Holy Ghost [Ruthenian]

Parish History — A Ruthenian Foundation in the Mon Valley

Holy Ghost Byzantine Catholic Church was born of the late-19th-century Carpatho-Rusyn immigration to the coal, glass and steel towns along the Monongahela River. In January 1899, Father John Hrabar began serving the faithful in Charleroi, with liturgies first celebrated at the old Mound Hall on McKean Avenue. On June 7, 1899 a fourteen-member committee took formal steps to build a church; six lots were purchased at Ninth and Meadow Avenues, and on July 4, 1899 the first church was dedicated with Father Nestor Volensky as the founding pastor. The parish served not only Byzantine Catholics but also Roman Catholic Slavs who came to pray in the familiar Slavonic tongue.

• January 1899: Father John Hrabar begins ministering to the Charleroi faithful at Mound Hall, McKean Avenue.
• June 7, 1899: 14-member committee forms to build a church; six lots purchased at Ninth & Meadow Avenues.
• July 4, 1899: First church dedicated; Father Nestor Volensky becomes first pastor.
• April 27, 1907: Tornado destroys the wooden church (only the bell tower survives).
• 1907: Parish worships temporarily at SS. Cyril and Methodius Roman Catholic Church while a brick church is built.
• December 1907: New brick church completed.
• 1959: Parish celebrates 60th anniversary under Father George (Martin) Kuzma.
• 1970: New church structure completed to accommodate a thriving parish.
• 1980s: Charleroi Area Food Pantry founded and housed at the church.
• 1980s: Complete icon renovation project — 250 icons refurbished by the faithful.
• October 25, 1987: Celebration of thanksgiving for the icon renovation.

Buildings and Renovations

The parish has known three successive buildings on its present site. The original wooden structure was raised in 1899, destroyed by a tornado in April 1907 (only the bell tower standing), and replaced by a brick church completed in December 1907. As the parish grew in the post-war decades, a new church structure was completed in 1970 to accommodate a thriving parish family; that is the present worship space. In the 1980s, the parish faithful undertook a complete icon renovation project, donating time and resources to refurbish 250 icons in the church, with a celebration of thanksgiving on October 25, 1987.

Divine Liturgy and Holy Mysteries

As a Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic parish, Holy Ghost celebrates the Divine Liturgy in the Byzantine tradition, the central act of worship shared across the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh. The parish publishes its current weekly Divine Liturgy schedule, holy-mystery arrangements, and confession times through the Archeparchy's parish page.

• Saturdays — 6:00 PM Divine Liturgy
• Confessions — one half hour before services (≈ 5:30 PM Saturday)
• Marriage — by appointment
• Anointing of the Sick — by appointment
• Eastern Christian Formation (children) — see administrator
• Adult Education — see administrator

Clergy and Pastoral Leadership

Holy Ghost is currently administered by Father Brian Norrell, who was appointed effective September 30, 2025 to serve as Administrator of the three-cluster Byzantine Catholic parishes of the Mid-Mon Valley: Holy Ghost in Charleroi, St. Michael in Donora, and St. Mary of the Assumption in Monessen. Father Brian previously administered St. Mary in Weirton, West Virginia, and St. John in Avella, Pennsylvania. His wife Pani Helen Norrell is also active in parish life (e.g., attending the St. Mary's Ladies Guild Christmas Dinner in Monessen in early January 2026).

• Father John Hrabar — visiting missionary priest (January 1899)
• Father Nestor Volensky — first pastor (from July 4, 1899)
• Father George (Martin) Kuzma — pastor at 60th Anniversary (1959); later second Eparch of Van Nuys, CA (1991–2000)
• Father Stephen Wahal — Administrator before 2025
• Father Brian Norrell — current Administrator (since September 30, 2025)

Faith Formation and Education

Holy Ghost maintains a Byzantine-style faith-formation program for its young people and an ongoing adult-education offering, both coordinated through the parish administrator.

• Eastern Christian Formation (ECF) — contact administrator
• Adult Education — contact administrator

Parish Outreach: The Charleroi Area Food Pantry

In the 1980s, as coal mining and steel-making declined across the Mid-Mon Valley and the local population aged, Holy Ghost parish answered the resulting need by founding the Charleroi Area Food Pantry, which is still housed at the church and serves neighbors in the broader Charleroi area. The pantry is open every Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

• Charleroi Area Food Pantry — 724-483-6133
• Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
• Location: housed at the parish (828 Meadow Avenue)

Parish Patronal Feast and Community Life

The parish's patronal feast is celebrated on Pentecost, with a Pentecost Patronal Feast Brunch that brings the community together (date is announced each year). The parish is part of a close-knit three-parish Byzantine Catholic cluster with St. Michael in Donora and St. Mary of the Assumption in Monessen, sharing clergy and some community events.

• Pentecost Patronal Feast Brunch — annual (date to be announced)
• Parish cluster: Holy Ghost (Charleroi) — St. Michael (Donora) — St. Mary (Monessen)

Visiting and Contact

The church is located at 828 Meadow Avenue in Charleroi, Pennsylvania (ZIP 15022-1818), at the corner of 9th Street and Meadow Avenue. Travelers from outside the area typically reach it via I-70 to PA-88 north toward Charleroi; the parish grounds offer on-site parking. The Archeparchy's parish page is the official online home for Holy Ghost.

• Address: 828 Meadow Avenue, Charleroi, PA 15022-1818
• Corner of 9th Street and Meadow Avenue
• Rectory / Administrator: Father Brian Norrell — (817) 271-0968
• Parish phone (parish directory): (724) 483-8622
• Website: https://archpitt.org/place/charleroipa-2/
• Directions: I-70 → PA-88 north (Charleroi)