Pope Francis Nominates Auxiliary Bishop from Slovakia as Apostolic Administrator of Eparchy of Parma for the Ruthenians
WASHINGTON—Pope Francis has named Auxiliary Bishop, Milan Lach, SJ,currently Auxiliary Bishop of Prešov, Slovakia, as Apostolic Administrator ofthe sede vacante (vacant see) of the Epharcy of Parma for the Ruthenians.
WASHINGTON—Pope Francis has named Auxiliary Bishop, Milan Lach, SJ,currently Auxiliary Bishop of Prešov, Slovakia, as Apostolic Administrator ofthe sede vacante (vacant see) of the Epharcy of Parma for the Ruthenians. The ByzantineCatholic Eparchy of Parma is the Catholic eparchy governing most RuthenianCatholics in the mid-western United States. It is headquartered in Parma, Ohio.
The appointment was publicized in Washington, June 24, by ArchbishopChristophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.
Pope Francis relieved His Excellency William Skurla, Archbishop of theByzantine Catholic Eparchy of Pittsburgh, from the pastoral governance of theEparchy of Parma.
Bishop Lach, 43, was born in Kežmarok, Slovakia in 1973. In1992, he was admitted to the Greek-catholic seminary in Prešov and in 1995 enteredthe novitiate of the Society of Jesus in Trnava, Slovakia. He continued his studies at Trnava Universityand also studied at the PontificalOriental Institute in Rome, where he obtained a master's degree from the EasternChurch Sciences and later, a doctorate degree. In 2009, he began working at theCenter of Spirituality East – West of Michal Lacko in Košice, Slovakia.
He was ordained a deacon of the Society of Jesus on November 11, 2000 and wasordained a priest on July 1, 2001. Hewas appointed auxiliary bishop of Prešov and titular bishop ofOstracine on April 19, 2013. He wasordained as auxiliary bishop of Prešov and titular bishop ofOstracine, June 1, 2013.
The Eparchy of Parma for the Ruthenians waserected February 21, 1969. Currently, the Eparchy of Parmaencompasses the geographical area of Ohio (except the eastern border counties),Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas,Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. Byzantine Catholics living in those statesare members of the local Church of Parma.
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Keywords: bishop appointment, Pope Francis, ArchbishopChristophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio, Auxiliary Bishop Milan Lach, SJ, Eparchyof Parma for the Ruthenians, Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma, RuthenianCatholics, auxiliary, Slovakia, Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy ofPittsburgh.
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