Bishop Richard Steven (Seminack) passed away at the age of 74
Bishop of the Saint Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy Richard Steven (Seminack) passed away at the age of 74, after a protracted battle with cancer. He died peacefully at Alden Poplar Creek Rehabilitation Center in Hoffman Estates, IL on August 16 at 3:33 PM (Central Time).
Most Reverend Bishop Richard Stephen Seminack was born on March 3, 1942 to Raymond and Anna Cwiek Seminack in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His paternal grandparents emigrated from Ternopil, Ukraine while his maternal grandparents came from Peremshil, Ukraine. The oldest of seven children, Richard attended St. Martin of Tours Catholic Elementary School and Father Judge Catholic High School in Philadelphia.
The call to the priesthood motivated his transfer to St. Basil's Seminary Preparatory High School, Stamford, Connecticut in his senior year. Upon graduation from St. Basil's College in 1963, he attended the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C for Theology. Bishop Seminack's major was Eastern and Western Canon law. He was ordained by Metropolitan Archbishop Ambrose (Senyshyn) for the Archeparchy of Philadelphia on May 25, 1967.
After an interim assignment at St. Josaphat Church, Philadelphia, he was sent to Rome, Italy to study at the Oriental Institute, from which he earned a degree in Eastern Canon Law in June, 1968.
Upon returning to the United States, he was assigned to Holy Ghost Church, Chester, Pennsylvania. as parochial vicar with duties as the religious studies teacher and Youth Minister to the large parish community. On July 1, 1971, Msgr. Seminack was transferred to Presentation Church, Lansdale, Pennsylvania, a newly-organized parish that needed land, he was then transferred to St. Anne Church, Warrington, Pennsylvania on July 18, 1972. Fr. Seminack experienced a variety of ministerial activity in this suburban parish that had an active catechetical program. A fire in the Church hall, the major fund raising site, challenged both pastor and people to further rally together to build a new, more modern facility that was dedicated in June, 1977.
On September 19, 1977, he followed Fr. Lubachiwsky, later to become Cardinal Major Archbishop Myroslaw Ivan (Lubachiwsky), as chaplain for the Sisters of St. Basil the Great. Besides being chaplain at the Motherhouse, in Fox Chase, Fr. Seminack was also chaplain and religion teacher at St. Basil Academy, Campus Minister at Manor College, in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania as well as administrator of Sacred Heart Mission, Fox Chase. This collage of pastoral ministries was rigorous enough, however, it was during this time that he trained and became a commissioned officer (Lieutenant) in the United States Navy Chaplain Corps in August, 1979. He was transferred to Assumption of the BVM Church, Miami, Florida on June 22, 1982, Bishop Seminack encountered a bi-lingual transient parish community that had various substitute retired pastors. The parishioners bonded with their new young pastor and restored the neglected church building and community in the name Christ. Much of his time was caring for the needs of the elderly sick or infirm members of the congregation.
While on assignment in Florida, part of the territory of the Archeparchy became the Eparchy of St Josaphat, in Parma, Ohio. Msgr. Seminack was soon appointed by Bishop Robert (Moskal) Pastor to Holy Trinity Church, Carnegie, Pennsylvania on June 8, 1984. Here he worked until his announced nomination to the episcopal see of Chicago, as eparch.
Offices and positions he held in St Josaphat Eparcgy are: Eparchial Director of Religious Education; Eparchial Consultor; Executive Board Member of the Priests’ Pension Program,; Chairman of the Eparchial Presbyteral Council; and member of the Examiners for Junior Clergy. Other duties and assignments included being Protopresbyter of the Southern Deanery; member of the Archeparchial Administrative Council, Spiritual Director of the Philadelphia Council of the League of Ukrainian Catholics, regional Spiritual Director of the League of Ukrainian Catholics; Vice-dean of the Philadelphia Deanery; Executive Board Member of Ascension Manor 11.
As Director of Religious Education, he implemented a Catechist Certificate Program, helped develop and also taught in the Diaconal Training Program and coordinated various projects that produced catechetical tools for the Eparchy, including “Life in the Trinity: An Introduction to the Mysteries of Christian Initiation".
Upon his enthronement as fourth Eparch of St Nicholas Eparchy in Chicago June 4, 2003 by His Beatitude Lubomyr, Bishop Richard relied upon his earlier experiences in church life to help him exemplify the motto of his episcopal coat of arms. Insofar as the episcopal state is an embodiment of Christ—as Teacher, Shepherd, King, Priest, and even sacrificial Lamb, Bishop Richard plunged fully into the life of the Eparchy of St Nicholas.
