Huculak appointed new bishop for Edmonton's Ukrainian Catholics (02/09/97)

Huculak appointed new bishop for Edmonton's Ukrainian Catholics

by Christopher Guly

OTTAWA - For the second time in less than a year, the Vatican has named a Ukrainian Catholic priest under age 50 as bishop in Canada.

The Rev. Laurence Daniel Huculak, a 45-year-old Basilian priest, was named the fourth bishop of the Edmonton Eparchy on January 14 - exactly one year to the day his predecessor and fellow Basilian, Bishop Myron Daciuk, died in Edmonton at age 76.

Last April, Bishop Stefan Soroka, then 44, was named auxiliary bishop to Metropolitan-Archbishop Michael Bzdel in Winnipeg.

"This is not a calm time in my life," said Bishop-designate Huculak over the telephone from his office in Mundare, Alberta - a community outside of Edmonton.

Only last September, the British Columbia-born priest was named superior and master of novices of Ss. Peter and Paul Monastery in Mundare, when his predecessor in that job, the Rev. Myron Chimy, was elected provincial superior of the Canadian Basilians.

The Rev. Bill Hupalo, who served as apostolic administrator of the Edmonton Eparchy since Bishop Daciuk's death, told The Weekly that he was approached by the Holy See's ambassador to take the job but had declined. "There's a lot of administrative work involved, and I come from a farm and don't like sitting around," said the 53-year-old diocesan priest who hails from Bonnyville, Alberta, abut 150 miles northeast of Edmonton.

The Rev. Hupalo said that, at first, even the Rev. Huculak was reticent in accepting his new assignment. When asked, the bishop-designate said the apostolic nuncio, Italian-born Archbishop Carlo Curis, had invited him to discuss the offer at the archbishop's Ottawa office on January 3.

"I felt there were other people who could do the job better," explained the Rev. Huculak, who recently taught summer courses in Byzantine liturgy at Newman Theological College in Edmonton. "But the nuncio said it was the desire of the holy father that I accept and the Basilians include in their vows loyalty to the Holy Father - so that settled that issue."

Although the Edmonton Eparchy, which encompasses 26,250 faithful and includes all of Alberta, has been without a bishop for a year, the gap is certainly not the longest. Following the 1990 death of Bishop Martin Greschuk, the Rev. Hupalo served as apostolic administrator for two years until Bishop Daciuk was named Edmonton's third bishop.

The first eparch, Basilian Bishop Neil Savaryn, served in Edmonton from 1948 until his death on Christmas Day (according to the Julian calendar), January 7, 1986.

Born in Vernon, British Columbia, on January 25, 1951, Bishop-designate Huculak attended St. Vladimir's College and Minor Seminary in Roblin, Manitoba, and joined the Ukrainian-rite Order of St. Basil the Great in Ottawa in 1969.

He was enrolled in the Basilian novitiate at St. Josaphat's Monastery in Glen Cove, N.Y., from 1971 to 1972 and later the University of Ottawa, where he received a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy in 1974.

Following theological studies at St. Anselm's University in Rome, Edmonton's bishop-designate was ordained to the priesthood in 1977. The Rev. Huculak then pursued post-graduate work at the Pontifical Institute in Rome. Seven years ago he received a doctorate in Oriental Church Studies after successfully defending his thesis titled, "The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom in the Kyivan Metropolitan Province during the Period of Union with Rome, 1596-1805."

While in Rome, the Rev. Huculak served as director of the Basilian students' choir, which regularly sang the divine liturgy on Vatican Radio's service to Ukraine.

He returned to Canada in the spring of 1986 and was appointed pastor of Ss. Peter and Paul Church in Mundare - where he has remained until now, living in a monastery of a dozen Basilians.

"I always wanted to be in a religious community," admitted the Rev. Huculak, who also recently served as director of the Basilian Fathers Museum in Mundare. "When I lived in British Columbia, I had heard of Mundare and its community of prayer. Once I entered, I have not only been involved in parish work, but I have taught and led missions. Certainly, I enjoyed that period of life when I was studying and researching [in Rome]."

As bishop of Edmonton, the Rev. Huculak will oversee the work of 42 priests and 40 religious who serve 93 parishes and missions. He said that no date has been set for his episcopal ordination and installation as the eparchy's fourth bishop. "I have three months from the time of my appointment," offered the Rev. Huculak.

In the meantime, the Rev. Hupalo said he's grateful that Rome has finally named a new bishop for Alberta's Ukrainian Catholics and is delighted the Holy See named an eparchial priest to the position. "Although I never lost any sleep as administrator, the job requires a lot of patience and someone who won't let things bother them," he said. "I think Father Larry will do just fine."

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