About Epiphany [Ukrainian] · Rochester, New York
Epiphany Ukrainian Catholic Church (also called the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Epiphany, or Epiphany of Our Lord) is an Eastern Catholic parish in Rochester, New York, belonging to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Eparchy of Stamford, Connecticut. It serves the Byzantine-rite Ukrainian faithful of the Rochester area, offering the Divine Liturgy in both English and Ukrainian, and it is one of four Ukrainian Catholic parishes located within the geographic territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester. The parish traces its origin to 1958, when a group of parishioners from the older St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church chose to retain the Julian calendar and Byzantine liturgical traditions, forming their own community.
- Established
- 1958
- Patron
- The Epiphany of Our Lord
- Rector
- Very Rev. Roman T. Sydorovych
- Diocese
- Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford (a suffragan of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia)
Why belong here
Epiphany of Our Lord is a Christ-centered Ukrainian Greek Catholic community that worships in the Byzantine rite while remaining in full communion with the Pope of Rome. Parishioners keep the Julian-calendar liturgical tradition alive in Rochester, with the Divine Liturgy celebrated in both Ukrainian and English throughout the week. The parish is small enough to feel like family, yet rooted in the wider Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford and the Eastern Christian heritage stretching back to Ss. Cyril and Methodius.
Mass times at Epiphany [Ukrainian]
Weekly Mass schedule
About the Parish
Epiphany of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church is a small Eastern Catholic parish on Carter Street in Rochester, New York, serving the Byzantine-rite Ukrainian faithful of the region. Although geographically within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester, the parish belongs to the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford, Connecticut, one of the Eastern Catholic eparchies in full communion with Rome.
- Parish name: Epiphany of Our Lord / Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Epiphany
- Eparchy: Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford
- Geographic area: Rochester, NY (Monroe County)
History of Epiphany
Epiphany was established in 1958 by a group of parishioners who split from Rochester's older St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church after St. Josaphat's adopted the Gregorian calendar. The founders wished to keep the Julian-calendar Byzantine liturgical tradition alive. Their first worship space was the former First Evangelical United Brethren Church on Carter Street. As the community grew, Bishop Ambrose Senyshyn of the Eparchy of Stamford laid the cornerstone for a new church at the corner of Carter Street and Holbrooke Street in 1969; the building was completed and dedicated in 1971 under the parish's first pastor, Father Stephen Horodeckyj.
- Founded 1958
- First church: former Evangelical United Brethren building on Carter Street
- Cornerstone laid 1969 by Bishop Ambrose Senyshyn
- Current church completed 1971
- First pastor: Father Stephen Horodeckyj
Our Faith — Ukrainian Greek Catholic (Byzantine Rite)
Parishioners of Epiphany are Catholics of the Byzantine rite, in full communion with the Pope of Rome. The Divine Liturgy derives from St. James the first Bishop of Jerusalem and was later shortened by St. Basil the Great and St. John Chrysostom; it has remained substantially unchanged since the fourth century. As part of the broader Slavic Christian heritage evangelized by Ss. Cyril and Methodius, the parish preserves Ukrainian liturgical traditions including the use of Church Slavonic/Ukrainian alongside English.
- Byzantine rite, in communion with Rome
- Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (and St. Basil)
- Slavic Christian heritage of Ss. Cyril and Methodius
Clergy & Staff
Epiphany is currently shepherded by Very Rev. Roman T. Sydorovych, who has been the parish's pastor as of recent diocesan correspondence and news reports (including 2022 coverage during the Russia–Ukraine crisis). He is the contact priest named by the Diocese of Rochester in Bishop Matano's 2022 solidarity letter to the Ukrainian Catholic parishes in the region.
- Pastor: Very Rev. Roman T. Sydorovych
- Former pastors include Father Stephen Horodeckyj (first pastor, c. 1958 – after 1971)
Worship & Mass (Divine Liturgy) Times
The parish offers the Divine Liturgy on Sundays and weekdays, with both Ukrainian-language and English liturgies celebrated on Sunday to serve the bilingual parish community. Holy Days have their own bilingual schedule.
- Sunday 9:30 AM (English)
- Sunday 11:30 AM (Ukrainian)
- Monday–Friday 8:30 AM
- Holy Days 9:00 AM and 7:00 PM
Parish Life & Outreach
Though small, Epiphany is a closely knit community. The parish is known for keeping Ukrainian liturgical and cultural traditions alive in the Rochester area and for joining ecumenical moments with the wider Christian community — for example, the parish joined St. Josaphat's in hosting Bishop Salvatore R. Matano for an Ecumenical Prayer Service to the Blessed Virgin Mary in February 2022 in solidarity with Ukraine.
- Bilingual (English/Ukrainian) Divine Liturgy
- Ecumenical cooperation with Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester
- Prayer services in solidarity with Ukraine
Visit & Contact
Epiphany of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church is located at 202 Carter Street on Rochester's northeast side (14621). The parish can be reached by phone during parish hours and maintains a Facebook page under the name 'Ukrainian Catholic Church of Epiphany.'
- Address: 202 Carter Street, Rochester, NY 14621
- Phone: (585) 266-4036
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: Ukrainian Catholic Church of Epiphany
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Stephen Horodeckyjc. 1958 – after 1971
First pastor; oversaw construction and 1971 dedication of the present church building.
- Very Rev. Roman T. Sydorovych
Current pastor as of recent diocesan correspondence (2022) and news coverage.