Ukrainian Catholic Bishop Richard Stephen Seminack, 74, died Aug. 16 at Alden Poplar Creek Rehabilitation Center in Hoffman Estates. He had been eparch of the St Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy in Chicago since 2003 and was a priest for 49 years.

He was born in Philadelphia, a grandson of immigrants from Ukraine and the oldest of seven children. He attended Catholic elementary and high schools before transferring to the Ukrainian Catholic St. Basil's Seminary Preparatory High School, Stamford, Connecticut in his senior year. After graduating from St. Basil's College in 1963, he attended the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C where his major was Eastern and Western canon law. He was ordained by Metropolitan Archbishop Ambrose Senyshyn for the Archeparchy of Philadelphia in 1967. He also earned a degree in Eastern canon law from the Oriental Instute in Rome.

He served several Pennsylvania parishes and held several chaplaincies in Pennsylvania. In addition, he trained for and became a commissioned officer (Lieutenant) in the United States Navy Chaplain Corps in August, 1979. He also served for two years in Miami.

He was enthroned as fourth Eparch of St Nicholas Eparchy in Chicago on June 4, 2003, overseeing territory that extends from Michigan and Indiana west across the United States. The eparchy has about 45 parishes and missions in four time zones.

The first part of the funeral for a hierarch services are to be celebrated at St Nicholas Cathedral Aug. 21 and 22, with Metropolitan-Archbishop Stefan Soroka of Philadelphia and a number of other bishops of Eastern and Western Catholic churches participating. The second part of a hierarch’s funeral will be in the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Philadelphia, Aug. 26, with burial in the Seminack family plot in St Mary’s Cemetery, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania.