www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Newly Received Subdeacon

Christ is born! (All you OC's can ignore that for a few more days 😛 )
Hi, all! Today I was recieved into full communion with the Catholic Church. 😁
This comes with questions for me that, try as I might, have not been able to find a solid answer for.
I'm was made a subdeacon in the Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Church. So, I would be now a member of the Ruthenian Catholic Church? Or the Byzantine Catholic Church? Or the Ukranian Catholic Church? I was baptised Greek Orthodox, does that change things? What becomes of my subdeaconate? Am I still a subdeacon? What are the rules and regulations? Whos my bishop? If I am stil a subdeacon, am I now a celebate, being unmarried?
I've tried contacting a few eparchys but no one has gotten back to me.
I hope you all are so far enjoying the new year!

How were you received in to the Catholic Church? What jurisdiction was the priest who received you?

Through reciting the Creed and saying I belive in all the Catholic Church teaches, etc, in a small ceremony. It was in a Latin Rite Church by a Latin Rite priest. Theres no Eastern Rite churches where I am.

Christ is in our midst!!

Welcome to the forum.

These are all questions that should have been addressed before you made your profession of faith, especially the one about your orders.

There is a small group (5 parishes) of Slovak Eastern Catholics in Canada and they are akin to the Ruthenian Catholic Church in the United States. Their bishop is now eparchial bishop in the Western United States and still retains jurisdiction over them. I don't know if you would be part of them. The Ruthenian Church--aka, the Byzantine Catholic Church--in the United States is the place where ACROD came out of over a number of issues that you are probably aware of.

There is a large Ukrainian Catholic parish in Brampton, Ontario--St Elias the Prophet. You can google and find their website. I don't know how close you would be to that parish.

If it were me, I would go back to the priest who received you and ask him these questions.

You might also address your questions to my bishop, Most Rev. Mark Bartchak, of Altoona-Johnstown, in the United States. He is a sought after canon lawyer. He's also a very kind, pastoral man. He is regularly in Rome doing consultations for the various papal congregations. You may find his address on the Altoona-Johnstown website.

Bob
Moderator

Thank you very much for the info! I tried contacting some people, but no one ever got back to me. My preist was unsure, as was another who was helping me. I will try what you suggested.
I'm in North Ontario. The closest city to me is 2 1/2 hours away, but it has two UGCC parishes. I might find some answers there.
What are the jurisdictional boundries like in the Eastern Churches? I had to get the permission of my bishop to serve in another parish of our own, and get the permission of the ruling bishop of a parish if it was in another diocese. Can I serve (once this is figured out) in whatever parish I find myself? I miss doing subdeacon things.

Christ is Born!!

If your only option is a Latin parish, I don't now if you were told that the subdeacon's role was abolished in the liturgical reform. We have no subdeacons today except in the Extraordinary form (the old Latin Mass). Serving as a subdeacon in the Latin Mass will be very, very different from what you have experienced if you find a parish that offers that option--it's not all that common. I can't say that your experience of having to obtain permission to serve in a clerical role will be any different in the Catholic communion.

There must be more to your situation than you have revealed here and an internet forum is hardly the place to find the answers you are seeking.

I suspect from the little you have posted that you were received as a layman into a Latin parish if there are no Eastern Catholic parishes nearby. I am also puzzled as to the process by which you were received because it is usually done at the Easter Vigil after a process of study and formation. That process usually delves into all the ins and outs of you and your background before a reception takes place.

Bob