Bishop Miguel Mykycej, F.D.P. (; 17 October 1934 – 20 May 2017) was a Poland-born Argentine

Ukrainian Greek Catholic The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) is a major archiepiscopal '' sui iuris'' ("autonomous") Eastern Catholic church that is based in Ukraine. As a particular church of the Catholic Church, it is in full communion with the Holy See. ...

hierarch. He served as a Titular Bishop of

Nazianzus Nazianzus or Nazianzos (), also known as Nandianulus, was a small town of ancient Cappadocia, and in the late Roman province of Cappadocia Tertia, located 24 Roman miles to the southeast of Archelais. In the Jerusalem Itinerary it is miswritt ...

and Auxiliary Bishop of

Eparchy of Santa María del Patrocinio en Buenos Aires Eparchy ( ''eparchía'' "overlordship") is an ecclesiastical unit in Eastern Christianity that is equivalent to a diocese in Western Christianity. An eparchy is governed by an ''eparch'', who is a bishop. Depending on the administrative structure ...

from 23 June 1990 until 20 January 1998; Apostolic Administrator the same Eparchy from 20 January 1998 until 24 April 1999; and as the Eparchial Bishop of

Santa María del Patrocinio en Buenos Aires Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Christma ...

from 24 April 1999 until his retirement on 10 April 2010.

Life

Bishop Mykycej was born in the peasant family of Vasyl and Mariya (née Martynyuk) Mykytsey in Horokholyna,

Second Polish Republic The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 7 October 1918 and 6 October 1939. The state was established in the final stage of World War I ...

/present-day in

Ivano-Frankivsk Raion Ivano-Frankivsk Raion () is a raion (district) of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ukraine. It was created in July 2020 as part of the reform of administrative divisions of Ukraine. The center of the raion is the city of Ivano-Frankivsk. Five abolished ra ...

Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast (), also referred to as Ivano-Frankivshchyna () or simply Frankivshchyna, is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (region) in western Ukraine. Its administrative center is the city of Ivano-Frankivsk. It has a pop ...

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

. In 1938 his family emigrated to

Paraguay Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...

and in 1945 was transferred to

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

. After the attending of the Orionine Fathers minor seminary in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

, Mykycey subsequently joined the

Sons of Divine Providence The Sons of Divine Providence (), commonly called the Orionine Fathers, is a Roman Catholic clerical religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men founded in 1903 by Luigi Orione (1872–1940) in Turin, Italy. Its members add the nominal ...

, where he had a

profession A profession is a field of Work (human activity), work that has been successfully professionalized. It can be defined as a disciplined group of individuals, professionals, who adhere to ethical standards and who hold themselves out as, and are ...

on February 12, 1954, and a solemn profession on February 11, 1961. He was ordained as

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

on April 21, 1963, after studies in the Orionists Theological Seminary in Argentina and following studies in Italy in the

Pontifical Lateran University The Pontifical Lateran University (; ), also known as Lateranum, is a pontifical university based in Rome. The university also hosts the central session of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family. The university ...

with a licentiate in theology. After returning from Italy, he served as teacher and subsequently director of the Don Orione Institute in

Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña (normally known as Sáenz Peña) is a city in the . It is the second largest in the province. It is located west-northwest of the provincial capital Resistencia, Chaco, Resistencia, on the main rail and road route ...

and in the same time made a pastoral work for the Ukrainian Greek-Catholics in the Northern Argentina. On June 23, 1990, Fr. Mykycej was nominated by Pope

John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

and on October 14, 1990

consecrated Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

to the

Episcopate A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...

as an auxiliary bishop. The principal

consecrator A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop. The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches ...

was

Andrés Sapelak Andrés Sapelak, S.D.B. (; ; December 13, 1919 – November 6, 2017) was an Argentine hierarch of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. At the time of his death he was the oldest bishop in this Eastern Catholic Church. Biography Sapelak was bor ...

, the first bishop for Ukrainian Greek-Catholics in Argentina. He died on May 20, 2017, at age 82.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mykycej, Miguel 1934 births 2017 deaths People from Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast Argentine people of Ukrainian descent Pontifical Lateran University alumni Argentine bishops Argentine Eastern Catholics Polish emigrants to Paraguay Paraguayan emigrants to Argentina 20th-century Eastern Catholic bishops 21st-century Eastern Catholic bishops Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Sons of Divine Providence