About Bishop Robert

His Grace, The Most Rev. Robert M. Pipta, (2023- present)

Bishop Robert Mark Pipta was born in April 1967 in Anaheim, California. Raised in southern California, he attended public schools there and completed a Bachelor of Arts program in Music at the University of California, Irvine in 1990. Bishop Robert was a member of Annunciation Byzantine Catholic Church in Anaheim, California from shortly after its founding in 1969. All of his ordinations took place at his home parish where he served at the altar from the age of six and served as a weekday cantor during his college years. He was formed for the priesthood at the Byzantine Catholic Seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from September 1990 until his priestly ordination on 21 April 1994. As a priest of the Eparchy of Van Nuys (now Phoenix) he served Saint Stephen Pro-Cathedral (now Cathedral) in Phoenix, Arizona as parochial vicar from May 1994 until August 1997. He then served as administrator of Saint Gabriel the Archangel Church in Las Vegas, Nevada until February 2004. He served as the pastor of Holy Angels Church in San Diego, California until April 2014. From 1 May 2014 to 19 September 2023, Bishop Robert served as the rector of The Byzantine Catholic Seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In addition to his pastoral duties, Bishop Robert served on the Intereparchial Liturgy and Music Commissions and served as Eparchial Vocations Director for over nineteen years.

Click here to view photos from the Episcopal Ordination and Enthronement!

Bishop Pipta’s episcopal heraldry is based on an icon of Our Venerable Father Romanus the Melodist given him on the occasion of his presbyteral ordination in April 1994.  His education in music and extensive experience as a cantor made fitting his prayers to this saint as a special patron.  The Feast of Saint Romanus is on the 1^st of October and is observed concurrently with the Feast of the Protection of the Theotokos, the Patronal Feast of the Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh to which the Eparchy of Parma belongs.  Saint Romanus is often found depicted as appearing with the Theotokos in icons of her Protection Feast.

Our Venerable Father Romanus, who lived in the fifth century, is known to have composed many and various kontakia.  Bishop Pipta’s motto comes from the Kontakion on the Mission of the Apostles, “May I obey what I preach and be the first to do what I teach.”