Our Mission
The Mission of the Eparchy of St. Josaphat is to be, as
Christ was, a vibrant living icon of God, is the vision that
inspires the life and ministry of the Ukrainian Catholic
Diocese (Eparchy) of Saint Josaphat in Parma, a church open
to all people of all ethnic backgrounds and social
conditions. This vision calls us to live our faith with
integrity so that, as a true icon, we may be for each other
and for all others, an authentic medium of God's Presence.
Baptized into Christ, every person in this community -
bishop, priests, deacons, religious, and laity - is a sharer
in the priesthood of Christ. This shared identity grounds
each of our specific vocations and motivates the use of
every other gift given to build up the Body of Christ.
Two strong supports sustain our vital and shared identity as
a living icon:
As a human community, we employ every means available to
assure that a vital ministry of administration guarantees
effective diocesan structures that foster a vigorous life
and ministry at the parish level.
As a faith-filled people of an Eastern Christian Tradition,
we strive to make the liturgy the heartbeat of our community
and the source of our vitality. Gathered with Christ at
prayer, especially at the Divine Liturgy, we offer a
sacrifice of praise and open ourselves to the challenging
and transforming Presence of God's Holy Spirit.
Our History
In 1983, Pope John Paul II established a new eparchy for
Ukrainian Catholics in the United States with its seat in
Parma, Ohio, and Bishop Robert M. Moskal was installed as
its first eparch.The new eparchy has as its cathedral church
St. Josaphat's Church on State Road in Parma, Ohio.
It includes the states of Ohio, western Pennsylvania,
West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama,
Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina. The eparchy is
known as the Eparchy of St. Josaphat.
