www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Prayer +Father Paul Nicholas Guthrie, OFM

June 1, 2010

The Rev. Paul (Nicholas) Guthrie passed away Tuesday afternoon.

Nicholas Guthrie was born at Children's Hospital, Washington, D.C., on July 21, 1922, the son of Nicholas Ward Guthrie and Bernadine March.

Through a distant relative, Fr. Norbert Fenwick, O.P., he was related to Cuthbert Fenwick and his wife, who came to the Colonies (U.S.A.) in 1641 as Catholic refugees from England.

Nicholas was baptized in the Latin Rite at St. Patrick Parish and attended elementary school at St. Anthony School from 1929 to 1938. Through the generosity of his grandmother, Lillian Ross Guthrie, he was able to attend Gonzaga High School. After graduation, he attended Providence College in Providence, R.I., from 1942 to 1944.

He joined the Capuchin Friars and made his novitiate at Ss. Peter and Paul Friary, Cumberland, Md. He was sent for philosophy at St. Fidelis Seminary, Victoria, Kan., and theology at Capuchin College, Washington, D.C.

After leaving the Capuchins, he worked in the machine binding department of Guthrie Lithograph Co., which was owned by his extended family.

A friend introduced him to Friendship House, Washington, D.C., affiliated with Friendship House, Harlem, N.Y., established by Catherine de Hueck, a Russian Catholic convert. She inspired many Catholic college youth to become staff members to work for interracial justice. Nicholas became a part-time volunteer and spent some months in Harlem.

While in Washington, he was tutored in Russian by Maja Romanova Groskaya.Since 1945, he was inspired by the words of Pius XII to learn Russian and work in that apostolate. Many circumstances concurred to bring him gradually to the OFM Franciscans and the Byzantine Catholic Church.

Receiving a dispensation from the Holy See to transfer to the Byzantine Rite, Nicholas joined the friars of the Commissariat of St. Mary of the Angels, headquartered at New Canaan, Conn. He was invested on Sept. 16, 1949, and made his novitiate at Paterson, N.J., with the friars of the Holy Name Province. He then assumed the name of Paul by which he was known for the rest of his life. After simple profession, he took his theology with the Holy Ghost Fathers, Norwark, Conn., from 1950 to 1953. He was ordained on December 1953 by Bishop Daniel Ivancho of the Pittsburgh Byzantine Eparchy at the church of the Holy Land Custody, Washington, D.C.

After ordination, Paul resided at Holy Protection Monastery, New Canaan, Conn., and helped out in Ruthenian parishes in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts for three years. From 1956 to 1960, he was assigned to Holy Dormition Friary, Sybertsville, where he continued to help out at Ruthenian Parishes. During this time, he taught a course in Franciscan history to the novices.

From 1960 to 1963, he moved back to New Canaan, where he served as director of friars in formation (master of clerics). From 1963 to 1973, he served at St. Mary Ruthenian Parish in the city of New York and St. Michael Hungarian Byzantine Parish, Perth Amboy, N.J. During this time, he served as the last editor of the friars' magazine, Kenosis. During the next 10 years, he served in parishes in New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

In 1990, Paul had to opportunity to see if he could fulfill his lifelong dream of ministering in Eastern Europe. He made a trip to Slovakia and visited various sites in the Ukraine. In 1992, he was sent to Lviv in the Ukraine, with the hope of starting an O.F.M. Byzantine foundation.

After a year, Paul returned to the United States and to his base in Sybertsville, where he continued to help in various parishes until he retired some 10 years later because of his age and infirmities. He remained in residence at Holy Dormition Friary, Sybertsville, until his weakened heart and cancer treatments caused him to move to Queen of Peace Friary, Burlington, Wis. After only a short time in his new surroundings, he was hospitalized and subsequently moved to St. Ann's Rest Home, Milwaukee, where he died on Tuesday afternoon.

Although not a formally trained scholar, Paul was a lifelong autodidact with a fervent curiosity that led him to collect books and articles germane to the Byzantine Rite. He was a constant letter writer, tilting his lance of typewriter and computer at the windmills of error and fallacy. He also had the heart of a loving pastor, caring for the faithful in numerous Byzantine parishes.

He is survived by a sister, Mary Flynn, Silver Spring, Md.; two brothers, James and his wife, Thelma, Silver Spring; and Thomas, Florida; as well as nieces and nephews.

The Wake will take place at the chapel of Holy Dormition Friary, Sybertsville, on Sunday from 3 to 9 p.m. Parastas will be celebrated on Sunday at 6 p.m.

The Funeral Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at Holy Dormition Friary Chapel on Monday at 10 a.m.

Interment will be in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Silver Spring, Md.

Arrangements are under the direction of Frank J. Bonin Funeral Home Inc., Hazleton.

[Addendum by Pavloosh: Father Guthrie also served in the Ukrainian Archeparchy of Philadelphia. Among the parishes in which he labored were St. Vladimir UGCC of Scranton PA and Holy Ascension UGCC, Sayre, PA
He was a good priest and indeed a scholar as well.
Vichnaya Pamyat! Everlasting Memory!]

Memory eternal to the Lord's servant, the Priest Paul

I regret not speaking with him more! I'm sure our Lord will reward his years of faithful priestly service. Requiescat in pace!

Vichnaja jemu pamjat'. Eternal memory. Eternal memory. Blessed repose and eternal memory O. Pavel!

Prayers, may he rest in peace, may his memory be eternal...

Father Paul was always a kind and gentle soul. God grant him rest in the joy of heaven! Eternal memory!

Ray

Father Paul was a kind gentle soul; he was pastor at St. Micheal's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Rossford, Ohio when he received my wife Marie and I into the Byzantine Rite. He Baptized and Chrismated all three of our children. Fr. Paul was a close and dear friend. Fr. Paul is sorely missed. May Fr. Paul's Memory be Eternal.

Eternal Memory!