Deacon Thomas Wells was ordained a priest forever by Metropolitan Archbishop William C. Skurla during the Divine Liturgy on Saturday, Jan. 18 at his home parish of St. John Chrysostom in Houston, Texas.

Concelebrating with the Metropolitan were Very Rev.Elias L. Rafaj, administrator of St. John; Very Rev. Robert M. Pipta; Rev. Father Janucz A. Ihnatowicz of the Latin Archdiocese of Kraków, Poland; and the Rev. Father Fadi Al Mimass of the Melkite Mission of St. Barbara in Houston.

The parish Deacon Andrew Veres; Deacon Brian Norrell of St. Basil in Irving, Texas; Sub-deacon Bryan Scotton of the Passaic Eparchy; and Subdeacon Jamil Daaboul of the Melkite Mission assisted.
Deacon Jeffrey Mierzejewski served as cantor. Also serving at the altar were Father Tom’s son, Michael; his son in law William Peacock; and parishioners Ryan Black, Will Colbert, Phillip Kaye, David Dominguez and Angelo Luna.

In his homily, Archbishop William noted that “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired hand, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father, and I will lay down my life for the sheep.
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The Sisters of St. Basil of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Province are planning a yearlong celebration to commemorate a Century of Ministry in the Byzantine Catholic Church in America.

Founded on Jan. 19, 1921, the years of the Province closely parallel the years of our Church and its people. Very Rev. Gabriel Martyak, Apostolic Administrator, invited Mother Macrina Melnychuk, who was Superior in Philadelphia at that time, to form a second branch of the Order to serve the people of Ruthenian descent. Mother Macrina and two other Sisters accepted this invitation to begin a new foundation for this purpose.

The initial help for the new foundation came from Father Joseph Hanulya, pastor of Holy Ghost Church in Cleveland, Ohio. Father provided a 10-room house which became the first formal novitiate. As did the others who came to this new land, they immediately went to work. Initially, the small community began caring for orphan children; later including teaching and catechesis.

The Greek Catholic Union played a significant part in the lives of the Sisters and the Greek Catholic faithful. In order to care for the many orphans, the GCU built St. Nicholas Orphanage in Elmhurst, Pa. The Sisters responded to the call of the GCU to staff this institution. Continue reading →