Obituary

The Most Reverend Richard S. Seminack, Bishop of the Saint Nicolas Ukrainian Eparchy, died peacefully on August 16, 2016.

Born in Philadelphia to Raymond and Anna Cwiek Seminack, Bishop Richard was the eldest of seven children. He attended St. Martin of Tours Catholic School and Father Judge Catholic High School. As a senior he answered the call to priesthood and transferred to St. Basil’s Seminary Preparatory School in Stamford, CT. He continued his education graduating from St. Basil’s College in 1963. He went on to study Theology at Catholic University, Washington, DC with a major in Eastern and Western Canon Law.
On March 25, 1967, Richard was ordained by Metropolitan Archbishop Ambrose Senyshyn for the Archeparchy of Philadelphia.

In 1968 he was awarded a degree in Easter Canon Law from the Oriental Institute in Rome, Italy. Upon returning to the United States, Father Seminack was assigned to Holy Ghost Church in Chester, PA followed by Presentation Church in Lansdale and St. Anne Church in Warrington. In 1977 he became the chaplain for the Sisters of St. Basil the Great in Fox Chase. He also served as chaplain and religion teacher for St. Basil Academy, Campus Minister at Manor College in Jenkintown and as an administrator of Sacred Heart Mission at Fox Chase. During this period Father trained and became a commissioned officer in the United States Navy Chaplain Corps. In June 1982, Father was named pastor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Miami, Florida, a bi-lingual urban parish.

In 1984 a change in the territory of the Archeparchy joined this area with the Eparchy of St. Josephat in Parma, Ohio. Father Seminack was appointed Pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Carnegie, PA. While at Holy Trinity, Father Richard held many positions of responsibility in spiritual, education and administrative matters on the parish, eparchy and community level.

On June 4, 2003, Monsignor Richard was enthroned as the fourth Eparch of the St. Nicholas Eparchy in Chicago. Bishop Richard relied upon his earlier experiences in church life to help him exemplify the motto of his episcopal coat of arms. Insofar as the episcopal state is an embodiment of Christ – as teacher, shepherd, king, priest and even sacrificial lamb. Bishop Richard plunged fully into the life of the Eparchy of St. Nicholas.

Bishop Richard is survived by his sister Joanne McCarthy and her husband Kevin; his brothers and their wives Raymond P. and Carol Seminack, Robert W. and Janis Seminack, Gregory J. and Bernadette Seminack, Stephen J. and Ave Seminack and Thomas J. and Valerie Seminack; and his many nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.