About Cathedral of Saint Stephen [Ruthenian] · Phoenix, Arizona
St. Stephen Byzantine Catholic Cathedral is the mother church and seat (cathedra) of the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix, the Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic diocese that covers the western United States from Alaska to San Diego and as far east as Denver. Located at 8141 N. 16th Street in north-central Phoenix, the cathedral serves Byzantine Catholics who trace their faith to the Transcarpathian missionary work of Saints Cyril and Methodius, while also welcoming Roman Catholic visitors, converts, and anyone drawn to the Byzantine liturgical tradition celebrated in English. Following the 1994 Northridge earthquake that displaced the Eparchy of Van Nuys, the parish was named pro-cathedral; it was elevated to full cathedral status in 2010 when the diocese was canonically refounded in Phoenix. Today it functions as both a parish and the administrative and liturgical heart of the eparchy.
- Established
- 1968
- Patron
- St. Stephen the Proto-Martyr (the first Christian martyr)
- Rector
- Very Rev. Michael Mandelas
- Diocese
- Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix
Why belong here
St. Stephen's offers a rare, complete window into Byzantine Catholic life in the American Southwest — the cathedral is the seat of the Eparchy of Phoenix, so worship here is shaped by the full prayer of the Eastern Christian tradition (Divine Liturgy celebrated Saturday evening and Sunday morning, plus daily Liturgies Tuesday through Friday, with the Third Hour and Festal Matins sung before the Sunday Eucharist). Parishioners are a mix of Transcarpathian-Rusyn descendants of the founding immigrants, Roman Catholics seeking the Eastern tradition, and converts from Protestantism or no previous faith, all united by a love of the Byzantine liturgical, theological, and spiritual inheritance lived in full communion with Rome. Active religious education and faith formation, an a cappella cantor-led chant tradition, and the cathedral's hospitality to all who are 'curious about, or drawn to, Eastern Catholicism' make it a welcoming spiritual home for anyone exploring the Eastern Churches.
Mass times at Cathedral of Saint Stephen [Ruthenian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (before the Vesperal Divine Liturgy)
- Sunday: 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM (before the Sunday Divine Liturgy)
About the Cathedral
St. Stephen Byzantine Catholic Cathedral is the seat of the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix, a Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic diocese of the Eastern Catholic communion that serves the western United States. The cathedral's own mission statement affirms it as a parish of that eparchy, following the teachings of Jesus Christ as found in the Gospel and passed on through Apostolic Tradition, and inviting anyone curious about or drawn to Eastern Catholicism to experience the richness of the Byzantine tradition. Its community is intentionally English-language and intentionally mixed: descendants of the original Rusyn/Transcarpathian founders, Roman Catholics, converts from Protestantism, and those with no previous religious background all worship together.
- Founded 1968 in Phoenix, Arizona
- Seat (cathedra) of the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix
- Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic sui iuris church in full communion with Rome
- Located within the territorial boundaries of the Latin Diocese of Phoenix
History of the Parish and Cathedral
The parish was born in the late 1950s when Byzantine Catholic transplants from the eastern United States began to plan for a church of their own in the Phoenix valley. After a decade of letter-writing and prayer, they were formally received as a mission in 1966 and in 1968 acquired the property of a former Antiochian Orthodox church. Bishop Stephen Kocisko of Pittsburgh dedicated St. Stephen's on June 28, 1968, naming it both for the Proto-Martyr Stephen and for himself. The Rev. Paul Bovankovich became the first pastor; his parents, Father John and Pani Cecelia Bovankovich, soon followed and helped establish the Byzantine parishes in Tucson and Albuquerque. A rectory and parish hall were added in 1974 and a columbarium in 1991. The cathedral's defining chapter came with the January 17, 1994 Northridge earthquake, which wrecked the eparchy's Van Nuys cathedral and pastoral center. Bishop George Kuzma and his staff relocated to Phoenix, and St. Stephen's was named pro-cathedral. In 2010 the Vatican canonically renamed the diocese as the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix and elevated the parish to full cathedral status. The 50th anniversary was celebrated with a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy on September 30, 2018.
- 1956 — Phoenix-area Byzantine Catholics begin planning for their own parish
- 1966 — formal mission status granted; priests travel from California
- 1968 — parish founded; first Divine Liturgy on Easter Sunday
- June 28, 1968 — dedication by Bishop Stephen Kocisko
- 1974 — rectory and parish hall built
- 1991 — columbarium added
- 1994 — designated pro-cathedral after the Northridge earthquake
- 2010 — elevated to full cathedral when the eparchy moved to Phoenix
- 2018 — golden jubilee Hierarchical Divine Liturgy
Our Clergy and Pastoral Staff
The cathedral is served by a rector, three permanent deacons, and the eparchy's Bishop and Bishop Emeritus, who lives in residence at the cathedral. The current rector is Very Rev. Michael Mandelas. Three deacons assist the parish: Deacon James Danovich, Deacon Michael Hanafin, and Deacon John Montalvo III. Bishop Emeritus John S. Pazak, C.Ss.R., D.D., lives retired-in-residence at the cathedral — a rare arrangement in Eastern Catholic life.
- Most Rev. Artur Bubnevych — Bishop of the Eparchy of Phoenix
- Very Rev. Michael Mandelas — Rector ([email protected])
- Most Rev. John S. Pazak, C.Ss.R., D.D. — Bishop Emeritus, Retired-in-Residence ([email protected])
- Deacon James Danovich ([email protected])
- Deacon Michael Hanafin ([email protected])
- Deacon John Montalvo III ([email protected])
The Eparchy of Phoenix
St. Stephen's is the cathedral of the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix (formerly the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Van Nuys). The eparchy covers thirteen western states — Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming — and is part of the Ruthenian Catholic Church in full communion with Rome. Its mission statement describes it as 'a living bridge between the Christian East and West' and 'a missionary territory' formed to 'sanctify, teach, and evangelize from the Rockies to the Pacific.' The eparchy was canonically refounded in Phoenix on December 18, 2009.
- Formerly the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Van Nuys (erected December 3, 1981)
- Renamed Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix, December 18, 2009
- Suffragan to the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh (Ruthenian)
- Current eparch: Most Rev. Artur Bubnevych, installed January 28, 2025
- Eparchy's pastoral center sits adjacent to the cathedral at 8131 N. 16th St., Phoenix, AZ 85020
Parish Life and Ministries
The cathedral maintains an active religious education and faith formation program and offers a special welcome to all Christians of other denominations as well as Roman Catholics drawn to the traditions of the Eastern Church. Music is led entirely by cantors, a cappella, with the congregation joining in the responses and hymns — a defining feature of Byzantine Catholic worship. The parish also operates a columbarium on its grounds and uses FlockNote to distribute announcements to parishioners by email.
- Religious education and faith formation
- Cantor-led a cappella liturgical chant
- Columbarium ministry (added 1991)
- Parish registration and family enrollment
- FlockNote email announcements
- Vocations outreach (linked to the Inter-Eparchial Vocations Commission)
Becoming a Parishioner
Parish registration is open to any Catholic (or aspiring Catholic) who is interested in seeking the Lord Jesus through His Word, the teachings of the Apostles, and the Sacred Mysteries; who accepts the teachings of the Catholic Church; who will help form a community based on the Lord's love; who is willing to grow as a Christian within the legitimate spiritual traditions of the Byzantine Catholic Church; who acknowledges the legitimate authority of the Pope of Rome, the Metropolitan Archbishop, the local Bishop, and the Pastor; who will attend liturgical services on Sundays and great holy days; and who is willing to support the growth of the Church by prayer, participation, and generosity. Online registration is available through the parish website.
- Open to Catholics and those discerning Byzantine Catholic life
- Accepts Roman Catholics, Protestants, and those with no previous religious affiliation
- Online registration via stsbcc.org
- Sunday and great holy day attendance expected of parishioners
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Paul Bovankovich1968–
First pastor, appointed at the parish's founding and dedication on June 28, 1968.
- Rev. John Bovankovich
Married priest (Father Paul Bovankovich's father); served as pastor for a time and traveled throughout New Mexico and southern Arizona as a missionary with his wife Pani Cecelia — one of the last married Eastern Catholic priestly couples to serve in America.
- Father Diodoro Mendoza2016–
Appointed rector and pastor in 2016; first Hispanic priest identified as rector of the cathedral.
- Very Rev. Michael Mandelas
Current rector.