Father Chrysostom Frank, 48, a professor of church history at St. John Vianney, began work July 1 as administrator of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish in downtown Denver. His wife, Marica, a native of South Africa, teaches Greek and Latin at the seminary. The couple has three children. In addition to his seminary duties, Father Frank also has served as administrator of Holy Protection of the Mother of God Byzantine Catholic Church not far from the seminary. His new assignment downtown means a farewell there. Raised as a Protestant, the Pennsylvania native who spent many years in Great Britain and South Africa likes to say he "slowly progressed toward Catholicism."
Well this tiny little story only relates a tiny little part of the saga, which Our Man in Denver, Sean Roberts elaborates at his blog, Swimming the Tiber.. I was, as you might expect, initially intrigued by yet another category of married priests permitted to minister in Roman Rite parishes - married Eastern Rite priests!! - but the other details of the story go beyond that detail into the age-old question of ethnicity and liturgy, and are quite interesting. Follow Sean's links within his post to other articles on the matter, as well.
