CANADA COURIER: Newly named bishop reflects youth (05/05/96)

CANADA COURIER

by Christopher Guly

Newly named bishop reflects youth

A year ago, the Rev. Stephen Soroka experienced some of the clerical stresses he studied 11 years ago during his doctoral program in social work at Catholic University of America in Washington.

While serving as chancellor and "econome" (financial administrator) of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Winnipeg, the 44-year-old priest also doubled as pastor of St. Anne's Church in Winnipeg's North Kildonan district.

"My blood pressure started going up and that was a good warning for me to slow down," he recently said over the telephone from his archeparchial office.

His boss, Archbishop-Metropolitan Michael Bzdel, helped by appointing the burly, six-foot-two-inch Rev. Soroka as his full-time chancellor.

"I guess it became a matter of practicing what I preach," laughed the Rev. Soroka in recalling the stress his workload offered him. "But then I had to adjust to leaving the 360 families in my parish."

In 1985, the Winnipeg-born priest completed a thesis that examined organizational stress in the ministry. Of 15 contributing factors to stress, the Rev. Soroka identified five major ones. Among them: the pressures of often having to make life-changing decisions; role ambiguity and the lack of clarity in knowing what's expected of a cleric; work overload from both quantitative and qualitative factors (fulfilling a role one may not be especially qualified for); the absence of social support; and a lack of affirmation and acceptance from one's church.

On April 17, Metropolitan Bzdel, who has recently suffered a more physical kind of stress resulting from recent quintuple bypass heart surgery, received a bit of a respite on the overload front himself.

That day, his bearded social worker-chancellor was named his auxiliary bishop.

When the Rev. Soroka received the news from the apostolic pro-nuncio's office in Ottawa a week earlier, he was more surprised than stressed.

"I never would have guessed this would happen at my age," he said. "Maybe when I would be in my mid-60s."

Naming a man as young as the Rev. Soroka to the episcopacy in the Canadian Ukrainian Catholic Church has been a rarity in recent decades. Two of the its seven octogenarian bishops, in fact, were appointed at even younger ages: Toronto's Isidore Borecky, when he was 36 in 1948, and Metropolitan-emeritus Maxim Hermaniuk - who ordained the Rev. Soroka in 1982 - in 1951 when he was 39.

Looking at it another way, Bishop-designate Soroka will have 31 years before he will have to resign at the mandatory age of 75. (But even that's not a sure thing, as evidenced by Bishop Borecky's unwavering control of the Toronto eparchy at the age of 84.) Yet, having a younger bishop in Winnipeg will undoubtedly lead to change - at the very least, in attitudes. And the Rev. Soroka is already making progress on that front.

During our conversation, he said that he will revert to the birth-spelling of his first name to Stefan. When he is consecrated in Ss. Vladimir and Olga Cathedral on Thursday, June 13, the service will be held in the evening.

Despite the tradition of having weekday consecrations, the ceremony has typically been held in the afternoon to allow for an evening banquet. Not this time.

"I think people have been banqueted to death," said Bishop-designate Soroka. "Besides, people can't afford to pay to attend a dinner." So, he will host a post-consecration wine-and-cheese in the cathedral basement to facilitate guest mingling.

The soon-to-be-bishop has also thought about handling some of the social effects his office may create. "I have good friends who will kick me in the derriere if I let it get to my head," he explained.

The Rev. Soroka's twin brother, Joseph, who works as a Winnipeg police officer, said he is not entirely surprised by his brother's promotion. "He was always inclined toward the Church, but I think he will do fine, since he's done pretty good so far."

Becoming bishop means the Rev. Soroka will also have to assume new duties. The financial administration side will likely become the responsibility of a layperson in the archeparchy, while the new prelate becomes vicar-general.

Again, he will have to balance his obligations and avoid stress.

But with the average age of the 73 priests in the Manitoba Archparchy hovering in the 60s, there isn't much flexibility in handling the task of ministering to 130 parishes and missions. There could be some hope, however, Bishop-designate Soroka supports the idea of married priests. He stopped at commenting on women priests. ("I want to be consecrated," he joked.)

The Rev. Soroka explained that his pastor at Ss. Vladimir and Olga, now-retired and married Rev. Roman Kysilewski, had a major influence on his opinion.

"He told me there were limitations to his priesthood," said the bishop-designate. "I understand that, because I looked after my dad before he died a few years ago. I still feel guilty that I didn't spend enough time with him.

"So, I know it would be difficult for me to balance the demands of serving people in my parish with meeting the needs of family. But it can be done, and others have been successful."

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