Slovak Catholic Eparchy of Saints Cyril and Methodius of Toronto

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Slovak Catholic Eparchy of Saints Cyril and Methodius of Toronto
Byzantine Slovak Cathedral of the Nativity of the Mother of God.JPG
, Toronto
Location
CountryCanada
Ecclesiastical provinceImmediately Subject to the Holy See
Statistics
Population
- Catholics (including non-members)		(as of 2013)
4,800
Parishes5
Information
Sui iuris churchSlovak Greek Catholic Church
RiteByzantine Rite
Established13 October 1980
CathedralCathedral of the Nativity of the Mother of God
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
Apostolic administratorKurt Richard Burnette
Bishops emeritusMarián Andrej Pacák

Slovak Catholic Eparchy of Saints Cyril and Methodius of Toronto (Latin Eparchia Sanctorum Cyrilli et Methodii Torontini Slovachorum ritus Byzantini, Slovak Eparchia svätých Cyrila a Metoda pre Slovákov byzantského obradu v Toronte) is an eparchy for Byzantine-rite Eastern Catholics of Slovak origin in Canada. It is part of the Slovak Greek Catholic Church sui iuris; however, it is not suffragan to the metropolitan Archeparchy of Prešov, but it is subject immediately to the Congregation for the Eastern Churches. Its territory is extended on the whole territory of Canada.[1][2] Its bishop is member of the Council of Hierarchs of the Slovak Greek Catholic Church sui iuris.

History[]

Church of the Transfiguration of our Lord in Markham, former cathedral church of the eparchy

Since the end of the 19th century, several groups of Eastern-Catholic Slavs of the Byzantine Rite started to arrive in Canada. Among them, there were Byzantine Catholics from Slovakia, who came under jurisdiction of common exarchates, and later eparchies, that were initially created for all Byzantine Catholics in Canada. Since those jurisdictions were subsequently redefined as Ukrainian, other groups, including Byzantine-Catholic Slovaks, wanted to have their own bishop. In 1964, Michael Rusnak was appointed as auxiliary bishop, with jurisdiction over Slovak parishes, and that solution was also welcomed by the Rusyn community in Canada.[3][4]

The eparchy was erected on 13 October 1980 by Pope John Paul II, who though pope of the Roman Catholic Church, appoints the heads of some of the Eastern Catholic Churches (after consulting with the Congregations for Bishops and of the Eastern and Mission Churches, as well as the given area's Eastern Church and Western bishops, and sometimes after an election has been held by the given Church's synod council) when they lack the full structure of an Eastern church such as having a patriarch, catholicos or archbishop major. Its patron saints are Saints Cyril and Methodius.[5]

The first bishop was Michael Rusnak, C.SS.R. (from 13 October 1980 to 11 November 1996). The eparchy was recently a vacant see (sede vacante) more than two years, because on 7 May 2016, Pope Francis transferred Bishop John Stephen Pazak, who had been in office since December 2000 as bishop (eparch) of the Eparchy of Holy Mary of Protection of Phoenix of the Ruthenians, in Phoenix, Arizona, to serve as apostolic administrator of the Eparchy of Saints Cyril and Methodius of Toronto until the appointment of a new bishop (eparch).[6] On 5 July 2018, Fr. Marián Andrej Pacák, C.SS.R. was named the bishop of the eparchy. On 20 October 2020, Pope Francis accepted his resignation and named Kurt Richard Burnette as apostolic administrator.[7]

As of 2016 the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Toronto was the cathedral church.[1]

Hierarchs[]

  • Bishop Michael Rusnak, C.SS.R. (13 October 1980 – 11 November 1996)
    • Fr. John Fetsco, C.SS.R. – apostolic administrator (22 November 1996 – 2 December 2000)
  • Bishop John Stephen Pazak, C.Ss.R. (2 December 2000 – 7 May 2016)
    • Bishop John Stephen Pazak, C.Ss.R. – apostolic administrator (7 May 2016 – 5 July 2018);[2] appointed bishop of Holy Protection of Mary of Phoenix (Ruthenian), Arizona, US
  • Bishop Marián Andrej Pacák, C.Ss.R. (5 July 2018 - 20 October 2020)
    • Bishop Kurt Richard Burnette – apostolic administrator (since 20 October 2020)

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Slovak Diocese of Saints Cyril and Methodius of Toronto on GCatholic.org, retrieved 11 December 2015
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Eparchy of Saints Cyril and Methodius of Toronto (Slovakian) from Catholic-Hierarchy.org, retrieved 11 December 2015
  3. ^ Magocsi 1999, p. 449.
  4. ^ Magocsi 2005, p. 106-107.
  5. ^ Acta Apostolicae Sedis, vol. 73 (1981), n. 3, p. 220.
  6. ^ "Other Pontifical Acts, 07.05.2016". Holy See Press Office. 7 May 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  7. ^ "Rinunce e nomine, 20.10.2020". Bolletino sala stampa della santa sede. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.

Sources[]

External links[]


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