The 10th Annual Diaconal Formation Weekend of St. Josaphat Eparchy: The Reality of Christ’s Resurrection and the Difference it Makes

The 10th Annual Diaconal Formation Weekend Retreat of St Josaphat Eparchy was held from November 7-9, 2025, again at the peaceful surroundings of the Jesuit Retreat Center in Parma, Ohio.  Participants for this year’s retreat included 31 deacons, diaconal candidates and their wives from Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Florida, and Massachusetts.  The weekend retreat was led by Fr. Peter Galadza, PhD with the focus on Christ’s Resurrection and the Difference it Makes in our and everyone’s lives.  The seminars given by Fr. Galadza were based on a previously assigned book called “Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church” by N.T. Wright.  Fr. Galadza divided his discussion into four sessions: 1. “I contemplate myself being surrounded by the conditions that I desire to attract into my life”; 2. “How we lost the proclamation of the resurrection and how we will regain it”; 3. Prayed theology: a reflection on and analysis of our Sunday Matins Propers;  and 4. Discussion of N.T. Wright’s Insights in relation to the texts of Sunday Matins.  There was discussion of understanding salvation in terms of God’s promise of a new heaven and new earth and the work that we need to do in our present life towards that new creation.  Fr. Galadza, Professor Emeritus (as of 2020) in the Faculty of Theology of the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto and retired Director of the Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies at the same college, is the author of more than 65 articles and editor of several books.

There were opportunities to pray matins, vespers, and to celebrate the Divine Liturgy.  There was a special session on how to use the Horologion (Divine Office in the Byzantine Church) and a special session on Catholic meditation.  The clergy wives also had their own separate session during the weekend retreat with Olenka Galadza, MA, a lifelong educator and catechist and the wife of Fr. Galadza.

As an update from last year’s retreat, copies of the latest Typica service revision, which were reviewed by Rev. Dr. Mark Morozowich, were shared.  This year’s retreat was also special in that there was time for the retreat participants to spend time with His Grace Bishop Bohdan Danylo of the St. Josaphat Eparchy, who joined them in Divine Liturgies, Vesper services, at a special session and at meals during the weekend.  We thank Bishop for his continued support of this ongoing diaconal formation weekend.  There was also time for renewal of old acquaintances and the meeting of new ones.  The weekend included a special treat reuniting the Ambridge boys, Fr. Peter Galadza, Fr. Deacon Paul Galadza, and Fr. Deacon Mark Propokovich, at the altar of the Cathedral of St. Josaphat in a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy.

The 10th Annual Diaconal Formation Weekend Retreat continued the rich tradition in the life of the Eparchy by providing participants and their spouses opportunities for learning and reflection and for spiritual renewal.  It was felt that the participating deacons and deacon candidates were reinvigorated to continue their mission in serving the Church and their communities.  Next year’s ongoing Diaconal Formation Weekend will again be at the Jesuit Retreat Center in Parma, and it will be held on November 6-8, 2026.