www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News New apostolic administrator for Eparchy of Mukachevo

Dear Diak,

At the unofficial directory of Saint Michael Russian catholic Church you can read "Greece:
The momentous events of this past decade have caused considerable immigration from the lands of the CIS and Eastern Europe to countries to their south, especially Greece, Turkey and Cyprus. Russian and other Byzantine Catholics in Greece can find spiritual succor in Greece from our brothers and sisters of the Apostolic Exarchate, whose communities can be contacted through the information provided in the Catholic Church in Crete link below. There is a group of Ukrainian Greek Catholics who now meet regularly at Haghia Triada Cathedral in Athens (photo to right). The community in Jannitsa has many "Slavomacedonian" (sic) members". In 1883 an Apostolic Vicariate for the united Bulgars was created in Thessaloniki (Greece). In 1926 the Apostolic Vicariates of Constantinople, Adrianoupolis and Thessaloniki (Greek Macedonia) were abolished and a new Apostolic Exarchate was created in Sofia for the Byzantine Church Catholic Bulgarians. The parish of Jannitsa, which was erected during the first movement of union with the Catholic in 19th century, thas is previously to the arival of the refugees from Eastern Thrace and Constantinople in 1922-23, become then part of the Greek Catholic Exarchate under bishop Georgios Halavatzis.

Thanks for the info, Francisco. Bishop Anargyros tonsured a good friend of mine who is Russian Catholic several years ago during his visit to the USA. I know that Kyr Anargyros is in contact with them as they currently have no hierarch and he has on occasion assisted them.

Perhaps from the Greek perspective of Father Anthony (Vakondios) all of these parishes and parishoners were Greek in his mind. Anyway, its an interesting topic and these parishes are not well known even amongst Greek Catholics outside of Greece. Even my priest friend from northern Macedonia surprisingly knew little about the history of the Greek Exarchate of Athens and her parishes.

But you are right, it is really a mixed bag of Greek Catholics in Greece now, from Ukrainians to Greeks to Melkites to various Balkan Slavs (Bulgarians, Macedonians, Croations, etc.) because of jobs, wars, etc.

Thanks for posting the helsinki file, it was a very compelete history of the Macedonian Greek Catholic Church.

I wonder if some of you read what I had posted before about the Macedonian Church , their chant and their tradition. They are not Galitzians they are Macedonians, and their liturgy is sung in Church Slavonic but the style of the chant is more "primituve" and it has hellenic influences.

You're right, Remie, but there are a few, mostly in Krizhevci, and even a smattering in Macedonia, who are of Galician/Ruthenian descent.

The Macedonian chant style is uniquely beautiful and retains some of the more ancient Byzantine elements such as use of an eison for certain texts. It has been influenced also by Bulgarian and more northern Slavic (Ukrainian and Russian) polyphonic music as well.

Good evening. I have been searching for information on when and where Bishop Sasik will be consecrated. I found a Hungarian language site in Ukraine with a story about the new bishop:
http://www.karpatok.uzhgorod.ua/hetilap/h1.html

I believe the following excerpt relates to his consecration: Az apostoli adminisztr�ci� lek�sz�nő vezetői janu�r 6-ig, vagyis Milan atya p�sp�kk� szentel�s�ig maradnak tiszts�g�kben.

If my hunch is correct, I believe that he will be consecrated on 6 January 2003.

Peace,

Charles

Good evening. I just received information regarding the consecration of Bishop-elect Milan Sasik, C.M.

He will be consecrated bishop on January 6, 2003 in St. Peter`s Basilica by Pope John Paul II.

Peace,

Charles