Category: Saints and Blesseds

Blessed Hieromartyr Nykyta Budka

Blessed Nykyta Budka is pictured as a bishop in the backyard of his residence-chancery in Winnipeg, Manitoba, circa 1920. Blessed Budka was the first Eastern Catholic bishop with jurisdiction in North America. (CNS photo/courtesy of Archives of the Archeparchy of Winnipeg) See BUDKA-BOOK March 26, 2015.
Blessed Nykyta Budka is pictured as a bishop in the backyard of his residence-chancery in Winnipeg, Manitoba, circa 1920. Blessed Budka was the first Eastern Catholic bishop with jurisdiction in North America. (CNS photo/courtesy of Archives of the Archeparchy of Winnipeg.)

Today, the Ukrainian Catholic Church honors the memory of Blessed Nykyta (Nicetas) Budka (1877-1949) in the Liturgy. He was a priest-martyr (hieromartyr) of the Church and St. John Paul II beatified him in 2001.

The Catholic Church in Canada remembers Blessed Budka on June 27, the day of his beatification along with other Ukrainians beatified. He died on 28 September 1949.

In history, Bishop Budka is an important figure in Ukrainian, Canadian, and Catholic history. His appointment, on 15 July 1912, was the first time the Church of Rome named an Eastern Catholic bishop with full jurisdiction outside of the old continent of Europe.

As such, he had concern, as an educator of the Ukrainian people who supported the aspirations of political and cultural freedom. He understood his mission was to sustain Canadian Ukrainian Greek-Catholics in their faith.

Bishop Budka attained from the government the recognition of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Canada as a legal entity. Facing the reality of assimilation –which could have meant the dissolution of the Byzantine Ukrainian Catholics– he encouraged his flock to become good Canadians and to be faithful to their Church. He also dedicated himself to preserving Ukrainian religious and cultural identity.

For 17 years the saintly bishop was a moral support and spiritually accompanied the many Ukrainians who suffered under oppressive Polish, Nazi and Soviet regimes. Together with his fellow Ukrainian Catholic bishops, clergy, religious, and laity, he was arrested, tried, and condemned by Soviet authorities. He died in a prison camp in far-away Kazakhstan.

Bishop Budka’s as a life of obedience, work, and love of the Lord Jesus Christ and God’s pilgrim people.

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Blessed Emilian Kovch

In addition to the Solemnity Annunciation celebrated today, we also have Blessed Emilian Kovch (1884-1944), a married Eastern Catholic priest and father of six who was persecuted under Communism and Nazism. Father Kovch died on March 25, 1944. He was beatified by St. John Paul II on 27 June 2001.

Emilian Kovch, a son of a Greek Catholic priest. Himself ordained the year following (1911) his marriage and began to work as a parish priest. Fr. Kovch spent 1919-1921 as a military chaplain. He was captured and briefly held as a prisoner of war. This time in confinement was a preview what came later.

Kovch lived a life of Christian virtue in his care for orphans and the poor, teaching, working for social and political liberty, he preached respect for others at all times, and he preached on the duty to fight anti-Semitism. He was a organizer of Eucharistic congresses and pilgrimages.

On the point of anti-Semitism, Father Kovch acted heroically when he placed himself in harm’s way when he protected the local synagogue by blocking the entry of soviet soldiers from entering.

Kovch’s social engagement gained the attention of the government, especially the Polish and later soviet leaders that made him vulnerable to the intrusive games of the military when they searched his home 40 times; and on at least one occasion he was fined and imprisoned in a monastery. Father Kovch preached passionately against the actions of his fellow Ukrainians taking anti-Polish actions; it is said he was deeply disappointed that his people looted Polish homes when the Soviets came.

Father Kovch was arrested at what turned out to be the near-end of Soviet oppression. The priest and his two daughters escaped; history reveals that all the prisoners in their group had been murdered by the Soviets as the Nazis approached. As the only Catholic priest in his group of prisoners, he became a source of strength and light in a very dark time. When his family attempted to have him released, he begged them to leave him there:

I understand that you are trying to get me released. But I beg you not to do this. Yesterday they killed 50 people. If I am not here, who will help them to get through these sufferings? They would go on their way to eternity with all their sins and in the depths of unbelief, which would take them to hell. But now they go to death with their heads held aloft, leaving all their sins behind them. And so they pass over to the eternal city.

May we follow the excellent example of Blessed Emilian Kovch. May he intercede for us when we face discouragement and the temptation to abandon the practice of Catholic faith.

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St. Gregory Palamas honored today

Gregory of PalamasOn this Second Sunday of Great Lent the Church honors St. Gregory Palamas. He’s remarkable saint and theologian. Here is a taste:

“We believe that at the Transfiguration He manifested not some other sort of light, but only that which was concealed beneath His fleshly exterior. This Light was the Light of the Divine Nature, and as such, it was Uncreated and Divine. So also, in the teachings of the Fathers, Jesus Christ was transfigured on the Mount, not taking upon Himself something new nor being changed into something new, nor something which formerly He did not possess. Rather, it was to show His disciples that which He already was, opening their eyes and bringing them from blindness to sight. For do you not see that eyes that can perceive natural things would be blind to this Light?

Thus, this Light is not a light of the senses, and those contemplating it do not simply see with sensual eyes, but rather they are changed by the power of the Divine Spirit. They were transformed, and only in this way did they see the transformation taking place amidst the very assumption of our perishability, with the deification through union with the Word of God in place of this.”

St. Gregory Palamas, Homily on the Transfiguration (http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/38767.htm)

“At once he appears like a flash of lightning.
Do my words seem blasphemous?
Then open your heart to him and let yourself receive
the one who is opening to you so deeply.
For if we genuinely love him,
We wake up in Christ’s body
Where all our body
All over, every most hidden part of it,
Is realized in joy in Him,
And he makes us utterly real.”

Feast of the Holy Prophet Malachi

prophet-malachiThe Byzantine Church keeps the liturgical memorials of the Old Testament prophets, even though the Latin Church has their names on Roman Martyrology, and perhaps on a different day. May the Holy Prophet Malachi intercede for us.

As we celebrate the great feast of Light, we remember the Holy Prophet Malachi. Malachi foresaw the coming of the Baptist, God’s messenger, “Now I am sending my messenger – he will prepare the way before me; and the lord whom you seek will come suddenly to his temple; the messenger of the covenant whom you desire – see, he is coming! says the Lord of hosts. (3:1)” The Baptist preached repentance as the way to prepare for the coming of the Lord. Jesus came to his temple, as Malachi predicted, to make it a house of prayer. Moreover, by his own death and resurrection Christ became the temple. Malachi also predicted that the sacrifice of our Lord undertook for our salvation would be offered in “all times and places.” “From the rising of the sun to its setting, my name is great among the nations; incense offerings are made to my name everywhere, and a pure offering; for my name is great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 1:11)”

We offer this sacrifice of praise in every Liturgy, as the celebrant “always and everywhere, we praise you, we bless you, we thank you, and we pray to you, our God.” We must continually turn to the Lord, hearing the message of John the Baptist, and perfecting our baptism through the Divine Liturgy.

Meditation by Archpriest David Petras

St Basil the Great

basil-the-greatSt. Basil fell asleep in the Lord on January 1, 379, and the young age of 49. He is truly called “Great” for in his short life the light of Christ shone through him, revealing how a Christian should live – in faith, for he opposed the Arian heresy, and proclaimed the divinity of our Lord, in hope, for he established monasteries looking toward God in spirit, confessing Christ to be “our hope, the image of your (the Father’s) goodness, and the seal bearing your likeness.” (Anaphora of St. Basil) and in love, for he established hospitals and orphanages to house and feed the poor.

In the meantime, he also composed the bulk of the Divine Liturgy anaphora that bears his name, showing a profound understanding of Scripture. Here the incarnation of the Word of God is proclaimed, “Although he (the Father’s Son) is the reflection of your glory and the express image of your person, sustaining all things by his powerful word, he did not deem equality with you, God and Father, something to be grasped; rather, while remaining everlasting God, he appeared on earth and lived among men.” (Anaphora of St. Basil, quoting Hebrews 1:3; Philippians 2:6 and Baruch 3:38) His whole anaphora is a wondrous weaving together of texts from Scripture giving us a complete profession of God’s salvation story. Hearing this prayer, we must be led to become true Christians, imitating our Lord as much as possible according to our weakness. He was also the author of numerous theological discourses, where he wrote about the mystery of the Incarnation: “The actual, first birth of Christ, his actual birth from all eternity in the bosom of his Father, must be venerated in silence. We should never permit our mind to investigate this mystery. Since time and space did not exist, since no form of expressions had yet been created, since there is not a single eyewitness, nor anyone who can describe this eternal birth, how can reason form any concept for reflection?

How can the tongue give expression to thoughts that cannot be formulated? The Father was, and the Son was born! Do not say: “when?” but rather leave that question unasked. Do not ask “how?” for there is not answer! For the word “when” suggests time, and “how” suggests birth in the flesh…God is on earth, he is among men, not in the fire nor amid the sound of trumpets; not in the smoking mountain, or in the darkness, or in the terrible and roaring tempest giving the Law, but manifested in the flesh, the gentle and good One dwells with those he condescends to make his equals! God is in the flesh, not operating from a distance, as did the prophets, but through him human nature, one with ours, he seeks to bring back the whole human race to himself.” (St. Basil the Great “On the Incarnation” (From the Descent of the Holy Spirit Ukrainian Catholic Church, South Deerfield, Massachusetts website)

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St Nicholas

st-nicholas-rescuingSaint Nicholas the Wonderworker
(Troparion, Tone 4):

“In truth you were revealed to your flock as a rule of faith, an image of humility and a teacher of abstinence; your humility exalted you; your poverty enriched you. Hierarch Father Nicholas, entreat Christ our God that our souls may be saved.”

Blessed Josaphata Hordashevska

josaphata-hordashevskaToday, November 20, is the feast day of Blessed Josaphata Hordashevska. Let us be united in prayer for Blessed Josaphata’s canonization.

Lord God, we praise and thank you for having called your servant, Blessed Josaphata Hordashevska, to uplift the hearts of the people in Ukraine, through evangelization,  education and care of those in need. As Co-Foundress, she was the first to live the charism of a Sister Servant of Mary Immaculate. Her virtuous life and evangelical witness encouraged her Sisters to go beyond the borders, bringing the Gospel message to all people. May our prayers for her canonization be for your greater glory and the spiritual good of souls. Grant us the graces for which we humbly pray, through her intercession. Amen.

St. Josaphat

st-josaphatSt. Josaphat (1580-1623) was born to a devout religious family of Ruthenian ancestry in what is now Ukraine, and was baptized in the Eastern Orthodox Church. He devoted his virginity to the Virgin Mary and grew in his reverence for ancient liturgy. During a revival of Eastern Catholic monastic life he became a monk in the Order of St. Basil, and was ordained to Holy Orders in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in 1609. He was noted for his life of asceticism, holiness, and virtue which led to his appointment as Archbishop of Polotsk in what is today Belarus. During his lifetime there was much sociopolitical and ecclesiastical rivalry between the Catholics and Orthodox and the Latin and Byzantine rites, especially in the wake of the 1596 Union of Brest which saw the Ruthenian Church break with Orthodox and place itself under the authority of the Holy See. St. Josaphat was passionate about working for the reunification with Rome and won many heretics and schismatics back to communion with the Holy See. However, he was also strongly opposed to the Latinization of his people. This combination of views drew ire from both Catholic and Orthodox clergy. His diocese was contested by the Orthodox, and a rival Orthodox bishop was set up to oppose him, causing riots. During one uprising Josaphat tried to calm the tensions and work for reunification and peace, but his enemies plotted to kill him. A mob of Orthodox Christians entered Josaphat’s home, stabbed and axed his body and threw it into a river. His body was seen glowing in the water and was recovered, and after his martyrdom many miracles were attributed to his intercession. Josaphat’s sacrifice became a blessing as regret and sorrow over his death converted many hearts toward reunification with Rome. In 1867 Josaphat became the first saint of the Eastern Church to be formally canonized by Rome. His feast day is November 12.

Remembering Andrey Sheptytsky

sheptytyskyNovember 1st is the anniversary of the repose of our great shepherd Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky.

Our Knights of Columbus Council is under the spiritual patronage of Metropolitan Andrey.

An excerpt of a prayer for Divine Wisdom cherished by Metropolitan Andrey:

Grant me, O God, the wisdom of my state, so that I may do what You desire; grant that I may understand my obligations, grant me the wisdom of my duties, and grant that I may do them as they ought to be done and as is fitting of Your glory and for the benefit of my soul.

Blessed Theodore Romzha

theodore-romzhaIn the Byzantine Catholic Church keeps the feast of Blessed Theodore Romzha is celebrated today. He was a martyred bishop of Mukachevo in Transcarpathia who was killed by the Soviets in hatred for the faith.

“I love you, O Lord, my strength; You are my stronghold and my refuge!” (Psalm 18: 2-3)

These were the words which Bishop Theodore G. Romzha, the Apostolic Administrator of the Mukachevo Eparchy (1944-1947), chose as the motto for his episcopal ministry. At the age of 33, he faced the one of the most brutal and bloody persecutions of a Christian community in modern times, ultimately making the ultimate sacrifice for his flock and his faith.

Bishop Romzha was beatified by Pope John Paul II on June 27, 2001. His relics are enshrined in Holy Cross Cathedral in Uzhorod, Transcarpathia.

His feast was originally celebrated on November 1, and is thus listed in the Roman Martyrology at #19 on that day. During the days of the Soviet control of Ukraine, there was but one “time zone” in the U.S.S.R. The bishops of Ukraine petitioned Rome that the feast date be changed to Oct. 31, due to the fact that it was on that date that the martyr was actually murdered.

Here’s a hymn for Blessed Theodore