Hupalo steps down from his last stand

By WCR Staff
Edmonton

Father William Hupalo was a happy man on March 24.

With the installation of Bishop David Motiuk, Hupalo had just completed his third term as administrator of the Edmonton Eparchy.

"Today I died a happy death for a third and final time," the priest said at a banquet following Motiuk's installation.

Three times, the priest consultors of the eparchy have tapped Hupalo to fill in when the bishop's chair became vacant.

Following the death of Bishop Demetrius Greschuk in July 1990, Hupalo served as administrator until Bishop Myron Daciuk's appointment 17 months later.

Daciuk, however, died after four years as bishop and Hupalo was called on again. It was a year before Bishop Lawrence Huculak was named and Hupalo could step down.

But when Huculak was transferred to Winnipeg a year ago to become the new metropolitan for Ukrainian Catholics in Canada, once more Hupalo shouldered the responsibility of overseeing the eparchy.

Now, he's optimistic it won't happen again. He is old enough to have been graduating from high school at the time Motiuk was born.

"I think it's safe for me to say as administrator of this eparchy, 'Sayonara! Never again.'"

But Motiuk cautioned the excited priest: "I don't know if you are a James Bond fan. But the movie that comes to mind is Never Say Never."

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