www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News In praise of our priests!

There has been much maligning of our priests by, dare I say, many who frequent this forum. To give you an idea of just how hooked we have all become on priest bashing, there have been over 50 posts about homosexual priests, and other such sordid topics. A beloved priest. Fr. Basil Kraynyak dies suddenly from a heart attack and there are 5 posts. If we would have thought about it, his untimely death could have given many a great oppportunity to extoll the priesthood, and perhaps say something nice about our own pastor ands how we need vocations. But all too many of us would rather trash priests, take priests to task, and perform, what amounts to, open heart surgery with no anesthetic on the priesthood with no charity in our hearts. We can be pitifully brutal in our condemnation of priests who we think are not worthy (axios, which is sung at every priests ordination by the way in spite of their shortcomings, and of our criticism), yet no one "encourages" vocations which we need desperately, with good things to say about the priesthood. It's about time we praised priests not bashed them. They, as we, have "feet of clay" and collectively we seek God's forgiveness. Priests during the Divine Liturgy say "O God be merciful to me a sinner" many many times. It's because they are, and so are we. Castigating the priest, Byzantine, Roman, Orthodox, will not foster vocations. Disecting them personally to the point of destruction is doing our church a great disservice. Yes, sex talk sells. Just watch the cable news channels with their headlines "pedophile priests"......"church sex scandal", "Catholic Church in crisis." And it appears, many of us have an affinity for the topics as well. Maybe God is testing our own faith, not to mention our capacity for true Christian charity. Pray for priests don't persecute them.

Most well said, greekcatholic. Your recent posts have embodied the true spirit we should have towards our priests, both as Ruthenian Greek Catholics and certainly as Christians.

Fr. Basil was indeed one of the "shinning stars" of the Rusyn priesthood and he will be very sorely missed by many of us. A topic in remembrance of his many fine qualities, pastoral and liturgical practices and devotion to our heritage and traditions would be time well spent and a good tribute to the many, although far to short years that he spent ministering to all of us. His example was a major contributing factor to the priest that I am myself today.

Eternal Memory and Blessed Repose to Fr. Basil. Christos Voskres!

May we who remember and know the real spirit of our church, be bold enough to honor the memory of our dearly departed Greek Catholic priests by speaking up and continuing today what they taught us over the years.

Fr. Joe

I couldn't agree more. Father Basil was one of my favorite personalities at the Otpust in Uniontown. The way he loved to sing with us "on the porch" and everywhere else made him a true "people's priest." I also remember how he said he visited his father's village of Krasnyj Brid in northeast Slovakia some years ago, and when serving Liturgy in the Greek Catholic church there he intoned during the Great Entrance, "...i vsich vas PRAVOSLAVNYCH christijan..." the people cried for joy. He knew our tradition and was not afraid or ashamed of it in any way. May his memory be eternal - vic~naja jemu pamjat'!

I agree that we must build up and support our priests. Like us they are sinners working to be the Saints we are all called to be. Without their ministry, there would be no Eucharist.

I thank you who are priests, Eastern or Western or Oriental, for your generosity whether you are celibate or married. I don't want to imagine a world withour your caring sacrifices that build up the Churches.

May your numbers increase! May you find us to be supporters of your works and of you as you are of us.

Laudetur Jesus Christus! In aternum. Amen!

Was Father Basil the rather large priest who always came to sing on the dormitory porch at Otpust?

Sharon

Sharon Mech, SFO
Cantor & sinner
sharon@cmhc.com

Yes, Sharon, Father Basil was the happy fellow of ample size ;-) who sang on the porch every year.

Dear Lemko and Sharon,

"Ample size" in some circles was always considered to be an indication of a calling to a high priestly order . . .

I've also always got along better with ample-sized priests than with those bitter, skinny ones!

The former are much more fun, they love life and their good humour is positively infectious!

Alex

May God bless all the dedicated and holy priests the world over...

In Christ,

+Тимофей, рабъ Божій

Greekcatholic:

To your words I say a loud "Amen"!
Ver much in line with what I was tring to express on the other thread.

Keep the faith, and share it too!

Michael

Pray for all priests, Catholic and Orthodox and all Christian ministers, pastors, deacons, evangelists and holy men and women.

Axios

May his memory be eternal. Vichnaya pamjat'.

Our priests have so much on their plates without the current crisis. They need our prayers for perserverence and strength more than ever. Many priests in the western U.S. and Canada have several parishes to shepherd simultaneously. My own pastor takes care of three parishes in two states and is not a young man.

Through the prayers of the Servant of God and humble pastor Andrey Sheptytsky, O Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on and bless Your holy priests.
Subdeacon Randolph Peter, a sinner

I have discenerned a vocation to the priesthood yet because of lack of any support, do not know who to turn to with such matters? Unfortunatly, the Byzantine Metropoli is nothing like its sister Roman rite Church in grabbing up possible seminary canidates and helping them sort things out.

Perhaps it is Gods will that I not become a priest?

Besides, anyone who has read my previous post to this forum can probably tell that I would not fit in with the "spirit of the times" that has swept through the Church on certain issues. But what can I do, I cannot change that which I hold as truth in exchange for the worlds comforts? Indeed, in the end, its all up to God as to what my fate will be.

Robert K.

Dear Lord,

We give you praise, honor, glory, and thanksgiving for each one of these men, your priests...either past, present, or future who willing give their lives to you completely. In their giving of themselves to you, you give us yourself. Bless each one with a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Heal, renew, restore your priesthood with a fresh committment to that which was made when they received Holy Orders, and grant the grace to move away from any mortal sin. Let the fruits and charisms of your Holy Spirit spill out from them into your people who you gather together to celebrate your Word, your Eucharist. Refresh your Church as we approach the day of Pentecost. That we, like your apostles will not be afraid to say it is Jesus living in me, without him I can do nothing.

AMEN!

Dear friends in Christ:

Amidst the recent scandals that rocked (and still rocking) our Church, 12 priests (all unmarried ) will be ordained this Sunday, May 19th, at the Holy Name Cathedral by our Archbishop, his Eminence, Francis Cardinal George.

Of interest is that 2 of the ordainees are 41 and 52 years old, respectively, and who have been
successful in their previous chosen professions. The 41-year old priest-to-be was a Hollywood executive producer, if I am not mistaken!

And 8 of the 12 are all foreign-born! Details are sketchy as the impending ceremony was featured in the 10 p.m. major networks yesterday night.

Isn't life so wonderful? Chicago is, indeed, my kind of town.

AmdG