Brent The Byzantine is dedicated to the memory of Fr. Richard J Whetstone, the uncle of Brent.
Fr Richard entered the Byzantine Catholic Seminary in Pittsburgh, and was ordained in May 1983. He went on to study at the Pontifical Oriental Institution of the Gregorian University in Rome, where he graduated magna cum laude in Licentiatus in Juris Canonico in Orientali in 1987.
His first assignment was at SS. Peter and Paul Byzantine Catholic Church in Warren. His assignments included those in the greater Pittsburgh area, North Huntingdon and Uniontown, Pa.
Father Richard was bi-ritual and served two years at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in Poland in the Youngstown Diocese. He also served on the Bishop’s Conference of Secret Archives; he was a judicial vicar for the Tribunal in the Archdiocese of Pittsburgh. He also served on the Metropolitan Canon Law Commission, Archeparichial Vicar for Canonical Services, Committee for Statues, member of the Presbyterial Council for the Byzantine Archdiocese, all in the Pittsburgh Diocese.
His Canon Law activities included chair for the Committee of Eastern Canon Law in Compilation of Handbook of Comparative Sacramental Discipline. Prior to his priesthood, he taught at St. James Catholic School and SS. Peter and Paul Byzantine Catholic School in Warren.