Family and Vocations: The Eparchy of Saint Josaphat in Parma Held Its Clergy Days
The Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saint Josaphat in Parma held the Clergy Days on April 27–30, 2026 at the Jesuit Retreat Center in Parma, OH.
The annual event, led by the eparchy’s Ordinary, Bishop Bohdan J. Danylo, was attended by the priests, ministering in the eparchy, which stretches from the State of Ohio to the State of Florida as well as by Fr. David Misbrener from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown and Brothers of the Holy Spirit, Dale Sefcik and David Robert.
On the first day of the gathering, Bishop Bohdan, among other things, during the opening conference, accentuated on family and vocational awareness in the eparchy, including the implementation of the decisions of the 2025 Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Catholic Church on the pastoral care of the family on the eparchial and parochial levels. A meeting of the eparchy’s presbyteral council likewise took place on that day.
The event’s second day included three conferences. During the first conference, Bishop Bohdan went over some of the pastoral activities in the eparchy. Afterward, Fr. Volodymyr Petrytsya, pastor of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church in Conyers, GA, presented to the participants the Paxora Parish Center App — an online app, which he has been developing — that is designed to streamline parish activities in a parish. The second conference, begun with the remarks by Very Rev. Vsevolod Shevchuk — eparchy’s Vocations Director, Deputy Chief Financial Officer, and the pastor of the Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church in Akron, OH and the Protection of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church in Solon, OH — was delivered by Deacon Andrew Kurzawski from Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church in Carnegie, PA and was centered on the vocational awareness in the Catholic Church in the United States of America, especially in St. Josaphat Eparchy. The third conference of the day was a Q&A session regarding the vocational awareness in America and the eparchy.
On the third day of the event, Dr. Lidiya Zubytska, who is the Chair of the Politics Department and Assistant Professor of Politics at Ave Maria University in Florida, delivered a lively and informative presentation on family life from the Catholic perspective. In particular, she accentuated on what family is, the statistical data on family in the United States, the challenges the Catholic families are currently facing in America, and the ways to meet those challenges. Dr. Zubytska also shared some advice and resources of how to build strong Catholic families, having particularly accentuated on the importance of the Holy Sacraments. The participants also took part on that day in the discussion on preparation for the UGCC Forum on Family Life in October 2026.
In addition to the concluding remarks by Bishop Bohdan, on the fourth and final day of the event, the clergy partook in the presentations by Fr. Lubomir Zhybak, pastor of Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church in Youngstown, OH and St. Anne Ukrainian Catholic Church in Austintown, OH as well as the director of the eparchial offices of youth ministry and children, youth, and vulnerable adults protection who is also a Reserve Chaplain, Captain of the United States Air Force, and Very Rev. Mitred Archpriest, Canon Steven Paliwoda, Eparchy’s Chancellor, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and pastor of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Lorain, OH and St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church in Rossford, OH.
During the Clergy Days, the participants likewise partook in the prayer services of the Hours in the main chapel of the retreat house as well as in the Divine Liturgies of Saint John Chrysostom, led by Bishop Bohdan J. Danylo, on April 28th and April 29th at Saint Josaphat Cathedral in Parma. After the Liturgy on April 29th, Bishop Bohdan distributed to the priests the newly blessed antimensions each of which contains a relic of St. Josaphat — the eparchy’s patron saint.
This year’s Clergy Days were a wonderful opportunity for Bishop Bohdan J. Danylo and the present priests to get together during the Paschal time to pray, to discuss important pastoral and other matters, as well as to strengthen their fraternal bonds in the spirit of brotherly love, friendship, and mutual respect.
Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma
