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Rector - Very Reverend Fr. Roman Pitula
(Serving at Cathedral August 16, 2016 - present)
Very Reverend Fr. Roman Pitula is a native of Ukraine (town Stryj, Lviv Region) and was born on February 1, 1974 to parents Vasyl and Ulyana.
In 1992-1997, Fr. Pitula studied at Ivano-Frankivsk Spiritual Theological University of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, where he received his primary seminary education and formation. In addition, Fr. Pitula had completed one year of college and formation at St. Basil’s Seminary in Stamford, CT.
On March 1, 1997 he married his wife Tetyana. Fr. Pitula and his wife Tetyana have three children: Daughter Sofiya (born on 11/09/2000), and two Sons: Petro (born on 07/14/2002) and Yuriy (born on 06/21/2011).
On June 8, 1997 he was ordained a Deacon.
On November 8, 1998 he was ordained a Priest.
From 1998-2002, Fr. Pitula served as an Assistant Priest at the All the Saints of the Ukrainian Nation Parish in Stryj, Lviv Region.
In 2001, in his own town Stryj, Fr. Pitula founded a new Parish of the Blessed Mykola Charnetskyj.
In 2002, at the invitation of Archbishop Soroka, Fr. Pitula came to minister in the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia.
From 2003-2005, he served as Parish Administrator of St. Josaphat’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Trenton, NJ.
From 2005-2012, Fr. Pitula served as Pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church in Hillsborough, NJ and Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church in New Brunswick, NJ.
From 2012-August 15, 2016, he served as Pastor of St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church in Frackville, PA and St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Maizeville, PA.
On August 16, 2016, Fr. Pitula was appointed as Rector of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchial Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Philadelphia.
Here is the link to the Welcome Video on August 20, 2016. Metropolitan-Archbishop Stefan Soroka welcomed Fr. Pitula, Cathedral Rector and Fr. Sverdan, Cathedral Assistant Rector during the homily. At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, Fr. Pitula offered some remarks. Video link : https://youtu.be/pNWOSoIfcHo
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Previous Rector - Very Rev. Joseph Szupa
(Served at Cathedral July 1, 2015 - July 10, 2016)
Rev. Joseph Szupa became the Cathedral Rector on July 1, 2015.
Rev. Szupa was a native of Chester, PA, where Msgr. Myron Grabowsky was his pastor.
He was born on May 12, 1965 to Andrij and Eva (nee Hrebinec) Szupa.
He completed his studies in philosophy at St. Basil's College and completed his theological studies at Catholic University of America in Washington, DC while a seminarian at St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Seminary.
Rev. Szupa was ordained a priest on September 20, 1992 at the Cathedral by Archbishop Stephen Sulyk. Concelebrating clergy at the ordination were Msgr. Michael Fedorowich, who was the Cathedral Rector at the time; Bishop John Bura, who was Msgr. John Bura in 1992 and was rector of St. Josaphat Seminary; and Rev. John Ciurpita, who was assistant pastor of the Cathedral.
Rev. Joseph Szupa served as pastor at a number of parishes in the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia.
Rev. Szupa served as the Chancellor of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia from 2014 until his death.
Rev. Szupa fell asleep in the Lord after celebrating the 11 a.m. Divine Liturgy on Sunday, July 10, 2016 at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception where he served as rector.
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Previous Rector - Rev. Ivan Demkiv
(Served at Cathedral 2003-2015)
Rev. Ivan Demkiv was born on October 9, 1965 in the village of Zalozhtsy, Zboriv district, Ternopil region, Ukraine.
He grew up in a very religious family. His father Rev. Bohdan and mother Anna taught him to pray, to attend church services, to read the Holy Scripture from the very beginning of his life and he is very thankful them for that. Rev. Demkiv always wanted to be a priest and his dream was fulfilled on February 12, 1992 when he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Sophron Dmyterko at the Cathedral of the Resurrection in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine.
In 1981 he left high school in town Rohatyn, Ivano-Frankivsk region.
1981-1985 - studied in the Ivano-Frankivsk music college on branch of wind instruments.
1985-1989 - military service. He was a musician in a military marching band.
On May 1986 he married his wife Myroslava, they studied together in music college. She is a violinist. They have two wonderful sons Andriy and Pavlo.
1989-1993 - He studied in Ivano-Frankivsk’s Spiritual Theological University.
Upon graduation, Rev. Demkiv's first assignment was a parish of St. Basil the Great in the village Cherche at Rohatyn district and St. Nicholas parish of town Rohatyn, eparchy of Ivano-Frankivsk. He had served these parishes until October 2001, when he moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
In February 1986, Rev. Demkiv was appointed to the position of dean of Cherche Deanery and became a member of eparchial council.
On November 14, 2001, Rev. Demkiv came to Canada and on December 2001, he was appointed as a parish priest of Holy Ghost parish in the district of Beausejour, Manitoba and served this parish until the end of September 2003.
In the beginning of October 2003, he came to Philadelphia and he started to serve as a Parochial Vicar of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. On December 15, 2003 Rev. Ivan Demkiv was appointed as a Rector of this Cathedral and he served at the Cathedral until June 30, 2015.
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