Russian Greek Catholicism

[russialover]

Salutations!
I was wondering if anyone knows any information on vocations for the Russian Greek Church, aswell as information on the Russicum, and any other information to do with them.
SPASIBO!

 

[5Loaves]

Salutations!
I was wondering if anyone knows any information on vocations for the Russian Greek Church, aswell as information on the Russicum, and any other information to do with them.
SPASIBO!

A Russian Greek Catholic discerning a vocation should speak with his priest. He could consider studies at the Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute or at St. Vlad’s. We currently have a UGC studying at PAOI in preparation for ordination as a priest in the UGCC. The Pontifical Oriental Institute is still operating. I believe the Jesuits have gotten out of the business of serving us.

 

[Diakonia]

Since you are in CT and you’re Latin, I don’t imagine that you’re going to get a lot of direction from your pastor, unless you are particularly blessed with one of great understanding and perception. If you want to explore the topic in depth, you might want to make a trip to NYC and speak with Father Economos Roman (Russo), the administrator/rector of St Muchael the Archangel Russian Greek-Catholic Church on Mulberry St, adjacent to Old St Patrick Cathedral.

Father Economos Roman is a priest of the Melkite Eparchy of Newton serving the Russian parish there and I’m certain would be pleased to discuss the subject at great length with anyone interested.

 

[Formosus]

A Russian Greek Catholic discerning a vocation should speak with his priest. He could consider studies at the Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute or at St. Vlad’s. We currently have a UGC studying at PAOI in preparation for ordination as a priest in the UGCC. The Pontifical Oriental Institute is still operating. I believe the Jesuits have gotten out of the business of serving us.

PAOI is not a seminary so I do not know how much a pastoral preparation for priesthood it could provide. St. Vlad’s (from all I have heard and seen) is an excellent place for seminary studies, though I imagine that a Russian Greek Catholic would probably end up going where ever his Latin Bishop would be willing to send him.

 

[Diakonia]

PAOI is not a seminary so I do not know how much a pastoral preparation for priesthood it could provide. St. Vlad’s (from all I have heard and seen) is an excellent place for seminary studies, though I imagine that a Russian Greek Catholic would probably end up going where ever his Latin Bishop would be willing to send him.

Agreed. And it is, in fact, unlikely that most of the Latin ordinaries having canonical jurisdiction over RGC parishes would be willing to sponsor such. The chances of being sponsored would be much greater under the aegis of one of the Byzantine Eparchies with a vested interest/involvement with the Russian parishes, albeit without canonical jurisdiction of them - that would mean the Melkites or Romanians - and, in either instance, the Eparch would ordinarily only consider an individual who was of the Byzantine Rite, by birth or enrollment.

 

[Hesychios]

PAOI is not a seminary so I do not know how much a pastoral preparation for priesthood it could provide. St. Vlad’s (from all I have heard and seen) is an excellent place for seminary studies, though I imagine that a Russian Greek Catholic would probably end up going where ever his Latin Bishop would be willing to send him.

This brings up a subject I am not too familiar with, so I thought I would ask …

If the bishop ‘sends’ a candidate to a seminary, does that imply that the bishop is paying the tuition? I believe it would be the case for a member of a monastery or active religious order, the order or house would send a member for studies and pay for it, but I don’t know what the diocesan practice is.

 

[russialover]

Hesychios, i believe that the diocese will pay for the tuition, but im not sure. I know that u attend a RGCC, 5loaves, so i was wondering if they actually have vocations.

 

[ConstantineTG]

PAOI is not a seminary so I do not know how much a pastoral preparation for priesthood it could provide. St. Vlad’s (from all I have heard and seen) is an excellent place for seminary studies, though I imagine that a Russian Greek Catholic would probably end up going where ever his Latin Bishop would be willing to send him.

How about the Metropolitan Sheptytsky Institute? It’s not Russian, but at least its Byzantine Catholic.

 

[5Loaves]

I know that u attend a RGCC, 5loaves, so i was wondering if they actually have vocations.

I don’t know about other parishes. The only person in our parish considering a vocation at this time is canonically Latin and exploring with the Dominicans.

I’m only aware of one male canonically Russian at this time and I have no sense at all he would consider the priesthood. (We have several men baptised in the Latin Church later christmated in our parish, but canonically that makes them still Latin. One is elderly, the other shows no signs of a vocation that I have seen.) Our deacon could I suppose, though I think he’s feeling well used at this time and more considering retirement than more schooling. We have a number of parishioners who are canonically of some other Eastern Catholic Church or Orthodox, but this is mainly women.

I don’t see any coming from our parish in the near future. If we did have a canonically Russian discerning a vocation and our priest recommended it I think the Archbishop would approve whatever seminary our priest recommended. I could be wrong but we’ve had more contact with the Chancery of late and every indication from them is, as they put it, we are a “self-governing Church”. However, again, at this time we only have a few males who are canonically Russian and none is likely due to age or circumstance.

Father Christopher Fadok, OP, was ordained as a UGCC priest with faculties to the Latins here in 2010. He served as a deacon with us during his last year at DSPT and celebrated his first Divine Liturgy with us. He is canonically UGC but was raised in the Latin Church and is a Dominican priest. We would all love to see him back here one day serving with us occasionally.

(I was corrected by someone that our UGC friend is not at this time discerning a vocation during his studies in Berkeley. Perhaps that was wishful thinking on the part of myself and others. )

 

[russialover]

Ok thanks. Ive noticed that Eastern Catholicism really doesnt establesh missions in the states, yet the OCA and other Orthodox bodies due, and they have success with evangelisation. Why is that?

 

[WetCatechumen]

Ok thanks. Ive noticed that Eastern Catholicism really doesnt establesh missions in the states, yet the OCA and other Orthodox bodies due, and they have success with evangelisation. Why is that?

The Ruthenian parish I go to has probably had about 10 converts in the last two years - and we’re only a couple hundred.

I don’t know much about the Russians - the closest with have is an OCA church.

 

[Aramis]

This brings up a subject I am not too familiar with, so I thought I would ask …

If the bishop ‘sends’ a candidate to a seminary, does that imply that the bishop is paying the tuition? I believe it would be the case for a member of a monastery or active religious order, the order or house would send a member for studies and pay for it, but I don’t know what the diocesan practice is.

Not usually. Every priest I’ve met (including the 3 Russian Orthodox I’ve met who discussed it - they went to St. Herman’s in Kodiak) has student loans to pay off.

A few bishops have arranged tuition from either the diocesan purse, the GCU or the KofC, or from wealthy individual sponsors, but almost always as a loan forgiven upon either ordination or upon serving for a certain number of years.

 

[russialover]

The Ruthenian parish I go to has probably had about 10 converts in the last two years - and we’re only a couple hundred.

I don’t know much about the Russians - the closest with have is an OCA church.

Interesting, when i went to the Ruthenian church last week, it had about 20 parishoners and i was one of the only non seniour citizens, yet the OCA doen the street had a parkinglot full of cars:shrug:

 

[Vico]

Ok thanks. Ive noticed that Eastern Catholicism really doesnt establesh missions in the states, yet the OCA and other Orthodox bodies due, and they have success with evangelisation. Why is that?

You can read about some of the Byzantine missions here:

byzcath.org/index.php/find-a-parish-mainmenu-111/start-a-parish-mainmenu-113

 

[Aramis]

Interesting, when i went to the Ruthenian church last week, it had about 20 parishoners and i was one of the only non seniour citizens, yet the OCA doen the street had a parkinglot full of cars:shrug:

We’ve had 1 adult baptism and 2 chrismations that I know of in 2011, with an average sunday attendance of about 65, and saturday vigil DL of 15. Plus several children. And another 15 at the mission.

It’s a Ruthenian Parish in a highly Orthodox community. About 20% of the state is Orthodox…

 

[russialover]

idk the Byzantines in Ct seem to be floundering What do RGCC priests even do? Seeing as they are such a small church, and have but 3 parishes in the states, are they sent to other Byzantine churches?

 

[Diakonia]

idk the Byzantines in Ct seem to be floundering What do RGCC priests even do? Seeing as they are such a small church, and have but 3 parishes in the states, are they sent to other Byzantine churches?

There are 4 Russian Greek Catholic parishes in the US.

As to the two questions in your post:

Russian Greek Catholic presbyters serve their parishes. In the case of Father Archimandrite Alexei (Smith) in El Segundo, he also is administrator of St Paul’s Melkite Mission which shares the temple with the RGC parish of St Andrew the First-Called Apostle. Last I knew, he also heads the Ecumenical Offices of the Latin Archdiocese of LA, as well as being a Protopresbyter of the Eparchy of Newton of the Melkites.

Father Chrysostom (Frank) in Denver pastors St Elizabeth of Hungary (Latin) parish in addition to being the administrator of Ss Cyril & Methodius RGC mission, which shares use of the same temple. He is also a faculty member at an adjacent college and is involved in campus ministry.

Father Economos Roman (Russo) in NYC pastors St Michael the Archangel RGC and is involved with several other activities, including teaching.

I’m uncertain who is pastoring OL of Fatima Byzantine RGC parish in SF at the moment, but I’m certain that another member here, who is a parishioner there, can fill in those details.

Father Archimandrite Lawrence (Cross), pastor of the RGC mission in Australia is also a college faculty member.

As to your last question, ‘are they sent to other Byzantine churches?’ Are who sent to other Byzantine churches?

 

[WetCatechumen]

Interesting, when i went to the Ruthenian church last week, it had about 20 parishoners and i was one of the only non seniour citizens, yet the OCA doen the street had a parkinglot full of cars:shrug:

It’s different out west. I was talking with an older Ruthenian lady (wonderful, energetic woman) about how back east, the Ruthenians tend to shy away from outsiders. This was her, a lifelong Ruthenian, saying this. Not me. She said that they weren’t welcoming and it drove people away from the churches and that’s why it’s dying. I don’t know where you are, but out here we have a young parish. Our Knights of Columbus Council has the youngest average age in the state (it’s astounding how many we have in their 20’s).

She complained bitterly how she had to have a Solemn High Mass for her wedding - I am glad that they’ve changed it so that Eastern Catholics have to marry using their rites. She was forced to follow her husband (whose father, ironically, was Byzantine - but they found that out afterwards).

But anyways, I don’t know why, but that was her explanation, and she wasn’t being mean about it or saying that’s all parishes - but the members of our parish actively evangelize. It’s wonderful.

 

[Diakonia]

Your friend has an outdated view of the Ruthenian parishes in the East, which are very welcoming.

 

[5Loaves]

idk the **Byzantines in Ct seem to be floundering ** What do RGCC priests even do? Seeing as they are such a small church, and have but 3 parishes in the states, are they sent to other Byzantine churches?

If there were canonically Russian Catholics who were ordained as priests and served our parishes I’m not aware of that. I’m especially unfamiliar with our parishes in other countries. We were served for many decades by the Jesuits who are of the Latin Church. As far as I know Russian Catholics in the US been served by bi-ritual priests, either Latin who have faculties to serve the Russian Church or another ECC priest with faculties to serve a Russian Church.

When you use the term Byzantine (not you alone, but anyone ) it is really quite confusing because the Ruthenian Church now calls itself the Byzantine Church. What are Byzantines? Sometimes people use it and they are talking about the Ruthenians. Sometimes they’re talking about a general EC group using the Byzantine Rite. I wish it weren’t now part of the name of my own parish. We are not Ruthenians, and the Ruthenians are not “floundering”.