Basil Takach - Episcopate of Bishop Takach

Episcopate of Bishop Takach

The new Exarchate had been erected on May 8, 1924 with the official English name "Apostolic Exarchate of the United States of America, Faithful of the Oriental Rite (Ruthenian)" (Latin: Foederatarum Civitatum Americae Septemtrionalis).

The papal bull appointing Takach as bishop expressly stated that the new episcopal seat was to be New York City. New York, however, had a small Rusyn population. So he established temporary residences, first in Trenton, New Jersey, and later in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, as he deliberated on a more appropriate location.

Representatives of St. John the Baptist Greek Catholic Church in Munhall, Pennsylvania, a steel town suburb of Pittsburgh, presented to him a formal proposal offering land and financial assistance—if he would establish his residence and episcopal seat at the parish. Given the parish's close proximity to the main offices of the Greek Catholic Union of the USA, the oldest and largest fraternal organization serving the Rusyn community, and especially because Western Pennsylvania was home to the largest Rusyn-American population, Takach accepted the offer. He designated St. John's as the cathedral of the new Exarchate. St. John the Baptist had been constructed in 1903 and designed by the Hungarian-born architect, Titus de Bobula, who patterned it after the Rusyn Greek Catholic Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Uzhhorod. By February 1926, a new bishop's residence and chancery was completed across the street from his the cathedral.

Bishop Takach next visited his people with an eye toward creating regional governing districts or deaneries for the Exarchate. Thirteen deaneries were created with the following seats: New York City, Jersey City, Philadelphia, Scranton, Hazleton, Johnstown, Punxsutawney, Pittsburgh, Homestead, Uniontown, Youngstown, Cleveland, and Chicago. The first church census showed the new Pittsburgh Greek Catholic Exarchate consisted of almost 300,000 faithful organized into 155 parishes and mission churches served by 129 priests. Also, during his tenure the Sisters of St. Basil established and staffed ten parochial schools and six catechetical schools throughout the Exarchate.