Spreading the Word
Carl Hétu, CNEWA Canada’s National Secretary, addressed the Western Catholic Conference of Canadian Bishops in Edmonton, Alberta, on 22 February.
He spoke of CNEWA’s support of the local church; its organized response to poverty and disease in areas marked by political, economic and social tension; its support of the Eastern churches; and its commitment to Christian unity and interreligious dialogue.
Reaching Out
Immaculate Conception parish in Traverse City, Michigan, has raised $12,000 for the Terra Sancta School for Girls in Jerusalem. Parishioners first toured the school during a pilgrimage of the Holy Land in 2004 and learned of its principal’s plans to expand a kindergarten and add bathrooms.
The parish “wanted to share its blessings with the church in need,” said James McCormick, a retired district court judge and CNEWA benefactor. “This project is just what we were looking for.”
In February, Mr. McCormick presented a check for $12,000, which the parish raised as part of its centenary celebrations.
Ukrainian Hierarchs Installed
The Most Rev. Lawrence Huculak, O.S.B.M., was installed as the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Metropolitan Archeparch of Winnipeg on 11 February in Sts. Volodymyr and Olga Cathedral by Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, Major Archeparch of Kiev-Halych. Born in 1951 in Vernon, British Columbia, Lawrence Huculak entered the Basilians in 1969 and was ordained a priest in 1977. He was a pastor, religious superior and teacher before being elevated to the episcopacy in 1997, serving as eparch of Edmonton. He succeeds retired Archeparch Michael Bzdel, C.Ss.R., a member of CNEWA Canada’s Board of Directors.
On 20 February, Cardinal Husar installed Bishop Paul Patrick Chomnycky, O.S.B.M., as the fourth eparch of Stamford. Born in Vancouver in 1951, he entered the Basilians and was ordained a priest in 1988. Elevated to the episcopacy in 2002, he served Ukrainian Greek Catholics in Great Britain as apostolic exarch. Bishop Paul succeeds Bishop Basil Losten, a member of the Board of Directors of CNEWA United States.
Students Speak
In early February students at Bethlehem University held a forum to address the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, first published in Denmark, that had incited violence throughout the Muslim world. Invited Christian and Muslim religious leaders stressed the good relations the two religious groups have long enjoyed in the Middle East.
“Even though a few parties try to plant intolerance among Christians and Muslims,” Greek Orthodox Bishop Attallah Hanna said, “we tell them they will not succeed.”
Sheikh Abdel Majid Ata, a 1984 graduate of the university, said, “We have no problem with the Danish people. We as Palestinians and Muslims have good relations with many European countries. We should not jeopardize this because of irresponsible persons.”
Forming Priests in Africa’s Horn
The formation of priests and their ongoing renewal, CNEWA priorities in northeast Africa, topped the agenda of Msgr. Robert L. Stern’s February visit to Ethiopia and Eritrea.
In Addis Ababa, CNEWA’s secretary general met with seminary rectors and members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference to discuss their formation programs and ongoing training for priests and religious.
In Asmara, Msgr. Stern visited with the Inter-Eparchial Seminary Formation Team and the Conference of Major Religious Superiors, which directs the education of religious communities.
The Holy See’s Congregation for the Eastern Churches has requested CNEWA’s leadership in supporting Catholic priestly formation programs in Eritrea and Ethiopia.
Msgr. Victor J. Pospishil, R.I.P.
Msgr. Archimandrite Victor J. Pospishil, a noted authority on canon law and the Eastern churches and a good friend of CNEWA, died 16 February in Old Bridge, New Jersey. He was 91 years old.
Born in Vienna, Austria, he attended the Theological Seminary in Djakovo, Croatia, and was ordained in 1940. He studied canon law and liturgy at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, receiving a doctorate in canon law.
Msgr. Pospishil published more than 50 books, including “Eastern Catholic Marriage Law” and “Eastern Catholic Church Law.”