February 2013 Issue Of
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Eastern Catholic Life Official Publication of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic VOL. XLIV, NO. 2 FEBRUARY 2013 The Great Fast 2013 A Message from the Eparchial Administrator My Dear People of the Eparchy of Passaic, against our own selfish and sinful deeds, and understanding in a new Happy Great Fast! way how gracious is God’s love for us. any people associate the season of the Great Fast, the During the Great Fast we are invited to “re-turn” to God’s grace time of spiritual preparation for the Easter celebration, and turn away from the old wounds and hurts that afflict us. The Great with sadness and grief. And sometimes people actually Fast begins with the celebration of Vespers of Forgiveness in order think the Great Fast is a season that is to be avoided, or at best, to be to remind us that to receive God’s forgiveness, we must be willing to M share that forgiveness with others. In our daily prayers, especially dur- patiently endured. But it is not like that at all. The Great Fast can be the most joyful and enriching time of the church year us as Eastern ing the Great Fast, we should examine our life honestly and ask God Catholics! to forgive us and lead us into new ways of loving Jesus and neighbor more deeply. If there is conflict or tension between us and someone That is because the Great Fast is not simply a “giving up” or a else in our life, we should seek to resolve it so that it does not become “turning away” from the things that make us happy, but rather it is a stumbling block to our faith and spiritual growth. a “re-turn” toward the life of joy that our Creator intended for us We are also called to offer to have. The Great Fast does not sacrifice during the Great Fast. turn us away from life, but it turns We might consider going out of us towards God, so that we might our way to do something nice for become more fully the person He somebody at least once a week wishes us to be. during the Great Fast. Or we might make a donation for the The time of the Great Fast is needy through the church. We an opportunity for us to take stock could volunteer an extra portion of ourselves, our feelings, and our of our time, or say a special prayer lives. It is an opportunity for us for someone in need. Whatever to do some “spring cleaning” of we choose to do, we should recall the compulsions, bad habits, and the words of Our Lord Who said, the things that we think make us “As you do it for the least of My happy but really lead us away from brothers or sisters, you do it for God. It is an occasion to find the Me.” (Matthew 25:40) real happiness of knowing that our life has deep meaning in God’s The Great Fast is full of many eyes, and that our relationship opportunities to “re-turn” to the with God - and neighbor - are life of joy that God wants us to primary to who we are. have. God calls each of us to a closer and deeper relationship We are reminded of this with Him. We fast for a reason through faithful participation and for a purpose, and that is to in the special services and fast- “re-turn” to a life of joy in the ing regulations of the Great Fast. Lord. It is my prayer for you that During this time, we are invited to take on the special “disciplines” of you live your journey of the Great Fast with happiness, and that it will prayer, fasting and sacrifice not as a punishment, but as an opportunity bring you to a Joyful Pascha! to deepen our relationship with God. Participation in the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts and other services, as well as the weekly ab- Please know that you are always in my prayers and I ask that you stinence from meat on Wednesdays and Fridays, are an invitation to keep me in yours. reorient our priorities away from ourselves, and to re-focus our sights on God and neighbor. Sincerely yours in the service of Christ and His people, This is all part of the “re-turn” toward the life of joy that God wants us to have. It isn’t easy and it takes work. But, the work we are called to do is a work of joyful sacrifice of repentance, fasting, prayer, and acts of love. Repentance means a “turning around,” changing course, leaving Very Rev. Edward G. Cimbala, D.Min. sin behind to walk toward God. We do this through an honest exami- Administrator of the Eparchy of Passaic nation of our lives, by holding the mirror of God’s grace and mercy up +Sister Mary John Semon, OSB Bishop Šašik Visits Kingston and History of the Eparchy of Seminarian Reflection “How does Reposes in the Lord—p3 Georgetown Parishes Passaic, continued—p7 the Great Fast Bring God into Our Story and Photos—p6 Hearts?”—p16 Page 2 Eastern Catholic Life FEBRUARY 2013 +Sister Mary John Semon, OSB Called to Eternal Repose WARREN, OH – Sister Mary She also worked with the young Semon Moe. John Semon, OSB, a member of the children at the Benedictine Early A Parastas was celebrated Benedictine Sisters of the Byzantine Learning Center on the property Wednesday evening, December 26, Church at Queen of Heaven Mon- of Queen of Heaven Monastery in 2012 at Saints Peter and Paul Byz- astery in Warren, OH, fell asleep in 1989. When the BEL Center closed, antine Catholic Church in War- the Lord following a brief illness on she volunteered as a teacher aide at ren by Father Andrew J. Deskevich, December 20, 2012 at The Assump- the Children’s Rehabilitation Cen- Chancellor of the Archeparchy of tion Village in North Lima, OH. ter in Warren from 1999 to 2007. In Pittsburgh and Pastor of Saints Pe- 2009, she was one of the two hon- She was born in Glen Campbell, ter and Paul Church in Warren, OH. orary co-chairs for the Retirement PA on May 10, 1916, the daughter Responses were led by Mary Beth Fund for Religious appeal in the Di- Besides the Sisters of her Religious of the late Peter Semon and Susan Byers, Cantor. ocese of Youngstown. She celebrated Community, Sister Valeria Evanyo, Franko Semon and the oldest of her silver jubilee of religious profes- The Office of Christian Burial OSBM and Sister Elaine Kisinko, eleven children. At the age of 17, she sion in 1985 and her golden jubilee with Divine Liturgy was concel- OSBM of the Sisters of Saint Basil left home to work in New York City. in 2010. Sister was a member of the ebrated at Saints Peter and Paul the Great, Uniontown, Pennsylva- She joined Saint Mary Byzantine Greek Catholic Union, the Society Church on Thursday, December nia attended, as well as Sister Mary Catholic Church there and became of Saint John Chrysostom, the Car- 27th by Metropolitan William, Fa- Ann Diersing, OSU of the Ursuline active in the Legion of Mary and the patho-Rusyn Society, and Howland ther Andrew J. Deskevich, and Ab- Sisters of Youngstown. Also pres- Sodality of Our Lady, attending the Scope. bot Leo R. Schlosser of Holy Trinity ent were members of Saint Bene- Divine Liturgy frequently. Monastery, Butler, PA and Pastor dict’s Auxiliary, the Oblates of Saint Sister Mary John enjoyed life Encouraged by friends, she en- of Saint John the Baptist Byzantine Benedict, the Carpatho-Rusyn So- and God’s blessings. She was a tered the newly-formed community Catholic Church, Lyndora, PA. Also ciety, and the Society of Saint John strong-minded, gifted woman, en- of the Sisters of Christ the Teacher present were Monsignor Alexis E. Chrysostom, as well as parishioners joying books, quiz shows, word in Pittsburgh, PA on December 7, Mihalik, pastor emeritus of Infant of and friends. The committal service puzzles, opera, ballet, art museums, 1959, and made her final profes- Prague Byzantine Catholic Church took place at Saints Peter and Paul sports, plants, vegetable gardening, sion of vows on January 6, 1964. She in Boardman, OH; Father Robert Cemetery in Warren, OH. yoga, arts and crafts, traveling with taught at Byzantine Catholic parish J. Karl, Pastor of Saint Andrew the Scope, the annual pilgrimage to Sister Mary John had a deep schools in McKees Rocks, PA; Cart- Apostle Byzantine Catholic Church, Uniontown, and the activities of the spirituality and love for prayer. Al- eret, NJ; and Lakewood, OH. When Gibsonia, PA; and Father Christo- Carpatho-Rusyn Society. She also though her last days were often filled the community of Sisters of Christ pher R. Burke, Pastor of Infant Jesus volunteered at the Saint Vincent with pain, she took comfort from the the Teacher disbanded, she trans- of Prague Church, Boardman, OH. DePaul Dining Hall in Warren, OH. Sacraments, which she asked to re- ferred to the Benedictine Sisters of Wiley Byers, Bill Catlin, and Jacob ceive as often as possible. As Father the Byzantine Church at Queen of Sister Mary John leaves behind Mosko served as acolytes. Mary Deskevich remarked in his homily, Heaven Monastery in Warren, OH four brothers, Edward, Albert, John, Beth Byers cantored the Liturgy and “she left a mark on the lives of many.” in 1973 where she taught elementary and David Semon, and three sisters, Stephen Byers chanted the epistle.