The creation of a new eparchy for the western United States was proposed by the metropolitan Council of Hierarchs in 1981. The
Congregation for the Oriental Churches, a dicastery of the
Roman Curia responsible for the Eastern Catholic Churches in communion with the
Holy See, recommended the erection of a new eparchy, and it was approved by
Pope John Paul II. The Eparchy of Van Nuys was canonically inaugurated on March 9, 1982, when Archbishop
Stephen Kocisko,
Metropolitan of the
Metropolia of Pittsburgh enthroned
Thomas Dolinay as the first
bishop of the eparchy. Archbishop
Pio Laghi,
Apostolic Delegate to the United States, represented the
Roman Pontiff and read the
Papal Bulla creating the eparchy and appointing Dolinay. Cardinal
Timothy Manning,
Archbishop of Los Angeles delivered the homily. The Church of St. Mary in
Sherman Oaks, California, was designated as the cathedral. In 1990, with the retirement of Archbishop Kocisko of Pittsburgh approaching, Pope John Paul II relieved Dolinay of his duties as Bishop of Van Nuys and appointed him
Coadjutor Archbishop of the
Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh on February 19, 1990. The Pope appointed the Auxiliary Bishop of Passaic,
George M. Kuzma, to succeed Bishop Dolinay. After the
Northridge earthquake of 1994 damaged the
Cathedral of St. Mary, the eparchial offices, and the bishop's residence, Bishop Kuzma moved his office and residence to
Phoenix, Arizona. On February 10, 2010, the seat of the diocese was officially changed to Phoenix. Accordingly, the former
pro-cathedral of St. Stephen was given the title of Cathedral, and the Cathedral of St. Mary received the title of
Proto-Cathedral. ==Eparchs==