The head of the UGCC expresses his condolences over the repose of Bishop Emeritus Robert Moskal

Wednesday, 10 August 2022, 12:48

It was with great sorrow that we received the news that our dear brother Robert Moskal, Bishop Emeritus of the Eparchy of Parma, its first ruling Bishop, had passed to our Lord for an eternal reward. His Beatitude Sviatoslav wrote about this in a letter of condolences addressed to Bohdan Danylo, Bishop of the Eparchy of St. Josaphat with a throne in Parma, Ohio, USA.

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Bishop Robert, the letter says, was consecrated as a bishop on October 13, 1981, at the Cathedral Church of the Immaculate Conception in Philadelphia. Archbishop Stepan Sulyk of Philadelphia led the service in concelebration with eparch Vasyliy Losten of Stamford and eparch Innokenty Lototsky of Chicago. On December 3, 1983, Pope John Paul II established a new eparchy, St. Josaphat, in the city of Parma (Ohio, USA), which covers the states of Ohio, Kentucky, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina, West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania, and appointed Bishop Robert as its first eparch. The accession to the throne took place on February 29, 1984. Thus, Bishop Robert has served there 25 years of his life.

"It is always difficult for the one who goes first," the head of the UGCC said. "But today, thanks to the work of this glorious Bishop, we are comforted by the diocese, which lives by God's word, loves its church and multiplies the gifts that the Lord has generously poured out on its faithful. His ministry was marked by great zeal in proclaiming the Good News and caring for the faithful. He did a lot for the proper functioning of parish life. Children and young people were happy to be the focus of his attention. Therefore, we can say that the life and ministry of the newly deceased bishop was a valuable gift for our Church."

"Dear Vladyka Bogdan," His Beatitude Sviatoslav addressed the current bishop of the Saint Josaphat Eparchy of Parma," Bishop Robert passed on to you the Eparchy of Parma with a warm hand and accompanied your ministry with good advice, a word of support and prelate's prayer for more than seven years. The newly deceased bishop was an active participant in the Synods of the bishops of our Church — even when he was in the emeritus, he always responded to the call of the head of the Church."

His Beatitude Sviatoslav added: "Bishop Robert, pray to the merciful God to grant peace to Ukraine and its faithful children!».

As previously reported, Robert Moskal, Bishop Emeritus of the St. Josaphat Eparchy of Parma, died on Sunday, August 7, 2022, at age 85.