“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men”: Stories of vocations to the priesthood in the parishes of our Philadelphia Archeparchy

April 17, 2026

The Church as a community of the faithful is a space where vocations to the priesthood are born and nurtured. The parish, together with the priest, through the sacraments and care, can help to feel, or rather to hear more clearly the voice of God's calling. Of course, it is not only the parish that influences the development of vocations, because family, friends, or other communities also play an important role in this path of discerning God's will.

Father Andrew Onuferko, who grew up in the parish of Christ the King in Philadelphia, speaking about his vocation, said that it was shaped not only by the parish, but also by the example of his uncle who was a priest, the support of Father Paul Burak (pastor of the neighboring parish of the Annunciation), and later, during his stay in Rome, it was inspired by the example of Patriarch Josyf Slipyj.

This testimony clearly shows how special each priestly vocation's path is and the role the community plays in it.

I must immediately draw attention to the limits that I have set for myself in making this historical review. Since our Archeparchy is the mother of all the eparchies of our Church in the United States, and until 1956 extended to the entire territory of the country, many vocations to the priesthood came from all corners of it. Father Dmytro Blazejowskyj, in his, I would say monumental work, Ukrainian Catholic Clergy in Diaspora (1751-1988), wrote that as of 1988, 230 priests of the diaspora were born in the United States.

All of them, as one might expect, came from our parishes and were children of immigrants or were already the second generation born in America. I limited my little research to parishes that are now territorially part of the Philadelphia Archeparchy. While searching for information for this article, I discovered that 43 parishes of our Archeparchy have become places of vocation for over 100 priests. Below, I present all the names I found. Anticipating that I may have missed someone, I ask you to write and share information, and we will supplement the article with your memories. My goal is not to tell about all the hundred, but rather to show the rich palette of vocations that our Archeparchy is rich in. I deliberately do not undertake to describe vocations to monastic life in order to focus specifically on priests. However, I will allow myself to note that this is another layer of our common spiritual treasure.

I want to begin my story with the stories of six men who not only responded to the call to the priesthood, but also later became bishops and served our faithful in the USA.

Fr. Joseph Schmondiuk and 8th grade grad Hamtreck, Mich June 1950

Bishop Joseph Schmondiuk was orphaned at an early age and raised by the Basilian Sisters in Philadelphia. The Sisters’ Orphanage and the Cathedral Parish of the Immaculate Conception were the communities that shaped his vocation. When he was 18, Bishop Constantine Bohachevsky sent young Joseph to Rome, where he studied philosophy at the Pontifical Angelicum University and theology at the Pontifical Propaganda Fide University (now Urbaniana). After graduating, Fr. Joseph served for 20 years in 4 parishes in the United States and also served as an eparchial consultor and eparchial judge in the tribunal.

Bishop John Stock was called from St. Nicholas Parish in St. Clair, PA. In 1937, 19-year-old John went to Innsbruck, Austria, to study theology. The war interrupted his studies, and he had to complete them in America. In 1943, he was ordained a priest, and his ministry spanned the war and post-war periods. For almost 10 years, he helped and supported the migrants from DP camps who were fleeing the war, and facilitated their relocation and settlement in the USA.

Bishop Basil Losten comes from the parish of St. Basil the Great, located in Chesapeake City, MD. He received his theological education at the seminaries of St. Basil in Stamford, CT, St. Josaphat in Washington, DC, and the Catholic University of America. During his 14 years of priestly ministry, Fr. Basil not only served faithfully in the parishes but also worked in the episcopal office, initiating several important projects, including the Priestly Pension Fund and Ascension Manor.

It is important to note that these three vocations to the priesthood received encouragement and support from Bishop Constantine Bohachevsky, who oversaw the higher education of the first two and served as a personal example for the latter.

Bishop Walter Paska was a vocation from St. Volodymyr’s Parish in Elizabeth, NJ. Before becoming a bishop, Fr. Walter served faithfully for 45 years as a priest in three of our eparchies (Philadelphia, Stamford, and Chicago), and also as a teacher, director of vocations, and chancellor. During this time, he also received a doctorate in theology from the Catholic University of America. Later, Fr. Walter taught canon law at that university for more than 10 years.

Bishop Richard Seminaсk came from St. Josaphat Parish, which was in Philadelphia (Frankford). He studied in our seminaries in the United States and also received his education in Rome. He, along with three others, received priestly ordination from Bishop Ambrose Senyshyn on May 25, 1967. This ordination was the last to be held in the old Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Philadelphia. During his 36 years as a priest, Fr. Richard served in many parishes in the Philadelphia and Parma eparchies. He was also chaplain to the Basilian Sisters in Fox Chase, PA, served on the catechetical commission in the Parma Eparchy, and was a spiritual director for the League of Ukrainian Catholics.

Bishop John Bura, although born in Germany in a refugee camp, moved to America at the age of 6, and his vocation to the priesthood was nurtured at St. Peter and Paul Parish in Jersey City, NJ. He also received his theological education in our seminaries in the United States and later served at St. Basil as a teacher and at St. Josaphat as rector. In the 1980s, Fr. John’s ministry was connected with our first parish, St. Michael’s, in Shenandoah, PA. In 1980, this church tragically burned down on Easter Sunday. So Fr. John, together with the parishioners, worked hard to build a new church, which was built just in time for the 100th anniversary of the founding of this first parish in America.

It is worth mentioning here the first vocation of our Church in America, which was also partly connected with the parish of St. Michael in Shenandoah. The first priest born and raised in the United States was Father Michael Kapec. He was born in 1892 in Glen Lyon, PA, and a year later, our parish of St. Nicholas was founded there. Michael received his formation at the Roman Catholic Seminary in Baltimore, MD. Bishop Nykyta Budka ordained him a priest on January 15, 1920, in Hamilton, Ontario (Canada). I suspect that this event took place in Canada for two reasons. First, at that time, there was no Eastern Catholic bishop in the United States who could ordain him. Secondly, Michael was married (wife Maria, son Myron), and at that time in America, there was already a ban on ordaining married candidates to the priesthood. Immediately after his ordination, Father Michael began his ministry at the parish of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos in Marion Heights, PA. Later, he served for 10 years at the parish in Shenandoah, PA. It is symbolic that the first priest born in America had the opportunity to serve at our first parish in this country.

Another story is connected with the primacy of the parish in Shenandoah. The first vocation of this oldest parish was Father Martin Canavan. He received priestly ordination on May 23, 1968, from the hands of Bishop Ambrose Senyshyn in Philadelphia, PA. This ordination was the first to take place in the newly built Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

Fr. Richard Seminaсk. First Divine Liturgy at his home parish in Philadelphia

Saints Cyril and Methodius Parish in Olyphant, PA, is one of the parishes of our Archeparchy that has nurtured the most vocations for our Church. Its longtime pastor was Father Stephen Hrynuck, who was also a vocation of our Archeparchy of Philadelphia and, according to Father John Sembrat, was an example of selfless service to God.

Twelve young men from this parish felt the call to the priesthood: Stephen Chehansky, John Beckage, Basil Feddish, Stephen Kollar, OSBM, Joseph Nesevitch, Samuel Quartucci, John Sembrat, OSBM, John Stevensky, Dmytro Wysochansky, OSBM, John Wysochansky, Constantine Wysochansky, OSBM, and Walter Wysochansky.

The last four are brothers. They come from the family of Josyf Wysochansky and Anelia of Dmytrykovych, who had 12 children. Constantine and Dmytro received a vocation to the monastic life and entered the Basilian Fathers' monastery. Constantine became a priest at the age of 49. Before that, he studied and worked in Canada and Italy and served as a missionary in Argentina and Brazil. Constantine was one of those who participated in the translation of the Bible into Ukrainian in the 1960s. After graduating from high school, John served in the US Army in Italy. He later completed his theological studies in Washington, DC and served as a priest for more than 60 years in various parishes of our Church in America. Dmytro, a Basilian monk, not only served in parishes for 59 years but also wrote, translated, and edited books on liturgical and historical topics. Walter also received his theological education in Washington, DC, and became a priest. He worked extensively with youth and was a spiritual director for the League of Ukrainian Catholics. Father Walter has been witnessing, writing, and serving in many parishes in the US for almost 60 years. The vocation of these four brothers grew in the parish, but in a special way, it was nurtured by the example and prayer of their mother, Anelia. The vocation of Father John Sembrat, a nephew of the Wysochanskys’, is another fruit of the prayer and support of this family and the parish in Olyphant.

In this brief historical excursion, which presents only a small part of the stories of vocations to the priesthood (and does not mention vocations to the diaconate) in our Archeparchy, I tried to highlight the role of the environment, parishes, and family in nurturing vocations. Of course, each vocation is special, each deserves its own story, but even from these sketches, it is clear that a vocation does not develop in a vacuum but always needs the support of those who are around.

I invite you to join in creating a mosaic of our common history. Share your memories and sketches of the priests you know, and send photos and videos.

Allentown, PA (Closed) – Sayuk Thomas

Bayonne, NJ: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Fedorek Joseph

Berwick, PA: Sts. Cyril and Methodius – Bobersky Michael

Bridgeport, PA: Sts. Peter and Paul – Hitchens Robert J., Martyniuk Joseph

Centralia, PA: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Fedorchuk Peter, Weneck Theodore, OFM

Cherry Hill, NJ: St. Michael the Archangel – Vasyliv Bohdan

Chesapeake City, MD: St. Basil – Bishop Basil Losten, Hotra Stephen

Chester, PA: Holy Ghost (Closed) – Szupa Joseph T.

Edwardsville, PA: St. Volodymyr (Closed) – Litwak John, Wolensky Paul, Wolensky Nicholas

Elizabeth, NJ: St. Volodymyr – Bishop Walter Paska, Shary Joseph

Frackville, PA: St. Michael – Chabin David, Fedorowich Michael, Fields John, Hancher Maksym, Spotts Paul

Glen Lyon, PA: St. Nicholas – Kapec Michael, Skorodinsky Michael

Hazleton, PA: St. Michael – Polischak Adam, Batcho Robert

Jersey City, NJ: Sts. Peter and Paul – Bishop John Bura, Dnistrian Dmytro, CSsR, Ulicky Andrew, Zarichny Stephen

Maizeville, PA: St. John’s – Bobyock John, Dubitsky Roman

Marion Heights, PA: Patronage of the Mother of God – Burak Alex, Burak Paul, Fesniak Mark, Shaloka Joseph, Troyan Daniel

McAdoo, PA: Patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Batcho Michael, Radchuk Anthony

McKeesport, PA: St. John the Baptist – Nestor Michael

Minersville, PA: St. Nicholas – Baunchalk Andrew

Nanticoke, PA: Transfiguration of Our Lord – Babak Nicholas, Kozmoski Myron, Plekon Myron, Shek Volodymyr

Newark, NJ: St. John the Baptist – Chirovsky Andri, Chirovsky Ivan, Kolpakov Vladimir, CSsR

Olyphant, PA: Sts. Cyril and Methodius – Chehansky Stephen, Beckage John, Feddish Basil, Kollar Stephen, OSBM, Nesevitch Joseph, Quartucci Samuel, Sembrat John, OSBM, Stevensky John, Wysochansky Dmytro, OSBM, Wysochansky John, Wysochansky Constantine, OSBM, Wysochansky Walter

Palmerton, PA: St. Volodymyr – Levandusky Edward

Passaic, NJ: St. Nicholas – Mezzomo Charles, Molodowitz Augustine, Shafran Stephen, SDB, Worschak George

Perth Amboy, NJ: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Makar Paul J., Mosko Leon, Petrenka John

Philadelphia, PA: St. Josaphat (Closed) – Bishop Richard Seminack, Leskiw Peter, Mucowski Richard, OFM

Philadelphia, PA: Christ the King – Loza Michael, Mirchuk Roman, Midzak Ihor, Onuferko Andrew

Philadelphia, PA: Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception – Bishop Joseph Schmondiuk, Hrynuck Stephen

Philadelphia, PA: Holy Protection (Closed) – Lopatsie Marion

Philadelphia, PA: St. Nicholas – Iwasiw Nestor

Phoenixville, PA: Sts. Peter and Paul – Grabowsky Myron

Pottstown, PA: St. Michael – Weiner Philip

Pottsville, PA: St. Michael – Hutsko Michael

Sayre, PA: Ascension of Our Lord – Sozansky Myron, CSsR, Fabregas Stefan