Reverend Father Daniel Joseph Loya
Windber
Reverend Father Daniel Joseph Loya, 81, a descendent of the over thousand-year history of priestly families, fell asleep in the Lord on Friday, June 10, 2022, as his home.
Born in Windber, he was the 13th of 17 children born of Margaret Boksay and Very Reverend Stephen Loya. The translator of many books used in the Byzantine Catholic Church, Father Daniel considered 13 a blessed number.
He was schooled at Holy Name Elementary School, Duquesne; St. Fidelis High School, Herman; Duquesne University and Saints Cyril and Methodius Seminary, both in Pittsburgh.
Ordained for the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh by Bishop Nicholas T. Elko in 1966, he served in the Pennsylvania parishes of Brownsville, Duquesne, Windber, East Pittsburgh, and Wall; Youngstown and Pleasant City, Ohio; and Morgantown, West Virginia.
Upon retirement, he lived in the family country home in Dawson, which he called his Mt. Athos. He was able to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in the domestic chapel there, and he enjoyed maintaining the grounds as he did during years of active ministry.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by three sisters: two of whom died at birth and Mary Najeski; eight brothers: Frank, Paul, Rev. John, Joseph, Michael T., Stephen, Eugene, and Theodore.
He is survived by two brothers: Andrew of Dawson, and Lawrence (Bernadette) of Florida; three sisters: Helen Hvasta of Florida, Anna Jane (Thomas) Petty of New Jersey, Kathleen (Robert) Killian of Ohio; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins in the States and in Europe.
Father Daniel will lay in state at St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church, 102 Railroad Street, Perryopolis, from 2 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 15, 2022. A Priestly Parastas will be celebrated at 7 p.m. A Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Thursday in St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church by the Very Reverend Andrew Deskevich as celebrant. Interment will follow in the family plot at Mount Saint Macrina Cemetery, Uniontown.
BLAIR-LOWTHER FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY, Perryopolis, has been entrusted with Father Dan’s professional funeral arrangements.
Eternal rest grant to your servant Daniel, O Lord, and make his memory eternal.
Online condolences are welcome at blair-lowther.com.