My maternal grandfather of blessed memory taught me something more than forty years ago: we who are so quick to criticize our leaders, he said, should be equally if not more quick to praise them when it was due. I confess that I am as guilty if not more so of despairing, and I would be inclined to uncharitable and totalized dismissals of the entire clerical caste if all I had were headlines to go by. Fortunately, Divine Providence has, for many decades of my life now, sent priests to me first and foremost as friends; and more recently priests as patients in my private practice in psychotherapy. I gratefully and with real affection count several Catholic and Orthodox deacons and priests as dear friends, and I cherish my patients also.
In both cases, I have been able to see things from a very different perspective. In both cases—among my friends and my patients—I am given closer, deeper glimpses into the hearts and minds of those onto whom too many of us too often project all sorts of paternal transferences and half-deformed longings. Too many parishioners are inclined to overlook the fact that priests are first and foremost human beings. A Roman collar does nothing to alter deficiencies of intellect; the laying on of hands at ordination does not alter disorders of personality.
And priests so often perform glorious and breathtaking work of joy that touches thousands around the world and leaves behind a profound and transformational legacy of unprecedented beauty. One such priest has just died: the Mitred Archpriest Roman Galadza, founding pastor of St. Elias the Prophet Church in Brampton, Ontario. He died on August 1st, at the age of eighty.
Fr Roman trained in Connecticut and Washington, DC, but then moved to Canada in the 1970s. The founding Ukrainian Catholic bishop of Toronto, Isidore Borecky, was the only hierarch in the new world with courage to ordain Fr. Roman, who, following apostolic example and age-old custom of the Eastern Churches was the first married Ukrainian Catholic priest ordained in and for North America. (I have written about this in my recent book Married Priests in the Catholic Church, which includes a crucial chapter written by his wife Irene.) In 1929, in a gesture that drove tens of thousands out of the Catholic Church, the Vatican tried to ban the presence of married priests among the Eastern Catholic parishes of North America which had been growing since the late 19th century. Bishop Isidore rightly believed this ban was unjust and he ignored it. Eventually, lesser men in mitres would follow suit, so that by the turn of this century, the Ukrainian Catholic bishops across Canada were openly ordaining married men, and those here in the US have been doing so as well.
Fr. Roman’s ordination generated no small controversy among various Latin-rite Catholics in Canada and Rome. But he ignored them and instead poured his energies into building, from the ground up, the most unique parish anywhere in the world outside Ukraine. The St Elias the Prophet Church is a stunning, all-wood Church in Boyko style, the first outside of Ukraine. In 2014, after nearly two decades in which daily prayer ascended with incense to the praise of the holy, consubstantial, and undivided Trinity, the church caught fire and was completely destroyed. I wept most of that day as we got updates, but knew that it would be rebuilt, as it was with breakneck speed before being consecrated anew in October 2016.
I first met Fr Roman in the pivotal year of 2001, when my life had been severely uprooted and not gone at all to plan. Over coffee hour after liturgy, he—with what I now see was calculated casualness—invited me to go with him that summer to Ukraine to teach English. He was almost impossible to say no to, using what I’m tempted to call the Johnson method, after the late American president who was reputed to use a combination of charm, imposing physical demeanor, humor, and stern cajoling to get people to do all sorts of things they didn’t know they wanted to do or felt themselves capable of doing. I thought his invitation was a bit flippant and slyly agreed while engaging in what Jesuit confessors of the old school would denounce as “mental reservation” in which I said quietly to myself “I’ll say ‘yes’ because he’ll never remember this conversation and I can get out of going later.”
But he did not at all forget and I did not get out of going, and I thank God for that mercy. Airplane tickets showed up in my mail in late May of that year, and we were gone until mid-August. It profoundly changed my life for the good. We taught English to lay students and seminarians of the Lviv Theological Academy (as it was then called—the predecessor of today’s Ukrainian Catholic University), and later toured the country, where Fr Roman had been born, visiting some of his cousins and others still there. I fell in love with the country and have always longed to go back.
Thousands of stories like mine could be told, are being told now following his death, and will be told in the weeks ahead. I could tell other stories, but would rather note something that was very dear to his heart: the music and liturgy of the UGCC, which Roman Galadza has arguably done more than anyone in the past century to grow and flourish, not just in Ukrainian but especially in English. His parish is a model par excellence of a parish where there is full, conscious, active participation (in two, and sometimes more, languages!) by a wonderfully diverse crowd of people of all ages and races in Saturday Vespers, Sunday Matins, and Sunday Divine Liturgy (in total a good six hours of worship every weekend, longer on major feasts, in a parish without pews). People travel to St. Elias from around the world to learn how to master Galician and Kyivan chant. No one who enters the church, lit only by candles, for Saturday Vespers can emerge feeling anything other than deeply moved and mystically transported beyond the surly bonds of earth.
The parish is not just a liturgical powerhouse and a teacher and beacon to others. It is also a wonderful community of real human beings who share rich fellowship in practical ways, not least by welcoming recent Ukrainian refugees after Russia’s hideous and wicked attack on their country. Fr. Roman has always seemed as happy preaching and presiding as he is in his shirtsleeves sitting on the stunningly beautiful grounds by the pond playing his guitar and teaching the kids folk songs.
For such labours as these, and myriad more we could mention, he was many years ago named a mitred archpriest. That is the highest honor the Eastern Churches of the Byzantine tradition can give to priests who are married. It says, in essence, that we think so highly of this priest we would in fact make him a bishop but for the requirement that bishops should be celibate.
Unlike celibate priests who are sometimes achingly lonely, Fr. Roman was surrounded by a wonderful family, starting with his stunningly accomplished and gracious wife Irene and their six equally accomplished children (one of whom is currently ambassador of His Majesty’s Canadian Dominion to Ukraine). It was not an easy vocation for either, as both confided to me on different occasions, and Irene has written about in my book. Clerical marriages demand a great deal of sacrifice from spouses and children especially.
Those countless sacrifices across Roman Galadza’s eighty years all seem to have been motivated by a lovely verse attributed to Origen of Alexandra: “nothing unworthy of God’s majesty.” In things small and large, Fr Roman sought to glorify the Majesty of the Most High by building a temple where, as he once put it, the “things of earth and the things of heaven can sing and dance together.” Indeed they did, giving inexpressible joy to so many of us who sorrow now at his death.
May he now continue to sing and dance around the banquet table of the Lamb whom he sacrificed so many times on the altar at St. Elias, and may that Lamb, we pray, now say to him “Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter into the joy of your Lord.”
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God bless you, Adam, for this faithful and beautiful tribute to a priest who inspired so many of us. I owe the realization of my own diaconal vocation in part to the witness of Fr. Roman and Fr. Protodcn. David. I sorrow like you, but I also give glorious praise for Our Lord’s Resurrection which I am confident that Fr. Roman now enjoys more fully.
In Your abode, O Lord, where all Your Saints repose, grant rest to the soul of Your servant, for You alone love mankind.
Panakhyda, Second Troparion for the Deceased
Blessed repose and eternal memory! ☦️🙏
“Ukrainian Catholic bishop of Toronto, Isidore Borecky, was the only hierarch in the new world with courage to ordain Fr. Roman, who, following apostolic example and age-old custom of the Eastern Churches…” Did the prelate also insist on “following apostolic example and age-old custom” by insisting that Fr Roman live perpetual continence in marriage after his ordination? Did Fr Roman follow that “custom”?
As to the assertion that clerical continence was of Apostolic origin for the universal Church, this is refuted by cases such as that of St Gregory the Theologian (Nazianzen), whose father, St. Gregory the Elder was a bishop. There is also the case of Bishop Synesius of Cyrene who upon being ordained bishop in 410 A.D.by Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria, declared that he would neither put away his God given wife nor refuse her what is due but would have children by her. (PG 66, 1485).
The exception proves the rule!!!
They want to talk about development and updating and evolution and elucidating old things and finding the profound but they will not embrace celibacy as they should -less again, as it is required for others.
They want to have the Church hamstrung with their prejudices and self-importance. They insist anything else is narrow thinking with hang-ups to do with “orthodoxy” and rules. They want to profess that celibacy must be voluntary and thus they distort it more, what it means to be voluntarily surrendered.
Once again this saying is abused. “The exception proves the rule” employs “proves” in its original sense of “testing”: think of “overproof” and “underproof” rum. An exception does not support a rule (which would make no sense anyway): it puts it to the test.
Dear Father Stravinskas,
It seems to me that your grasp of the issue of sexual fasting by priests may be a little lacking in perspective. To this day the practice of proximate sexual abstinence in preparation for celebrating the Mysteries, with its antecedents in the Scriptures, is still practiced by married priests.
The question is, when did the practice of DAILY celebration of the Mysteries become widespread in the West? Sixth century? That, I suspect, may have been the game-changer. I do recall reading Saint Basil who, in the fourth century, testified that he celebrated the Mysteries about twice during the week, apart from the Lord’s Day, and he had no obstacles on the issue of continence, being a monk and very much a father of monks. So it took time for the practice of daily Eucharist to establish itself. In that scenario, of course, sexual fasting on the part of a married priest would become quite an issue. The solution in the west was, it appears, the most pragmatic: perpetual continence or sexual fasting ensures perpetual availability of a priest for the celebration of the Mysteries on a daily basis. Better to make a proleptic decision before you are ordained a deacon. That is the liturgical symbolism, and the theory of it at any rate.
I have come comments from Ratzinger who also deems the introduction of daily celebration of the Eucharist was the watershed of perpetual continence for priests in the Latin West.
That is as best I understand it at present.
I don’t know a single married priest who practices even “proximate” continence!
Nicea II called for the excommunication of any priest who had fathered a child (married or not). That would seem to underscore that perpetual continence was already solidly in place.
I would encourage any interested persons to consult a book I edited on this topic: Priestly Celibacy: Its Scriptural, Historical, Spiritual, and Psychological Roots (Newman House Press).
For shame, Father Peter.
Years ago I heard a report from a Greek-Catholic priest who had first converted from Protestantism to Russian Orthodoxy. Apparently the students bated their lecturer, a married priest, who was instructing them in the canons concerning the practice of sexual abstinence and when you could celebrate the Mysteries. It got a bit complicated. “Yes but Father, if that is how it is, who did you ever come to have children?” is how I remember the bating. “There are some things into which it is best not to enquire too closely,” is how I remember the solemn reply.
As to the ordaining of married priests in Eastern Catholic Churches, I have my own memory of once moving among an eastern Catholic Church seminary, and this topic came up. Despite the lamentable pressure to westernise in various ways, this was one practise they were in no way going to abandon!
O yes, the passage from Ratzinger, who regards the introduction of daily celebration of the Eucharist as a watershed. In his and Cardinal Robert Sarah’s book on celibacy, From the Depths of Our Hearts, Benedict states:
Because of the regular and often even daily celebration of the Eucharist, the situation of the priests of the Church of Jesus Christ has changed dramatically. From now on, their entire life is in contact with the divine mystery. This requires on their part exclusivity with regard to God. Consequently, this excludes other ties that, like marriage, involve one’s whole life. From daily celebration of the Eucharist, which implies a permanent state of service to God, was born spontaneously the impossibility of a matrimonial bond. We can say that the sexual abstinence that was functional was transformed automatically into an ontological abstinence. Thus, its motivation and its significance were changed from within and profoundly.
esteem and warm, regards
Fr. Peter, I honor you and all my celebrate teachers. I am blessed to learn from each one of you. But I am not with you on this point. Assuming you know any married priests, how could you know if they practice proximate continence? Can you even know that your priestly friends practice continence? The devils do not have sex, but they are very proud and hate the flesh. Celibacy is simply the highest calling to holiness (St. Theresa of Àvila), never a guarantee. We take the Faith seriously, but humility demands that we never take ourselves more seriously.
My understanding is that Byzantine Catholic clergy and their wives are not supposed to have sex during the Church’s fasting periods (including Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year). Also, clergy and their wives are to abstain from sex before the cleric is to be in the altar celebrating Mass. My suspicion is that daily Mass is more common among married clergy after a while…
How is fasting from sex any different than from fasting from food? We can all agree that celibacy is no cure for obesity. We fast from our fallen flesh before we receive the Flesh of Christ.
Anyway, thanks for all you do. God’s peace.
Do you think that Christ intended His Priests to live alone or form community? I think that the Roman Church is headed toward the Byzantine Catholic model of diocesan Priesthood. Time will tell.
As for the core issue, holiness is about doing God’s will. Metanoia demands detachment from sin. Sanctity is possible in every vocation. I am thankful for the married priesthood of Fr. Roman.
Dr. Silvas, please consider writing more for us on the upcoming Synods, thanks.
You have a lot of nerve Father to attack Eastern Catholics and drag this reposed priest through the mud the way you are doing. I detect more than a hint of jealousy on the East ordaining married men. Perhaps you feel you missed your real vocation? Or is it that you just feel guilty lusting after children when you could have had a healthy relationship with a wife, had you been less ignorant of Catholicism at large?
Maybe he’s not in hell and he’s glad the subject is broached as it should be.
At last.
God is glad the subject is broached at last. Why shouldn’t He be. We should count it all joy and our good fortune.
Fr Peter, respectfully I ask you, are your comments appropriate in this forum. To cast aspersions in a man’s obituary is not appropriate. In fact, I would suggest that your comments are not only uncharitable and unChristian but seeing just a few comments into the thread, you are promoting a book you edited. Surely, a man’s obituary is not the place for such. It is akin to setting up a money changer table in the temple. Sir, you do great disservice to the memory of Fr Roman and to those who loved this man by coming into this forum to cast aspersions upon his faithfulness in duty. Shame! This is not the time nor place for discussion on the validity of married priests.
Fr. Stravinskas: This is not the time or place for such petty comments. Fr. Roman was an excellent priest and holy man. You’re more intelligent and better than this.
Eternal memory!
I use to go to Toronto for work from time-to-time and was blessed, while visiting Canada, to drop by St Elias parish attend Divine Liturgy with Fr Roman.
Precious memories. My condolences to Fr Roman, his wife and children, his brother Fr Peter (whose liturgies I have also attended while visiting Canada), and to the entire Ukrainian Catholic community in Canada.
Thank you, Adam, — Diakuju! — for using your gift of words to express the profound loss of Fr Roman so eloquently. God bless your psychotherapy practice — so needed to heal the decades of intergenerational trauma experienced by so many in the persecuted Ukrainian Greco-Catholic Church.
Fr Roman became a refugee at around the age of 15 months, fleeing Ukraine during WWII. During his formative early childhood, he suffered hunger and deprivation. Some with that background remain wounded throughout life. Fr Roman however, through the grace of faithful parents and a loving family, invoked heaven and earth, — as you aptly say, — and used his God-given talents to make them sing and dance together, radiating beauty and joy. Fr Roman and Irene‘s boundless generosity model God’s love for us. Vichnaya pamiat’ — Eternal memory!
Olenka, Anthony and I are so very sad for your loss. We watched the services on YouTube and prayed right along with your family. Please accept our deepest condolences. May his memory be a blessing.
Fr. Roman and I sang in our church choir back in the 1960’s in Ambridge, PA. I used his reel to reel tap recorder to tape Good Friday and Easter services. His parents attended my wedding, his brother Paul was in out wedding party and Peter was the dyak. I have many great memories of him and I will always pray for him. May God grant hom everlasting life.
My name is Sofia Hazell and am one of the MANY individuals Blessed by the nurturing of Father Roman Galadza… These Blessings began in Welland ,Ontario .. St Michaels was our parish… and this is where my love for Christ began.. Father also taught me to sing and dance in Ukrainian.. As I grew older, Father was ALWAYS there for me.. Most recently doing the funeral service for my Dad ( in Welland..) and also my mother years later in Toronto… Words cannot express the love Father showed … Memory Eternal Father Galadza
Eternal Memory.
A very good man and priest! A true man of God! He helped me greatly when I was going through a difficult time. His wife is also an amazing person. Their home (and dinner table) was always open to anyone seeking help or a word of comfort. May God welcome Fr. Roman with open arms and may God comfort and bless the Galadza family!
Surely it’s just like any wake where all sorts of things come up “for shared memory” whether good or bad, resolved, unresolved, etc. It IS appropriate AS WELL to discuss the celibacy issue because it is that important not to keep making it secondary and leaving it underdeveloped as “non-obligatory”. It’s the issue going with every married priest even in the Orthodox -not merely in the Roman Church- being protracted by them in their very lives -and deaths- affirming conditioning for others based on their own handicapping position.
The wider context is the suggestion being made at large sometimes not so subtle, that Rome will find its real authenticity of faith through the Orthodox; that is nothing short of a total reversal of realities.