 |
His Grace, Bishop
George Martin Kuzma
July 24, 1925—December 7, 2008
In blessed repose grant, O Lord, eternal rest
to Your departed servant Bishop George and remember him forever! |
The Most Reverend George Martin Kuzma, the retired second Bishop of the
Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Van Nuys, fell asleep in the Lord at Mount
Macrina Manor in Uniontown, Pennsylvania on December 7, 2008. He was 83
years of age, a priest for over 53 years and a Bishop for almost 22
years. He is survived by numerous nieces and nephews, his beloved
clergy, religious and faithful of the Eparchy of Van Nuys.
George Kuzma was the youngest of six children born to Ambrose and Anna (Martvon)
Kuzma on July 24, 1925. On August 9, 1925, he received the Holy
Mysteries of Christian Initiation at St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church
in Windbur, Pennsylvania from the Reverend Stephen Polansky. He was an
active member of the parish and sang in the Junior Choir. Educated in
the Windbur public schools, he completed high school six months early so
that he could enlist in the U.S. Navy and serve his country during World
War II. It was at the time of his enlistment that he added “Martin” as
his middle name in deference to his mother. He served in the Asiatic
Pacific Area before being honorably discharged in March of 1946.
Feeling a call to the priesthood, George entered St. Francis
College-Seminary in 1947, but transferred to St. Procopius College in
Lisle, Illinois where seminarians for the Byzantine Catholic Church were
trained. In 1950, he transferred to the newly opened SS. Cyril and
Methodius Byzantine Catholic Seminary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He
graduated from Duquesne University with a BA in Philosophy in 1951. He
received Minor Orders and Diaconate from the Most Reverend Daniel
Ivancho. By the laying on of hands and the invocation of the Holy Spirit
on Pentecost Sunday, May 29, 1955, George Kuzma was ordained to the
priesthood by the Most Reverend Nicholas Elko at St. John Chrysostom
Church in Pittsburgh. His deep love and dependence on the Holy Spirit
would be a reoccurring theme of his priestly and episcopal ministry.
His priestly service included parishes in the Pittsburgh, Detroit and
Cleveland areas before his move to the West Coast where he had always
desired to serve. He served as pastor of Annunciation Parish in Anaheim,
California from 1972 until his elevation to the episcopacy in 1987. On
February 4, 1987, he was ordained to the episcopacy in the Eparchy of
Passaic (New Jersey), where he served as auxiliary bishop to Bishop
Michael J. Dudick, bishop of the Eparchy.
On January 15, 1991, Bishop George returned to his beloved West Coast as
the second bishop of the Eparchy of Van Nuys. During his tenure there he
worked tirelessly to set the debt-ridden eparchy on firm financial
ground. Following the devastating Northridge Earthquake he relocated the
administrative offices of the eparchy to Phoenix, Arizona.
Upon reaching his 75th birthday, he submitted his resignation to the
Holy Father, in accordance with canon law. His Holiness, Pope John Paul
II accepted Bishop George’s resignation on December 5, 2000. He resided
at Mount Macrina Manor in Uniontown, PA until the time of his passing.
Funeral services for a departed bishop will be held at St. John
Cathedral, Munhall (Pittsburgh), Pennsylvania. His body will be received
at the Cathedral at 3:00 PM on Sunday, December 14, 2008. He will lie in
state on Sunday from 3:00 PM until 9:00 PM and again on Monday, December
15 from 1:00 PM until 9:00 PM. Funeral Services for a Priest will take
place on both Sunday and Monday at 7:00 PM. Funeral Divine Liturgy will
be celebrated at 10:30 AM on Tuesday, December 16. He will be buried at
Mount Calvary Cemetery in Uniontown, Pennsylvania on Tuesday (at
approximately 3:00 PM) with his brother Bishops of the Byzantine
Catholic Church.
Bishop George’s wishes were that in lieu of flowers, contributions be
made for the education of seminarians for the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy
of Van Nuys. Checks may be made payable to the “Eparchy of Van Nuys” and
sent to: Bishop George Seminarian Fund, c/o Eparchy of Van Nuys, 8105 N.
16th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85020.
Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of
Van Nuys
Eparchial Chancery - 8105
North 16th Street - Phoenix, Arizona 85020
Phone: 602-861-9778 - Fax:
602-861-9796
Website: eparchy-of-van-nuys.org
Web Comments:
evnsecretary@qwestoffice.net
Last modified on
12/09/2008.
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