Bishop John Stock
Bishop John Stock was born on July 5, 1918, in Blackwood, PA, and died in a car accident on July 29, 1972, on the highway near Trenton, NJ.
Bishop John lived only 54 years and was an auxiliary bishop in Philadelphia for only 1 year, but he devotedly worked and served our Church and the faithful in America and Europe for 29 years of his life.
As a 19-year-old boy, he responded to the invitation of Bishop Constantine Bohachevsky and went to study theology in Innsbruck, Austria. Studying in Europe was a challenge because he had to learn a few new languages and keep up with his studies. Young John Stock was very gifted and managed to succeed in his studies. Young Myroslav Ivan Lubachivsky (the future Metropolitan of Philadelphia) studied with him at that time as well. The Second World War prevented John from finishing his studies in Europe, and he completed them at the Catholic University of America (Washington, DC). In December 1943, he was ordained a priest by Bishop Constantine at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Philadelphia.
Father John's priestly ministry began in Minnesota, where he served the faithful in Minneapolis and Chisholm until 1945. Then he was Bishop Constantine's secretary for a year and served in parishes in Brooklyn and Yonkers, NY. A year later, 28-year-old Father John Stock received a new mission from Bishop Bohachevsky – to help and take care of Ukrainian refugees in Europe. So, for six years from 1946 to 1952, he represented the Ukrainian Catholic Relief Committee (headquartered in Stamford, CT), which helped Ukrainian refugees in Europe. During this time, the young priest helped about 40,000 people fleeing the Bolsheviks with advice and finances to obtain documents for a new life in the United States of America.
After returning to the United States, Fr. Stock continued to work as the secretary of the Relief Committee and was also the secretary of Bishop Ambrose Senyshyn. From 1957 to 1971, Fr.
John was chancellor of the newly created Eparchy of Stamford and also served at St. Michael's Parish in New Haven, CT (1962-1969) and St. Michael's Parish in Yonkers, NY (1969-1971).
In February 1971, he was called to episcopal ministry and was ordained by Bishop Ambroze Senyshyn on May 25 of the same year. The episcopal service was a challenge for Fr. John Stock, as some faithful in America believed his appointment should not have been made by Pope Paul VI, but by the UGCC Synod headed by Josyf Slipyj. Unfortunately, due to ecclesiological misunderstandings among the faithful, among whom were also those whom Fr. John helped to start a new life in America, his bishop ordination was sabotaged and accompanied by the presence of the police.
Throughout his priestly and episcopal ministry, Bishop John Stock faithfully served the people and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in America. His ministry had a pastoral and administrative character. With his quiet daily work and kind smile, he helped thousands of the faithful and also did a lot of invisible administrative work that supported the life and activities of our Church.
Perhaps you or your relatives arrived in the USA with assistance from the Ukrainian Catholic Relief Committee and Father John Stock.
