BCW January 2020

Page 1

THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE ARCHEPARCHY OF PITTSBURGH

getting into the habit of kindness

Sister Barbara Jean Mihalchick continues series on the Fruits of the Holy Spirit Page 4

Inside

VOL. 65 NO. 1

JANUARY 2020

good ol’ st. nick

celebrating 10 years

Parishes in the Archeparchy open doors to St. Nicholas Pages 5, 7, 9

Father Ivan Rusyn of St. Mary in Windber, Pa. marks a decade in priesthood Page 6

Born unto us pilgrims flock to live nativity at mount st. macrina

Christmas says, “You are loved” pope francis celebrates jesus’ birth in dec. 24 homily by Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

Hundreds of cars waited in line Dec. 15 to view Mount Macrina Manor’s Drive-Thru Live Nativity, which was held on the grounds of Mount St. Macrina in Uniontown, Pa. For more photos, see page 11.

Celebrating a century of ministry the sisters of st. basil the great plan year-long anniversary celebration 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 10room 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. One wing became the living quarters for the Sisters. An increase in the number of orphans and new vocations necessitated another move, this time to Factoryville near Scranton, Pa. This third location was remote from any Byzantine parishes and clergy, so spiritual benefits were lacking. Thus, the Sisters Story continued on page 2

VATICAN CITY — Christmas night tells each person, no matter how poor or sinful, that they are utterly and totally loved by God, Pope Francis said as he celebrated Jesus' birth. The grace of God revealed in the birth of Jesus in a stable in Bethlehem "is divine love, the love that changes lives, renews history, liberates from evil, fills hearts with peace and joy," the pope said in his homily Dec. 24 as he celebrated the nighttime liturgy. "Tonight, the love of God has been revealed to us: It is Jesus," he said. The liturgy began with the "kalenda" or Christmas proclamation of Jesus' birth "innumerable ages" after the creation of the world, "in the year of the 194th Olympiad" and in the 42nd year of Caesar Augustus' reign when the whole world was at peace. Pope Francis processed into St. Peter's Basilica and, reaching the transept, unveiled a lifesized statue of the baby Jesus, kissed it and blessed it with incense. Twelve children, aged 5 to 11, from Italy, Japan, Venezuela, Kenya, Uganda, the Philippines and Iraq brought flowers to the statue and, at the end of Mass, were to accompany the pope to the basilica's Nativity scene. In his homily, Pope Francis told a story similar to, but quieter, than that recounted in the song, "The Little Drummer Boy." The pope's story was about shepherds who brought gifts to the baby Jesus. "There was one shepherd who Story continued on page 12


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