Byzantine Leaflet Series, Byzantine Seminary Press, Pittsburgh

These four biographical leaflets belong to the Byzantine Leaflet
Series published by the Byzantine Seminary Press in Pittsburgh between
1987 and 1988. Each tells the life of a Greek Catholic bishop of
Subcarpathian Rus' or the Presov Region who lived through the Soviet
annexation of Transcarpathia and the Communist suppression of the Greek
Catholic Church across Czechoslovakia and Ukraine after the Second World
War: Bishop Theodore Romzha of Mukachevo, murdered in 1947; Bishop Paul
Gojdich of Presov, who died in a Czechoslovak prison; Bishop Basil
Hopko, his auxiliary, imprisoned and exiled; and Bishop Alexander
Chira, secretly ordained and likewise imprisoned. All four are
venerated within the Greek Catholic Church as confessors of the faith.

Bishop Theodore G. Romzha: A Victim of Soviet Persecution

"I love you, O Lord, my strength; You are my stronghold and
my refuge!" --Ps. 18, 2-3

These were the words which Bishop Theodore G. Romzha, the Apostolic
Administrator of the Mukachevo Eparchy (1944-1947), chose as his motto,
i.e. the guiding principle of his episcopal ministry. He was only 33 years
old and yet he had to face the invasion by the Soviets, followed by the
persecution of the Greek Catholic Church in Subcarpathian Ruthenia. However,
he did not lose heart. He defended his spiritual flock with great courage
and love He even laid down his own life for his sheep. Therefore, he justly
deserves our esteem. In him we gained a powerful protector in heaven.

Bishop Theodore G. Romzha was born of humble parentage on April 14,
1911 in Velikij Bychkiv, in the heart of the colorful district of Maramorosh,
Subcarpathian Ruthenia. He was a pious and gifted young boy, and his only
ambition was to become a priest. He received his secondary education at
the gymnasium (high school) in Chust. Due to his friendly disposition and
scholastic achievements he became one of the most popular students. His
popularity increased even more when he proved himself as an all-around
athlete, excelling in soccer. At his graduation, he took everybody by surprise
when he announced his intention of becoming a priest. He was sent to Rome
for his priestly formation.

He lived at the German-Hungarian College in Rome for the first two years
and then, in 1932, he moved to the Russian Pontifical Seminary, known as
the "Russicum," in order to prepare himself for missionary work
in Soviet Russia. It was indeed a providential step, since in the "Russicum"
he was expected to study communist atheism and its ideology. Thus. unwittingly
he prepared himself for the Soviet occupation of his native land. He was
ordained to the priesthood in Rome on Christmas Day, December 25, 1936.

In the summer of the following year he came home to celebrate his "first"
Liturgy with the intention of returning to finish his doctoral dissertation.
But instead of returning to Rome, he was drafted into military service
and sent to protect his country against the German invasion. To his friend
in Rome he confided: "I am going to the front with a deep conviction
of doing the will of God. Therefore, I do not fear what will happen to
me."

Those were turbulent days in Europe. Even after Father Romzha's discharge
from the army in August, 1938, the danger of approaching war remained.
For this reason Bishop Alexander Stojka (1932-1943) did not permit him
to leave the country, but appointed him to a forgotten parish of Berezovo,
Maramorosh District. The young priest Romzha became a poor pastor among
poor people. There were times when he could afford only one meal a day
while trying to help his needy parishioners. But he did not complain. On
the contrary, he was always ready to help. To his curious friend in Rome
he wrote: "I live here as a pauper and yet I feel happy and satisfied."

Father Romzha was a good and dedicated priest. He taught his parishioners
not only to know their Faith but also to live it. The parishioners once
again became proud of their small church. They could never forget him.
He was their best pastor ever. In March, 1939, the Hungarians once more
occupied Subcarpathian Ruthenia by force. Great political and ecclesiastical
changes followed. Bishop Stojka was forced by the Hungarian government
to reorganize even the Seminary Staff. Thus, in the fall of 1939 Father
Romzha was appointed Spiritual Director and Professor of Philosophy at
the Eparchial Seminary in Uzhorod.

One of his students later recalled: "He was strict and demanding
as a Professor, but as a Spiritual Director he was fatherly and kind. He
knew how to inspire us and to bring out the best in us. Staying in close
contact with us, his students, he was able to transplant into our hearts
the main features of his strong priestly character. His dedication, genuine
piety and generosity of heart."

Even at the Seminary Father Romzha found some time for pastoral work
by helping in the neighboring parishes. He enjoyed conducting missions
and retreats for young students. Every penny he earned he generously distributed
to the poor. To the mentioned friend in Rome he wrote: "I am living
very unpretentiously, and yet my pockets are always empty. But I am not
discouraged, since I am working not for the money but to please God."

Bishop Stojka greatly appreciated the dedicated work of Father Romzha,
and in 1942 obtained for him the papal dignity of Monsignor. But even then
he remained a humble and dedicated priest, inspiring and winning the admiration
and respect of all those who met him.

On May 31, 1943, during the critical time of the war, Bishop Alexander
Stojka suddenly died. In view of the uncertainties of the time, the Holy
See appointed Bishop Nicholas Dudash, OSBM of Hajdudorog, as the temporary
administrator of the Mukachevo Eparchy, While the Soviet army was rapidly
approaching the Carpathian Mountains, the Holy See promptly appointed Msgr.
Theodore G. Romzha to succeed Bishop Dudash as the Apostolic Administrator
of Mukachevo. His episcopal ordination took place in Uzhorod, September
24, 1944.

A month later, the entire territory of the Mukachevo Eparchy was occupied
by the Red Army. Bishop Romzha was informed that Subcarpathian Ruthenia
will be again incorporated into post-war Czechoslovakia as an autonomous
province. However, it soon became evident that the Soviets would not relinquish
this politically strategic region. Consequently, on June 291 1945, Subcarpathian
Ruthenia was officially incorporated into the Soviet Ukraine. Thus the
young and inexperienced Bishop Romzha found himself and his flock under
Soviet atheistic rule.

At the beginning, Bishop Romzha tried not to antagonize the Soviet authorities,
although some abusive and violent actions committed by the Soviet soldiers
against the clergy were reported to him. But when the Soviet authorities
started to expel the priests from their parishes at random and confiscate
the church property, he was forced to protest against such abuses.

The Soviets had a ready answer: "Since the attitude of the Vatican
is hostile toward the Soviet Union, the Soviet government cannot tolerate
within its borders the Greek Catholic Church, loyal to the Vatican. Therefore
there is only one solution for you. You must recognize and submit to the
jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Moscow." Bishop Romzha immediately
replied: "I will rather die than betray my Church!" This signalled
the open persecution of the Greek Catholic Church in Subcarpathia.

In the fall of 1945 Patriarch Alexis of Moscow appointed Bishop Nestor
Sydoruk of Umany to head the Orthodox Eparchy of Mukachevo. Nestor was
hailed by the Soviet press as the only legally appointed bishop, and received
full support from the Soviet authorities. Intimidation, violent removal
and imprisonment of leading Greek Catholic priests and faithful followed.
It became clear that Bishop Nestor was appointed to liquidate the Greek
Catholic Eparchy of Mukachevo.

Bishop Romzha decided to fight. As the Good Shepherd he was ready to
lay down his own life for his sheep. Although the Soviet authorities confiscated
his car, he travelled long distance by horse and buggy, just to reassure
his faithful and to encourage them to persevere until death, saying, "They
are taking from us our own priests and churches, but they will never be
able to take away our faith from us.

During his extensive visitations Bishop Romzha tried to sustain the
faith of the weak, to reassure the wavering, and to plead with those intimidated:
"Faith is our greatest treasure on this earth. To preserve our faith
we must even be ready to lay down our life. If we must die, then let us
die as true martyrs, defending our faith. One thing is sure that we never
will abandon our faith nor betray our Church."

The faithful, supported by dedicated clergy, responded enthusiastically.
They stood united behind their fearless Shepherd. Even some Orthodox parishes,
seeing the violence and injustice perpetrated by the Soviets, asked Bishop
Romzha to accept them back into the Catholic fold.

During these days of violence and open persecution Bishop Romzha offered
his prayers and sufferings for the perseverance of his clergy and the faithful.
He was sustained by his unshakable confidence in God's Providence, and
down deep in his courageous heart he vividly felt the protection of the
Blessed Mother. There was no power that could shake up his loyalty to the
Holy See. In his mind there was only "one, holy, Catholic and apostolic
Church," established by our Lord on the rock of Peter and headed by
His Vicar on the earth, the Pope of Rome. For this truth Bishop Romzha
was ready to sacrifice his own life.

The Soviets were unable to intimidate Bishop Romzha. Therefore, they
decided to liquidate him. First they staged a highway accident. The horse
drawn carriage in which Bishop was returning home from the rededication
of the church in Lavki, near Mukachevo, was rammed by a military truck.
Bishop Romzha was badly injured, but he survived the attempted murder.
The passersby took him to the hospital in Mukachevo. In a few days he began
to regain his strength. Then suddenly, early on the morning of November
1, 19471 he was found dead.

The night before Bishop Romzha's death, the director of the hospital
and a strange nurse, who promptly disappeared the next day, were seen entering
Bishop's room about midnight. They poisoned him! The Soviet authorities
announced that Bishop Romzha died from injuries suffered in his highway
accident, but the people knew better. They knew that their intrepid Shepherd
was mercilessly killed for refusing to join the Orthodox Church.

By his dedicated life Bishop Romzha highly glorified God on earth, and
by his heroic death he gave living testimony to his Catholic faith, achieving
the crown of martyrs. In him we, and our own Byzantine Rite, gained a powerful
Protector in heaven. Let us then resolve to pray for his speedy beatification!

Prayer for Beatification

O gracious Lord, in Your infinite goodness You have given us a fearless
Bishop, Theodore G. Romzha, who by his uncommon courage, sufferings
and violent death gave a heroic witness to his unshakable Faith and inspired
our people to hold fast to their Faith in time of persecution. Therefore,
we humbly beseech You to glorify Your faithful servant, that Man of Faith,
Bishop Theodore, and to strengthen our Faith by granting us through his
kind intercession...[here make your request].

For you are a merciful and gracious God, and we render glory to you,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever, Amen.

No. 39

(Byzantine Leaflet Series No. 39, May 1987)

Bishop Paul P. Gojdich, O.S.B.M.

**BISHOP PAUL P, GOJDICH, O.S.B.M. **

Our Valiant Confessor of the Faith

"God is love. let us love Him!"

(Bishop's Motto)

Bishop Gojdich did not seek episcopal dignity. Rather he chose a hidden
life in the Basilian order as a monk. But Divine Providence placed him
at the helm of the Prjashev Eparchy, As a Good Shepherd he served his people
with dedication and love. Fragile in body but strong in spirit, he distinguished
himself by the holiness of his life. In his dedicated work he was sustained
by his great love of God and his people. The Communists condemned him for
his loyalty to the Catholic Church. He died in prison as our valiant Confessor.

Bishop Paul P. Gojdich, O.S.B.M. was born to a priestly family on July
17, 1988, in Rus'ki Pakljany, Sharish District, presently in Eastern Slovakia.
After his graduation from the gymnasium in Prjashev, he continued his philosophical
and theological studies at the Central Seminary in Budapest, and was ordained
a celibate priest on August 27, 1911.

In the fall of 1912, after a short period of pastoral work, he was appointed
prefect of the Eparchial Boarding School for boys in Prjashev, known as
"The Alumneum." At the same time he became an instructor
of religion in the city's secondary schools. The young students found in
him an inspiring leader and spiritual guide.

Several years later Father Gojdich was appointed to the Bishop's Chancery
Office, where eventually he achieved the rank of Chancellor. The promise
of a swift career did not attract him. He yearned for a more peaceful and
prayerful life, so he decided to become a Basilian monk. In 1922, Father
Gojdich entered St. Nicholas Monastery on Chernecha Hora, near Mukachevo.

As a Basilian, Father Gojdich became an exemplary monk, zealous missionary,
and dedicated guide of youth. Appointed Director of the Apostleship of
Prayer, he became instrumental in spreading the practice of frequent confession
and holy communion throughout the Eparchy of Mukachevo. Taking into consideration
his wide activity in those days, one wonders where he found the time and
the strength to accomplish so many things. The answer was simple--the Eucharistic
Christ. He usually spent long hours, mostly at night, in the chapel before
the tabernacle. There he refreshed his spirit, regained his strength, and
found new inspiration.

After having charged his heart with love of God in prayer, he then channeled
this love toward his apostolic work. As in the case of St. Paul, the love
of Christ was indeed compelling him (2. Cor. 5:14). Behind the monastic
walls he found the fulfillment of his heart's desires. But this happiness
did not last long, for in the fall of 1926 he was summoned back to Prjashev
as the Apostolic Administrator.

Father Gojdich tried to decline this unexpected appointment, since he
had not yet made his solemn profession as a Basilian monk. But it was to
no avail. He was instructed to make his monastic profession as soon as
possible, and then come to Rome for his episcopal ordination. He was ordained
bishop at the Basilica of St. Clement in Rome, on the Feast of the Annunciation,
March 25, 1927.

After his consecration Pope Pius XI presented Bishop Gojdich with a
gold pectoral cross, saying: "This cross is only a symbol of all those
heavy crosses that you will have to carry during your episcopal ministry.
But take courage, my son, the good Lord will help you carry them with dignity
and love."

Bishop Gojdich proved himself to be indeed a Good Shepherd, wholeheartedly
dedicated to his new tasks. His tireless efforts to promote the spiritual
life of his faithful and to strengthen their Catholic faith can hardly
be described. Much can be said about his works of charity. God only knows
how many people were helped or assisted by him. His charity and kindness
were proverbial. He still showed his fatherly concern for youth, orphans,
religious press, parochial schools, eparchial institutions, religious communities,
etc.

The Communists came into power in Czechoslovakia in the spring of 1948.
They immediately launched a vicious attack against the Greek Catholic Church
and maliciously denounced Bishop Gojdich as a traitor and an enemy of the
people. It was evident that the Communist authorities decided to liquidate
the Eparchy of Prjashev just as they liquidated the Eparchy of Mukachevo.

Bishop Gojdich, the good shepherd, prepared his faithful for the inevitable.
"My dear people, we must be ready to face the most difficult times
in the history of our Church. But remember the early Christians. For their
faith they were ready to sacrifice everything, even their own lives. They
trusted our Divine Savior, Who said: "Blessed are you when they
persecute you and insult you on account of my name. Rejoice and be glad
for your reward will be great in heaven!"(Mt. 5:11-12). Therefore,
take courage and hold fast to your faith."

On April 28, 1950, the Communists forcibly liquidated the Greek Catholic
Church in Czechoslovakia and imprisoned Bishop Gojdich for "opposing
the people's will." Several months later he was tried for "treason
and espionage," and condemned to life imprisonment. The people, however,
were convinced that their Bishop was innocent of alleged crimes. They knew
that he was imprisoned and condemned only for his unwavering loyalty to
the Catholic Church. It was obvious that the Communists fabricated their
accusations against him after his imprisonment to justify their forced
liquidation of the Prjashev Eparchy. The bishop's trial in Bratislava was
indeed a "parody of justice," and the faithful rightly considered
him A Confessor of the Faith.

Bishop Basil Hopko, the fellow-prisoner of Bishop Gojdich, wrote in
his Memoirs:

"After his trial, Bishop Gojdich was transferred from one prison
to another, and was forced to work as an ordinary prisoner. There was no
work too humiliating for him. He often volunteered for a job which other
prisoners refused to do. In this way he wanted to learn the true meaning
of Christian humility. He felt happy that in such an easy way he was able
to please the good Lord.

"During his prison years Bishop Gojdich did not have any problems
with the local authorities. He accepted their cruelty and intentional hardships,
including a solitary cell, with complete resignation to the holy will of
God. His face was constantly reflecting his inner peace and happiness.
He looked as innocent as a child. His presence alone soothed and strengthened
us all."

Bishop Gojdich was constantly moved from one prison to another. The
prison authorities did not want the people to know where their Bishop was
locked up. However, the people always learned of his whereabouts and used
to come in procession to pray for their saintly bishop. Of course, they
were not permitted inside the prison and had to remain outside the walls.
They usually gathered in front of the barred window of the Bishop's cell
and there they prayed and sang religious songs. These were the people whom
Bishop Gojdich, according to the communist allegations, "hated and
betrayed."

During Bishop Gojdich's rehabilitation in 1958, it was proven beyond
any doubt that all the accusations against him at the trial were nothing
more than lies made up by his prosecutors in order to keep him in prison
and isolated from his faithful.

A certain Ferdo Ondrushka, who attended Bishop Gojdich in the prison
hospital before his death, writes:

"Bishop Gojdich cherished an immense love for his clergy and people.
He often spoke of Greek Catholic customs and ceremonies, and with great
enthusiasm used to explain why his people must remain united with the Apostolic
See. He told us how, during his long interrogations, they used to torture
him and how they tried, with all kinds of promises to sway him to accept
Orthodoxy. They even promised to make him a patriarch ..." And he
concludes: "There is no doubt in my mind that Bishop Gojdich was a
martyr for his Faith!"

In prison Bishop Gojdich never complained about his own pains, so everyone
believed that he was in good health. Then suddenly he became seriously
ill. They rushed him to the prison hospital, but the doctors were unable
to find anything wrong with him, even though his pains persisted. He was
in and out of the hospital several times. Finally the doctors became suspicious.
They sent him to a famous clinic in Brno, Moravia. There they diagnosed
that he had cancer which was terminal. Upon his return to Leopoldov prison
he was immediately placed in the hospital, where he remained until his
saintly death.

A few weeks before his death a high official from the Ministry of the
interior came to see Bishop Gojdich and promised him amnesty. It somewhat
disturbed the Bishop, but later he declared: "I do not think it worthwhile
to exchange my martyr's crown for two or three years of freedom. However,
I leave the decision to God. Let Him do as He pleases!" Of course,
the Communist authorities never kept their word and Bishop Gojdich remained
in the prison.

As his condition became more grave, his sufferings and pain increased.
Finally. he ended the course of his saintly life on his 72nd birthday,
July 17. 1960, in the prison of Leopoldov, Slovakia. For ten long years
he carried the chains of Christ, giving a living testimony to his heroic
faith and loyalty to the Apostolic See. He truly died as our valiant Confessor.

During his first Way of the Crossat the Colosseum on Good Friday,
1979, Pope John Paul II said: "Just as Christ has a special place
in our hearts because of His Passion, so do the martyrs and confessors
of our own times. It is our duty and obligation to talk about the sufferings
of these modern confessors of Christ and to bear witness to them before
the conscience of the entire world."

Yes, our valiant Confessor, Bishop Paul P. Gojdich, O.S.B.M., has a
special place in our hearts because of his great sufferings and love. It
is our sacred duty and obligation to talk about his saintly life and to
pray for his quick beatification. May it please the good Lord to grant
us this favor, and grant it to us soon! ..

**LEGACY OF BISHOP GOJDICH **

"I am certain that at the end truth will triumph over lies, and
love will overcome hatred. I do not hate my enemies. I would like to bring
them closer to Christ, of course not by force or deceit but by love and
truth."

"Our present afflictions will neither break us nor separate us
from the true Church and love of Christ. On the contrary. Persecution and
sufferings will only strengthen our faith and bring us closer to Christ
and His Church."

No. 40

With Ecclesiastical Approbation July 1987

(Byzantine Leaflet Series No. 40, July 1987)

Bishop Basil Hopko

By his steadfast loyalty to the Holy See, his great love of the people,
and his dedicated pastoral work Bishop Basil Hopko, the Auxiliary of Prjashev
(1947-1976), proved beyond any doubt that he was indeed worthy of his episcopal
dignity. As bishop he suffered persecution, imprisonment and great humiliation
for his Catholic faith. However during the rehabilitation of the Greek
Catholic Church in Czechoslovakia "his own did not accept him"
(Jn. 1:11) as their Shepherd and cunningly removed him from the administration
of the Prjashev Eparchy. In his distressing agony he humbly resigned to
the holy will of God. Since he bravely suffered as a "prisoner for
the Lord" (Eph. 4:1), he deserves to be honored as our Confessor of
the Faith.

Bishop Basil Hopko, S.T.D. was born on April 21, 1904, in the village
of Hrabske, on the border of the hilly district of Sharish, presently in
Eastern Slovakia. His parents, Basil and Anna nee Petrenko, were poor peasants,
without any land of their own. He was hardly one year old when his father
was struck by lightning and died. When he reached his fourth birthday his
mother left him with the Petrenko family, while she departed to the United
States in search of bread.

Bishop Hopko received his primary and secondary education in the Hungarian
schools, and was graduated with honors from the Evangelical Gymnasium in
Prjashev, 1923. Supported by his mother in America, he continued his education
at the Eparchial Seminary in Prjashev. Mrs. Hopko intended to bring her
son to the United States, hoping that Bishop Basil Takach (1924-1948) would
ordain him as a priest for the Pittsburgh Exarchate. However her dreams
were never realized.

As the young Hopko was getting ready for his journey abroad he became
sick and had to undergo several operations. In his MemoirsBishop
Hopko writes: "Having spent all my travelling money on doctors and
hospitals, I gave up the hope of seeing my mother again. At that time I
did not realize that it was God's holy will to keep me in my native land."

He ascribed his unexpected recovery to a "miracle" that resulted
from his Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, He promised Jesus that if
he would be cured, he would receive Holy Orders in celibacy. He was ordained
priest by Bishop Paul P. Gojdich, O.S.B.M. on February 3, 1929.

2. After his ordination Father Hopko was appointed to organize a new
   parish in Prague, the capital of Czechoslovakia. At that time there were
   many Greek Catholics among the government officials, soldiers, students
   and workers that were living there. Father Hopko started his missionary
   work with great zeal and dedication. In a short time he acquired the beautiful
   church of St. Clement, which since has become a spiritual center of the
   numerous Rusyn faithful living in Bohemia. There he was also joined
   by his mother who, after 22 years of hard work abroad returned to her native
   land and to her priest-son and became his housekeeper.

In his pastoral work Father Hopko displayed great love for the poor
people, especially for the unemployed workers and students. Those were
the years of economic depression and the Communists were eager to get our
people into their organizations by any means. But the watchful eye of Father
Hopko frustrated their intentions. He was justly rewarded with the title
of Monsignor in 1936.

In addition to his full schedule Father Hopko somehow managed to continue
his theological formation at the famous Charles University. He completed
his last semester at Komensky University in Bratislava, where he earned
his doctor's degree in Sacred Theology in 1940. At that time he was already
teaching at the Eparchial Seminary in Prjashev.

It must be mentioned that Monsignor Hopko also became a victim of the
malicious Slovak campaign against Bishop Paul P. Gojdich, OSBM during the
Tiso regime(1939-1944). Eventually Monsignor Hopko was forced out of the
Seminary and denied his salary. After World War II, when the Slovak pressure
somewhat subsided, Monsignor Hopko was entrusted by Bishop Gojdich with
the Rusyn religious press, which had been completely banned under the
Tiso regime. In 1946, Monsignor Hopko started the publication "Blahovistnik,"
provided our people with yearly almanacs, *"Kalendar Blahovistnika,"
and supervised the publication of spiritual booklets, "Knihi
Blahovistniha."*He himself authored four of these pamphlets.

Foreseeing political turn-over in Czechoslovakia, Bishop Gojdich petitioned
the Holy See and received an Auxiliary Bishop in the person of Monsignor
Basil Hopko, S.T.D. The episcopal ordination took place at the cathedral
in Prjashev, May 11, 1947. Thus Bishop Hopko became the right hand of Bishop
Gojdich, who had already started to prepare his faithful for the imminent
seizure of power by the Communists that came in February, 1948.

The Communists immediately began their anti-religious propaganda and
maliciously attacked the Greek Catholic Church. The worst had to be expected.
Finally, on April 28, 1950, the Communist authorities brutally liquidated
the Eparchy of Prjashev and imprisoned Bishop Hopko. For the time being
they kept him isolated, hoping to persuade him to join the Orthodox Church.
But he did not give in. Subsequently, they decided to put him on trial,
accusing him of alleged "subversive activity."

They took Bishop Hopko to the central investigatory prison in Ruzin,
near Prague, in order to "condition him" for a trial. First they
locked him up in a dark solitary cell where he completely lost count of
time. Then they made him walk without any rest for 122 consecutive days.
During that period of time his diet consisted of a piece of stale bread
and a glass of water. At the end his legs became swollen like logs. Describing
this ordeal, Bishop Hopko remarks: "In my mind I already began to
envision my own funeral. But I kept praying for strength to persevere and
to remain faithful to the Catholic Church."

They brought him to trial in the spring of 1952. On account of his allegedly
"subversive activity" and contacts with a "foreign powers,
meaning the Apostolic See, they condemned him to fifteen years in prison.
Thus his "pilgrimage" from one prison to another began. Twenty-one
times in all. He was not spared even the worst penitentiaries.

Reminiscing on his prison days, Bishop Hopko says: "I had to endure
many difficult moments. which I would not wish even on my worst enemies.
Nevertheless, I consider my prison days as a higher education in humility.
In prison I learned a great many things, as how to be of service to others
in their need. Prison in itself is not such a terrible place after all.
What is frightening is the company one is forced to keep, being locked
up in the same cell with all kinds of criminals, spies, insane, and some
other strange characters."

Long years of prison life and harsh treatment by the prison guards finally
undermined Bishop Hopko's health. He suffered acute mental depression,
but the prison authorities refused him any medical assistance. Bishop himself
admitted: "At that time everything looked very gloomy to me. I was
unable to sleep, I lost my appetite, and suffered severe irregularity.
I became only a shadow of a human being, hardly able to walk. I lost even
the desire to live. Only my faith and prayers kept my mind sound. But finally
the good Lord saved me from my indescribable distress."

In the fall of 1963 Bishop Hopko suffered another severe attack of depression.
This time the warden was more humane and sent him to a special clinic in
Prague, On the advice of his doctor Bishop Hopko petitioned to be released
from prison on account of his ill health. Strangely enough, he was released
in the summer of 1946 But he was not allowed to return home. He was confined
to a home for the aged in Osek, Bohemia, where he stayed under constant
police surveillance.

After a long period of prison even the home for the aged seemed like
a little paradise, as he himself admitted: "I never had it so good,
except when I was living with my mother. The most important thing is that
here I have sufficient time for prayer and I am able to lead a truly spiritual
life."

In Osek there were about 160 elderly Sisters that were concentrated
by the communist authorities. They were from various Czech, Slovak and
Hungarian convents. Bishop Hopko was happy to be able to extend spiritual
assistance to them since he spoke all three languages fluently. His kindness
and charity became known to all the Sisters, and they nicknamed him "Our
Golden Man."

In the spring of 1968, the communist policy under the leadership of
Secretary Alexander Dubchek was liberalized. At that time the government
even agreed to restore the Greek Catholic Church, which was violently suppressed
in 1950. Bishop Hopko, as soon as he was released from his confinement
in Osek, initiated the drive for the restoration of the Prjashev Eparchy.
On June 13, 1968, the eparchy became officially recognized. It was expected
that Bishop Hopko would become the administrator of the restored eparchy.

As the necessary steps for Bishop Hopko's rehabilitation were being
made, Slovak activists among the clergy struck again. They decided to replace
Bishop Hopko with "a Slovak Bishop" and initiated a malicious
campaign against their own bishop. The opposition prevailed and Bishop
Hopko was removed from the administration of the Prjashev Eparchy.

In his ReportBishop Hopko warned the Holy See: "I have
sufficient reason to believe that the Slovak members of the Acting Committee
are attempting to remove me from the administration of the eparchy and
to curtail my authority. I bow my head to God's will, since I want to remain
loyal to the Holy See. But I am afraid that the people, when they find
out what had happened, will be disturbed and cause some harm to the Church."

It happened exactly as our brave Confessor predicted. About 35 parishes
failed to return, and the Eparchy of Prjashev remains without a bishop
to the present day.

As the end of Bishop Hopko's life was approaching, he kept repeating:
*"I want to go home!"*When the attending Sisters pointed
out to him that he was home, in his own residence, he just mumbled: "Eh,
you do not understand!" Bishop Hopko considered his death a homecoming.
And the Heavenly Father finally called His faithful servant home on Friday,
June 23. 1976.

Bishop Hopko for his long sufferings, humiliating imprisonment and heroic
faith deserves our admiration and deep respect. He is our own Confessor.
Therefore, we should remember him and pray for his beatification.

POSTHUMOUS RECOGNITION

"Bishop Hopko was a part of our people and of our Greek Catholic
Church. By his long sufferings and heroic faith he vividly personified
our Venerable Eparchy. In the school of prayer and vexation he learned
deep humility. To us he was an exalted example of true Christian life,
a concerned father, and a trusted friend. Because of his childlike innocence
he preserved his peace of mind till the end of his trying life."

(Blahovistnik, 1976, n. aa, p. 14)

No 41

With Ecclesiastical Approbation October 1987

(Byzantine Leaflet Series No. 41, October 1987)

Bishop Alexander Chira

FEARLESS WITNESS

OF CHRIST

" I bequeath my body to the earth, my spirit to God, but
my heart 1 leave to Rome!"

Bishop Chira

On May 26, 1983, the worthy successor to our martyred Bishop Theodore
G. Romzha, Bishop-Confessor Alexander Chira, passed away in exile. He died
far away from his native land, in Karaganda, Kazakh, S.S.R. He was one
of the many victims of the Soviet persecution of the Greek Catholic Church
in Subcarpathian Ruthenia. Bishop Chira served a long prison sentence in
the concentration camps of Siberia. He was even forbidden to return home
and was forced to live in exile. Since five years have passed since his
death, we are able to also consider the cause of his beatification. Thus
his name can be added to the list of our other three saintly Bishops, Paul
Gojdich, Theodore Romzha and Basil Hopko, who died as the fearless witnesses
to Christ.

Bishop Alexander Chira was born to a large priestly family on January
17, 1897, in the village of Vulchivc'i, Maramorosh District. He completed
his theological studies at the University of Budapest with a master's degree
in Sacred Theology, and was ordained priest in Uzhhorod, December 19, 1920.
He spent the first two years of his priesthood as an assistant at the Bishop's
residence. Later he was appointed to do pastoral work in his native Maramoroschina,
which was at that time threatened by Orthodox propaganda.

In 1924 Father Chira succeeded the late Bishop Basil Takach as Spiritual
Director at the Eparchiat Seminary in Uzhorod. At the same time he became
Professor of Church History and Canon Law. As a gifted orator he soon became
a favored preacher at the Uzhorod cathedral, attracting people from distant
places. He was nicknamed the Evangelist.

To counteract Orthodox propaganda among the people, he initiated the
Missionary Society of St. Josaphat, promoting popular missions and retreats.
Among the youth he advanced the Sodality movement. For the sick he organized
the so-called Apostolate of Suffering. As a voluntary prison chaplain
he became instrumental in providing the Uzhorod penitentiary with a chapel
and took care of the spiritual needs of the inmates.

During the Easter vacation Father Chira regularly visited the mining
districts of France and Belgium, bringing .spiritual consolation to thousands
of Rusyn workers. In the event of some serious misfortune it was Father
Chira who was sent by the Bishop to comfort and to encourage the poor victims.
He also took an active part in the ecumenical movement of SS. Cyril and
Methodius, which was then initiated in Velehrad, Moravia. For his dedicated
work he was soon regarded with the title of Consistorial Counselor, then
again with the dignity of a Papal Chamberlain. In 1934 Msgr. Chira was
elevated to the dignity of Canon. At the same time he was appointed Rector
of the Seminary and Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology.

In the summer of 1939, following the Hungarian occupation of Subcarpathian
Ruthenia, Msgr. Chira was removed from his post of Rector and was placed
under house arrest. Eventually he was freed from Hungarian police surveillance
and, under the influence of the Holy See, he was permitted to continue
his work as Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at the Seminary. For
his gallant stand against the Hungarian pressure, the Holy See rewarded
him, in 1943, with the high distinction of Domestic Prelate, a rare honor
among the Rusyn clergy at the time.

Immediately after his episcopal ordination in 1944, Bishop Romzha appointed
Msgr. Chira as his Vicar General. The diplomatic ability of Msgr. Chira
and his iron clad logic frustrated all Soviet attempts to discredit the
young Bishop Romzha in the eyes of the faithful. With a premonition of
his approaching end, Bishop Romzha received permission from the Holy See
and secretly ordained Msgr. Chira as his Auxiliary Bishop in 1945.

It was a heroic act on the part of Msgr. Chira to accept the episcopal
ordination under those adverse conditions. But he did not hesitate and
dedicated himself wholeheartedly to the defense of the Mukachevo Eparchy
and its faithful against Soviet persecution. When the Soviet secret police
began to harass him, his relatives suggested to him to leave the country.
But Bishop Chira had only one answer: "I am a priest (even his relatives
didn't know that he was ordained a bishop) and my place is here, at home,
with my people. Let God's holy will be done!"

After Bishop Romzha's violent death the Soviets promised Bishop Chira
to make him a Bishop if he would bring the Eparchy of Mukachevo under the
jurisdiction of the Moscow patriarch. His answer was decisive: "I
was born a Greek Catholic, and I also want to die a Greek Catholic!"
During the night of February 10, 1949, the Soviets incarcerated Bishop
Chira, took him to L'viv Galicia, where they tried him for "sabotage
and slander against the Soviet Union." When they learned that Chira
was secretly ordained a bishop, they tried him again in Kiev for "treason."
As a "traitor of the Soviet Union" he was sentenced to 25 years
of imprisonment with the loss of his civil rights.

After the trial Bishop Chira was deported to the Irkutsk labor camps,
near Lake Baikal, in Central Siberia. From there they transported him to
the Kuznets mines near Kemerovo, in the Novosibirsk District. Finally they
herded him with the other prisoners into a labor camp on the irtysh River,
in the Omsk District, where he continued to work in the coal mines.

In 1956, after Stalin's death Khrushchev granted general amnesty to
all "political prisoners," in which category all the Byzantine
Catholic priests were included. In September, 1956, Bishop Chira was released
from prison and returned to his native village, Vulchivc'i, where he secretly
continued his pastoral work. During the Christmas season of 1957, he was
apprehended by the Soviet police and sentenced to five years of forced
labor with the injunction never to return home. This time he was deported
to the mining labor camps near Karaganda, Kazakh, S.S.R., in Central Asia.

Upon the completion of his second sentence, since he was not allowed
to return home, he settled down in Karaganda, taking spiritual care of
numerous Catholic Exiles in that area. One of the German settlers, who
was fortunate to return later to West Germany, writes:

"Father Alexander lived in the most adverse circumstances, being
placed under close surveillance of the local police and forbidden to do
pastoral work among the people. Often late at night the security agents
summoned him for hearings, each time molesting him for hours. But he did
not give up. Under the cover of night he continued to celebrate the Liturgy,
hear confessions, baptize children, marry young couples, and take care
of the sick and dying. The people came from far away places, travelling
hundreds of kilometers, just to receive the Holy Sacraments from his hands.

In Karaganda for a long time nobody knew who Father Alexander really
was. It is customary not to mention the full name of an underground priest.
When the news spread that there was a Catholic priest living in Karaganda,
many German exiles settled down in this fast growing mining town. Soon
the Catholic community of Karaganda was increased by numerous exiles from
Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine, Many of them were also from the Carpathian
region. It took them more than twenty years to obtain an official registration
as a Catholic community under Soviet law, but their efforts were crowned
with success.

At last in 1977, the Catholic community of Karaganda was officially
recognized as a parish and Bishop Chira was permitted to act as its first
pastor. He was already 81 years old. And yet he helped to organize other
parishes among the Catholic settlers in Central Asia. At the present time
there are at least 12 registered Catholic parishes in Kazakh S.S.R.

The Karaganda community, encouraged by Bishop Chira, built their own
church which he blessed on Christmas day, 1978. On that occasion Pope John
Paul II sent them his Apostolic Blessing. When Bishop Chira read the Holy
Father's telegram, all the people in the church cried for joy, and he cried
together with them. An old lady writes from Karaganda: "On Sundays
our church is always filled to capacity. Even those who once did not want
to hear anything about religion are being touched by grace and start to
come to church."

As he reached his 85th birthday, Bishop Chira appointed as his successor
Father Albinus Dumbljauskas, S.J., an exiled Lithuanian priest. On that
occasion Bishop Chira wrote: "I do not feel 85 years old, since the
enthusiasm of the faithful, which equals that of the first century Christians,
makes me forget that the course of my life is swiftly approaching its end."
The Holy Father, informed about. the dedicated work of Bishop Chira in
Kazakhstan, sent him a congratulatory telegram and assured him of his personal
prayers.

In the fall of 1982 Bishop Chira's health began to fail. That winter
he caught a cold which eventually developed into pneumonia. The X-rays
showed that both of his lungs were covered with bleeding caverns and the
doctors were not able to stop his internal bleeding. In his last letter,
dated May 3, 1983, our brave Confessor wrote: "I am constantly spitting
up blood and the doctors are unable to stop my internal bleeding. In a
word, the sunset of my earthly life is at hand. In case this would be my
last letter, then you must remember that I am most grateful to my beloved
Savior for all His blessings which He so lavishly showered upon me during
the long journey of my life, coming to an end in Karaganda. I am especially
grateful to God for the grace of perseverance in faith, making my own the
words of that great Irish confessor, Daniel O'Connell: '*I bequeath my
body to the earth, my spirit to God, but my heart I leave to Rome!' *Yes,
with the last breath of my life I want to profess my complete fidelity
to the Vicar of Christ on earth, Pope John Paul II."

Bishop Alexander Chira died in exile as a true Confessor of the faith.
He peacefully passed away in his sleep on May 26, 1983, and was buried
by the wall of the church he helped to build. Over his grave the grateful
parishioners of Karaganda erected a beautiful monument. On our part we
will remember him as an outstanding son of our people, a fearless witness
of Christ, and we will continue to pray for his glorification.

WITNESS OF BISHOP CHIRA

Summoned by the Soviet secret police, Bishop Chira was told to bring
the entire Eparchy of Mukachevo into the fold of the Russian Orthodox church.
He firmly refused. He was promptly condemned "Sabotage and slander
against the Soviet Union" to 25 years of forced labor in Siberia.
Later he was condemned to an additional 5 years of hard labor for his underground
pastoral work and was forced to live the rest of his life in exile. In
spite of unbearable sufferings and humiliations he remained faithful to
Christ and His Church. He died as our modern day Confessor of faith.

No. 42

With Ecclesiastical Approbation January 1988

(Byzantine Leaflet Series No. 42, January 1988)

Colophon

Four biographical leaflets from the Byzantine Leaflet Series, Byzantine
Seminary Press, Pittsburgh: "Bishop Theodore G. Romzha: A Victim of
Soviet Persecution" (No. 39, May 1987), "Bishop Paul P. Gojdich, O.S.B.M."
(No. 40, July 1987), "Bishop Basil Hopko" (No. 41, October 1987), and
"Bishop Alexander Chira" (No. 42, January 1988), each issued "With
Ecclesiastical Approbation." Hosted at carpatho-rusyn.org (Carpatho-Rusyn
Knowledge Base). Captured 2026-08-05 from
http://www.carpatho-rusyn.org/spirit/romzha.htm, gojdich.htm,
hopko.htm, and chira.htm. Published here under permission held by the
New Tianmu Anglican Church for this material, recorded 2026-08-05; all
rights remain with the original publisher, the Byzantine Seminary Press.
No individual human author is credited on any of the four leaflets.

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