THE EPARCHY OF MUKACHEVO
The Greek-Catholic Eparchy of Mukachevo has a long, noble, rich, and troubled history, which brings us back to the dawn of the evangelization of the Slavic peoples. Situated in a predominantly mountainous territory lying on the eastern slopes of the Ukrainian Carpathians, its valleys and its peaks circumscribe a territory called Transcarpathia, inhabited from ancient times to the present day by a people that identifies itself with the name of Ruthenians. Precisely for this anthropological peculiarity, the diocese is defined, using another denomination, Eparchy of Mukachevo of the Ruthenians.
History takes us back to the second half of the ninth century when, according to tradition, Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius, in their work of evangelization of the Slavic peoples, had reached the slopes of the Carpathian Ruthenia bringing with them Christianity and the liturgical tradition proper to the church of Constantinople.
We can therefore say with certainty that the Eparchy, fruit of the evangelization of the apostles of the Slavic peoples, was strengthened in the Catholic faith even before the Great Schism of the East, which occurred in 1054 when the Church was wounded by the division between Catholics and Orthodox. The area came under the influence of the Kievan Rus', which at that time experienced great splendor and luxuriance.
Situated in a territory inhabited and contested by various populations, Transcarpathia is a natural bridge between east and west. On April 24, 1646, in the chapel of the castle of Uzhgorod, a bull was signed by several priests declaring the Union of the Eparchy of Mukachevo with the Catholic Church, asking and obtaining from the pope to preserve the Byzantine rite and his customs. The Eparchy is therefore subordinated to the Hungarian Diocese of Eger. Only on 19 September 1771, Pope Clement XIV with the bull «Eximie Regalium Principium» established the full autonomy of the Eparchy of Mukachevo.
In 1780 Bishop Andrii Bachynski moved the episcopal residence from the city of Mukachevo to Uzhgorod, which thus finds itself to be the reference point of an Eparchy that extends not only in Transcarpathia - today Ukrainian territory- but also in the territories now found in eastern Slovakia and northern Romania.
Since the 19th century many people, driven by the American dream of building a new life beyond the ocean, from Transcarpathia emigrate to the United States bringing with them traditions, uses, customs, and attachment to the Rutena Church which thus becomes the Mother of the Ruthenian Eparchies of Pittsburg and Parma.
In 1937 the Holy See granted the Eparchy of Mukachevo the status of Church "sui juris". This means that it refers directly to the Holy Father and can thus maintain all the peculiarities that coexist in it: the liturgical Slavic-ecclesiastical language, as well as the linguistic and ethnic minorities present in it (Ruthenia, Hungarian, Ukrainian, Romanian, Slovak, and others).
History takes us back to the second half of the ninth century when, according to tradition, Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius, in their work of evangelization of the Slavic peoples, had reached the slopes of the Carpathian Ruthenia bringing with them Christianity and the liturgical tradition proper to the church of Constantinople.
We can therefore say with certainty that the Eparchy, fruit of the evangelization of the apostles of the Slavic peoples, was strengthened in the Catholic faith even before the Great Schism of the East, which occurred in 1054 when the Church was wounded by the division between Catholics and Orthodox. The area came under the influence of the Kievan Rus', which at that time experienced great splendor and luxuriance.
This task falls on three prelates: Ivan Semedi (ordinary), Ivan Margitych (auxiliary), and Josip Holovach (auxiliary, who died in 2000). They are years full of hope and joy for the freedom obtained, even in the difficulty of restoring a Church made not so much of structures and buildings but of people who have been scattered like sheep without a shepherd.
On 12 November 2002 John Paul II appointed titular bishop of Bononia and apostolic administrator ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of the Eparchy of Mukachevo Mons Milan Šašik (+ 14.07.2020), who entered the diocese as ordinary on 25 January 2003.
In November 2012 the appointment of Nil Juriy Lushchak OFM takes place, who receives episcopal ordination on January 12, 2013, in the cathedral of Uzhgorod and currently continues the work of his predecessor as Apostolic Administrator.
This task falls on three prelates: Ivan Semedi (ordinary), Ivan Margitych (auxiliary), and Josip Holovach (auxiliary, who died in 2000). They are years full of hope and joy for the freedom obtained, even in the difficulty of restoring a Church made not so much of structures and buildings but of people who have been scattered like sheep without a shepherd.
On 12 November 2002 John Paul II appointed titular bishop of Bononia and apostolic administrator ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of the Eparchy of Mukachevo Mons Milan Šašik (+ 14.07.2020), who entered the diocese as ordinary on 25 January 2003.
In November 2012 the appointment of Nil Juriy Lushchak OFM takes place, who receives episcopal ordination on January 12, 2013, in the cathedral of Uzhgorod and currently continues the work of his predecessor as Apostolic Administrator.