Metropolitan-Archbishop Emeritus Stephen Sulyk

The present Metropolitan-Archbishop Borys Gudziak in a written statement reflected on the life of the late hierarch with these words “With natural sadness but also with Paschal hope the Philadelphia Archeparchy bids farewell to Metropolitan-Emeritus Stephen Sulyk.  As a priest and bishop, he was a dedicated minister of the Lord in the Archeparchy for 65 years since his priestly ordination in 1955. We thank God for his life and raise prayers of gratitude for his service.”

Arcbishop Borys concludes his tribute, “In these days, priests and laypeople from different states and different countries have shared with me their testimonials to Metropolitan Stephen’s piety, dedication, sense of responsibility, and pastoral diligence. Bishops have written letters of condolences from many lands recounting beautiful moments shared with the Archbishop and listing various generous gestures made by him. I trust that these reminiscences will be published and will contribute to the lasting legacy of a man who overcame the challenges faced by a village boy whose youth was scarred by a devastating war. Not a stone is left standing in Metropolitan’s home village, today found in southwestern Poland. His beloved village is gone. But the legacy of its son will remain among us.”

Archbishop Sulyk was appointed Metropolitan-Archbishop of Philadelphia by St. John Paul II on December 29, 1980 and was consecrated bishop in Rome on March 1, 1981.  The principal Consecrator was His Beatitude Josyf Cardinal Slipyj, and the Principal Co-Consecrators were Bishop Basil H. Losten, Bishop of Stamford and Bishop Nilus Nicholas Savaryn, O.S.B.M. Bishop of Edmonton.

Upon reaching the canonical age for retirement, St. John Paul II accepted his resignation on November 29, 2000.

Stephen Sulyk was born to Michael and Mary Denys Sulyk on October 2, 1924 in Balnycia, a village in the Lemko District of the Carpathian mountains in  Western Ukraine.  In 1944, he graduated from high school in Sambir.  After graduation, the events of Word War II forced him to leave his native land and share the experience of a refugee.

He entered the Ukrainian Catholic Seminary of the Holy Spirit in Hirschberg, Germany.  In 1948, he migrated to the United States and continued his priestly studies at Saint Josaphat’s Seminary and The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

In 1952, he received his S.T.L. degree from the Catholic University of America and was ordained to the priesthood on June 14, 1952 at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Philadelphia.

After ordination, he served as assistant pastor in Omaha, Nebraska; Brooklyn, N.Y;  St. Nicholas parish in Minersville,, Pa., and Youngstown, Ohio.  He received his first pastoral assignment in 1955 in Phoenixville, Pa. with the additional responsibilities as Chancery Secretary.

From  July 1, 1957 until October 5, 1961 he was pastor of St. Michael’s Church in Frackville, Pa.  During his short tenure of four years, he built, furnished and paid for a new church and parish social hall.  Annual gross income rose from $10,000 in 1957 to $60,000 in what was considered a financially depressed area.

After a short stay at St. Nicholas parish in Philadelphia, on March 22, 1962, he was appointed pastor of Assumption Church, Perth Amboy, N.J.  Within a year, he completed a new elementary school.   During his pastorate,  he converted the rectory into a convent for nuns, built a new rectory, purchased and landscaped additional parish grounds and renovated the parish church.  He also compiled and printed a series of bi-lingual texts for use in liturgical services.  On May 31, 1968, His Holiness Pope Paul VI granted him the dignity of Papal Chaplain with the title of Monsignor.

On December 29, 1980 he was appointed Metropolitan-Archbishop of Philadelphia by Pope John Paul II.  He was consecrated bishop in Rome on March 1, 1981.

He supervised the construction of a new chancery center and bishop’s residence and cathedral rectory.  He renovated the sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral and landscaped the adjoining grounds.  He established the Seminary Endowment Fund to finance the education of seminarians and to provide income for St. Josaphat’s Seminary.

At the request of the Vatican, he was involved in sensitive diplomatic talks with members of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine at the time the Soviet Union was collapsing, Ukraine was becoming an independent nation and the Ukrainian Catholic Church was emerging from its existence as a persecuted catacomb church under atheistic communism of the  Soviets.

He has served on various committees of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Catholic Church..

June 14, 2002 was the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination to the Holy Priesthood and his Golden Jubilee was observed with the celebration of a hierarchical Divine Liturgy and a testimonial banquet on June 23, 2002.

October 1, 2019, he was honored by the Archeparchy on the occasion of his 95^th birthday.

During his retirement years, he lived in Cherry Hill, N.J.

He was predeceased by his parents and the following siblings:  Ivan, Vasyl, Dmytro, Anna Nicholas and Ivan, Jr.

In addition to several nieces and nephews, he is survived by the following cousins: Frank Stec (Christine), Steve Boyduy, Lidia Devonshire, Theresa Nord (Tim), Donna Sauchak (Greg), Stephen Stec (Tonya), Kristin Magar (Steve), Lauren Stec and Jordan Stec.

Due to the coronoavirus pandemic, private funeral services for the late Metroplitan-Archbishop Stephen will be conducted on Bright Monday, April 13, 2020 by Metropolitan-Archbishop Borys Gudziak in the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Philadelphia, Pa. He will be buried in the cathedral crypt next to +Bishop Soter Ortynsky, +Bishop Constantine Bohachevsky and +Metropolitan Ambrose Senyshyn. There will be a very limited number present at the funeral due to the coronavirus epidemic. You may watch the funeral live streamed on the Facebook page of the Archeparchy of Philadelphia at 10 AM.
A public requiem Divine Liturgy for the repose of his soul will be celebrated at a future date still to be determined.

May his memory be eternal!