Communications at 6363 9th Avenue North, Saint Petersburg, FL 33710 US - Eastern Catholic Churches

“I am thinking of the Eastern Churches, as did many other Popes in the past, aware that the mandate to preserve the Church's unity and to seek Christian unity tirelessly wherever it was wounded was addressed to them. A particularly close link already binds us. We have almost everything in common; and above all, we have in common the true longing for unity.”
Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Orientale Lumen, 2 May 1995.

There are 22 Eastern Catholic sui iuris [“of its own law,” autonomous] Churches in full union with our Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church. These Eastern Churches have their own Code of Canon Law [The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches], in addition to laws and liturgical rites particular to each Eastern Church sui iuris. While having originated in other countries, many of these Eastern Catholic Churches have established small communities or even entire eparchies [Greek for “dioceses”] within the United States.

These 22 Eastern Catholic Churches are grouped into four categories, from highest to lowest levels of autonomy. The categories, Churches, and countries of origin are listed as follows:

1. PATRIARCHAL CHURCHES:
These six Churches consist of their own Patriarchs, who, with a synod of bishops, have the legislative, judicial and executive powers within the jurisdictional territory of the Patriarchal Church, without prejudice to those powers reserved, in the common law to the Roman Pontiff [pope].
Patriarchal Churches include: 1. Coptic (Egypt), 2. Maronite (Lebanon), 3. Syriac (Lebanon), 4. Armenian (Lebanon), 5. Chaldean (Iraq), and 6. Melkite (Syria).

3. METROPOLITAN CHRUCHES:
These three Churches are governed by Metropolitans, with the assistance of a council of hierarchs (equivalent to a conference of bishops). These Metropolitans are appointed by the Roman Pontiff.
Metropolitan Churches include: 1. Ethiopian (Ethiopia), 2. Ruthenian (Ukraine), and 3. Slovak (Slovak Republic).

4. OTHER EASTERN CHURCHES SUI IURIS:
These nine Churches are presided over by hierarchs [or Ordinaries: bishops and their equivalents in law], in accordance with the norm of common law and the particular law established by the Roman Pontiff.
Other Eastern Churches sui iuris include: 1. Albanian (Albania), 2. Belarusian (Belarus), 3. Bulgarian (Bulgaria), 4. Byzantine (Croatia), 5. Greek Byzantine (Greece), 6. Hungarian (Hungary),7. Italo-Albanian (Italy), 8. Macedonian (Republic of Macedonia), and 9. Russian (Russia).

PLEASE NOTE: Since these 22 Churches are in union with the Roman Pontiff, their members are able to freely receive sacraments within the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, with certain restrictions placed on marriages of their members. We are also able to receive sacraments within their Churches. Note also that these 22 Churches are not the same as the Orthodox churches, which are currently not in union with the Roman Pontiff, although we recognize their sacraments as being valid.

FOR MORE ON EASTERN CATHOLIC CHURCHES, PLEASE GO TO:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05230a.htm

IN THE DIOCESE OF ST. PETERSBURG:
Currently within the boundaries of our diocese, there are five Eastern Catholic parishes and two missions, operating under their own eparchial bishops. They are listed below:

Epiphany of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church
434 - 90th Avenue North
St. Petersburg, FL 33702
Phone: (727) 576-1001
Fax: (727) 576-6821
Lower Pinellas Deanery
Pastor: Rev. Msgr. John P. Stevensky
Eparchy: St. Josaphat of Parma, Ohio
Website: http://epiphanyukrch.com/
Email: Msgrjps@Mindspring.com

St. Andrew's Ukrainian Catholic Church
8064 Weeping Willow Street
Brooksville, FL 34613
Phone: (352) 597-5589
Hernando Deanery
Eparchy: St. Josaphat of Parma, Ohio
Website: http://www.byzantines.net/st_andrew/

Sts. Peter & Paul Maronite Catholic Church
6201 Sheldon Rd.
Tampa, FL 33615
Phone: (813) 886-7413
Fax: (813) 885-6346
Administrator: Rev. Peter E. Boulos
Eparchy: St. Maron of Brooklyn
Website: http://peterandpaulmcc.org/
Email: peterandpaulmcc@gmail.com

St. Thérèse of Lisieux Byzantine-Ruthenian Catholic Church
4265 13th Ave North
St. Petersburg, FL 33713
Phone: (727) 323-4022
Fax: (727) 323-8351
Lower Pinellas Deanery
Pastor: Very Rev. Robert Evancho
Eparchy: Passaic, NJ
Website: http://www.sttherese-byzantine.com/
Email: Revancho@tampabay.rr.com

St. Joseph Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
5501 Williams Road
Seffner, FL  33584
Phone: (813) 420-3436
East Hillsborough Deanery
Vicar: Fr. Varghese [George] Maliekal
Eparchy: St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago
Website: http://stjosephsmcc.org

Sacred Heart Syro-Malabar Knanaya Catholic Mission
Currently meeting at:
City Church of Tampa Bay, 3920 S. Kings Ave., Brandon, FL 33511 (Sundays)
Knanaya Community Centre, 2620 Washington Rd., Valrico, FL 33594 (Weekdays)
Phone: (813) 446-9868
East Hillsborough Deanery
Administrator: Fr. Abey Alex Vadakkekara
Eparchy: St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago
Website/bulletin: http://www.knanayaregion.us/tampa/bulletin.htm