www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Parish Life & Evangelization Are there any Eastern Catholics in Madison, WI?

Hi I usually just read what others post. I am interested in meeting some Eastern Catholics and getting to know them. It would obviously require that we live within driving distance from one another. I am in Madison, WI. I will be visiting the UGCC parish in Milwaukee in the near future as they will start having an English Liturgy.

Slava vo Viki!

The good news for you (and bad news for me, as a Californian associate of the monastery), is that a monastery is moving to a small village in Wisconsin called St. Nazianz. Holy Resurrection Monastery is a Romanian Greek Catholic Monastery which is moving in a few weeks to Wisconsin. By google Maps it's 2 hrs and 18 minutes between the two cities.

The main website for the monastery is www.hrmonline.org [hrmonline.org]

and the link announcing the move is http://hrmonline.org/?p=1347

In XC,
J. Andrew

How soon is this move taking place? I really want to support them and visit frequently!

Greetings,
This move should be happening within the next several weeks. For those of you who are saying farewell to them (as Californians), I'd also like to point out that the farewell will be Saturday, October 22nd.

The link with details to this farewell service is here: http://hrmonline.org/?p=1331

In XC,
J. Andrew

There doesn't seem to be anyone in Madison. Is anyone familiar with the Eastern Catholic parishes in Milwaukee?

The monastery has moved, and they already have their Great Week schedule up. There is a Melkite parish of note in Milwaukee, and I think a UGCC parish or two as well. There used to be a BCC mission in Kenosha, but it is no more. I live three hourse SW of Madison, but there are no Eastern Catholic parishes in Iowa.

Thanks for the input akemner. I will be attempting to visit St Micheal's UGCC parish in the next week or so. It is my understanding is that they have a Divine Liturgy in English at 8:30 AM. If there are no EC parishes where you live what do you do? I hope that is not too personal of a question.

Not sure if this should be its on thread.


Today, I went to a UGCC parish in Milwaukee. It went fine even though the entire service was in Ukrainian of which I don’t know a single word. That being said I could still pretty much follow along and could tell that the Liturgy was celebrated with a great deal of reverence. Even if it had been in English I discovered that it is just too far away from my home for it to be a viable weekly option. It was an hour and 15 minutes each way. I guess the reason I visited was because my wife and I are contemplating joining the Catholic Church and I am not sure which Church Sui Juris we will be put in or if they will split us up. I am a former Roman Catholic that joined the Orthodox Church 7 years ago while my wife is cradle Orthodox. If anyone has any idea about how we would be received. From my limited understanding since my wife has always been Orthodox she would automatically be enrolled in the EC Church that mirrors the Orthodox Church that she came from (though I am still confused because we are both originally from the OCA but have been members of an Antiochian parish for the last 2 years). Not sure if I would have to first become Roman and then specifically request that I be canonically transferred to an Eastern Catholic Church. I am not sure that I understand all the nuances of this situation. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Prayers to assist us in our discernment process would also be greatly appreciated.

Probably should be its own thread, but I'll split it later (using my daughter's Mac and it defies me when I try to do anything more exotic than type).

Your wife, coming from the OCA, should be able to be received into pretty much whichever Church sui iuris she desires, given that the OCA, albeit it sort of identifies as Russian, has roots reaching back into the Russians, Ruthenians, and Ukrainians.

Since she presumably would not ask to be received as a Latin, but as an Eastern Catholic, any Latin hierarch who is reasonable should be more than willing to sign off on you being received into the same Church as she.

If you get any inkling that such might not be the case, I'd skip that step and ask directly of the appropriate Eastern Catholic eparch to be received directly from Orthodoxy, together with your cradle Orthodox spouse.

Actually, that might be the best approach from the outset - or, at least confer with the eparchy and see if they are agreeable to going that route. I cannot imagine that the request would be refused (though I should never be surprised anymore at anything).

Many years,

Neil

St. George Melkite-Greek Catholic Church in Milwaukee, close by the university. A lovely community faithfully shepherded by Fr. Hegumen Philaret (Littlefield).

Ot'ets,

Are you currently a member or a former member? I don't think that St George's is any closer to Madison so it would still be a long drive for me so I wouldn't be able to go to often.

Neil, if I'm reading orthodoxsinner2's post correctly, he is, according to Canon Law, already a Latin Rite Catholic:


As such, he can't be received from Orthodoxy into a Catholic Eastern Rite Church, since he's already a Latin Rite Catholic, but would have to transfer. If he and his wife were married in the Latin Church, all he'd have to do to be back in "good standing" would be to go to confession. Depending on his marriage situation though, things could be more complicated.

It may, as you say, be easier administratively to go through the Eastern Catholic eparch than through the Latin Rite chancery.

JB,

I read his post as he posted it. Whether he is currently a Latin Catholic or an Orthodox Christian is a matter of interpretation and I'm not terribly inclined to the interpretation of the Latin Code.

He can be received from Orthodoxy directly into an Eastern Catholic Church if the eparch to whom he addresses the request is inclined to do so - and there are those who would not have an issue with doing so.

Many years,

Neil

Actually, like Hegumen Philaret, Ot'ets (Father Economos Roman) is a priest of the Melkite Eparchy of Newton.

Many years,

Neil

Neil,

Would it be appropriate to contact the bishop directly or should I be contacting someone different like a chancellor or even a parish priest?