450 attend Bishop Chomnycky's installation as Stamford eparch (02/26/06)

450 attend Bishop Chomnycky's installation as Stamford eparch

by Irene Jarosewich

STAMFORD, Conn. - The chapel inside St. Basil's Ukrainian Catholic College Seminary, as well as a nearby auditorium, were overflowing as more than 450 people attended the installation of the new leader of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford, Paul Patrick Chomnycky, OSBM, at the eparchy's estate on February 20.

"What kind of people are you," exclaimed one astounded Latin-rite Catholic attending the service for the new eparch of Stamford, "that you can bring together three cardinals and more than 40 bishops for the installation a new bishop?"

And indeed it was an impressive and powerful gathering of spiritual leaders - a testament not only to the immense loyalty and deep respect former Stamford Eparch Bishop Basil Losten and current Patriarch of Kyiv-Halych and Cardinal Lubomyr Husar receive from their brothers-in-Christ, but a reflection of the desire to graciously and warmly welcome a new Church leader, as well.

Besides Cardinal Husar, the two other cardinals attending the enthronement service were Cardinal Edward Egan of New York City and Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia. Also present were 19 Latin-Rite Catholic bishops from Maine to Maryland and 18 bishops from Byzantine-rite Churches worldwide, including the Ukrainian, Armenian, Romanian and Carpatho-Rusyn Churches, as well as Archbishop Antony of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A.

More than a hundred clergy, nuns, monks and seminarians also came to welcome the new bishop of Stamford.

Joining them were representatives of Ukrainian community organizations, including Ukrainian National Association President Stefan Kaczaraj, Ukrainian World Congress President Askold Lozynskyj, Ukrainian Congress Committee of America President Michael Sawkiw Jr., Ukrainian National Women's League of America President Iryna Kurowyckyj, Ukrainian American Coordinating Council President Ihor Gawdiak, Supreme Plast Command head Yaroslava Rubel, and the president and CEO of Self Reliance New York Federal Credit Union, Dr. Bohdan Kekish.

Ukraine's United Nations Ambassador Valeriy Kuchinsky and new Consul General in New York Mykola Kyrychenko with their wives, also attended.

Representatives of Connecticut's Knights of Columbus and Catholic charitable organizations and members of dozens of parishes belonging to the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford were among others in attendance.

The installation began shortly after noon in the chapel, with a reading by Msgr. Julian Rotor, representing the apostolic nuncio in the U.S., of the papal decree appointing Bishop Chomnycky as Stamford's new eparch. The rite of enthronement was conducted by Patriarch Husar, followed by the bilingual celebration of a pontifical divine liturgy.

It was during his sermon that Patriarch Husar synthesized the remarkable moment in the history of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in America that all present were witnessing: after almost 30 years of service in the Stamford eparchy by Bishop Losten, authority was being transferred to the next generation. Speaking slowly and quietly, translating himself from Ukrainian into English, Patriarch Husar began by thanking Bishop Losten, his classmate in the seminary, for "using your God-given talents wisely," for the "beautiful way that you have led this eparchy, made it strong and, given God's will, will continue to serve our Church, our one Church." As he spoke, the ugly rifts in the Ukrainian Catholic Church that marred the 1960s, '70s and '80s, seemed distant.

The patriarch continued: "And no longer are we simply a Church for immigrants to find comfort, shelter in a strange land - this is our land. And, as faithful deeply rooted in this land - we can afford to reach out, to share our gifts with others, gifts that others are willing to receive." And then the decades of rifts between the Latin- and Byzantine-rite Churches suddenly seemed distant as well.

"Share with others here, as well as in Ukraine. Our Church in Ukraine," he continued, "needs to have faithful outside Ukraine reach out to us, to remind us that now, as part of God's plan, we are a global Church," that Ukrainian Catholics are found throughout the world and are no longer isolated and alone.

As he turned to the new eparch sitting in the bishop's chair by the side of the altar he said, "Bishop Paul, do not be afraid, there will no doubt be difficult moments. But look around you - this is your family, these are you brothers, turn to them, they are willing to help you. Welcome."

After the divine liturgy, Cardinal Egan spoke. After briefly joking that Bishop Chomnycky's middle name is Patrick, and therefore he, as an Irishman, already felt a kinship with him, he went on to note that the "beauty of this wondrous chapel reflects the wonder and beauty of our Catholic Church." He continued by noting that he finds himself among his dearest colleagues. Turning to Cardinal Husar, he said "On more than one occasion, as I have walked down the carpet of cardinals at the Vatican, I can't think of another cardinal with whom I would rather walk than my dear friend Cardinal Lubomyr Husar."

"But I have also on more than one occasion walked with another wonderful bishop," he said turning to Bishop Losten. "I have always felt very blessed by the warmth and friendship and charm of Bishop Losten and, through him, have felt very close to the Ukrainian Catholic Church. How blessed I have been to know you, Basil Losten. Congratulations on the work that you have done; thank you for your friendship."

Then, turning to the new eparch, Cardinal Egan said, "Bishop Paul Patrick, I assure you that Bishop Edward Michael will be proud to walk with you, to work with you. On behalf of my faithful in New York, I welcome you."

The last to speak was 51-year-old Bishop Chomnycky. Born in Vancouver in 1954, he began studies for the priesthood only after completing university and working for several years. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1988, ordained a bishop in 2002 and served as bishop for Ukrainian Catholics in Great Britain until his appointment as the fourth bishop of Stamford was announced by Pope Benedict XVI in January.

In an at-times emotional speech, he began. "Blessed is this day created by God - blessed for me since I begin to serve you as a new bishop in America." He thanked the numerous people who have helped him in life, among them Pope Benedict and Cardinal Husar for their confidence in appointing him eparch, and his parents, now deceased, "for providing the faith-filled home in which my vocation could grow."

He ended by turning to Bishop Losten: "I thank you for your remarkable achievement. I am truly proud to receive the mantle of your stewardship, and I pray that I may be worthy."

Irene Jarosewich, editor-in-chief of Svoboda, frequently wrote on Ukrainian Church topics while on staff at The Ukrainian Weekly.

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