Archeparchy of Philadelphia Welcomes Father Andriy Rabiy as new Auxiliary Bishop

Very Andriy Rabiy has studied for the priesthood at our St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Seminary, receiving his philosophical and theological studies at The Catholic University of America and the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. He was ordained to the priesthood within our archeparchy and has served with enthusiasm and dedication at a number of parish assignments. Very Rev. Andriy Rabiy returned to The Catholic University of America for advanced studies in canon law and has served in our Archieparchial Marriage Tribunal.  His care and concern for the souls of faithful living in locations not close to existing parishes resulted in his beginning a successful new mission parish in Lancaster, PA, St. Andrew the Apostle Ukrainian Catholic Mission Parish.  Recently, he successfully transferred the location of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church from a downtown location to a more suitable suburb location offering a full range of facilities for the parish.  Very Rev. Andriy Rabiy serves as Vicar General and Vice-Chancellor of our Archeparchy, in addition to his ministry at his parishes.

Our Archeparchy and our Ukrainian Catholic Church will be well served by the vibrant and dedicated ministry demonstrated by our newly nominated candidate to the episcopacy. We congratulate him. We commit ourselves to support him with our prayers, words of encouragement, and joyful sharing in his episcopal ministry. 

God bless Very Rev. Andriy Rabiy richly in ways only He can as he undertakes his new ministry as a bishop of the Church.  Our heartfelt welcome and ‘Mnohaya Lita’!

Rev. John M. Fields
Communications Office
Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia

Biography

On Tuesday, August 8^th, 2017, His Holiness, Pope Francis appointed Very Rev. Andriy Rabiy as Auxiliary Bishop for the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia.  Very Rev. Andriy Rabiy currently serves as Vicar General and as Vice-Chancellor for the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy, and as a Dean of the Lehigh-Schuylkill Deanery, PA. He is also a member of the College of Consultors, the Archieparchial Finance Advisory Council, the Presbyteral Council, the Archieparchial Administrative Council and Administrative Board at the Pennsylvania Conference of Bishops.

Very Rev. Andriy Rabiy was born on October 1, 1975, in the city of Lviv, Ukraine. His parents, Anton and Iryna Rabiy reside in Zymna Voda, Lviv region of Ukraine. He has one younger brother, Vitaliy, who is married with Iryna. They have two children, Andrian and Yuliana, and reside in Ukraine.

Very Rev. Andriy graduated from Zymna Voda High School #1 in 1992. In the fall of 1992 he entered Ivano-Frankivsk Seminary where he studied philosophy for two years. In August of 1994 he moved to the United States to continue his studies at St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Seminary while attending classes at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC.  Following completion of a one year program studying English at the Metropolitan College of the Catholic University, he was enrolled in the School of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the same university. In May of 1999 he graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Philosophy.

In September of 1999 Fr. Andriy continued his theological studies at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington DC. He completed a four year program within three years and graduated with a Master of Divinity degree “cum laude” in May of 2002.

Fr. Andriy was ordained as a Subdeacon in May of 1998, and as a Deacon in November of 1999 by Most Rev. Archbishop Stephen Sulyk, He received his Presbyteral Orders from Most Rev. Archbishop Stefan Soroka in December of 2001 in the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Philadelphia.

Upon completion of his theological studies, he was appointed as an administrator of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in New Brunswick (2002-2003; 2004-2005) and St. Michael the Archangel church in Hillsborough NJ (2002-2005), and for a brief time as administrator of Immaculate Conception Church in Hillside NJ (2003-2004). 

In the fall of 2005, Very Rev. Andriy returned to the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC for studies in canon law. In 2008, he graduated with a Licentiate in Canon Law, having completed his dissertation on the patriarchal tribunal in the Eastern Church.

Since 2008, he has served as pastor of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Reading, PA, where he successfully relocated the parish.  He also serves St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Lancaster, PA, a newly formed mission parish which he began in February 2013.