February 2014 Issue Of
Eastern Catholic Life Official Publication of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic VOL. L, NO. 2 FEBRUARY 2014 Wilkes-Barre Parish Observes 125 Years Saint Mary Byzantine Catholic Church Marks Milestone n Sunday, October 13, 2013 Saint Mary of the Assumption of Cantor Raymond Mastroberte. Byzantine Catholic Church in Wilkes-Barre observed the 125th In his homily, Metropolitan William noted that “it is always good to be Anniversary of its founding. To mark the historical and spiritual back at Saint Mary’s” and recalled his experiences at the parish over the years. milestone,O a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy of Thanksgiving was concelebrated by He then noted the historical “firsts” for which Saint Mary’s Church is noted. Metropolitan William, Bishop John Pazak, CSsR (a former Assistant Pastor and Founded by Father John Wolansky, the first Byzantine Catholic (Greek Catho- currently Bishop of the Slovak Eparchy of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Toron- lic) priest in the United States, Saint Mary’s was the first parish to have a paro- to, Canada), Bishop John Dougherty (Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Scranton, chial school, and the first parish at which the Sisters of Saint Basil the Great were in attendance), and the Very Reverend Edward Cimbala (Eparchial Administra- missioned for teaching and parochial ministry. Significantly, he said, the Sisters tor at the time). Also concelebrating were Father James Hayer (Pastor and Syn- of Saint Basil have had a continued presence at Saint Mary’s for almost 90 years. cellus), Father Michael Salnicky (Protopresbyter), Msgr. John Sekellick (former Furthermore, the Metropoli- Pastor), Deacon Edward Frey tan noted, the Greek Catholic (Parish Vocation) and Deacon Union (GCU of the USA) also Basil Soroka (Parish Vocation).
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