On October 31, 2015, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis appointed Fr. Abel Sochka OSBM to the office of Apostolic Administrator of the vacant Nyiregyhaza diocesan seat for Catholics of the Byzantine rite in Hungary.
On October 31, 2015, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis appointed Fr. Abel Sochka OSBM to the office of Apostolic Administrator of the vacant Nyiregyhaza diocesan seat for Catholics of the Byzantine rite in Hungary.
Abel A. Antal Sochka OSBM was born in 1972 in the town of Vynohradiv in Transcarpathia. Upon completion of secondary education in Ukraine, he received theological education in Budapest (Hungary). In 1996, he entered the Order of St. Basil the Great. In 2000, he was ordained a priest, following which he performed various kinds of pastoral ministry in the Basilian Province of St. Stephen in Hungary. He served as protohegumen in that Province, he was spiritual counsellor in Budapest at St Mary’s sanctuary in Mariapocs. He was vicar of the Apostolic exarchate of Miskolc. And now he is appointed Apostolic Administrator of Nyiregyhaza Diocese for Catholics of the Byzantine rite.
On March 20, 2015, Pope Francis raised the Hungarian Greek Catholic Church to the metropolitan level. Thus, Hajdudorog Diocese became an archdiocese, the exarchate of Miskolc became the diocese and, moreover, an additional diocese was set up in Nyiregyhaza, being allocated from territory of Hajdudorog Diocese became. It is reported by Vatican Radio.