 The 1946 official decree declared his status to be a "Coadjutor Bishop", mandating that he would automatically become Bishop Takach's successor.He was ordained as the first-ever Coadjutor Bishop of the Greek Catholic Exarchate of Pittsburgh on November 5, 1946.In order to accommodate the crowds, the ceremony was held at the Cathedral of Saint Paul of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh in the Oakland district.