Appointment of eparchial bishop of Parma of the Ruthenians, United States of America

The Holy Father Francis has appointed as bishop of Parma of the Ruthenians, United States of America, H.E. Msgr. Milan Lach, S.J., currently apostolic administrator sede vacante of the same see, transferring him from the titular see of Ostracine.

H.E. Msgr. Milan Lach, S.J.

H.E. Msgr. Milan Lach, S.J., was born on 18 November 1973 in Kežmarok, in the archieparchy of Prešov of the Byzantines, Slovakia.

From 1992 to 1995 he attended the Greek-Catholic Theological Faculty of Prešov and in 1995 he entered the Jesuit novitiate in Trnava.

Following his theological studies at the Theological Faculty of the University of Trnava (1997-2001), he was ordained a priest in 2001 in Košice.

From 2001 to 2003 he worked in the scientific area of the East-West Spirituality Centre of Michal Lacko in Košice; later, from 2009 to 2011, he was superior of the same Centre.

In 2009 he obtained a doctorate in Eastern Ecclesiastical Sciences from the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome. At the same time he served as spiritual father at the Pontifical College Russicum and also as spiritual assistant of the Federation of European Scouts in Rome.

Since 2010 he has been a member of the editors of the theological journal “Verba Theologica”.

Since 2011 he has been deputy dean of the Theological Faculty of the University of Trnava, for foreign relations and for development.

On 19 April 2013, the Holy Father Francis appointed him as auxiliary bishop of the archieparchy of Prešov of the Byzantines, Slovakia, assigning him the titular see of Ostracine.

From 2016 to 2017 he was visitor of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches of the Seminaries and Eastern Colleges in Rome.

On 24 June 2017, the Holy Father Francis appointed him as apostolic administrator sede vacante of the eparchy of Parma of the Ruthenians, United States of America.