Pilgrims of Hope: 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 28 — May 1, 2025 at the Jesuit Retreat Center in Parma, OH.
This was reported by the press service of Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma.
The event during the current Jubilee Year of Hope, 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.
On the first day of the gathering, Bishop Bohdan, among other things, during the opening conference, accentuated the late Pope Francis’ Bull of Indiction for the Jubilee Year 2025, Spes Non Confundit — Hope Does Not Disappoint. Some other matters were also discussed. 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, Fr. Jason Charron — pastor of Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church in Carnegie, PA and of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Ukrainian Catholic Church in Wheeling, WV — delivered a dynamic presentation on the “Kerygma and Preaching the Word of God” during which he stressed the need for the clergy to preach effectively the Word of the living God to the people entrusted to their pastoral care. The second conference, titled “Kerygma and Catechesis in Family and Adults,” was delivered by Fr. Kevin Bezner from the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke Ukrainian Catholic Mission in Tryon, NC who, together with Mrs. Katie Matlak (the wife of Fr. Joseph Matlak, pastor of St. Basil the Great Ukrainian Catholic Parish in Charlotte, NC), is responsible for religious education in St. Josaphat Eparchy. During his presentation, Fr. Kevin spoke about the importance of catechesis in the modern world and challenges the modern families are facing nowadays. During the final conference of the day, Fr. Mark Shuey, Dean of the Mid-Atlantic Deanery of St. Josaphat Eparchy and a person responsible for the mission activities in the eparchy, delivered a presentation via a Zoom call on the mission situation in the eparchy and the faced challenges.
On the third day of the event, the clergy reviewed and studied property, liability, and financial matters in the eparchy as well as some matter pertaining to the entire Ukrainian Catholic Church’s Metropolia in the United States. Those were delivered by Bishop Bohdan J. Danylo, Very Rev. Mitred Archpriest 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, and Very Rev. Vsevolod Shevchuk, eparchy’s Deputy CFO and Vocations Director as well as 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. The attendees also heard a presentation by Mr. John Kurey who is in charge of the eparchy’s stewardship office.
On the fourth and concluding day of the event, the clergy partook in some presentations on various eparchial matters, including planning some future events, by Bishop Bohdan J. Danylo, 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 and youth protection who is also a Chaplain (Captain) of the United States Air Force (Reserve), and Very Rev. Vsevolod Shevchuk.
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 29th and April 30th at Saint Josaphat Cathedral in Parma; the Liturgy on April 29th was also followed by the Panakhyda for the repose of the soul of the late Pope Francis. The participants also prayed for the Cardinal Electors to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit during the upcoming conclave that starts on May 7th in Rome to elect the next successor of the Holy Apostle Peter.
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.
The UGCC Department for Information
