Fr. George "Yuri" Kazara

Fr. George “Yuri” Kuzara, C.PP.S., a devoted priest of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood whose ministry spanned more than four decades, passed away peacefully on March 23, 2026. He was 75.

Born on August 2, 1950, in East Chicago, Indiana, he was baptized on September 10, 1950, at St. Mary’s Church in East Chicago and confirmed there on May 15, 1958. Responding to a call to religious life at a young age, he entered formation with the Missionaries of the Precious Blood on August 1, 1969, at Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Indiana. He was incorporated into the Congregation on June 1, 1974, and made his definitive incorporation on October 30, 1976, at Brunnerdale Seminary in Canton, Ohio.

Fr. Kuzara was ordained a deacon on March 9, 1977, and ordained to the priesthood on June 24, 1978, both, by Archbishop Joseph Bernardin at St. Charles Center in Carthagena, Ohio.

Over the course of his priesthood, Fr. Kuzara served in parish ministry, higher education, and shrine leadership across several states. He began as associate pastor at St. Joseph Church in Wapakoneta, Ohio (1978–1983), and later served as Professor of Theology at Calumet College of St. Joseph in Whiting, Indiana (1983–1985). His pastoral assignments included St. John the Baptist Church in Whiting; St. George Romanian Rite Catholic Church in Aurora, Illinois; St. Joseph and St. Peter in Fort Recovery, Ohio; and St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Northampton, Pennsylvania.

He also ministered to Ukrainian Greek Catholic communities in Pennsylvania and Indiana, serving as pastor and parish administrator at St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church and St. John the Baptizer in Frackville and Maizeville, Pennsylvania, and later as pastor of St. Michael’s Ukrainian Church in Mishawaka, Indiana.

Fr. Kuzara was especially known for his leadership at the Sorrowful Mother Shrine in Bellevue, Ohio, where he served multiple terms as director and rector (2001–2003; 2004–2013; 2018–2022), as well as director/coordinator of pilgrimages (2013–2015), and most recently in sacramental ministry beginning in 2022. Under his guidance, the shrine remained a place of prayer, Marian devotion, and reconciliation for thousands of pilgrims.

Throughout his ministry, Fr. Kuzara was known for his gentle demeanor, thoughtful homilies, and pastoral heart. He ministered in both the Latin and Eastern Catholic traditions, reflecting a deep appreciation for the Church’s universality and rich liturgical heritage.

One of the highlights of his later years in ministry was when he was named a Missionary of Mercy by Pope Francis as he marked the Church’s jubilee year of 2015. This gave Fr. Kuzara the opportunity to reflect and write about his identity as a Missionary of the Precious Blood and his own ministry of reconciliation that he offered to all. “With all that I possess, with all my heart and soul, I firmly believe it is through the Precious Blood of Jesus, the stream of mercy, that each person coming to Christ with a sincere and open heart is given the peace and joy they are seeking,” he wrote.

“I see myself as just an old pipe or conduit, hidden under the earth or tucked away in a dark place where no one takes notice of, that Christ is using to let his Precious Blood flow out to others from this miserable creature created in His image and likeness whom He has called to the priesthood, for reasons only known to Him, to touch the hearts and souls of those He directs to me.”

Fr. Kuzara’s legacy lives on in the countless lives he touched through the sacraments he celebrated, the students he taught, the pilgrims he welcomed, and the faithful whom he shepherded. He is remembered as a humble servant, a faithful missionary, and a priest deeply committed to the spirituality of reconciliation entrusted to the Missionaries of the Precious Blood.

Fr. Kuzara is predeceased by his parents, George and Frances, and is survived by his brother Missionaries, extended family members, and many friends and parishioners, who will cherish his memory.

Visitation will take place at Saint Charles Center on Friday, March 27th from 1pm to 7pm, concluding with a prayer service. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, March 28th at 10am in the Assumption Chapel at Saint Charles Center with V. Rev. Jeffrey Kirch, C.PP.S., presiding and Rev. Angelo Anthony, C.PP.S., as homilist. Interment will follow in the community cemetery.