Page 4 - February Mag 2025.2.6.2025.Web

SPIRITUAL

Rev. Artur Olexandrovych Bubnevych
Appointed Bishop of Eparchy of Phoenix

The following Proclamation About Bishop Elect Artur Olexandrovych Bubnevych
was issued by Most Rev. Bishop Elect Artur was born on June 22, 1975, in the vil-
Kurt Richard Burnette, PhD, lage of Perechyn, in the Transcarpathian Oblast of Soviet
JD, JCL Apostolic Adminis- Ukraine, in what was then the Union of Soviet Socialist Re-
trator of Phoenix & Bishop publics. This region is the site of the Eparchy of Mukache-
of Passaic: vo, the oldest Byzantine-Ruthenian Catholic eparchy. Due
To all the good people to the oppression of our Church under communist rule, he
of the Eparchy of the Holy was secretly baptized at home by the Byzantine Catholic
Protection of Mary in Phoe- priest Andrey Gleba on July 7, 1975. He speaks his native
nix, and to all Christians, to- Ruthenian language as well as English, German, Latvian,
Rev. Artur Olexandrovych day, the eighth day of No- Russian, and Ukrainian.
Bubnevych. vember in the year of Our In June 1994, he graduated from the Vinogradov Poly-
Lord 2024 on the Feast of technical College, and then entered the Seminary of
St. Michael and all the Holy Incorporeal Powers, Our Holy Blessed Theodore Romzha in August of that year. The Ep-
Father Pope Francis, in the eleventh year of his pontifi- archy sent him to Austria where he learned English at the
cate, has chosen Artur Olexandrovych Bubnevych as the Language Catechetical Institute in 1995, and in 1996 he
Sixth Bishop of the Eparchy of the Holy Protection of Mary entered the International Theological Institute for studies
in Phoenix. (Bishop-Elect Artur was Consecrated to the on Marriage and Family for the Master of Theology. He
Order of the Episcopacy on Tuesday, January 28, 2025 graduated from the Seminary in 1998 and in December
at the Church of the Annunciation in Anaheim, CA, the he was ordained to the order of Subdiaconate by Bishop
consecrators were Metropolitan William Skurla and Bish- Ioann Semediy. He had entered the Licentiate program
op Kurt Burnette & Bishop Robert Pipta.) at the same institute and graduated from there with his
Bishop Elect Artur learned of his new office on the Feast License in Theology in 2001. He then worked for the Dio-
Day of our Martyred Bishop Theodore Romzha, and he cese of Liepaja in Latvia until 2005.
has chosen for his episcopal motto the motto of Theodore Bishop Elect Artur worked for the Eparchy of Mukache-
Romzha, “I will love you, 0 Lord, my strength. The Lord is vo, serving as the Project Secretary with Bishop Milan
my rock and my refuge.” Psalm 18:1-2 Šašik, CM, 2006-2013. In addition, to his work at the chan-
Bishop Elect Artur has labored in the Vineyard of the cery of the Eparchy of Mukachevo, he served as a teacher
Lord diligently since his ordination to the subdiaconate of English at the Seminary, and in 2006-2011 he served
in 1999, and he was pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help as the main cantor at his home parish of Saint Nicholas in
Byzantine Catholic Church in Albuquerque, NM since De- Perechyn.
cember 1, 2014. As our nation continues its slow march to In 2013, he made the decision to apply to come to Amer-
the culture of death, Vladyka Artur is a shining knight in ica as a missionary for the Byzantine Catholic Church, and
the battle to choose life. worked in the Eparchy of Phoenix from September 2013 to
As a priest of the Eparchy myself, I am overjoyed by March 2014 as a subdeacon and parish office assistant at St.
the choice of the Holy Father, and I join the people of the Stephen Cathedral in Phoenix. In 2014 Bishop Gerald Dino
Eparchy in promising prayers and every possible support ordained Bishop Elect Artur on March 9 to the Order of Di-
to the new Shepherd. aconate and on September 14 to the Order of Priesthood.
“Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to Both ordinations were celebrated at St. Stephen Cathedral.
you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate Bishop Gerald assigned him as the Pastor of Our Lady of Per-
their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today petual Help in Albuquerque, starting on January 9, 2015.
and forever.... Obey those who rule over you, and be sub- In addition to his pastoral work, the bishop elect has
missive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who served on these commissions: Intereparchial Commission
must give an account. Let them do so with joy and not of Youth and Young Adults (May 2018); Vocation’s Board
with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. (January 2023); Eparchial Pension Committee (May 2023)
“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Je- and the Intereparchial Commission on Sacred Liturgy
sus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through (Sept 2023).
the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in Besides his priestly ministry, Bishop Elect Artur enjoys
every good work to do His will, working in you what is well the sports of downhill skiing and mountain biking along
pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory with camping.
forever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:7-8, 17, 20-21 CONTINUED on page 7

2 GCU MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2025