Ivan Prasko, MBE (1 May 1914 – 28 January 2001) was the eparch of Australia, New Zealand and Oceania for the Ukrainian Catholic Church.

Ivan Prasko, MBE
Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne
ChurchUkrainian Greek Catholic Church
Appointed10 May 1958 (as Apostolic Exarch)
24 June 1982 (as Eparchial Bishop)
In office10 May 1958 – 16 December 1992
PredecessorNew creation
SuccessorPeter Stasiuk
Other post(s)Titular Bishop of Zygris (1958–1982)
Orders
Ordination2 April 1939 (Priest)
by Dionisije Njaradi
Consecration19 October 1958 (Bishop)
by Maxim Hermaniuk
Personal details
Born
Ivan Prasko

(1914-05-01)1 May 1914
Zbarazh, Austria-Hungary, now Ukraine
Died28 January 2001(2001-01-28) (aged 86)
Melbourne, Australia

He was born in Zbarazh, Ternopil, Ukraine. He studied at the theological academy in Lviv and then in Rome at the Pontifical College Damascenum and the Pontifical University Urbanianum. He was ordained in Rome on 2 April 1939. He continued his studies at the Pontifical University Gregorianum and at the Pontifical Oriental Institute and was awarded a doctorate in 1943.

Prasko served as pastor of Ss Peter and Paul Church in Melbourne from 1950 to 1958 before being consecrated Exarch of Australia and New Zealand on 17 October 1958. He became eparch of Australia, New Zealand and Oceania, 24 June 1982, when the exarchate was raised to an eparchy. Under his leadership, the Ukrainian Catholic Church served as "the genesis of the Ukrainian community and identity in Australia".[1] For his efforts in community building, he was appointed as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

He participated in the Second Vatican Council as a Council Father in 1960th.

References

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  1. ^ Bishop's Chancery of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in North Melbourne, Australia (August 8, 1999). "OVERVIEW: Australia's Ukrainian Catholic Church". The Ukrainian Weekly, No. 32, Vol. LXVII. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
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