Father Roman Galadza

Fr. Roman Galadza April 19, 1943 – August 1, 2023

Following a mercifully brief illness, fell asleep at home surrounded by his family. He is survived by his wife, Irene (nee Bishko) and children Anastasia, Larisa (Kenneth Cronin, of Ottawa), Nikolai (Jacqueline O’Connell, of Vancouver), Sofia (Adam Zimmerman, of Brooklyn, NY), Valentyna (Graham Park, of L’Anse-St-Jean, QC), and Ilya (Sarah Cronin), as well as his grandchildren Finnian (Camie), Nikolai, Taissa, Orest, Otto, Simeon, Oleksandr, Petra, James and Elias, and his sisters Orysia (+William, of Ambridge, PA) and Irene (Palm Beach, Florida), and brothers Deacon Paul (Valerie, of Miami, Florida), and Fr. Peter (Olenka, of Ottawa). Predeceased by his parents Theodosia and Mychailo Galadza, and his sister Olga Chermak (+Boris). Fr. Roman was born in Bilokrynytsia, Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine, before immigrating in 1949 to the USA. He was raised in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, where he played little league baseball and gained a love for marching bands. He attended seminary in Stamford, Connecticut and the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. In 1969 he married Irene and shortly thereafter moved to Toronto where he was ordained a priest of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, Eparchy of Toronto. After a brief time serving parishes in Toronto and Welland, in 1976 Fr. Roman settled his family in Brampton, Ontario, where he established the new parish of St. Elias the Prophet Ukrainian Catholic Church.

Fr. Roman had a long career with the Dufferin-Peel District Catholic School Board, first as a religion and music teacher, then as Chaplain at Ascension of Our Lord High School in Malton (1976-1991) and as Chaplain at St. Augustine Secondary School in Brampton (1991-2001).

Fr. Roman was an avid musician (anything stringed or brass!) and loved getting people to sing together. In the Church he is known for his love of liturgical music, and everywhere else he is known for sharing his passion for traditional Ukrainian folk songs, Protestant hymns, and Gospel spirituals. His service to the community reached far beyond his parishioners, and Fr. Roman rarely met a stranger in Brampton or abroad. He had a surprisingly good golf swing and throwing arm, and a particular love for Saturday morning garage sales and browsing thrift stores. Visitation at St. Elias Church Sunday August 6 at 6 PM, followed by Part 1 of the funeral service beginning at 7 PM (visitation also possible after this service on Sunday evening).

Part 2 of the funeral service and subsequent burial at the St. Elias cemetery will take place on Monday August 7 beginning at 11 AM, followed by a reception and singalong on the parish grounds.

Full details of additional services available on the St. Elias parish website: saintelias.com

In lieu of flowers, Father Roman has asked that donations be made in his memory to Saint Elias Church. Collected funds will be allocated according to his wishes: to the parish mortgage, the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, Ukraine, and for the care of orphans and formation of priests in Ukraine.