Eastern Catholic Life Official Publication of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic VOL. LIV, NO. 8 AUGUST 2018 Passaic,New NJ Iconography at Saint Michael Cathedral Saints Joachim and Anna, flanked by Saint Irene and Saint Michael the Archangel Saints Zachary and Elizabeth, with their son, Saint John the Baptist, and Saint Nicholas ith characteristic good saintly role models for married couples Mystical Supper to its proper place above Jesus Christ and His Church. These rows nature, the parishioners and young people; to include the Old the Royal Doors, a very meaningful series of Apostles and Prophets, often included of Saint Michael Cathe- Testament prophets; to celebrate spe- is created, linking the domestic table of ev- on a full, traditional iconostasis, remind us dralW in Passaic, NJ, put up with scaffold- cifically Ruthenian Greek Catholic saints; ery Christian home, the liturgical Table of of Saint Paul’s teaching that Christ’s Church ing for much of the summer of 2017 and and to improve upon a few details in the the Eucharist, and the table of the heavenly is built upon the foundation of the Apostles again in the spring of 2018. On Pentecost previous design. banquet where the Father, the Son, and the and Prophets (Ephesians 2:20). Sunday 2018, they were finally able to Holy Spirit keep open a space for us. contemplate twenty-nine new holy icons in On the iconostasis, new icons depict Above the Prophets, four circular the 116-year-old landmark. Saints Joachim and Anna, parents of the Eighteen images of Old Testament images commemorate more recent Theotokos; Saints Zachary and Elizabeth; figures were added above and alongside Ruthenian saints: Saint Josaphat (+1623), The project, which began as a much- their son, Saint John the Baptist; and the the beautiful stained glass windows of a martyr for the reunion of Eastern needed repair and repainting of damaged Great Martyr, Saint Irene, a saint with the Apostles on the cathedral’s north and Christian Slavs with the Catholic Church; plaster, expanded to include new carpeting special significance for the primary south walls. Among these, Daniel and the the martyrs to Communism, Bishop and new iconography thanks both to one benefactor, for Bishop Kurt, and for Father Three Holy Youths represent teenagers Theodore Romža of Mukačevo (+1947) generous bequest and to the enthusiastic Jack Custer, rector of the cathedral. while Melchizedek, Moses, and Aaron es- and Bishop Paul Gojdič of Prešov response of the parishioners. pecially illustrate the Old Testament roots (+1960); along with Blessed Miriam Te- Above the iconostasis, on the eastern of our liturgical worship. Each of the Old resa Demjanovič (+1927), baptized a The goals of the new iconography, wall, are large icons of the Wedding at Testament prophets holds a scroll Byzantine Catholic at Saint John the Baptist according to Father Jack Custer, rector Cana and the Holy Trinity of Saint Andrei containing a particular prophecy about Parish in Bayonne, NJ, and beatified in 2014. of the cathedral, were several: to provide Rublëv. With the addition of an icon of the Continued on page 4 Youngest ordinary bishop in North America is ‘a gift’ to Bythe Laura Ieraci; U.S. republished church with permission from Horizons he youngest ordinary bishop Francis has appointed to the United States. of a Catholic diocese in North America was enthroned June 30. The Slovak-born bishop has visited T almost every parish and mission of the Bishop Milan Lach, SJ, became the fifth eparchy since his arrival in the United Newly enthroned Bishop Milan Lach, S.J. in center in bright white vestments bishop of the Byzantine Ruthenian Epar- States last summer and has established build churches again. We were liquidated the fall of communism, now we can repay chy of Parma during a Divine Liturgy of pastoral priorities that include youth, for 18 years (under communism),” the with spiritual gifts.” Enthronement at the Cathedral of St. John evangelization, and parish reorganization. 60-year-old prelate told Horizons. the Baptist, after having served as its apos- Bishop Chautur said he attended the Slovak Greek Catholic Bishop Milan tolic administrator since June 24, 2017. He But now, with the Slovak Greek Catholic enthronement because he realized the Chautur, CSsR, of Kosice, Slovakia, who succeeds Bishop John Kudrick, who re- Church strongly re-established, there may importance of maintaining a connection was present for the enthronement, said signed in May 2016. be an opportunity to return the favor, he between the Byzantine Catholic churches his “wish for all the faithful” in the United said. in the United States and Europe. At 44, Bishop Lach is also the third- States is that they receive Bishop Lach “as a youngest Eastern Catholic ordinary in the gift from the Slovak church.” “We sense that, compared with us, there “There are people who came (to the world and the first foreign-born bishop is a certain crisis of vocations and in the United States) 10 years ago or 100 years “After the fall of communism, we for the eparchy that comprises 12 states in spiritual life (in the United States),” he said. ago, and they still carry within them immediately turned to the Greek Catholic the Midwest. He is among about a dozen “So, just as we received material gifts after the Gospel they received from their bishops from other countries that Pope Church in America for material needs, to Continued on page 4 Saint Nicholas Pilgrimage—p5 Parish News—pp6—7 Uniontown Pilgrimage—p9 The Culture Project—p16 Page 2 Eastern Catholic Life AUGUST 2018 I Lift Up My Eyes... Pastoral Reflections of Bishop Kurt Come Down From the Cross haired old man who gave out rosaries on but is presented each time as indisputable The scriptures say that He was “tempted the public property in front of Planned science, that is, evidence interpreted by in every way, just as we are, yet He did not Parenthood. One man dropped off his clear logic. The godless leaders of today sin.” We might infer from this that temp- girlfriend for an abortion, then parked in a order us to worship their weather god, they tations continued throughout His life hidden area, and returned with a baseball inebriate us with terror, and order us to in many forms, but only a few more are bat and beat the old man to near death. The sacrifice to the new weather god with false recorded in the scriptures. local news media gave the incident not a promises of security and abundance. Even scintilla of publicity!) if sacrificing our children to their pagan god The most powerful and most impor- does produce food and wealth, do we really tant temptation came when our Lord was or we do not have a high priest There was a movie a few years ago about believe that they will share it with us? at His weakest in the human sense of the who is unable to empathize with a young lady who survived her mother’s word. After Jesus was mentally assailed and our“F weaknesses, but we have one who has abortion. As a teenager, she makes an Jesus confounded Satan with the scrip- beaten down in the Garden of Gethsemane, been tempted in every way, just as we are– odyssey to learn her history and to meet her tures, since He was Himself the Word made and then betrayed by one of His trusted yet He did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) biological mother. When she finally meets flesh, and He said, “Man shall not live by friends, and then abandoned by His other her mother, the mother is now a successful bread alone, but on every word that comes friends, and then challenged in debate by One of the most remarkable aspects of attorney who snubs her teenage daughter from the mouth of God.” Our first desires the religious experts and religious authori- the life of Jesus, is that He allowed Himself and drives off in her Mercedes SUV with are for food and survival. We imitate Jesus ties of the chosen people, then scoffed at to be tempted by Satan, by the Devil, just her new perfect baby in a car seat. I never when we fast, and in our tradition we fast by the Roman governor, and then severely as we are. What is sin? Sin is a transgres- saw a more poignant depiction of the deep every week on Wednesday and Friday, and beaten and exhausted and deprived of sion of the Law of God. How is it possible sorrow that follows with the false promises four times a year: before Easter, before sleep, as He hung on the cross there was that the Son of God, the Word who spoke of the tempter. The mother is “living the Christmas, before Saints Peter and Paul one final temptation. Satan who thought the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, could be dream”, a dream she paid for with the blood (June 29), and before the Dormition (Au- he had won victory by convincing us to kill tempted? Christ’s temptation is one of the of her first infant. (The movie is called gust 15). By fasting and faith in the source the Son of God, had failed to make Jesus great mysteries of our faith, but it is one of October Baby, and is based on a true story. of life, we can overcome the terror of our ir- sin. And so, he made one last assault on the the most comforting of those mysteries. It was denounced by the entertainment rational fears. will of Jesus, and tried with the cleverest of establishment.