ARCHBISHOP DANIEL HONORED AT ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION 22 Years of Priesthood – 15 Years of Episcopacy
ARCHBISHOP DANIEL HONORED AT ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION 22 Years of Priesthood – 15 Years of Episcopacy

His Eminence Archbishop Daniel was ordained by then Archbishop Antony to the Holy Priesthood on 12 May 2001 in St. Andrew Memorial Church. Seven years later, he was consecrated as Bishop of our Holy Ukrainian Orthodox Church on 10 May 2008 in St. Vladimir Cathedral, Parma, OH by Metropolitan Constantine, Archbishop Antony, Metropolitan Nicholas of the American Carpatho-Rusyn Church, Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos representing Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, as well as Metropolitan Yuriy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada Archbishop Jeremiah of the South American Eparchy of the UOC of the USA and Bishop Andriy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada.

On 11 May, 2023 Divine Liturgy was celebrated in St. Andrew Memorial Church commemorating these two ordination events.  Clergy from throughout the New York-New Jersey and Mid-Atlantic Deaneries and a few from as far away as Chicago and Florida concelebrated with our Hierarchs giving glory to God on High for the abundant blessings bestowed upon our Church, her clergy and all her faithful through the dedication of Archbishop Daniel to his call from the Lord to Priestly service.  The clergy were joined by Members of the Council of the Metropolia, faithful representing parishes from near and far, the Consul-General of Ukraine in New York, Honorable Oleksii Holubov and representatives of the Ukrainian community and businesses.  Singing responses during the Liturgy were our seminarians from St. Sophia Seminary.  It was a powerful spiritual experience as all who prayed did so “with one voice and one mind” expressing that gratitude to God in the Holy Trinity, praise for Archbishop Daniel’s devotion to his responsibilities and love for him having experienced his love for them. 

At the conclusion of the Liturgy, Metropolitan Antony greeted Archbishop Daniel recalling their first meeting in 2000.  He outlined the depth of service the Archbishop has dedicated himself to in the life of our Church even as a Deacon prior to his priestly ordination.  He served as pastor of Holy Ascension Parish, Clifton, NJ, as Editor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Word and Director of the Consistory Office of Public Relations, Spiritual Advisor to the Sr. Board of the Ukrainian Orthodox League of the USA, the United Ukrainian Orthodox Sisterhoods and our Orysia Federwych and Natalia Dedeluk Orphanage Adoption Program, leading college mission teams to visit and care for our orphans at the four orphanages our Church adopted.  This partial list was gifted to our Church just during his priestly service. 

During these same years, Archbishop completed a Master’s Degree in Applied Orthodox Theology at the Antiochian University of Balamand, with his coursework completed at the Antiochian House of Studies here in the USA.  This was followed a few years later with a Doctor of Ministry Degree from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.  As if this was not enough, he was commissioned as an officer of the US Army Chaplain Corps, having completed in the Army Chaplain School at Fort Jackson, SC.  He served at fort Totten, NY.  After completion of this service, he was appointed as Dean of Students at St. Sophia Seminary.

This was all prior to his consecration as Bishop and, as Metropolitan stated, his responsibilities only increased first as Bishop of Chicago and upon return to the Metropolia Center, he was appointed as the Academic Dean of the Seminary and finally President of the Consistory upon the enthronement of Archbishop Antony as Metropolitan in January 2012.  In 2018, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople appointed Archbishop as one of his Eparchs to Ukraine along with Bishop Ilarion of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada and Metropolitan Emmanuel of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s Eparch in France to prepare for the Autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.  The Archbishop’s contribution to this delicate effort was – according to many leaders involved – essential to achieving the expected result: the Tomos of Autocephaly awarded to His Eminence Metropolitan Epiphaniy, Metropolitan of Kyiv on 6 January 2019.

The Metropolitan expressed his personal gratitude and love to Archbishop Daniel for all his dedication and devotion to not only our Church here in the USA, but to the entire Ukrainian Orthodox World over the past 22 years.  His Eminence stated clearly that without Archbishop Daniel, many of the programs of our Church, the Consistory and our Central Organizations would have been extremely difficult, if not impossible.  “He has been a gift from God Almighty to our church and to each one of us, along with all the clergy and faithful of our Holy Church.  We thank not only God, but Archbishop himself, for his response to God’s call to service and in spite of any difficulties encountered. I know that my own life would have been almost overwhelming without the Archbishop’s presence and assistance in every aspect of Church life.  May he know every day the depth of love and gratitude we all have for him and the Love of God that abides with him always.”

Following Divine Liturgy our local clergy and seminary wives – Olena Shak, Oksana Pasakas, Valentyna Vysotskyy, Maria Marchyshak, joined by Maureen Nevins (Cultural Center Manager), Maria Morosovsky and Anna Krykh (Seminary Chefs) prepared a beautiful Agape Luncheon at the Ukrainian Cultural Center.  The Archbishop was greeted by many of the nearly one hundred guests present including:  His Grace Bishop Basil (Losten), Bishop-Emeritus of Stamford, Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church; His Excellency Consul General of Ukraine in New York Oleksii Holubov; Dobr. Lesia Siwko, representing both Pokrova Sisterhood of the Memorial Church and the Ukrainian National Federal Credit Union; President and Ihor Makarenko, Treasurer SUMA Federal Credit Union. The most moving greetings came from Pani Halyna Zelinska, mother of Vladyka Daniel, who eloquently spoke of the years of dedicated service of her son in the life of the Church.

At the conclusion of the luncheon, seminarians of St. Sophia Seminary:  Subdeacons Roman Marchyshak, Maxym Zhuravchyk, Andriy Vatrych, Andriy Akulenko, Mykola Stefanyk, Nicholas Worobey, Yuriy Izsyk and Deacon Pavlo Vysotskyy sang several of Archbishop Daniel’s favorite songs to the delight of all.

ARCHBISHOP DANIEL HONORED AT ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION 22 Years of Priesthood – 15 Years of Episcopacy

Photos by Subdeacon Maksym Zhuravchyk

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