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.