About Epiphany of Our Lord [Ukrainian] · Saint Petersburg, Florida
Epiphany of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church is a Christ-centered Byzantine-rite parish in St. Petersburg, Florida, rooted in the spiritual, liturgical, and cultural heritage of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. Tucked into the north side of the city at 434 90th Avenue North and marked by its signature five golden domes, it serves both an English-speaking and Ukrainian-speaking community with two Sunday Divine Liturgies. The parish belongs canonically to the Ukrainian Diocese of Saint Josaphat in Parma while sitting geographically within the territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Petersburg, and it has been a hub of Ukrainian religious and cultural life on Florida's Gulf Coast since the early 1960s.
- Established
- 1963
- Patron
- Epiphany of Our Lord (Theophany / Богоявлення Господнього)
- Rector
- Rev. Bohdan Barytskyy
- Diocese
- Ukrainian Diocese of Saint Josaphat in Parma (Byzantine-rite); geographically within the territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Petersburg
Why belong here
Epiphany of Our Lord is a welcoming Byzantine Catholic community that celebrates the Ukrainian Greek Catholic tradition in two languages every Sunday — an English-language Divine Liturgy at 8:30 AM and a Ukrainian-language one at 10:00 AM — making it approachable for cradle Ukrainians, English-speaking converts, and inquirers alike. The parish combines active liturgical and sacramental life with strong cultural programming, including an annual autumn Ukrainian Heritage Festival, Ukrainian Independence Day celebrations, a Christmas dinner, kolęda caroling, and ongoing humanitarian collections supporting Ukraine. It is one of the few Eastern-Catholic parishes in the Tampa Bay area whose physical landmark — five gleaming golden domes — and whose hall rental and social ministries make it a true center of Ukrainian family and community life on Florida's Gulf Coast.
Mass times at Epiphany of Our Lord [Ukrainian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:15 AM – 8:30 AM (15 minutes before the Divine Liturgies)
Our Church: The Golden Domes and Byzantine Architecture
Epiphany of Our Lord's signature is its five highly visible golden domes, which mark the northern Fourth Street entrance to the city of St. Petersburg — visitors are told simply to 'Look for the Golden Domes.' The five domes are a Byzantine-rite theological statement: Christ surrounded by the four Evangelists. Inside, the building is structured as Narthex, Nave, and Sanctuary — symbolizing the abodes of Satan, Humans, and God in that order through creation. The Nave is dominated by a large illuminated Cross suspended below the Dome of the Saints, a visible reminder that all saints become saints by carrying the Cross. At the cardinal compass points on the Nave ceiling hang four icons: the Theotokos, Pantocrator, Resurrection, and Dormition.
- Five golden domes (Christ + the four Evangelists)
- Narthex / Nave / Sanctuary tripartite symbolism
- Illuminated Cross beneath the Dome of the Saints
- Nave Icons: Theotokos, Pantocrator, Resurrection, Dormition
- Two shrines for private prayer and vigil lights
Our History: From a Chapel in a Frame House to a Consecrated Church
The parish was born out of the homesickness of Ukrainian families who moved to St. Petersburg in the early 1960s. Under Father Yaroslav Dybka's direction, they raised enough to buy the 90th Avenue North property on December 5, 1963, and in 1964 Archbishop Ambrose Senyshyn sent Father Yaroslaw Skrotsky to convert the frame house's living room and bedroom into a chapel. After Sunday Liturgies, picnics in the yard among the tall pines raised the next round of funds. By 1966 a proper church, rectory, and social hall were built, and on November 27, 1976 Bishop Basil Losten of Philadelphia consecrated the church and installed Father Steven Adamiak as first pastor. The next big chapter came in the 1990s: groundbreaking for the current church was November 7, 1993, and Most Reverend Bishop Robert Moskal consecrated the new church on March 22, 1997, with Deacon Andrew Krasulski ordained the very next day. The parish history page is also offered in Ukrainian, documenting the founding Bilovus family's role, the 1964 kolęda that raised $462, and more.
- 1963 — property purchased for $7,000
- 1964 — first Divine Liturgy April 5 at the Knights of Columbus hall
- 1966 — church, rectory, and social hall built
- 1976 — parish elevated to full parish status; church consecrated by Bishop Basil Losten
- 1993 — groundbreaking for the new church
- 1997 — new church consecrated March 22 by Bishop Robert Moskal; Andrew Krasulski ordained first deacon March 23
Our Faith: Byzantine Catholic and Ukrainian Heritage
The 'Our Faith' page explains that parishioners are Catholics in full communion with the Pope, but of the Byzantine rather than Latin rite, with roots reaching deep into early Christian antiquity. The parish's mission statement emphasizes the spiritual, liturgical, and cultural heritage of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church — worshipping faithfully, proclaiming the Gospel, and serving others through prayer, the Divine Liturgy, the sacraments, and the richness of Eastern Christian tradition, while nurturing spiritual growth for all generations and strengthening families.
- Christ-centered parish
- Spiritual, liturgical, and cultural heritage of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
- Welcoming community strengthening families and preserving Ukrainian heritage
- Serving the local community and witnessing to Christ worldwide
Ukrainian Heritage Festival and Cultural Life
The annual Ukrainian Heritage Festival, held every autumn, has run more than 40 years. It brings Ukrainian-Americans from across Florida — and even from Canada — to the parish grounds to enjoy traditional foods (holubtsi, varenyky, borshch), embroidered shirts (vyshyvanky), auctions, a lottery, and a concert program. The festival's entertainment has been coordinated for 15 years by Nadia Sawa. In recent years, the parish has dedicated about 20% of festival proceeds to humanitarian aid for Ukraine and refugees arriving in the U.S.
- Annual autumn Ukrainian Heritage Festival (40+ year tradition)
- Traditional foods: holubtsi, varenyky, borshch; vyshyvanky sales
- Auctions, lottery, children's activities, dance and music program
- 20% of proceeds directed to Ukrainian humanitarian relief
Ukrainian Independence Day and Seasonal Celebrations
Beyond the heritage festival, the parish hosts an annual Ukrainian Independence Day celebration — described by Pastor Barytskyy as both an identity-preserving tradition for Ukrainian-American children and a reminder 'that the independence we received 34 years ago is a gift, but it's not free.' The parish also hosts a Christmas Eve dinner (Sviata Vechera) with kolęda caroling, Christmas hymn-singing on Christmas Day, and Malanka, the Old New Year celebration on January 13/14.
- Ukrainian Independence Day (August 24) — annual celebration
- Sviata Vechera — Christmas Eve dinner (December 24)
- Christmas Day hymn-singing (December 25)
- Malanka / Old New Year (January 13/14)
Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine
Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Epiphany of Our Lord added a dedicated humanitarian aid page, accepting direct donations to the parish with the note 'for Humanitarian Aid,' and listing partner organizations through which parishioners and visitors can route additional support.
- Direct donations to Epiphany of Our Lord (Designate: Humanitarian Aid)
- Course of Action Foundation (Florida / Tampa groups shipping aid to Ukrainian families and refugees in Poland)
- Ukrainian National Women's League of America (UNWLA) — aid for displaced and injured civilians and four military hospitals)
- Revived Soldiers Ukraine — medical aid and rehabilitation equipment for wounded soldiers
- Facebook fundraisers listed on the page (medical aid, frontline relief)
Hall Rental and Facilities
The parish rents its halls for weddings, birthday celebrations, conferences, and similar events. The Large Hall (about 3,000 sq ft of space, with 15 round 60-inch tables, 150 new chairs, sound system, large kitchen, stage, and ample parking) rents for $1,000 per event; the Small Hall rents for $700 per event. Set-up the day before the event is available.
- Large Hall — ~3,000 sq ft, $1,000/event
- Small Hall — $700/event
- 15 round tables (60 in), 150 chairs, sound system
- Large kitchen, stage for musical performances
- Plenty of parking; day-before setup available
Show & Tell and Parish Communications
The parish maintains a 'Show & Tell / Покажи і Розкажи' link-sharing page — a parish-family hub where members share Ukrainian cultural links, music, and faith-based media. Featured collections include Christmas and New Year links (Svjata Nich, Raduisya svit, Carol of the Bells, Boh sya rozhdaye, etc.), Ukrainian Catholic heritage pieces, and Catholic apologetics and culture.
- Parish link-sharing page for Ukrainian culture and Catholic content
- Seasonal Christmas / New Year link collections
- Ukrainian religious music and cultural video roundups
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Yaroslav Dybka1963–1964
Redemptorist who came to St. Petersburg from Philadelphia to organize the founding Ukrainian families; led the effort to buy the property and held the first Ukrainian Divine Liturgy on April 5, 1964 at a Knights of Columbus hall, with about 52 Ukrainians in attendance.
- Rev. Yaroslaw Skrotsky1964–1967
Assigned by Archbishop Ambrose Senyshyn as administrator of the new Epiphany mission; renovated the living room and bedroom of the frame house into a chapel, and oversaw construction of a new church, rectory, and social hall in 1966. Fell ill in spring 1967 and returned to Pennsylvania.
- Rev. Yuriy Markevych1967 (approx.)
Young priest sent by the Metropolitan to fill in after Father Skrotsky's illness, during the mission period.
- Rev. Steven Adamiak1976–(pre-1997)
Named the parish's first pastor when it was elevated from mission to full parish; Epiphany Church was consecrated in his pastorate on November 27, 1976 by Bishop Basil Losten of Philadelphia.
- Rev. Msgr. Jaroslaw Fedy(pre-1997)
Retired at the end of 1996; served during the planning and groundbreaking for the new church (groundbreaking November 7, 1993).
- Rev. Archpriest Matthew BerkoJanuary 1, 1997 – (approx. 2002)
Became pastor on January 1, 1997; oversaw the consecration of the new church by Bishop Robert Moskal on March 22, 1997, and the ordination of Andrew Krasulski as the parish's first deacon on March 23, 1997.
- Rev. Msgr. John P. StevenskyApril 4, 2002 – (pre-Barytskyy)
Appointed pastor by Bishop Robert M. Moskal on April 4, 2002 and arrived at the parish on April 15, 2002; previously had served as twelfth pastor of SS. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in Cleveland (1984–1990) and as National Director of the League of Ukrainian Catholics.
- Rev. Bohdan Barytskyypresent
Current pastor; originally of the Ukrainian Eparchy of Ternopil, ordained November 30, 1997.