Metropolia of Pittsburgh for the Ruthenians map

The Byzantine Catholic Metropolis of Pittsburgh ( la, Pittsburgensis ritus byzantini) is a

metropolitan province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction in Christian Churches with traditional hierarchical structure, including Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity. In general, an ecclesiastical province consists of sever ...

for

Eastern Catholics The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also called the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous ('' sui iuris'') particular churches of ...

of the Byzantine Rite in the

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

, with specific jurisdiction over several communities that originated (in terms of their ancestry) from the regions of

Carpathian Ruthenia Carpathian Ruthenia ( rue, Карпатьска Русь, Karpat'ska Rus'; uk, Закарпаття, Zakarpattia; sk, Podkarpatská Rus; hu, Kárpátalja; ro, Transcarpatia; pl, Zakarpacie); cz, Podkarpatská Rus; german: Karpatenukrai ...

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...

and former

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

. Its membership thus includes several Byzantine Catholic groups, mainly among Rusyn Americans,

Slovak Americans Slovak Americans are Americans of Slovak descent. In the 1990 Census, Slovak Americans made up the third-largest portion of Slavic ethnic groups. There are currently about 790,000 people of Slovak descent living in the United States. History ...

Hungarian Americans Hungarian Americans ( Hungarian: ''amerikai magyarok'') are Americans of Hungarian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau has estimated that there are approximately 1.396 million Americans of Hungarian descent as of 2018. The total number of people wit ...

, and

Croatian Americans Croatian Americans or Croat Americans ( hr, Američki Hrvati) are Americans who have full or partial Croatian ancestry. In 2012, there were 414,714 American citizens of Croat or Croatian descent living in the United States as per revised 2010 U ...

. Since 2022, the

Exarchate of Saints Cyril and Methodius of Toronto The Exarchate of Saints Cyril and Methodius of Toronto ( la, Exarchatus Sanctorum Cyrilli et Methodii Torontini ritus Byzantini, Slovak: ''Exarchát svätých Cyrila a Metoda byzantského obradu v Toronte'') is a ecclesiastical territory or exa ...

in Canada has also been under the provincial jurisdiction the Metropolis of Pittsburgh rather than the Slovak Greek Catholic Church. Within the ecclesiastical structure of

Eastern Catholic Churches The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also called the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous ('' sui iuris'') particular churches of t ...

, it is classified as part of the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church, that does not have an unified organization.

Organization

The Metropolia, which is structured as an

ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction in Christian Churches with traditional hierarchical structure, including Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity. In general, an ecclesiastical province consists of seve ...

, itself has five components: *

Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh The Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh ( la, Archieparchia Pittsburgensis Ritus Byzantini) is a Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church ecclesiastical territory or archeparchy of the Catholic Church that serves portions of the Eastern Unite ...

(60,200 faithful, 84 parishes, 83 priests) * Ruthenian Catholic Eparchy of Parma (12,401 faithful, 37 parishes, 38 priests) *

Ruthenian Catholic Eparchy of Passaic The Eparchy of Passaic ( la, Eparchia Passaicensis Ruthenorum) is a Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church ecclesiastical territory or eparchy of the Catholic Church in the eastern United States. Its headquarters are at 445 Lackawanna Avenue, Woodland ...

(24,031 faithful, 89 parishes, 84 priests) *

Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix The Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix, commonly known as the Eparchy of Phoenix and formerly known as the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Van Nuys, ( la, Eparchia Vannaisensis) is a Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church terri ...

(2,849 faithful, 19 parishes, 25 priests) * Slovak Catholic Exarchate of Saints Cyril and Methodius of Toronto

anada Anada (russian: Анада; av, АнгӀада) is a rural locality (a selo) in Khidibsky Selsoviet, Tlyaratinsky District, Republic of Dagestan, Russia. The population was 49 as of 2010. Geography Anada is located 19 km north of Tlyarata ...

(4,800 faithful, 4 parishes). Although Rusyn Americans constitute the majority of members of the Metropolia, the Church has ordinary jurisdiction over the faithful of certain Churches within the Slavic Tradition of the Byzantine Rite that do not have an established hierarchy in the United States, specifically those of the Hungarian, Slovak, and Croatian Greek-Catholic Churches. When the Ruthenian Catholic Church in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

was under atheistic Communist rule, and because of persecution, unable to organize publicly, the impossibility of regular communication with it meant that the distant American Metropolia, unable to be treated as a normal metropolia of an

Eastern Rite Catholic The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also called the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous (''sui iuris'') particular churches of t ...

Church (canons 133–139 of the

Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches The ''Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches'' (CCEC; la, Codex Canonum Ecclesiarum Orientalium, abbreviated CCEO) is the title of the 1990 codification of the common portions of the canon law for the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in the Catholic ...

), has been treated as a sui iuris (autonomous) Metropolitan Church (canons 155–173 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches). The

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

's ''

Annuario Pontificio The ''Annuario Pontificio'' (Italian for ''Pontifical Yearbook'') is the annual directory of the Holy See of the Catholic Church. It lists the popes in chronological order and all officials of the Holy See's departments. It also provides names ...

'' has, however, always listed it not as a separate

particular Church In metaphysics, particulars or individuals are usually contrasted with universals. Universals concern features that can be exemplified by various different particulars. Particulars are often seen as concrete, spatiotemporal entities as opposed to a ...

but as a Metropolia of the Ruthenian Church.

History

In 1924, an

Apostolic Exarchate An exarch (; from Ancient Greek ἔξαρχος ''exarchos'', meaning “leader”) was the holder of any of various historical offices, some of them being political or military and others being ecclesiastical. In the late Roman Empire and e ...

was created for the Ruthenian-Rite Catholics in the USA, with ancestry from the regions of

and other parts of the former

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...

. In 1963, the Apostolic Exarchate was divided in two parts, each transformed into a diocese (eparchy): one centered in Pittsburgh and the other in Passaic. Both remained under direct jurisdiction of the pope, and were officially defined as observing the Ruthenian Rite.

Ruthenian Catholic Metropolis of Munhall

In 1969, the Eparchy of Pittsburgh was raised in rank and renamed as the Archeparchy of Munhall, and in the same time a

was created and named the ''Ruthenian Catholic Metropolis of Munhall'', encompassing also the Eparchy of Passaic and the newly created Eparchy of Parma. The new Metropolis and all of its eparchies were officially defined as observing the Ruthenian Rite.

Byzantine Catholic Metropolis of Pittsburgh

In 1977, the Archeparchy and the Metropolis were renamed and redefined from Munhall of the Ruthenians to Pittsburgh of the Byzantines, and thus continued as the ''Byzantine Catholic Metropolis of Pittsburgh''. In 1981, the Eparchy of Van Nuys was created and officially defined as observing the Byzantine Rite.Acta Apostolicae Sedis, 74 (1982), p. 259-260.
/ref> In 2009, its seat was moved from Van Nuys to Phoenix, and its name was changed to the Eparchy of Phoenix. In January 2007, Metropolitan Basil Schott, Archbishop of Pittsburgh promulgated a major revision of two of the major Divine Liturgies (Chrysostom and Basil) of the Byzantine Catholic Church.

Seminary

The church's Byzantine Catholic Seminary of SS. Cyril and Methodius, established in 1950, is located on

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

's Observatory Hill. In addition to the training of priests, it offers a program in

Deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chur ...

Formation as well as a

Cantor A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. In formal Jewish worship, a cantor is a person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or congregation responds. In Judaism, a cantor sings and lead ...

's Institute.

List of Bishops and Apostolic Administrators

* Gabriel Martyak (1916–1924) (''Apostolic Administrator'') * Basil Takach (June 15, 1924 – May 13, 1948) * Daniel Ivancho (May 13, 1948 – December 12, 1954) * Nicholas Elko (February 5, 1955 – December 22, 1967) * Edward V. Rosack (July 3, 1967 - December 22, 1967) (''Apostolic Administrator'') *

Stephen Kocisko Stephen John Kocisko (June 11, 1915 – March 7, 1995) was the first Metropolitan Archbishop of the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh, the American branch of the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church Early life Born June 11, 191 ...

(March 5, 1968 – June 12, 1991) * Thomas Dolinay (June 12, 1991 – April 13, 1993) * Michael Dudick (April 1993 - February 1995) (Administrator of the Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh) *

John Bilock John Michael Bilock (June 20, 1916 – September 8, 1994) was a bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as the Auxiliary Bishop of Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh from 1973 to 1994. Early life and education Bo ...

(April 20, 1993 – September 8, 1994) (''Apostolic Administrator'' - Archeparchy of Pittsburgh) * Russell Duker (September 1994 – November 15, 1994) (''Apostolic Administrator'' - Archeparchy of Pittsburgh) *

Judson Procyk Judson Michael Procyk (April 9, 1931 – April 24, 2001) was the third Metropolitan Archbishop of the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh, the American branch of the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church. Career Judson Procyk was ...

(February 7, 1995 – April 15, 2001) * Andrew Pataki (April 2001 - June 2002) (Administrator of the Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh) * John Kudrick (May 2001 – July 9, 2002) (''Apostolic Administrator'' - Archeparchy of Pittsburgh) *

Basil Schott Basil Myron Schott (September 21, 1939 – June 10, 2010) was the Archbishop of the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh from 2002 until his death. The youngest son of Michael Schott and Mary Schott (née Krusko), Basil Schott was born i ...

(July 9, 2002 – June 10, 2010) * William Skurla (June 10, 2010 – April 18, 2012) (Administrator of the Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh) * Eugene Yackanich (June 2010 – April 18, 2012) (''Apostolic Administrator'' - Archeparchy of Pittsburgh) * William C. Skurla (April 18, 2012 – present)

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * {{refend

External links

*''The statistical information given above has been taken from the 2005 edition of the

''.
Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh at Catholic-Hierarchy.orgByzantine Catholic Church in America
- unofficial website
Metropolia of Pittsburgh

The Archeparchy of PittsburghThe Eparchy of Passaic

The Eparchy of Parma
Ruthenian Catholic Church Catholic Church in the United States Christianity in Pittsburgh Rusyn-American culture in Pennsylvania Rusyn-American history 1924 establishments in Pennsylvania