Bishop Ábel Antal Szocska

Bishop Ábel Antal Szocska, Bishop of Nyíregyháza (Hungarian), was born on September 21, 1972, at Vynohradiv, in Transcarpathia in Ukraine, within the Eparchy of Mukachevo of the Byzantine rite. After his elementary studies in Ukraine and his theological studies at the theological institute of the religious orders in Budapest, he entered the Order of St. Basil the Great, receiving the religious name Ábel; he made his first profession on January 30, 1997, and his solemn vows on July 20, 2001. He was ordained a deacon on September 23, 2001, and a priest on September 30, 2001. He was chaplain at Budapest-Kispest from 2001 to 2002, superior of the monastery of Máriapócs from 2002 to 2004, and parish priest at Budapest-Kispest from 2004 to 2008. On February 16, 2008, he was elected provincial of the Basilian Fathers in Hungary, an office he held until 2012 and to which he was elected again in 2015 and 2016, and he was parish priest at Máriapócs from 2009 to 2011. He was bursar of the Apostolic Exarchate of Miskolc from 2012 to 2013, spent a year of service at the monastery of Matawan in New Jersey from 2013 to 2014, and was first vicar of the Apostolic Exarchate of Miskolc from 2014 to 2015. On October 31, 2015, he was appointed Apostolic Administrator of Nyíregyháza (Hungarian), without episcopal character but with the right to take part in the Council of Hierarchs. On April 7, 2018, he was appointed Bishop of Nyíregyháza (Hungarian). He received episcopal ordination on May 10, 2018, at Nyíregyháza, with Péter Fülöp Kocsis as principal consecrator and Atanáz Orosz and Cyril Vasil' as co-consecrators. Within the Hungarian bishops' conference he is a member of the Caritas committee. His episcopal motto is With Your help.