EASTERN CATHOLIC BISHOPS MEET IN ST. LOUIS
The Eastern Catholic Associates (ECA), the Eastern Catholic Bishops of the United States, held it’s annual meeting in St. Louis, MO at the Pastoral Center of the Eparchy of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon. The meeting was hosted by Bishop Robert Shaheen on April 2-3, 2008.
Present at the meeting were: Archbishops Basil Schott, Stefan Soroka, Cyrille Salim Bustros and Bishops Jacob Angadiath, John Michael Botean, John Bura, Gerald Dino, Ibrahim Ibrahim, Sarhad Jammo, John Kudrick, Basil Losten, Gregory Mansour, Nicholas Samra, Richard Seminack, Robert Shaheen, William Skurla, and Joseph Mar Thomas. Not able to be present were Bishops Manuel Batakian. Robert Moskal, and Joseph Younan.
Presentations followed by discussion were held on the following topics: Eastern Catholic Associates, Region XV of the USCCB, Eastern Catholic Diocesan Directors of Religious Education (ECDD), Clergy, Finances, World Youth Day—Australia, Catholic Home Missions, Eastern Membership on the National Advisory Council (NAC), Seminaries and Seminary Formation Collaboration, Papal Visit and Encounter-2011.
Bishop Nicholas Samra, liaison to the ECDD, gave his report and Father Gregory Noga, treasurer of the ECDD, presented the financial report for 2007 as well as a budget for 2008. Mr. James Dubois, Region XV NAC representative, gave a review on the recent meeting of the National Advisory Council of the USCCB.
Of particular interest to the bishops was the update on the death of Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho, Chaldean Catholic Archbishop of Mosul in Iraq given by Bishops Ibrahim Ibrahim and Sarhad Jammo, Chaldean Catholic Bishops in United States. A statement was issued concerning this tragic death of the archbishop as well as the critical situation of all Christians in Iraq.
It was agreed to hold an Encounter of all the Eastern Catholic Churches in the United States and Canada in 2011. The planning committee will consist of Archbishop Basil Schott and Bishops Jacob Angadiath, Gregory Mansour, Nicholas Samra and bishop representatives from Canada.
The United States is unique in that there are 18 arch/eparchies and one Apostolic Administration of the Armenian, Chaldean, Maronite, Melkite, Romanian, Ruthenian, Syrian, Syro-Malabar, Syro-Malankar and Ukrainian Churches. There are also faithful of the Coptic and Ethiopian Churches in the United States.
Archbishop Basil Schott, president of the Eastern Catholic Associates, noted that “this meeting is always a graced time for the Bishops of the Eastern Catholic Churches in the United States to share their concerns, hopes and blessings.”