07.09.2026, ITI News
Košice, August 11 — The Eparchy of Košice hosted the first Sts. Cyril and Methodius Enrichment Days, an international summer academic program bringing together university students from the United States and several European countries. The four-day event was organized by the Greek Catholic Eparchy of Košice in cooperation with the Faith & Reason Institute in Washington, D.C., and the Michal Lacko Research Center for East–West Spirituality, with a significant presence of students and alumni of the International Theological Institute (ITI).
The program began on Saturday, August 8, and included lectures, liturgical celebrations, a pilgrimage to Klokočov, discussions, and cultural activities. Its aim was to introduce participants to the spiritual, liturgical, and cultural richness of the Byzantine tradition, to present the history and contemporary life of the Greek Catholic Church in Slovakia, and to foster academic and personal relationships between the Eparchy of Košice and Catholic institutions in the United States and Europe.
Lectures explored the identity of the Eastern Catholic Churches, Byzantine liturgy and spirituality, the legacy of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, the persecution of the Greek Catholic Church under communism, and the history of the Greek Catholic diaspora in North America.
Among the speakers were Archbishop Cyril Vasiľ, SJ, Eparchial Bishop of Košice; Fr. Juraj Terek, priest of the Eparchy of Košice and chaplain at ITI, who spoke on the sacred space and iconography of the Byzantine tradition; Robert Royal, president of the Faith & Reason Institute; Fr. Deacon Kyle Washut, president of Wyoming Catholic College, a member of the Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix, Arizona, and an alumnus of ITI; Dominic Cassella, a doctoral candidate at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.; and historian Daniel Černý of the Slovak Academy of Sciences.
The program also highlighted ITI’s close ties with the Byzantine Catholic tradition. The liturgical program was led by Fr. Juraj Terek together with Fr. Lukáš Mitro, an ITI alumnus and priest of the Eparchy of Košice, with subdeacon Benjamín Ančočik serving during the liturgical prayers. Fr. Terek also delivered the Sunday homily bilingually, in Slovak and English. Altogether, nine current ITI students and alumni from Slovakia took part in the Enrichment Days, contributing to its liturgical and communal life and reflecting the friendships and connections between Eastern and Western Catholics that are fostered through life and study at ITI.
A central part of the program was the solemn celebration of the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God in Košice. Participants also made a pilgrimage to Klokočov, where they prayed before the wonderworking icon of Our Lady of Klokočov. In Michalovce, they celebrated the Divine Liturgy in English at the Minor Basilica of the Descent of the Holy Spirit and venerated the relics of Blessed Metod Dominik Trčka, CSsR.
With its focus on the legacy of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, the program gave young people from the United States and Europe an opportunity to encounter the living Byzantine tradition within the Eparchy of Košice. At the same time, it created a space for encounter and dialogue between the Christian East and West and for a deeper appreciation of their respective spiritual and cultural traditions.
The initiative also responds to Pope Leo XIV’s call for a deeper appreciation of the riches of the Eastern Catholic Churches and their contribution to the life of the universal Church. Organizers hope that the friendships and academic relationships established during this first year will provide a foundation for further cooperation between the Eparchy of Košice and Catholic academic institutions in the United States and Europe.
Author: Benjamín Ančočik