About Holy Ghost [Ukrainian] · Akron, Ohio
Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church is a Byzantine (Eastern-rite) Catholic parish located at 1866 Brown Street in Akron, Ohio, belonging to the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma. Founded in 1915 by Ukrainian immigrants who had begun settling in Akron around 1900, the parish is rooted in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic tradition but is today open to all and celebrates its full liturgical life in English. The current parish community of roughly 100 at Sunday Liturgy continues the faith, food, and folk traditions of its founders while serving the wider Akron area through catechesis, charity, and an annual Ukrainian Festival.
- Established
- 1915
- Patron
- The Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost) — the parish is named for the Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
- Rector
- Very Rev. Vsevolod (Sal) Shevchuk
- Diocese
- Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church); eparchial bishop: Bishop Bohdan John Danylo (since August 7, 2014)
Why belong here
Holy Ghost is a small, warm Byzantine-rite Catholic community in the heart of Akron that welcomes anyone — Ukrainian, non-Ukrainian, or simply curious about the Eastern Christian tradition. Worship is in English (with Ukrainian preserved in beloved traditional hymns), the parish offers Sunday catechism for children and a Wednesday Bible study for adults, and life after the Sunday Divine Liturgy centers on doughnuts, coffee, and conversation. The parish's signature community events — the Annual Ukrainian Festival in late June, the Easter Bazaar, pierogi sales, and the Parish Cupboard food pantry — give plenty of ways to get involved, and a Ukrainian-born pastor fluent in English, Ukrainian, and Russian is on hand to help every visitor feel at home.
Mass times at Holy Ghost [Ukrainian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 PM (before the Vigil Divine Liturgy)
- Sunday 8:30 AM (before the Divine Liturgy) or as needed
About Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church
Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church is a Byzantine (Eastern-rite) Catholic parish in Akron, Ohio, belonging to the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma. Its mission, in the words of the parish itself, is to be 'a vibrant living icon of God … a church open to people of all ethnic backgrounds and social conditions.' As a faith-filled people of an Eastern Christian tradition, parishioners strive to make the Liturgy the heartbeat of community life.
Parish History
Founded in 1915 by Ukrainian immigrants who had begun arriving in Akron around 1900, the parish has served Northeast Ohio for over a century. The original church at Washington and Abel Streets was replaced by the present Brown Street church, completed in 1961 and dedicated in 1962, whose cornerstone is preserved in the basement. An English Divine Liturgy was added in 1971, and the parish has become a fully English-language community while keeping Ukrainian in its traditional hymns.
- First Ukrainian immigrants in Akron: c. 1900
- First parish meeting: October 1915
- Lots purchased on Washington and Abel Streets: November 14, 1915
- Mortgage burned (30th anniversary): September 23, 1945
- Brown Street lots purchased: 1946
- New church completed: December 1961; first service Christmas 1961
- Church dedicated by Most Rev. Archbishop Metropolitan Ambrose Senyshyn, OSBM: September 3, 1962
- English Divine Liturgy added: 1971
- Centennial celebrated with Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk: June 21, 2015
The Iconostasis and Sanctuary
The interior of the present church is built around a striking sanctuary icon depicting Pentecost, the Descent of the Holy Ghost, and a carved, dark-wood, gold-plated iconostasis. It has Royal and Deacon Doors and icons of the life of Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the four Evangelists, St. Nicholas, St. Josaphat, St. Stephen, and the Archangel Michael. The altar linens were hand-embroidered by ladies of the parish.
Clergy and Pastoral Succession
The parish is served by Very Rev. Vsevolod (Sal) Shevchuk, who has been pastor since 2013. He also pastors the Protection of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church in Solon, OH, and serves the Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma as Deputy CFO and Vocations Director. He speaks English, Ukrainian, and Russian.
- Current pastor: Fr. Vsevolod (Sal) Shevchuk (2013–present)
- Fr. Michael Kulick — immediate predecessor
- Fr. Claudio Melnicki
- Fr. Ignatius Kury
- Fr. Peter Tomas
- Fr. Stephen Krupka
- Fr. Wolodymyr Woloszczuk (1985–) — first priest ordained from the parish (Rome, 1981)
- Very Rev. Canon Archpriest Taras Durbak (1952–1985) — built and dedicated the present church
Divine Liturgy and Sacraments
The parish celebrates the Byzantine-rite Divine Liturgy in English. Confession is offered before each Liturgy and on request. By tradition, the Holy Eucharist involves leavened bread and is open to all properly prepared Catholics (Eastern and Western).
- Saturday Vigil Divine Liturgy: 5:00 PM
- Sunday Divine Liturgy: 9:00 AM
- Confession: Saturday 4:30 PM, Sunday 8:30 AM, or as needed
- Live stream of Sunday 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy on YouTube
Visitor's Guide — What to Expect
You do not need to be Ukrainian to attend; you do not need to speak Ukrainian; the Liturgy is in English. After Sunday Liturgy, parishioners gather for doughnuts, coffee, and conversation, and on major holidays there are special Ukrainian dinners. Communion is distributed under both kinds; communicants traditionally make the sign of the Cross, approach with arms folded in the Cross of St. Andrew, tilt the head back, and receive the Mysteries directly into the mouth.
- Open to all people, of any ethnic background
- Liturgy in English; Ukrainian preserved in hymns
- Fellowship with coffee and doughnuts after Sunday Liturgy
Faith Formation and Education
The parish nurtures the faith of all ages. Sunday catechism classes for children age 4 and older are held in the church basement after Sunday Divine Liturgy during the school year. Adults gather for a Wednesday Bible study on the rectory patio (weather permitting) at 6:30 PM, and a separate Parish Book Study meets on Wednesdays at 4:00 PM, with the discussion continuing afterwards.
- Sunday youth catechism (ages 4+), church basement
- Wednesday adult Bible study, 6:30 PM, rectory patio
- Parish Book Study, Wednesdays at 4:00 PM
- Parish library stocked with books on saints, liturgy, and Ukrainian traditions
Parish Ministries and Community Life
Beyond worship, the parish sustains a network of lay ministries and committees. The Social Concerns Committee operates the Parish Cupboard food pantry and coordinates visits to the homebound, nursing-home residents, and the hospitalized. The St. Nicholas Committee looks after the parish's children, and the Blessed Virgin Mary Ladies Society, the Apostleship of Prayer, the Altar Boys Society, and the choir keep long-standing parish traditions alive. After Liturgy the community shares doughnuts, coffee, and conversation; on feast days they gather for full Ukrainian dinners of pyrohi, kovbasa, holubtsi, haluski, borshch, paska, and nut-rolls.
- Social Concerns Committee / Parish Cupboard (food pantry)
- Homebound, nursing-home, and hospital visits
- St. Nicholas Committee (children's events)
- Blessed Virgin Mary Ladies Society
- Apostleship of Prayer
- Altar Boys Society
- Choir and traditional Ukrainian hymn-singing (Mnohaya Lita, Vichnaya Pam'yat)
Annual Ukrainian Festival and Cultural Events
Each year in late June, around the feast of Pentecost (Holy Ghost Day), the parish hosts its Annual Ukrainian Festival on the church grounds. Admission and parking are free. The festival features traditional Ukrainian foods (pyrohy/perogies, holubchi/cabbage rolls, kielbasa, halushki, paska bread, kolachi, fruit bars), live polka by the 'Zaps' Folk Band, Ukrainian folk dance, a wood dance floor, a baked-goods sale, Ukrainian-themed raffles, vendors, and a children's bounce house. The parish also runs a regular Pierogi Sale (September and December), an Easter Bazaar, and pysanky (Ukrainian Easter egg) workshops.
- Annual Ukrainian Festival — late June, on the church grounds
- Easter Bazaar
- Pierogi Sales — September and December
- Pysanky workshops
- St. Nicholas Day dinner
Outreach and Solidarity with Ukraine
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Holy Ghost has been a hub of prayer and humanitarian aid. The parish hosts a Special Litany (Moleben) for the Protection of the People of Ukraine every Wednesday at 6:00 PM and collects monetary donations for the Philadelphia Archeparchy's 'War Victims and Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine' fund. The parish also commemorates Ukrainian historical events such as the Holodomor of 1932–33, keeping the heritage of the homeland alive for the next generation.
- Moleben for the Protection of the People of Ukraine — Wednesdays, 6:00 PM
- Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine — donations through the Philadelphia Archeparchy fund
- Holodomor commemorations
Contact, Location, and Eparchy
The church is at 1866 Brown Street, Akron, Ohio 44301; the rectory is at 1859 Carter Avenue, directly behind the church. The parish belongs to the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma (the eparchial bishop since August 7, 2014 is Bishop Bohdan John Danylo), itself part of the Philadelphia Metropolia of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and in full communion with Rome.
- Church: 1866 Brown Street, Akron, OH 44301
- Rectory: 1859 Carter Ave., Akron, OH 44301
- Phone: (330) 724-8277
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.hgucc.org/
- Eparchy: St. Josaphat in Parma (Bishop Bohdan John Danylo)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Taras DurbakMarch 1952 – September 8, 1985
Longest-serving pastor (33 years); oversaw construction and 1962 dedication of the present Brown Street church
- Rev. Wolodymyr Woloszczuk1985 – (early/mid-1990s)
First priest ordained from the parish itself (ordained in Rome by Patriarch-Cardinal Josyf Slipyj in 1981)
- Rev. Stephen Krupka
Succeeded Fr. Woloszczuk
- Rev. Peter Tomas
Succeeded Fr. Krupka
- Rev. Ignatius Kury
Succeeded Fr. Tomas
- Rev. Claudio Melnicki
Succeeded Fr. Kury
- Rev. Michael Kulick
Succeeded Fr. Melnicki
- Rev. Vsevolod (Sal) Shevchuk2013 – present
Current administrator/pastor; brother of Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk; celebrated the parish's 2015 centennial