New Byzantine Catholic Bishop Takes On Diocese In Ohio

The Vatican announced today that Pope Francis has appointed Msgr. Robert M. Pipta, the current rector of a Byzantine Catholic Seminary in Pennsylvania, as bishop of the Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Eparchy [diocese] of Parma, Ohio. 

Bishop Kurt Burnette currently serving as  Apostolic Administrator of Parma and three other eparchies in North America, wrote, “During the past seven months, I have come to know and admire and love the good people of the Eparchy of Parma,” Burnette wrote in a letter to his flock, and added, “I am very consoled to know that the Holy Father has chosen Father Pipta.” Burnette wrote that he has known Pipta since 1990, when the Bishop Elect entered the seminary in Pittsburgh. “He is a man o humility, integrity, good humor, and absolute dedication to Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ,” he wrote.

In his acceptance message, Bishop Elect Pipta wrote, “I open myself for the grace of episcopal ordination thus enabling my ministerial work alongside the clergy of the Parma Eparchy, my prayer, fasting, and repentance with its religious, and my God-loving service to its lay faithful.” 

“I ask for prayerful petitions that my response to this apostolic calling be faithful, fruitful, and steadfast,” he wrote. He will be consecrated on November 8, which falls on the Feast of St. Michael Archangel and all the Holy Incorporeal Powers. Archangel Michael is especially revered by Byzantine Catholics as guardian and protector of the Church and leader of the heavenly armies. An icon of the angel is usually found at the front of each Byzantine church on the iconostasis or icon screen that symbolizes the union of heaven and earth.

As rector of the Byzantine Catholic Seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Pittsburgh PA, Pipta has also taught Byzantine chant and liturgy, which have their roots in ancient Byzantium and Eastern Europe. Saints Cyril and Methodius brought chant and liturgy to the Slavic peoples of Eastern Europe, and also modified the Greek alphabet to record the Slavonic language used in chant and liturgy for centuries. In the United States, as in other countries, the local vernacular language is used for most liturgical purposes.

Bishop Elect Pipta was born on April 7, 1967 in Anaheim, California. He studied art and music at the University of California-Irvine. After entering the seminary where he would eventually serve as rector, he was ordained as a celibate priest in 1994. He served as pastor at three parishes (1994-2014) and had several eparchial positions as well, including on the Inter-eparchial Liturgy Commission, Music Commission, and Vocations. 

“Being the heartland of our Metropolitan Church, the Eparchy of Parma exhibits its cooperation with the grace of the Holy Spirit in countless ways. Since its establishment over 50 years ago, it has shown itself a leader in return to authentic liturgical practice and has enhanced its parishes in the liturgical arts,” he wrote.

“As I approach episcopal ordination, I sing with our Venerable Father Romanus the Melodist in his Akathist on the Mission of the Apostles: ‘May I obey what I preach and be the first to do what I teach.’ Please pray that Christ the Good Shepherd strengthen me for this new ministerial work.” St. Romanus the Melodist was a sixth century Syrian poet and singer. During the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in Constantinople, Romanus wrote 1,000  kontakia (hymns) that are still used in the liturgies of the Eastern Church, including the Orthodox churches and Byzantine Catholic churches in communion with the Pope.  

Bishop Burnette became Apostolic Administrator of the Parma eparchy in January 2023 upon the departure of Bishop Milan Lach S.J., who had served as bishop of Parma from June 2017 to January 2023. Thereafter, Pope Francis named him as Auxiliary Bishop of Bratislava and titular bishop of Ostracine in his native Slovakia. Bishop Lach’s predecessor, Bishop John Kudrick had served from 2002 until 2016, resigning at the age of 69 and well before mandatory retirement.

During his time in Parma, Bishop Lach faced controversy following his plans to close several parishes, including the cathedral parish, having noted in a 2019 letter to the faithful that only about 2,000 people were attending liturgies in the 29 parishes in an eparchy that incorporates 12 states of the Great Lakes and Midwest. Also, responding to a need for priests, Lach appointed several priests from Europe to serve in the U.S. 

Objections ensued from clergy and laity to the changes. This was followed by Bishop Lach’s request for   a visitation by the Congregation for Eastern Churches in August 2021. He met in November of that year with the prefect of the congregation, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri.  

Bishop Milan wrote in his letter of farewell of January 23, 2023:  “I tried to do for you, as for God’s field and God’s building, the best I could. I ask you to always proclaim Christ by your lives and to make an effort to be holy.” The reasons for his change in venue were not announced by the Vatican or the Eparchy of Parma.

He also wrote: “Someone wise once said that a mission starts where we are not wanted, but needed. A mission will stop at the moment when we are wanted, but not needed. It is like that with my ministry for the Eparchy of Parma. My mission has ended here and a new one starts somewhere else. Five and a half years leading the faithful of the Eparchy of Parma was a nice spiritual experience for me, yet not always an easy one. I am thankful to God for it.”

Bishop Lach speaks French, English, Italian, Slovak and Basque. He holds a doctorate from the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, and is a delegate for the formation of Jesuit scholastics.

Martin Barillas is the author of 'Shaken Earth', available at Amazon.