Special Occasion
LYNDORA — The Rev. Paisius McGrath, pastor of SS. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 21 Evergreen St., will mark two milestones later this month. And the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the United States of America's Western Eparchy, Bishop Daniel, will be in Lyndora to help mark the occasion.
McGrath said his 50th birthday and the 10th anniversary of his ordination as a priest will be recognized in a special service at 10 a.m. Oct. 23 attended by the bishop.
McGrath, whose actual birthday is Oct. 27, 1966, and whose ordination was Oct. 28, 2006, said, “When the bishop is here, we have what is called a hierarchal service which is only performed when the bishop is present.
“The main difference is the bishop is the main celebrant where ordinarily the priest would be,” he said.
McGrath said, “Some of the hymns are sung in a special way for that service as compared to a regular service.
“For example, the hymn, 'Holy God,' in the regular service the choir and priest sing it together. In this service, it is sung three times: by the clergy, then the people and then together.”
“When the bishop comes, there is a special ceremony. He is greeted by kids with flowers. The president of the parish board, Stanley Ostwinch, presents him with bread and salt. And the priest greets him with a cross and holy water,” said McGrath.
McGrath said he expected the bishop's service to be attended by the priests of the other Orthodox churches: the Rev. Joseph Wargo, just-retired pastor of St. Andrew Orthodox Church in Lyndora and the Rev. Bogdan Bucur, pastor of St. Anthony Orthodox Church in Butler.
A dinner in the church hall will follow.
“It will be a special event, but it's always a special event when the bishop visits,” said McGrath. “People will have a chance to express how they feel about their priest. Hopefully, it is all good.”
Usually the bishop makes his annual visit to SS. Peter and Paul closer to the church's June 29 feast day, but McGrath said the bishop decided to make a later visit to commemorate the two milestones.
“Bishop Daniel, mostly every weekend, is visiting parishes,” said Ivan Tchopko, spokesman for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA.
It's a schedule that keeps the bishop on the move, Tchopko said, because the Western Eparchy includes Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington and Western Pennsylvania.
McGrath was born in Charlottesville, Va., the son of William of Lucinda Graff.
Raised as a Mennonite, McGrath said he converted to Orthodoxy in 1999 and entered training for the priesthood in 2000.
“The things I believed in were more in line with what I was finding in Orthodoxy,” he said.
After graduating from St. Sophia's Seminary in South Bend Brook, N.J., he worked as a deacon assisting other priests until being appointed to lead the 90-member congregation of the Lyndora church in 2006.
“Most members of the church are of Ukrainian descent,” McGrath said. “Some come from other places and some converted to Orthodoxy.” The church was founded in Lyndora in 1922.
Looking back on his 10 years of service, McGrath said the upcoming visit by the bishop will be a chance to reflect on the past.
“I really love the parish and Butler. I'm thankful God has blessed us to be able to maintain what we have and to looking forward to continuing to grow and develop,” McGrath said.
