About Cathedral of St. John the Baptist [Ruthenian] · Munhall, Pennsylvania
St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Cathedral is the mother church (cathedra) of the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church in the United States, serving as the seat of the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh. Located at 210 Greentree Road in Munhall, Pennsylvania, the present cathedral was built in 1993–94 to replace the 1903 Homestead/Munhall landmark that had become the first cathedral for Carpatho-Rusyn Greek Catholics in America in 1929. The parish itself was founded in 1897 by Carpatho-Rusyn immigrants who came to work the Homestead steel mills, and today it continues to celebrate the Byzantine (Ruthenian) Divine Liturgy in English alongside the Archeparchy's wider life.
- Established
- 1897
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Very Reverend Andrew J. Deskevich (Rector)
- Diocese
- Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh (Ruthenian Metropolitanate of Pittsburgh, sui iuris)
Why belong here
St. John's offers the prayer and pageantry of the Byzantine (Ruthenian) Divine Liturgy in a stunning, award-winning cathedral whose dome, gold-leafed Communion of Angels, and Theophanes-the-Greek-style icons by Michael Kapeluck make worship here a genuinely transcendent experience. As the mother church of the entire Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church in the U.S., it anchors an active community life — Saturday evening and Sunday morning Divine Liturgies, Saturday confessions, Eastern Christian Formation for children, adult education, and the large Cathedral Center used for banquets and parish gatherings — all just minutes from downtown Pittsburgh. For anyone seeking a Byzantine Catholic spiritual home rooted in Carpatho-Rusyn heritage yet welcoming to all, this is the historic seat of that tradition in America.
Mass times at Cathedral of St. John the Baptist [Ruthenian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM, or by appointment
Welcome and Identity
St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Cathedral is a member parish of the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh and serves as the cathedra — the official seat — of the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh. The parish community describes itself as a family that 'grows in faith and in the image and likeness of God by dedicating ourselves to welcoming, celebrating and caring for all of God's people,' welcoming visitors to both worship and the broader life of the cathedral.
- Member of the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh
- Cathedra of the Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy
- Welcomes all to worship, formation and parish life
Parish History
Founded in 1897 by Carpatho-Rusyn immigrants of Homestead in the wake of the 1892 steel strike, the parish grew rapidly, built a striking 1903 cathedral designed by Titus de Bobula, was designated the first American cathedral for Carpatho-Rusyn Greek Catholics in 1929, weathered a Depression-era dispute and major interior renovation, then relocated entirely to a new 18-acre Greentree Road campus between 1978 and 1994. The old Dickson Street church is preserved today as the National Carpatho-Rusyn Cultural and Educational Center.
- Founded 1897 in Homestead, PA
- 1903 cathedral designed by Titus de Bobula after Užhorod's Holy Cross Cathedral
- Designated cathedral for the Ruthenian Exarchate in 1929
- Relocated to 210 Greentree Road, Munhall, in 1993
- Old 1903 church sold to the Carpatho-Rusyn Society in 2004
The 1993–94 Cathedral: Architecture and Sacred Art
KSBA Architects designed the present 550-seat, 12,500-square-foot cathedral and accompanying rectory in the model of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. The hemispherical dome — symbolizing heaven — carries a Communion of Angels painted on canvas and finished with approximately 3,000 hand-applied sheets of 3½-inch gold leaf. Twenty-four stained-glass windows combine original glass from the 1903 church with new work, and 72 iconic paintings in the late-14th-century manner of Theophanes the Greek were executed by Michael Kapeluck of Archangel Studios. The project received a 1994 AIA Design Excellence Honor Award.
- Dome modeled on the Hagia Sophia, symbolizing heaven
- Communion of Angels in the dome with ~3,000 sheets of gold leaf
- 10 salvaged stained-glass saints re-set above the entrances and dome
- 24 dome/mezzanine windows marrying old and new glass
- 72 icons by Michael Kapeluck (Archangel Studios) after Theophanes the Greek
- AIA Design Excellence Honor Award, 1994
The Iconostas and Liturgical Furnishings
The iconostas separates the sanctuary from the nave and bears the traditional icons in the Byzantine manner: the Icon of Christ the Teacher to the right of the Royal Doors and the Icon of the Mother of God to the left, with the patron St. John the Baptist and St. Nicholas of Myra (patron of the Eastern Church) further to the sides, and a Last Supper scene above the Royal Doors. Above the iconostas, in place of the usual Last Supper, hangs a large icon of the Communion of the Apostles.
- Christ the Teacher and the Theotokos flanking the Royal Doors
- St. John the Baptist and St. Nicholas of Myra on the side icons
- Icon of the Communion of the Apostles above the altar
The 1918 Stone Cross
The large stone cross now standing in the center of the entrance driveway was relocated from the front yard of the old Dickson Street rectory, where it had stood since 1918. Its placement in the drive circle links the old cathedral site to the new one and greets every arrival to the Cathedral.
- Original location: front yard of the 1903-era rectory, since 1918
- Now in the circle of the Greentree Road entrance drive
Clergy and Pastoral Leadership
The Cathedral is currently served by Very Reverend Andrew J. Deskevich as Rector, who succeeded Very Reverend Archpriest Dennis M. Bogda after Father Bogda fell asleep in the Lord on September 21, 2019. The Archeparchy is led by Archbishop William C. Skurla, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh.
- Very Reverend Andrew J. Deskevich — Rector
- Very Reverend Archpriest Dennis M. Bogda — previous Rector (d. Sept. 21, 2019)
- Archbishop William C. Skurla — Metropolitan Archbishop
Rector Succession
St. John Parish has been served by 16 priests in its history, 13 of them as Cathedral rectors. The line runs from Father Irenaeus Matyaczko (founder, c. 1896) through Father Alexius Holosnyay, Msgr. George Michaylo, Msgr. Nicholas T. Elko, Fathers George Bonchonsky and John Pipik, Msgr. John Gernat, Msgr. John Bilock (later Auxiliary Bishop), Msgr. Judson Procyk (later Metropolitan Archbishop), Fathers Robert Karl, John Kudrick, Simeon Sibenik, Dennis M. Bogda, and the current rector, Andrew J. Deskevich.
- 16 priests total, 13 as cathedral rectors
- Founding pastor: Fr. Irenaeus Matyaczko
- Most recent transition: Bogda (d. 2019) → Deskevich
Faith Formation and Education
Religious education for children is provided through Eastern Christian Formation (ECF), held following Sunday Divine Liturgy during the school year; the parish's ECF Coordinator is Elaine Savko. Adult education sessions are offered as announced.
- Eastern Christian Formation (ECF) for children
- ECF Coordinator: Elaine Savko
- Adult Education as announced
The Cathedral Center and Parish Life
Formally blessed and dedicated on May 23, 1982, the Cathedral Center was the first piece of the Greentree Road campus, built to retire long-standing debt and create space for parish life. Under volunteer leadership it quickly became one of the premier Pittsburgh-area venues for wedding receptions, banquets, and other social functions, and serves as the social hub for the parish community and the wider Archeparchy.
- Opened and dedicated May 23, 1982
- Used for wedding receptions, banquets and social events
- Volunteer-led hospitality for parish and Archeparchy
Communications and Heritage
The parish has historically used radio to extend its liturgical reach — under Msgr. John Bilock the Cathedral began hosting a weekly radio broadcast of the Divine Liturgy. The Archeparchy and parish also maintain the parish website and a phone line at the rectory for inquiries about the sacraments, formation and parish events.
- Weekly radio broadcast of the Divine Liturgy (begun under Msgr. Bilock)
- Parish website: stjohnsbyzantinecathedral.com
- Rectory phone: (412) 461-0944
Visiting, Address and Contact
The Cathedral and its grounds are open for worship and visits at the published Liturgy times. The parish office can be reached by phone, fax, or email; the parish shares its Greentree Road location with the Cathedral Center and the rectory.
- Address: 210 Greentree Road, Munhall, PA 15120
- Phone: (412) 461-0944
- Fax: (412) 462-3495
- Email: [email protected]
Architectural and Cultural Significance
The 1903 cathedral at Dickson Street — designed by Titus de Bobula after the Holy Cross Cathedral in Ungvár — was the first American cathedral of the Carpatho-Rusyn Greek Catholic faithful. The 1993–94 cathedral by KSBA Architects, recognized with a 1994 AIA Design Excellence Honor Award, continues that lineage by deliberately modeling itself on the Hagia Sophia and preserving the artistic heritage of the old church (stained glass, the stone cross) in its new setting.
- 1903 cathedral = first Carpatho-Rusyn Greek Catholic cathedral in America
- 1993–94 cathedral = AIA Design Excellence Honor Award (1994)
- Heritage preserved: stained glass, stone cross, iconographic program
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Irenaeus Matyaczkoc. 1896
Founding pastor; celebrated first Divine Liturgy in Homestead's National Hall.
- Father Alexius Holosnyayc. 1900–
Emigré from the Mukačevo Eparchy; oversaw parish growth and planning of the larger church.
- Father (later Monsignor) George MichayloAugust 4, 1936 – c. 1954
Healed the parish after the Depression-era dispute; opened a parochial school staffed by the Sisters of St. Basil the Great; later named Rector of SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary.
- Msgr. Nicholas T. ElkoSeptember 1954 –
Shortly after becoming rector, named Apostolic Administrator of the Pittsburgh Exarchate and ordained a bishop.
- Father George Bonchonsky– 1956
Succeeded Msgr. Elko as rector.
- Father John Pipik1956 – 1959
Began the lengthy renovation and modernization of the Cathedral; liturgies held in the school auditorium.
- Msgr. John GernatNovember 1, 1959 – September 26, 1963
Completed the renovation of the Cathedral.
- Msgr. John BilockOctober 1963 – March 1973
Tenth pastor; began weekly radio broadcast of the Divine Liturgy, paid off mortgage, renovated properties; appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh by Pope Paul VI on March 8, 1973.
- Msgr. Judson ProcykJuly 18, 1973 – February 7, 1995
Planned and oversaw the relocation of the parish; acquired 18 acres on Greentree Road; broke ground for the Cathedral Center and for the new cathedral; ordained and installed as Metropolitan Archbishop in the Cathedral on February 7, 1995.
- Father Robert Karl1995 – 1998
Paid off substantial construction debt and led the 100th anniversary of the parish's founding.
- Archpriest John KudrickJune 1998 – 2001
Named Administrator of the Archeparchy on the death of Metropolitan Procyk in April 2001; later elevated to bishop and enthroned as Eparch of Parma.
- Father Simeon Sibenikc. 2001 – c. 2011
Served ten years as rector.
- Very Reverend Archpriest Dennis M. Bogdac. 2011 – September 21, 2019
Rector until his death on September 21, 2019.
- Very Reverend Andrew J. Deskevich2019 – present
Current Rector of the Cathedral.