Priestly Parastas In Prayerful Memory Friday, August 29, 2008 at 7:00 pm Rosary led by St. Mary’s Parishioners at 6:30 pm Requiem Divine Liturgy Saturday, August 30th at 11:00 am St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church Yorkton, Saskatchewan Concelebrants Metropolitan Lawrence Huculak, OSBM Archbishop Emeritus Michael Bzdel, C.Ss.R. Redemptorist & Eparchial Clergy Funeral Liturgy nd Tuesday, September 2 at 9:30 am St. Joseph's Ukrainian Catholic Church Winnipeg, Manitoba Interment Bishop’s Section – Holy Family Cemetery With deepest wisdom, O lover of us all You formed all things, and to everyone You provide all that is needed, O Sole Creator. Give rest, O Lord, to your departed servant, Bishop Michael for he has put his hope in you, our creator and Maker and our God. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit now and always and forever, Amen. We have you, O Mary, as a wall of protection and refuge, Your prayers are always well received by God’s Son, for you gave birth to Him, O Virgin Mother of God, Who is the salvation of the faithful. Bishop Michael Kuchmiak, C.Ss.R. February 5, 1923 – August 26, 2008 Services Directed By Bailey’s Funeral Home Michael Kuchmiak was born in Western Ukraine on February 5, 1923 elected to the Extraordinary Provincial Council of the Ukrainian Redemptorist to Ilias and Katherine (neé Traczuk) Kuchmiak, the eldest of six children. Province of Yorkton. His birthplace, Obertyn, is a small town in the District of Horodenka in the With the new Redemptorist appointments in June, 1975, he was named province of Stanislaviv, later renamed Ivano-Frankivsk, in the foothills of the superior and pastor of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Parish in Newark, Carpathian Mountains. N.J. During his pastoral charge there, a large mortgage on the new parish church He attended school in Obertyn and then Kolomyia. World War II was was paid off, and he expanded the buildings of the parish complex, as well as beginning just as Michael received his teaching certificate. He had planned parish activities. Father took pride in being a “hands-on” pastor, serving as to enter the religious life but instead taught first in an elementary school in chaplain to the Catholic War Veterans, the Holy Name Society, and teaching Zhabye (in the Carpathians), then for two years served in the First Ukrainian religion in the parish school and in catechetical classes. Division of the Ukrainian National Army. In 1945 he took the opportunity to He was also a consultor of the Ukrainian Catholic Archdiocese of travel to Rome, where he enrolled at St. Josaphat's Ukrainian Catholic Philadelphia, a member of the Board of Directors of Ascension Manor Inc., an Seminary, and studied at the Pontifical University Propaganda Fide. While archeparchial senior citizens housing organization, a spiritual advisor for there, he met Rev. John Bala, a Ukrainian Redemptorist from Canada, who Providence Association, a fraternal benefit organization, and a chaplain or encouraged him to join the Redemptorist Congregation. The seminarian took advisor for many Ukrainian and Catholic organizations in and around Newark, his advice, becoming a novice at Ciorani (near Naples) in 1947. He made his N.J. first profession of vows on October 3, 1948, at the very same altar St. One proud moment he liked to recall was hosting Rosalynn Carter, the Alphonsus Liguori, founder of the Redemptorist Congregation, had professed wife of President Jimmy Carter, at St. John's in Newark, New Jersey. his vows some 200 years earlier. Bishop Michael cherished this privilege. In August, 1987, Fr. Kuchmiak was named pastor of Holy Family Seminary studies were then continued with the Ukrainian Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine in Washington, D.C. However, in March 1988, Redemptorist seminarians in Canada at Waterford, Ontario. He professed he was announced as auxiliary to Metropolitan Stephen Sulyk. He was his perpetual vows on October 3, 1950, and completed his studies at St. consecrated at Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in Mary's Seminary in Meadowvale, Ontario. He was ordained a deacon on Philadelphia on April 27, 1988. After the consecration, Bishop Michael remained February 15, 1956, by Bishop Isidore Borecky of Toronto, Ontario. in pastoral charge of Holy Family in Washington, and also was appointed by On May 13, 1956, again at the hands of Bishop Isidore, Father Metropolitan Sulyk as Director of Spiritual Formation at St. Josaphat's Ukrainian Michael Kuchmiak was ordained a priest, together with two other Catholic Seminary in Washington. classmates, Frs. George Perejda and John Fetsco. On July 11, 1989 Bishop Michael was officially appointed by Pope John The first assignment of the newly ordained Fr. Michael was to the Paul II as Apostolic Exarch of Great Britain for Ukrainians. The installation motherhouse of the Ukrainian Redemptorists, Yorkton, Saskatchewan in ceremony took place at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in 1957. He became the pastoral assistant at St. Mary's Parish in Yorkton and Exile in London on October 10, 1989. Bishop Michael devoted himself totally to also for the Ukrainian Catholic Mission - the many parishes of the rural a daunting task in his new territory, acquitting himself ably with his "hands-on" Yorkton district. From 1957 - 1965 he took pastoral charge of the Wynyard approach. He took an active role in both Catholic and ecumenical issues and District with care and devotion. In Yorkton he devoted himself to the care of won admiration and respect both for himself and the Ukrainian Catholic Church youth and young married couples, directing an active Youth Club (UCY), and in Great Britain. working closely with the Roman Catholic pastors (also Redemptorists) at St. When the Bishop’s retirement was finally accepted he returned to Gerard's Parish to organize two Catholic schools and form a separate school Newark, N. J. in 2002. He was transferred to Yorkton because of failing health in board in Yorkton. He also served as catechist at Sacred Heart Academy, a November 2007. He then moved to St. Joseph’s Home in Saskatoon in July of high school for girls conducted by the Sister Servants of Mary Immaculate, this year, where he was under the care of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Bishop and at St. Joseph’s College, a Christian Brothers high school for boys. Michael Kuchmiak fell asleep in the Lord at St. Joseph’s in the afternoon of Fr. Michael was appointed novice master in May, 1965. The novitiate August 26, 2008. was then in Meadowvale, Ontario. While taking good care of his charges there, he also was the extraordinary confessor to the Sister Servants of Mary May God grant him eternal rest and reward him generously for his good Immaculate and their novices at Ancaster, Ontario. and faithful service to the church and his people. In 1967, Fr. Michael again returned to Yorkton, to be the superior of the Ukrainian Catholic Mission community and to be pastor of St. Mary’s Parish. During his pastorate a third elementary Catholic school was built, a mortgage from adding a wing to the church in 1954-55 was liquidated, and a parish planning committee was formed to co-ordinate major parish events. The activities of the parish organizations were flourishing. Besides his pastoral duties, he served as a diocesan consultor to the bishop and was .