Here’s something you don’t see every day: a tri-ritual priest

Last updated on: September 29, 2016 at 3:58 pm by Deacon Greg Kandra

Here’s something you don’t see every day: a tri-ritual priest 2016-09-29T15:58:47-04:00 Deacon Greg Kandra

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

From The Catholic News Herald:

Father Joseph Matlak, 31, is celebrating his one-year anniversary of ordination as a priest of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. He has recently been named administrator of the St. Basil Ukrainian Greek Catholic Mission and chaplain of Holy Trinity Middle School.

Father Matlak has a unique priesthood, as he has permission to celebrate the liturgy in three rites: the Byzantine rite and the two forms of the Latin rite. He celebrates Mass in the Extraordinary Form (Latin Mass) at St. Thomas Aquinas Church and in the Ordinary Form (Novus Ordo) at the middle school.

He is also married, as Eastern Rite Catholic married men may be considered for ordination at their bishop’s discretion. Father Matlak and his wife Katie Ann were married in 2014.

Father Matlak expressed that he is grateful to Bishop Peter Jugis and the entire Diocese of Charlotte for “their unparalleled cordiality and hospitality. I have been received as though being one of their own, who works and strives together with them for the same goal, the glory of God and the good of His people!”

Recently we asked Father Matlak to share his vocation story with the Catholic News Herald:

CNH: Can you explain what it means to be tri-ritual, to be able to celebrate the Mass in three rites?

FATHER MATLAK: I am a canonically a priest of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the largest of the Eastern Churches in full communion with the Church of Rome. I have also received faculties from the Congregation of the Eastern Churches to celebrate in the Latin rite. This means that I have permission to celebrate in both the Byzantine rite and Latin rite, of which there are two forms – the Ordinary Form and the Extraordinary Form (Missal of 1962). As a result, I find myself celebrating the Liturgy/Mass in three different rites or forms, depending upon the place and situation. This experience is deeply enriching my priesthood, imbuing within me a spirit of the catholicity of the Church.

CNH: What it is like to be a married priest?
FATHER MATLAK: According to the tradition of the Eastern Churches, a candidate for major orders has to be married before ordination to the diaconate. It is not that “priests can get married,” as is commonly assumed, but rather that married men are ordained to the priesthood. In Eastern Christianity, monasticism is a vocation held in very high esteem. Those who discern celibacy commonly seek out a monastic community. However, after having met my wife in church, I realized that God was calling me to marry, and specifically to marry her. Thereafter, the bishop decides whether or not to ordain a married man. I may never have been ordained, and so the important thing was to discern whether or not I was called to marriage first.

My wife had not grown up in the Eastern Churches, although she was aware of them through her experience at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Ironically, she never thought she would be married to a priest. She recalls at one point emphatically telling the wife of a priest that she would never do so! As it turned out, she became my biggest champion, often encouraging me whenever I wanted to doubt that I even had a priestly vocation. (I have found that this is a common story among the wives of our priests and deacons.)

The most important thing to understand is that this is a divine vocation. It is not enough simply to “find a wife” before ordination, but rather to find the right person to marry. In our case, we both began praying for our future spouses at around the same time, and specifically to the Mother of God. While not being a priest herself, the wife of the priest certainly shares to some extent in the priestly life and ministry of her husband. She is traditionally an esteemed and revered member of the parish, and very often takes on positions of leadership and service in accordance with her abilities and talents. Therefore, it is no wonder that the wife of a priest has traditionally been given a title (Pani Dobrodyka, Pani Matka, Matushka, Presbytera, Khouria).

There’s much more. Read it all.

Photo: Deacon Matthew Hanes

Uncategorized

Previous Post

September 29, 2016

In Connecticut this weekend? Stop by and say hello!

Next Post

September 30, 2016 'My journey from Tehran to Rome': A Muslim-born Iranian writes about how he became Catholic

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category "Mad Men" 9/11 advent All Things New Amazing video amazing videos amazon america Anglicans Anti-Catholicism art ascension thursday ash wednesday Atheists baltimore Bible Bishops Blogging bonnie engstrom Books bridgeport Brooklyn Chaplains children christian art christmas Church Churches CNEWA Converts criticism Deacons Death Penalty easter eastern christian Eastern Christians Ecumenism Education education Eucharist Europe euthanasia Evangelization Exorcism Family Feasts Gay rights Good Friday Great links Great Moments in Journalism Hanging with the saints heather renshaw Hispanic Catholics Hispanics History homelies Homilies Humor Hymn of the Week Immigration indianapolis Inspiration Interfaith news ireland Jesus Jews Journalism Judaism lent Liturgy logos Marriage Mary Media Medical news Mental health Middle East Monks Movies Music Muslims My world and welcome to it New Evangelization new york News Nuns Parenting Parish life peoria Persecution Politics politics Pope pope francis pope john paul Prayer Preaching Priests Pro-life Quote of the day radio rebecca frech ripp Ripped from the headlines rippred from the headlines Sacraments saints Scripture sex abuse Sex abuse crisis SEX ABUSE CRISIS TAGGED WITH: SEX ABUSE CRISIS The people in the pews the visitation project theatre This & that Thomas Merton Trappists TV Uncategorized uncategorized VATICAN Vatican vocation Vocations Voices & Views Women Worth a thousand words Writing Year of Faith year of mercy young people

Select a Month December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I am a runaway slave who became a brother. Paul pleaded for my master to receive me back in love. Who am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Titus Timothy Philemon Onesimus

Books by This Author Books by Deacon Greg Kandra

See All Titles »