Our history

  • On January 2, 1965: Consecration of Rev. Michael Rusnak, CSsR., D.D. at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Toronto.

  • On October 13, 1980: Bishop Michal Rusnak, CSsR was appointed as the first Bishop for Byzantine Catholic Slovaks in Canada (Eparchy of Sts. Cyril and Methodius for Byzantine Rite Slovaks in Canada)

  • On October 13, 1980: The Eparchy of Saints Cyril and Methodius of Slovaks of the Byzantine Rite in Toronto was established

  • On February 28, 1981: Bishop Michael Rusnak, CSsR was enthroned as the first Bishop of the newly established Eparchy at Saint Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Toronto

  • On November 11, 1996: Bishop Michal Rusnak, CSsR retired

  • On November 22, 1996: The Very Rev.  John Fetsco, CSsR was appointed as Apostolic Administration for the Eparchy

  • On December 2, 2000: Bishop John Pazak, CSsR was appointed as the second Bishop of the Eparchy

  • On February 14, 2001: Bishop John Pazak, CSsR was installed as the second Bishop

  • On January 16, 2003: Bishop Michal Rusnak, CSsR, D.D. passed away at the age of 81

  • On June 23, 2009: The Very Reverend John Fetsco, CSsR passed away at the age of 79

  • On May 7, 2016: Bishop John Pazak, CSsR,  was appointed Eparch of Ruthenian Catholic Eparchy of Holy Protection of Mary in Phoenix and the same day he was appointed as Apostolic Administrator for our Eparchy

  • On July 5, 2018: Rev.  Marian Andrej Pacak, CSsR, was named third Bishop for the Eparchy

  • On September 15, 2018: Bishop Marian Andrej Pacak, CSsR, was enthroned as the third bishop of the Eparchy at the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Toronto

  • On October 20, 2020: Bishop Marian Andrej Pacak, CSsR, resigned  

  • On October 20, 2020: Holy Father appointed Bishop Kurt R. Burnette as Apostolic Administrator  for the Eparchy (sede vacante)  

  • In 2022, Pope Francis changed our status from Eparchy to Exarchy and transferred the jurisdiction of our Eparchy from the Slovak Greek Catholic Metropolitan Church to the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh, an ecclesiastical province allocated to the Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Church.

The Eparchy of Ss. Cyril and Methodius

of Slovaks of the Byzantine Rite in Canada.