Funeral: P. Stephen J. Skinta OSBM (* 1927 +2012)

https://picasaweb.google.com/11209742773...LfS_cTh0Pu7owE#

Name of village is HACAVA - now in SLOVAKIA near Kosice - Byzanthine Eparchy Kosice
Priest - Father Mgr. Jozef Gočík: jozef.gocik@pbe.sk

A very beautiful church. Is the young Bishop Filip a new Greek Catholic Bishop in Kosice?

David,

Actually, Bishop Filip (Kocsis) ( ) is the Eparch of Hajdudorog of the Hungarians. The elderly hierarch is Bishop Jan Eugen (Kocis), Titular Bishop of Abrittum, whom I believe (Vladimir, correct me please if I'm mistaken) is the Emeritus Auxiliary of one of the Slovak eparchies.

Vladimir,

Thank you for posting these. As David said, it's a beautiful church and in looking at the photos, I was struck by the portrait photo ("Winter 2012") of Father Joseph. He looks to have been a very gentle and happy soul.

May the memory of the Lord's servant, the Priest Joseph, be eternal!

Many years,

Neil

Vladimir, Nice also to see a photo of a new member, as I presume that's you in the photo with Father Joseph, Bishop Jan, and another Basilian priest.

Thank you for posting Vladimir. Fr. Stephen was a kind and gentle soul. May his memory be eternal.

Boldog Nyugalmat

I didn't know Father, of course being here in America, but I sensed from the photos what was said of him. Like many of our people of his generation he was chosen to live in 'interesting times' of great challenge and turmoil. I knew many priests of his generation who were no doubt akin to him but whose fate led them to Orthodoxy on these shores, including my Father and my Godfather (who received his priestly training from the good Basilian Fathers prior to the 'borba' and who was the first married man ordained by Bishop Chornock following those tragic events.) The Church - Catholic and Orthodox - is a better place for their having toiled in Her Vineyards and we are better people for their efforts. They will be missed. Eternal be their Memories! Eternal be the memory of the Priest Stephen! Vicnaja Jim Pamjat! Vicnaja Jemu Pamjat! AS the gates of the heavenly Kingdom open for them, the cry of Axios! resounds across the heavens.

Ahh...Fr. Stephen did serve in the US for many years...he was with the Hungarian Basilians who have a monastery in New Jersey...and assisted in many parishes...I recall a priest from the Eparchy of Passaic, when speaking about Fr. Stephen saying something along the lines of...He is the perfect priest to put into situations where the heat has been turned up...he could calm the waters with his simple presence. Not an exact quote but that was about 25 years ago...

Glory to Jesus Christ!

I remember Fr. +Stephen very well. Before he served in New Jersey, he was assigned to our parish, St. John’s in Cleveland. At the time (I was quite a young lad) it was St. John the Baptist Hungarian Greek Catholic Church on Buckeye Rd, the Hungarian neighborhood in Cleveland. Now the church is relocated to Solon OH and serves faithful with varied backgrounds. This was in the late 50’s or early 60’s when he was at St. John's.

I remember Fr. +Stephen always put his whole heart into any activity he was engaged in, whether it was liturgical or parish related. He had a wonderful way of attracting people, and at that time the parish was a large one, with many events always happening.

May the Lord God grant to his newly departed and priestly servant +Stephan, blessed repose, where there is no pain sorrow or mourning, but only light and life everlasting! May his memory be eternal! Boldog Nyugalmat

Fr Deacon El

I also remember Father Skinta from his time at my home parish of St. Michael's when it was still located in the Hungarian neighborhood in Toledo. My recollections are the same as Deacon El's. He was always very dedicated to our parishioners and was
focused on the importance of religious education for the youth of St. Michael's. It was around his time in Toledo that I began to serve at the Divine Liturgy. Father Skinta is still fondly remembered by the older parishioners at St. Michael's. Eternal Memory.
Deacon James Sofalvi

I knew Fr. Stephen quite well. For a while, I assisted at his parish in Trenton, NJ (St. Nicholas) as cantor, when called upon. I was first introduced to him when I began visiting the Basilian monastery in Matawan, NJ, back in 1980. He had been in poor health for years, having suffered more than one stroke. He was a very good priest and a very good monk. When he went back to the Mariapocs monastery in Hungary, he continued to send us annual Christmas cards, right up to last year. May his memory be eternal.

Dn Robert