree in mathematics in 1973 and pursued and obtained
a master of science degree in computer and information science
from The Ohio State University in 1977.
The bishop was ordained to the priesthood on May 3, 1975, and
began serving on the mathematics and computer science faculty
of Saint Francis University. In 1978, he assumed
responsibilities for university computer services.
From 1976 to 1980 he was assistant director of postulants for
his Franciscan order. As a Franciscan priest, he also assisted
in parishes of the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh. He became a
priest of the archeparchy in 1987 and served in several
Pennsylvania parishes – St. Nicholas, Nanty Glo; St. Mary,
Windber; SS. Peter and Paul, Jerome; SS. Peter and Paul,
Patton; St. Anne, Clymer; Holy Spirit, McKees Rocks; SS. Peter
and Paul, Duquesne; and SS. Peter and Paul, Braddock. From
1998 until his episcopal ordination, he served as
protopresbyter of the Cathedral of St. John in Munhall, Pa.
In 1998, Metropolitan Archbishop Judson Procyk ordained
then-Father John as the first archpriest of the Archeparchy.
Following the death of Metropolitan Judson,
then-Archpriest John was elected administrator of the vacant Archeparchy of Pittsburgh on April 24, 2001, and served in
that capacity until the installation of Metropolitan Basil
Schott as archbishop on July 9, 2002.
Bishop John was ordained and installed as bishop of Parma on
July 10, 2002, at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in
Parma, Ohio. The ordaining bishop was Metropolitan Basil
Schott, with Bishop Andrew Pataki and Bishop William Skurla
assisting.
His Grace, The Most Rev. Emil Mihalik (1969-1984)
Bishop Emil Mihalik was born in Pittsburgh on February 7,
1920. After receiving his high school education in his
hometown of Brentwood, Pa., a small suburban community south
of Pittsburgh, he pursued philosophical and theological
studies at St. Procopius College and its Benedictine Seminary.
On Sept. 30, 1945, Bishop Basil Takach ordained Emil Mihalik
to the priesthood.
Father Mialik served as a priest in a number of parishes
throughout the Pittsburgh Exarchate. At the time of
establishing the Passaic Eparchy, he was the pastor of St.
Thomas the Apostle Parish in Rahway, N.J., where he was
instrumental in the construction of a new modern Byzantine
style church and a new parish center.
With the formation of the new eparchy, Father Mihalik was
given a number of administrative duties in addition to his
pastoral responsibilities. These administrative duties
included director of vocations, membership on the matrimonial
tribunal, diocesan consultor and finally chancellor of the
eparchy.
Archbishop Stephen Kocisko ordained Father Mihalik as Bishop
at St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Parma, Ohio, and
enthroned him as the head of the new eparchy on June 12, 1969.
Sadly Bishop Mihalik’s zealous pastoral work for the new Parma
Eparchy ended on Jan. 27, 1984, when he died of lung cancer.
His Grace, The Most Rev. Andrew Pataki (1984-1996)
Bishop Andrew Pataki was born in Palmerton, Pa., on Aug. 30,
1927. Following his elementary and secondary education in the
Palmerton Public Schools and Central Catholic High School in
Allentown, Pa., he enrolled in St. Vincent’s College, Latrobe,
Pa.
In 1944 he began his studies for the priesthood. To continue
his studies, he entered St. Procopius College-Seminary in
Lisle, Ill., where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in
philosophy in 1948. He began his theological studies at St.
Procopius Seminary and completed them at the newly-founded
Byzantine Catholic Seminary of SS. Cyril and Methodius,
Pittsburgh.
The Most Rev. Daniel Ivancho ordained him to the priesthood on
Feb. 24, 1952, in the seminary chapel.
After earning the STL degree at the Pontifical Institute for
Oriental Studies in Rome, Father Pataki was appointed rector
of the Byzantine Catholic Seminary.
He was named to the Pontifical Commission for the Revision of
the Eastern Code of Canon Law (1973-1978) by Pope Paul VI and
also elevated by him to the rank of Prelate of Honor.
He was named auxiliary bishop to the Most Rev. Michael J.
Dudick of the Eparchy of Passaic on June 14, 1983, with the
Titular See of Telmisso.
Appointed the second bishop of Parma on June 19, 1984, Bishop
Pataki served the eparchy until his transfer to the Eparchy of
Passaic in 1996.
His Eminence, The Most Rev. Basil Schott (1996-2002)
Metropolitan Basil was born on July 21, 1939 in Freeland, Pa.,
the son of the late Mary (Krusko) and Michael Schott.
He spent his early years in northeast Pennsylvania, where he
attended St. Mary Byzantine Catholic School in Freeland, and
St. Gabriel High School in Hazleton.
Metropolitan Basil entered the Byzantine Franciscans novitiate
on Aug. 3, 1958, and was professed on Aug. 4, 1959. He holds
degrees in philosophy, theology and pastoral counseling.
Bishop Stephen J. Kocisko, bishop of Passaic, ordained
Metropolitan Basil to the priesthood on Aug. 29, 1965.
Immediately prior to his appointment as third bishop of the
Eparchy of Parma in 1996, Metropolitan Basil served as hegumen
of Holy Dormition Monastery in Sybertsville, Pa.
On May 3, 1996, then-Father Basil was named bishop of Parma.
His episcopal ordination and enthronement took place on July
11, 1996, at St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Parma, Ohio.
On May 3, 2002, Pope John Paul II appointed then-Bishop Basil
to be the metropolitan archbishop of Pittsburgh, succeeding
the late Metropolitan Judson Procyk. Metropolitan Basil was
enthroned on July 9, 2002.
EPARCHY OF PARMA
* ST. MARY HOSPITALITY HOUSE
St. Mary Hospitality House is rooted in tenets of the
Byzantine Liturgy and of the historical church, which urge,
“Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have
unknowingly entertained angels” (Heb 13:2).
The Hospitality House in Parma, Ohio, was founded in 1989
under the guidance of the Very Rev. Archpriest Dennis Hrubiak
and the late Father Emil Masich. The outreach provides a hot
meal once a week, on Tuesdays, to anyone who walks through the
door, regardless of race, creed or ethnicity. In addition,
guests receive a brown-bag breakfast for the next day plus a
takeout bag of food for another meal.
The Hospitality House also hosts a number of young people
(Scouting groups and high school students) who perform
volunteer service hours.
Thus, St. Mary Hospitality House accomplishes a twofold goal:
it provides Eastern Christian hospitality, solidarity and
service to those who come through the doors; and it provides a
concrete means of living out the Gospel call to become
beatitude people.
“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who
are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world.’
‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was
thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger,
and you invited Me in’” (Mt 25:34-35).
St. Mary Hospitality House
5500 West 54th Street
Parma, Ohio
440.884.8452
*EPARCHIAL STATUTES
Last amended 1 May, 2000, the
STATUTES OF THE BYZANTINE
CATHOLIC EPARCHY OF PARMA do not necessarily reflect the most
current norms and practices of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy
of Parma. New amendments are forthcoming.
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