Source: https://ugcc.ua/data/upokoyvsya-v-bozi-vladyka-stepan-hmilyar-6120/
We are saddened to announce that on December 21, 2024, in the morning, at the age of 80, in the 53rd year of his priesthood and 22nd of his episcopate, Bishop-Emeritus of the Toronto Eparchy, Stephen Chmilar, reposed in the Lord.
In blessed repose, O Lord, grant eternal rest to Your newly ordained servant, Bishop Stephen, and grant him eternal memory!
Schedule of funeral services
In the Eparchy of Toronto, all funeral services will be held at the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Mississauga), where Bishop Stephen served for many years and where his ordination and enthronement took place.
Friday, December 27 (St. Stephen’s Day)
11:30 – Admission of the body to the church.
12:00 – Bishop’s parastas (part 1).
14:00-18:00 – Procession of the faithful through the coffin.
18:00 – Bishops’ parastas (part 2).
After 20:00 – Procession of the faithful despite the coffin (continued).
Saturday, December 28 (Saturday after Christmas)
9:00 – Divine Liturgy, Last Kiss, Memorial Service, Procession around the church.
The body will then be transferred to a funeral home for transport to Edmonton, where funeral services are planned at St. Basil the Great Basilian Church (exact date to be determined).
Biographical Note
Bishop Stephen Chmilar was born on May 24, 1945, in Lamont, Alberta, Canada. He studied at the University of Ottawa and St. Paul’s University in Ottawa, where he received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and theology.
On November 17, 1968, he took final monastic vows in the Order of St. Basil the Great, and on June 11, 1972, he was ordained a priest. For many years, he served as a pastor in various parishes in Canada and the United States, including Edmonton, Ottawa, Vancouver, Denver, Buffalo, and Hamilton. In 1991, he left the Basilian Order and became an eparchial priest in the Eparchy of Toronto, where he served as chancellor, novitiate confessor of the Sisters of the Servants of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, and served in matrimonial tribunals and Catholic summer camps.
On May 3, 2003, Pope John Paul II appointed him Bishop of the Eparchy of Toronto. His episcopal ordination took place on July 23, 2003. Patriarch Lubomyr Cardinal Husar, M.S.U., was the main consecrator of Bishop Stephen.
On November 9, 2019, upon reaching the age of 75, he submitted his resignation from the government, which was accepted by Pope Francis.
He reposed in God on December 21, 2024, at the age of 80.
Information Department of the UGCC