Monsignor John Macko, 92, of Lyndora died peacefully Sunday.

Born in Clymer, Indiana County, May 12, 1912, he was the son of Michael and Susan Kordiak Macko.

He moved to Cleveland at a young age and was a graduate of Benedictine High School, Cleveland. He then attended John Carroll University in Cleveland and St. Procopius College, Lisle, Ill. In the late 1930s, he went to study in Uzhorod, Carpatho-Ruthenia, but because of the political climate in Europe at that time, he returned to complete his theological studies at St. Procopius Seminary.

On June 15, 1941, he was ordained to the holy priesthood at his home parish of St. Joseph Church, Cleveland. During he career, he served at the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel, Passaic, N.J.; Holy Ghost Church, Mahwah, N.J.; St. Michael Church, Canonsburg, its mission parish, St. John the Baptist, Avella; St. Mary Church, Nesquehoning; and St Mary Church, Youngstown, Ohio, where he was appointed administrator of the five-parishes' school, Our Lady of Perpetual Help grammar school. He then served at St. John the Baptist Church, Pottstown, and St. Mary Church, Whiting, Ind.

In January 1966, he became rector of the Byzantine Catholic Seminary of SS, Cyril and Methodius of Pittsburgh, where he served until 1970. He then became pastor of the Holy Spirit Byzantine Catholic Church, Oakland.

He was a previous member of the Archdiocesan Board of Consultors, a judge on the Archdiocesan Matrimonial Tribunal and a member of the Pension Board. He also served as Vicar of Religious.

After retiring in September 1992, he continued to offer a daily Divine Liturgy in his chapel. On June 24, 2001, he was honored at St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church, Lyndora, for his 60 years of priestly vocation.

He was the brother of Susan (and the late Michael) Hudiak; uncle of Raymond Hudiak, Roland Horvath and Marlene Fecek. He also is survived by grandnieces and grandnephews; and will be sadly missed by Julia Gonko, his housekeeper of 43 years.

MACKO - Friends of Monsignor John Macko, who died Sunday, Feb. 20, 2005, will be received from 5 to 9 p.m. today and from 2 to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Holy Spirit Byzantine Catholic Church, Oakland. Funeral services for a priest will be at 7 p.m. today and 7 p.m. Wednesday at the church. A funeral Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Thursday with Arch Bishop Basil M. Schott, of Holy Spirit B.C. Church, officiating. Burial will be at Mount Macrina Cemetery, Uniontown.Arrangements are entrusted to the JOHN N. ELACHKO FUNERAL HOME, Oakland.