Philadelphia, PA– Bishop Andriy Rabiy, Apostolic Administrator, has appointed Very Rev. Mykola Ivanov, J.C.L. as protopresbyter of the South Anthracite Deanery, effective May 1, 2019. Father Mykola serves Transfiguration of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church, Shamokin, Pa. and Patronage of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church, Marion Heights, Pa. He also serves as a judge of the archieparchial tribunal.
Father Mykola succeeds the Very Rev. Archpriest Michael Hutsko. Father Hutsko voluntarily submitted his resignation as protopresbyter which was accepted by Bishop Andriy, April 10, 2019. Father Hutsko serves Ss. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church, Mt. Carmel, Pa. and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church, Centralia, Pa.
Father Ivanov has already assumed the leadership of several South Anthracite Deanery activities.
For the Enthronement of the new Metropolitan-Archbishop Borys Gudziak on June 4, he has continued the plans for the deanery bus trip to Philadelphia that were initiated by his predecessor.
On May 14, he chaired the first planning meeting of clergy and faithful for the 85th Annual Ukrainian Seminary Day, which will be held Sunday, July 28, 2019 at St. Nicholas Grove, Primrose, Minersville, Pa. He is also coordinating the Sixth Annual Deanery Youth Day, which will be held Sunday, July 14 in Knoebel’s Amusement Park, Elysburg, Pa.
Bishop Andriy, on behalf of the clergy, religious and faithful thanks Father Michael for his many years of dedicated service as dean of the South Anthracite Deanery noting that as dean, in addition to his canonical responsibilities, he coordinated the deanery Lenten and Christmas confession schedules, organized the Sunday Deanery Lenten services, provided the leadership for the annual Ukrainian Seminary Day which in 2018 realized a record net profit of $53,100, and five years ago began the Deanery Youth Day which is now an annual summer event held at Knoebel’s Amusement Park for the deanery youth and their families.
Canon 276.1 of the Code of Canons for Eastern Churches defines a Protopresbyter as a presbyter who is placed over a district consisting of several parishes so that, in the name of the eparchial bishop and in the same district, he may fulfill the functions determined by law.
Some of his canonical responsibilities outlined in Canon 278.1 are: Besides the powers and faculties bestowed upon him by particular law it is the right and obligation of the protopresbyter to: (1) coordinate and promote common pastoral action; (2) see to it that clerics lead a life in harmony with their own state and that they diligently fulfill their obligations; (3) see to it that the Divine Liturgy and the divine praises are celebrated according to the prescriptions of the liturgical books, that the good appearance and condition of the churches and sacred furnishings are carefully maintained especially in the celebration of the Divine Liturgy and custody of the Divine Eucharist, that ecclesiastical goods are carefully administered and, finally, that the parish house is properly cared for.
