Bishop Soter Ortynsky, the first bishop for the Eastern Catholics in the United States of America, served for nine intense years, filled with challenges, before his sudden passing. Today, we prayerfully remember the anniversary of his death on March 24, 1916, and his funeral on March 30 of the same year.
On March 11, Bishop Soter completed a two-week mission at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, delivering a two-hour sermon. Known as a hardworking and dedicated pastor to his flock, he fell ill with pneumonia shortly thereafter, marking the fourth occurrence of the illness in his life. Tragically, Bishop Ortynsky succumbed to the disease on March 24 at 11:30 in the morning.
Approximately 15,000 faithful gathered in Philadelphia for his funeral. Although Bishop Nykyta Budka from Canada couldn't attend, Vicar General of the Exarchate, Very Rev. Aleksander Dzubay, led the prayer. Notable attendees included three Roman Catholic bishops: Michael J. Hoban of Scranton, John J. McCort of Altoona, and Archbishop Edmond F. Prendergast of Philadelphia, along with Maronite Church Chorbishop Joseph Yazbek from Boston. Additionally, Orthodox priests, pastors from various Protestant denominations, and Jewish rabbis came to pay their respects. The US President Woodrow Wilson sent flowers to honor the bishop.
Bishop Soter was laid to rest in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, a place he had purchased and blessed for his faithful. In the 1960s, his body was moved to a new cathedral and reburied in the crypt.
Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytskyi, upon learning of Bishop Ortynsky's death, expressed profound grief in a letter from his exile in Kursk to the bishop’s brother, Josyf Ortynsky. He described the loss as a heavy pain and sorrow, emphasizing Bishop Soter's significance as a brother, friend, and comrade for 30 years, and as a source of glory and strength for the church.
Please remember Bishop Soter Ortynsky in your prayers.