www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Saints in the Byzantine Catholic Church

I have heard much about the saints of Orthodoxy such as St. Seraphim of Sarov and even of more recent holy men such as Seraphim Rose.

I have not (possibly through my own neglect of reseach) heard much of saints and holy men in the Byzantine Catholic Church and I am wondering who they are. Do any of you have some names I could look up? Or do we just gravitate to the Orthodox saints and consider them part of our overall communion?

Thank you.

Brother Ed

Ed, there are many. Here is a small sample:

Pratulin Martyrs
Leonid Feodorov
Zenon Kovalyk
Vasyl Velychkovsky
Theodore Romzha
Vasyl Hopko
Pavel Gojdich
Mykola Charnetsky
Kamen Vitchev

This is only a partial list but includes Belarussian, Russian, Ukrainian, Rusyn, and Bulgarian martyrs.
FDD

How could I forget

Blesseds Theodore Romzha,Vasyl Hopko,Pavel Gojdich.

We have an icon table set up in the back of our parish with their icons there!!

Shame on me!!!

Brother Ed

Saint Josephat Kuntsevich

Ed,

Here is a list of Byzantine Catholics who have been canonized or beatified:

1)Saint Josaphat Kuntsevych
2)Blessed Vincent Lewoniuk and 12 Companions,
(a.k.a. The Martyrs of Pratulin/Podlasie)
3)Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified (Melkite
Carmelite nun and mystic)
4)Blessed Theodore Romzha
5)Blessed Emilian Kovch (martyed by the Nazis)
6)Blessed Nicholas Charnetsky and 24 Companions
(includes Blessed Leonid Feodorov)
7)Blessed Josaphata Hordashevska
8)Blessed Kamen Vicev (Bulgarian Assumptionist
martyr)
9)Blessed Pavol Gojdic
10)Blessed Metod Dominik Trcka
11)Blessed Bail Hopko

There are more Byzantine Catholics whose causes for canonization are advancing. The Ukrainian, Ruthenian, Romanian, Russian, and Melkite Churches all have candidates for beatification/cannonization.

Let us pray for the miracles needed to advance their causes!

God bless,

griego

Here are some Byzantine Catholic candidates with causes for canonization:

Fr. Walter Ciszek, S.J.
http://nyssa.cecs.uofs.edu/ciszek.html

Fr. Alexander Chira
http://www.carpatho-rusyn.org/spirit/chira.htm

The Catholic Bishops Conference of Russia has several Russian Byantine Catholics on their list of candiates for canonization:
http://www.catholicmartyrs.ru/en/persons.html

The Romanian Catholic Church also has its own list of candidates who were martyred during the period of communist repression.

Here are the candidates from the Melkite Catholic Church:

The Servant of God
Bechara Abou-Mourad
Basilian Salvatorian Priest
http://www.saintelias.org/beta/SaintsMain.html

Fathi Baladi
http://www.melkite.org/baladi.htm

Here are links with info (in English and Romanian) on the 7 martyred Romanian Byzantine Catholic bishops with causes for canonization:

http://www.christusrex.org/www2/greek-catholic/history/index_e.html#4

http://www.christusrex.org/www2/greek-catholic/martyrs/index.html

http://198.62.75.1/www2/greek-catholic/image/martyrs/index.html

Oops! How could I forget!

The Servant of God Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky also has a cause for canonization.
A prayer for his beatification as well as an outline of his life can be found at:

http://www.sheps.ca/Introduction/sheps.html

Here is another link with info and photos:

http://www.infoukes.com/religion/sheptytsky/

Dear Friends,

In addition to the saints mentioned here, it is a fact that the Byzantine Catholic Church also shares with Orthodoxy all the Eastern Saints prior to the schism of 1054 and later.

The more than 150 Saints of the Kyivan Caves Lavra and the Saints tonsured there (among whom IS St Seraphim of Sarov) are all commemorated in our EC Churches - the Second Sunday of Lent/Great Fast is the feast of all the Fathers/Saints buried in the Kyivan Caves Lavra.

There are Sts. Anthony, John, Eustace of Lithuania. St Nikita of Pereyaslavl, St Cyril of Turiv, and many other Saints whom we venerate with the Orthodox Church.

There are also many Orthodox Saints whose veneration has extended to the EC Churches as well.

If you visit my site above, I have listed as many of these as I could find on that site!

Cheers,

Alex

What of our Saint of the Rusyns, Maxim Sandovich, during the Soviet days...!? mik

Saint Maxim Sandovich was executed by the Austro-Hungarian goverment a couple years before there was any Soviet regime.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

I have always thought that the Orthodox Calendar as it was when Metropolitan Andrew consulted with Rome, was what was given the OK.

ICXC
NIKA

Dear Pavel,

Yes, but minus some of the Orthodox saints, such as St Athanasius of Brest, who were decidedly against Rome!

I once asked a Greek-Catholic priest (who had been censured by Rome) about an Orthodox saint who was "against Rome . . ."

He replied, "And who isn't?"

Alex

Griego,

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Funny that you mention St. Josephat... one day right after I discovered the Byzantine Rite, I went to daily Mass at a local RC church, something I hardly ever do. It so happened that it was the feast day of St. Josephat, and the pastor's homily was about him and how he worked to bring unity to the Catholics and Orthodox in his jurisdiction-- I believe he was martyred, if I remember right.

Funny that I should go to daily Mass on his feast day and learn about him just as I was getting into the Eastern Church...

God bless,

Karen

What about St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower? She was a French Carmelite nun who died in 1897 at 24 years of age, and was canonized in 1925.

Granted, she was born and died in France instead of a country in the Balkans. In deciding if the Little Flower is a Byzantine Catholic Saint, however, one must consider the following facts:

1. She wanted to be transferred to Russia or Vietnam, but her illness prevented a transfer;

2. She has been declared by the Church to be the patron saint of all missions;

3. She has been declared by the Church to be "a Word of God".

4. She has been declared by the Church to be "the greatest saint of modern times".

5. She has promised to "spend her Heaven doing good on Earth".

6. She is the patron Saint of St. Therese of Lisieux Byzantine Catholic Church in St. Petersburg, FL, in the Eparchy of Passaic, ArchEparchy of Pittsburgh.

7. St. Therese of Lisieux Byzantine Catholic Church is arguably the most successful parish in the Byzantine Catholic Church in America. Starting with a few retirees, the Church has grown to include more than 150 families, a new Church building, a pre-school, a grade school, and a high school. The parishioners constantly recognize and give thanks to St. Therese for her intercession.

These facts, and others, qualify St. Therese to be considered a Byzantine Catholic Saint.

Does anyone dare disagree?

JP