Clergy of the Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma Gather for Annual Retreat
The clergy of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma, together with Bishop Bohdan Danylo, gathered for their annual retreat on October 12–15, 2026, at the Bethany Center of the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg in Lutz, Florida.
The retreat was led by Hieromonk Raphael Strontsitskyy, M. S. U., spiritual director of St. Basil Ukrainian Catholic Seminary in Stamford, Connecticut. Its theme was “Lex Credendi, Lex Orandi, Lex Vivendi”—”As We Believe, So We Pray, and So We Ought to Live.”
The gathering offered the clergy time to step away from the demands of daily ministry for spiritual renewal, reflection, and fraternal fellowship. Participants were invited to deepen their relationship with God, renew their priestly vocation, and reflect on the unity of faith, prayer, and daily life.
The talks explored faith as a personal response to God’s call, prayer as an expression of that faith, and Christian living as its visible fruit. Particular attention was given to the Divine Liturgy as the Church’s central confession of faith, as well as to personal prayer, repentance, the Holy Mysteries, and service marked by humility and mercy.
Alongside the talks, participants celebrated the Divine Liturgy and other liturgical services in English and Ukrainian. They also had opportunities for Confession and spiritual conversations.
The retreat concluded with a call for priests to return to their parishes renewed in spirit—to pray more faithfully, love more generously, forgive more readily, and serve Christ more courageously in every person they encounter.
Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma
