The following are vocations from the Eparchy of Van Nuys – A Byzantine Catholic Diocese covering over 15 States from Anchorage to Las Vegas. At last count 20 parishes…
1 seminarian, 1 postulant, and 6 oridnations to the diaconate this year.
Keep them in your prayers!
* Ms. Melissa Morrow from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Albuquerque, entered Holy Annunciation Monastery of the Byzantine Carmelite Nuns in Sugarloaf as a postulant on July 16.
* Mr. Diodoro Mendoza of Our Lady of Wisdom Church, Las Vegas, has been accepted as a candidate to study for the holy priesthood at SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary for the Fall Semester of the 2007–2008 Academic Year.
* Mr. Brian D. Escobedo was ordained to the Minor Orders, Subdiaconate and the Diaconate on July 22 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Albuquerque.
* Mr. John Bradley will be ordained to the Minor Orders, Subdiaconate and the Diaconate July 29 at Saint Anne Church, San Luis Obispo.
* Mr. Michael Mandelas will be ordained to the Minor Orders, Subdiaconate and the Diaconate on August 19, 2007, at Saint John Chrysostom Church, Seattle.
* Mr. James Danovich and Mr. Michael Hanafin will be ordained to Minor Orders, Subdiaconate and Diaconate on August 25 at St. Stephen’s Pro-Cathedral, Phoenix.
* Mr. Michael Sullivan will be ordained to the Minor Orders, Subdiaconate and the Diaconate on August 26 at Saint Thomas the Apostle Church, Gilbert, Arizona.
Hat tip to Sophia Wannabe from the Byzantine Forum for the info.
His Grace, +JOHN (The Eparchy of Parma, OH) already ordained 5 men to the diaconate this year:
* Fr. Dcn. William Frederick (St. Joseph Byzantine Catholic Church Brecksville, OH)
* Fr. Dcn. Paul Latcha (St. Basil Byzantine Catholic Church Sterling Heights, MI)
* Fr. Dcn. Jeffrey Martin (St. John Chrysostom Church Columbus, OH)
* Fr. Dcn. Daniel Surniak (St. Mary Magdalene Church Fairview Park, OH)
* Fr. Dcn. Nicholas Szilagye (St. Luke Church Sugar Creek, MO)
Recent ordinations by Bishop Andrew to the diaconate for the Eparchy of Passaic (Covering most of the Eastern searboard down to Florida):
June 23, 2007 at St. Mary Church, Wilkes-Barre, PA.
* Fr. Dcn. Edward Frey
* Fr. Dcn. Soroka
* Fr. Dcn. Lawrence Worlinsky
July 1, 2007 at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Rahway, NJ.
* Fr. Dcn. Mark Koscinski
* Fr. Dcn. Charles Laskowski
Please understand that the largest two or three Roman parishes in the US have more members tha all of the Byzantine Catholic Church in America put together. Most of our parishes are so small they would not have full time priests in most Latin Diocese. At the last training period at the Byzantine Catholic Seminary there were 16 candidates from 3 of the 4 eparchies in the Metropolia present.
16 men ordained across the country from a population of some 30,000 or so just this summer. As a Greek Catholic, to me that is very special, and encouraging. We are a little flock in the great sea of America that did not even ordain married men deacons ten years ago.
Even a flock that is small in numbers yet large in faith can offer much fruit. Sometimes we look around at the low Mass attendance in churches built to hold much more and we think to ourselves “There should be more!” and despair. Well there in fact SHOULD be more, but there is no room for despair!
Many faithful years to them all! Keep them in your prayers!
Posted by asimplesinner 
