Carpatho-Russian leader honored on 75th birthday
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Metropolitan Nicholas
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In a religious culture plagued by in-fighting and schism, Metropolitan Nicholas of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the U.S.A. has worked to heal rifts between Orthodox and Catholic Christians.
On Tuesday, some Byzantine Catholics will join a 5 p.m. celebration of his 75th birthday at Christ the Savior Cathedral in Johnstown.
"He has a passion for church unity," said the Rev. John Petro, rector of SS. Cyril & Methodius Byzantine Catholic Seminary, North Side. "It's not about giving academic lectures on ecumenism, but a living experience of coming together to pray and work on common projects."
Metropolitan Nicholas has worked for reconciliation while supporting missionary outreach to a secular world. He is battling cancer and was unable to give an interview but will be at Tuesday's service.
He was born in New Jersey, to Eastern Catholic immigrants from Carpathian mountain villages of Europe. Eastern Catholics are loyal to the pope, but follow the practices of Orthodoxy, which always included a married priesthood.
In 1929, the pope banned married Eastern Catholic priests from America. Eastern Catholics here felt betrayed. Thousands left the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh and in 1938 formed the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese.
"It was a very bitter and painful experience in those days," said the Rev. Michael Rosco, who edits the Carpatho-Russian news. "It caused splits in families and certainly splits in churches. It took a long time for that to begin to heal, and it took a person like Bishop Nicholas to get the process of healing going."
As a student at Christ the Savior Seminary in Johnstown, the future bishop helped out at the East Pittsburgh parish of the future Father Rosco, then 5.
"Even then I remember his very warm personality," Father Rosco said. "He was a wonderful role model, and probably one of the reasons that I became interested in the priesthood."
First Published February 21, 2011 12:00 am
