Sharing the traditions of the Byzantine Catholic Church, this Theology on Tap series brings young adults together for a thoughtful night of discussion
The Theology on Tap series bringing Eastern tradition to Manhattan continued on Tuesday, March 3. This week, they welcomed the Metropolitan Archbishop of Prešov in Slovakia and head of the Slovak Greek Catholic Church, Jonáš Maxim, to the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral in Lower Manhattan. The archbishop shared what he believed Roman Catholics and Byzantine Catholics could connect on: finding Christ in our traditions.
Maxim said, “What Roman Catholics should actually take from the [Byzantine] Divine Liturgy is not only the beauty and its mysticism, but the encounter with the Lord… The most important thing in both the Mass and the Divine Liturgy is the encounter with the living Lord.”
The discussion began with Jonáš Maxim explaining his faith journey and finding his place in monastic life with the Studite monks, a Ukrainian community following the teachings of St. Theodore of Studium. The archbishop spoke throughout the night in his native Slovak, and was translated by Father Marek Visnovsky, one of the organizers for this series and the rector for St. Michael the Archangel in Passaic, New Jersey.
Learn more about this Theology on Tap series and eastern spirituality and mysticism
Metropolitan Archbishop Maxim continued by talking about the differences between living in a monastic community and being the archbishop and the chancery. He said, “As an archbishop, I am still struggling and suffering… It can be very lonely compared to the monastery. One time, I remember the chancery was so empty that I yelled out ‘Is anybody there?’ to just hear echoes coming back. Many of our priests are married. So around 4 o’clock many of our priests have already returned home to their families.”
The Good Newsroom was also able to speak with the organizer, Christopher Blazey, about what he hopes people take away from these talks. Blazey said, “If you’re the one Byzantine Catholic Church in New York City and you’re around eight million other people it can [be difficult] to connect some of these smaller churches with the broader Catholic community in New York.”
Theology on Tap will be continuing on Thursday, March 26 at St. Mary’s Byzantine Catholic Church. It will be featuring a talk on the Psalms by Father Jack Custer.