On Wednesday, November 9th, a group of seminary wives gathered to hear Presbytera Iryna Galadza speak on “The Vocation of the Presbytera.” Her insights, gleaned from more than 40 years as a priest’s wife, touched on the importance of prayer and spiritual direction for the priest’s wife as well as her role in preparing her household for life in the church.
Raised near Amsterdam, NY—a high school religion teacher for 17 years and a teacher at the Catechetical Institute in Lviv, Ukraine, as well as the mother of six grown children—Presbytera Iryna is Director of the Toronto Eparchy Catechetical Resource Centre. She is also the wife of Mitred Archpriest Roman Galadza, pastor of St. Elias Ukrainian Catholic Church in Brampton, Ontario and sister-in-law of Very Rev. Dr. Peter Galadza, Professor of Liturgy at the Sheptytsky Institute as well as St. Paul University in Ottawa.
According to the Sheptytsky Institute website, Pres. Iryna has been “parenting and grandparenting for 45 years.” She has worked for more than thirty years with children and youth. In addition, she holds a Certificate in Eastern Christian Studies through the Sheptytsky Institute in Ottawa.
A PDF copy of her talk can be found here. In addition, Fr. Peter Galadza’s article, “The Priest’s Wife: A Vocation in Her Own Right! and Rite,” can be found here as well.