Many years to Metropolitan Stephen Sulyk on his 90th birthday.
Records show that Archbishop Emeritus Stephen Sulyk was born on
October 2nd, 1924. However, he relates that his actual date of birth was October 1st, and that it was recorded on the following day. Archbishop Emeritus Sulyk was born in Balnycia, in Ukraine.
He emigrated to the United States of America in 1948. He studied at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. from 1948 to 1952.
He was ordained a priest by the late Archbishop Constantine Bohachevsky in Philadelphia on June 14th, 1952.
As an assistant priest from 1952 to 1955, he served in parishes located in Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska, Brooklyn, NY, Minersville, PA, and Youngstown, OH.
From 1955 to 1980, he served as pastor in Phoenixville, PA, Frackville, PA, St. Nicholas in Philadelphia, and Perth Amboy, NJ where he served for 18 years.
Fr. Stephen Sulyk was appointed by the Holy Father as Metropolitan Archbishop of Philadelphia on December 29th, 1980, and was consecrated by Major Archbishop Joseph Slipyj in Rome on March 1st, 1981. He retired on November 29th, 2000 at the time his successor, Most Rev. Stefan Soroka was appointed as Metropolitan-Archbishop.
He has served our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and His Holy Ukrainian Catholic Church for 62 years as a priest, which includes 34 years as an archbishop.