John Stephen Pazak

John Stephen Pazak, C.Ss.R. (born August 13, 1946 in Gary, Indiana) is an American-born member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, commonly known as the Redemptorists, who serves as an eparch of the Ruthenian Catholic Church. Since July 2016 he has served as the Eparch of the Ruthenian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Protection of Mary, which is based in Phoenix, Arizona.^[1]

Life

Family

Pazak was born in Gary, Indiana, on August 13, 1946 to Stephen Pazak, an American of Ruthenian descent, and Johanna Hennessy, who was of Irish descent, both members of the Ruthenian Catholic Church.^[2]

Religious life

Pazak was admitted to the novitiate of the Canadian Province of the Redemptorists at Yorkton, Saskatchewan, on September 14, 1965. He studied at the Redemptorist seminary, St. Alphonsus College, in Suffield, Connecticut, and earned a bachelor's degree there in 1969. He made his perpetual profession of religious vows as a member of the Congregation on August 24 of that same year. After completing a baccalaureate in theology at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, he was ordained a priest on August 27, 1972.^[2]

After serving in a Saskatoon parish for a year, Pazak was appointed Rector of Saint Vladimir's College in Manitoba, and continued in this position until 1990, except during 1978-1979, when he served as superior at the Redemptorist scholasticate in Toronto. From 1990 to 2000 he was parish priest at St. Joseph Church in Winnipeg.^[2]

Pazak also served as vicar of his Redemptorist province, as a member of the provincial council, and as a consultor to the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon.^[2]

Eparchial appointments

Pope John Paul II appointed Pazak eparch of the Slovak Catholic Eparchy of Saints Cyril and Methodius of Toronto on December 2, 2000. The Ukrainian Catholic Archbishop of Winnipeg, Michael Bzdel C.Ss.R, consecrated him a bishop on February 14, 2001; the co-consecrators were Milan Chautur, C.Ss.R, Apostolic Exarch of Košice and Basil Schott, O.F.M., the Ruthenian Eparch of Parma.

Pope Francis named Pazak the Eparch of the Ruthenian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Protection of Mary in Phoenix on May 7, 2016.^[3][4] On the same day he was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Eparchy of Saints Cyril and Methodius of Toronto, until the appointment of a successor.^[4] He was enthroned as Eparch of Phoenix for the Ruthenians on July 20, 2016.^[5]

References

1. ↑ David M. Cheney. "Bishop John Stephen Pažak, C.SS.R.". catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved July 27, 2016. 
2. 1 2 3 4 "Nomine del Vescovo di Saints Cyril and Methodius of Toronto degli Slovacchi (Canada)". Bollettino (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. December 2, 2000. 
3. ↑ Tony Gutierrez (May 10, 2016). "Pope names new bishop for Phoenix Byzantine Eparchy, accepts Bishop Dino's resignation". The Catholic Sun. Retrieved July 24, 2016. 
4. 1 2 "Rinuncia del Vescovo dell'Eparchia Holy Mary of Protection di Phoenix dei Ruteni (U.S.A.) e nomina del successore". Bollettino (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 2016-05-07. Retrieved 2016-05-08. 
5. ↑ Joyce Coronel (July 22, 2016). "Bishop John Pazak enthroned as fifth bishop of Phoenix Byzantine Eparchy". The Catholic Sun. Retrieved July 24, 2016.