Auxiliary bishop is appointed for Philadelphia Archeparchy (01/22/06)

Auxiliary bishop is appointed for Philadelphia Archeparchy

PHILADELPHIA - Msgr. John Bura has been appointed as auxiliary bishop for the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, announced the Office of the Metropolitan on January 3. He has been assigned the Titular See of Limisa. The appointment was made by Pope Benedict XVI.

Msgr. Bura, 61, is pastor of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Wilmington, Del. He was born on June 12, 1944, in Wegelben, Germany, to Hryhory and Maria Bura, both deceased. His home parish after immigrating to America was Ss. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in Jersey City, N.J. His siblings are Nicholas Bura, Rose Naumenko, Theodore Bura, Walter Bura and Irene Bura.

Bishop-Elect Bura attended St. Basil College in Stamford, Conn., and then studied at St. Josaphat Seminary and Catholic University of America in Washington and received B.A. and bachelor of divinity degrees.

Ordained a priest on February 14, 1971, by Metropolitan Ambrose Senyshyn at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Philadelphia, he also served there in 1971. Msgr. Bura also was an instructor of religion at St. Basil Preparatory School in Stamford, Conn., in 1971-1972; he was an instructor of Ukrainian at St. Basil College in Stamford in 1972-1975.

Other assignments included: administrator of St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church in Trenton, N.J., in 1975-1976, administrator of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Mahanoy City, Pa., in 1976-1980 and 1983, and administrator of St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church in Shenandoah, Pa., in 1976-1987.

Msgr. Bura also served as rector of St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Seminary in Washington in 1987-1997. From 1997 to 2002 he was pastor of Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church in Chester, Pa., and St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Millville, N.J. From 2002 until the present he has served as pastor of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Wilmington, Del., and St. Basil Ukrainian Catholic Church in Chesapeake, Md.

On June 12, 1991, Bishop-Elect Bura was named a monsignor by Pope John Paul II with the rank of papal chamberlain.

In addition to these duties, he is president of the Providence Association for Ukrainian Catholics and was recently re-elected for a second term which expires in 2010; a member of the Archieparchial Consultors and member of the board of directors of the Sheptytsky Educational Center in Philadelphia, a member of the Presbyteral Council, a member of the Archieparchial Liturgical Commission, and a member of St. Josaphat Seminary Admission Board and Advisory Board.

A date of episcopal ordination will be announced shortly.

Another appointment recently announced for the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the United States was that of Bishop Paul Patrick Chomnycky, apostolic exarch for Ukrainian Catholics in Great Britain, as eparch of Stamford, Conn. (The appointment was reported in The Ukrainian Weekly on January 8.)

In a statement released to the press, Metropolitan-Archbishop Stefan Soroka said: "I look forward with excitement and enthusiasm to sharing with Bishop-Elect John Bura and with Bishop Paul Chomnycky, OSBM, in the pastoral leadership of our metropolia. I thank them for their willingness to embrace this new challenge and I congratulate them on this special elevation. I believe that God directs and guides His servants best when they pray and consult with one another. Our newly appointed auxiliary bishop and the new Eparch for Stamford have the personal abilities and spiritual qualities and the energy to engage in this journey of shared leadership. I ask that our clergy, religious and faithful especially pray for Bishop-Elect John Bura at this time of his preparation for the fullness of the priesthood as a bishop, and for the successful fulfillment of episcopal ministry by Bishop Paul Chomnycky, OSBM, in the Stamford Eparchy."

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