About Holy Spirit [Ruthenian] · Parma, Ohio
Holy Spirit is a Ruthenian (Byzantine) Greek Catholic parish in Parma, Ohio, in full communion with Rome and part of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma. The community traces its origins to 1909, when Carpatho-Rusyn, Slovak, Hungarian, Croatian, and Ukrainian immigrants in Cleveland organized what was first known as Holy Ghost Greek Catholic Church. After decades on Cleveland's west side, the parish moved in 1969 to its present home at 5500 West 54th Street in Parma, built on land adjoining its cemetery. The parish was rededicated under the patronage of the Holy Spirit. In October 2024 the church was designated the new cathedral church of the Eparchy of Parma when Bishop Robert Pipta transferred the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist from Snow Road to the Holy Spirit site. Holy Spirit is now served as a mission of the merged Dormition of the Mother of God Parish (formerly St. Mary Byzantine), with Liturgy celebrated in the English-language Byzantine Ruthenian tradition.
- Established
- 1909
- Patron
- Holy Spirit (originally Holy Ghost Greek Catholic Church; renamed Holy Spirit upon relocation to Parma in 1969)
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Michael Lee (Rector of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, the successor parish community at 5500 W. 54th St., Parma)
- Diocese
- Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma (Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church, suffragan of the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh); geographically within the territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
Why belong here
Holy Spirit offers a Byzantine Catholic home in the Ruthenian tradition where families of Eastern European ancestry and newcomers alike worship in full communion with Rome. The parish keeps the Byzantine liturgical rhythm of Great Vespers, Matins, the Divine Liturgy, and traditional Marian devotions (such as the Rosary before Sunday Liturgy) in a community-sized setting. As the cathedral church of the Eparchy of Parma since 2024, it sits on a long-established cemetery property with a dedicated catechetical center and social hall, and its faithful may mail or drop donations at the parish office at 5500 West 54th Street and worship with the wider merged Dormition-of-the-Mother-of-God community.
Mass times at Holy Spirit [Ruthenian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm (before the Vigil Liturgy)
Parish Identity — Byzantine Catholic in the Ruthenian Tradition
Holy Spirit is a Ruthenian Greek Catholic parish in full communion with the Pope of Rome. Its worship follows the Byzantine liturgical tradition carried by ancestors from historic Carpatho-Rus', Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, and Ukraine; today's congregation includes parishioners from many different backgrounds who worship together in this Eastern Catholic heritage. Geographically the parish sits in Parma, Ohio, on land within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, but ecclesiastically it belongs to the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma.
- Byzantine (Ruthenian) rite, in full communion with Rome
- Located in Parma, Ohio, within the Roman Diocese of Cleveland's territory
- Falls under the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma (Archeparchy of Pittsburgh)
A Parish Rooted in Cleveland's Immigrant Past (1909)
The parish did not begin in Parma. Eastern European immigrants to Cleveland organized what would become Holy Spirit on September 14, 1909, and Holy Ghost Greek Catholic Church received its charter from the State of Ohio a month later. Property on West 14th Street and Kenilworth SW was purchased, construction of the church began by February 1910 under Very Reverend Joseph Hanulya, and the parish soon acquired 31 acres in Parma for a cemetery — land that would, half a century later, become the site of the new parish home.
- First organizational meeting: September 14, 1909
- State charter granted: October 1909 as Holy Ghost Greek Catholic Church
- Original site: West 14th Street and Kenilworth SW, Cleveland
- 31-acre Parma cemetery parcel purchased in the parish's early years
Relocation to Parma and the Birth of Holy Spirit (1967–1969)
By the mid-1960s, the parish's Cleveland neighborhood was being reshaped by the Innerbelt Freeway (I-71/I-80), and parishioners had moved to the suburbs. In May 1965 the decision was made to relocate to the easternmost parcel of Holy Ghost Cemetery on West 54th Street in Parma. Ground was broken on September 17, 1967 for the new Holy Spirit Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Church, Catechetical Center, and Social Hall, and the modernist building was dedicated on June 15, 1969, under the pastorate of Rev. Lawrence J. Slavik. The parish took the new name Holy Spirit to mark the move.
- 1965: relocation decision made because of Innerbelt freeway disruption
- September 17, 1967: groundbreaking on West 54th Street, Parma
- June 15, 1969: church dedicated; renamed Holy Spirit
- Catechetical Center and Social Hall included in the new build
Byzantine Interior Renewal (1984) and Parish Growth
In 1984, Father Donald Petyo began an interior renovation to bring the modernist building into closer harmony with traditional Byzantine worship. The renovation installed an iconostasis separating the sanctuary from the nave, added a new chandelier, and remodeled the sanctuary. Subsequent pastors each contributed their own gifts to the parish family, and long-running parish societies continued to anchor community life.
- 1984 iconostasis and sanctuary remodel under Fr. Donald Petyo
- New chandelier installed during the 1984 renovation
- Multiple pastors succeeded one another, each leaving a mark on parish life
Rectory and Parish Complex
The complex grew with a new rectory dedicated June 12, 1977, attached to the church by a two-level passageway and built of brick to match the existing church. The architect was Thomas Stephen Terpack, A.I.A., a member of the parish. The parish complex today includes the church, the rectory fronting on Devonshire Street, the Catechetical Center, and the Social Hall — all on the same Parma campus that originally housed the cemetery.
- Ground broken for the rectory: August 15, 1976
- Rectory dedicated: June 12, 1977
- Architect: Thomas Stephen Terpack, A.I.A., parishioner
- Two-level passageway connects rectory (Devonshire Street) to the church
Longtime Pastorate of Monsignor Russell A. Duker (1995–2021)
On June 15, 1995, the new Metropolitan Archbishop Judson M. Procyk assigned Monsignor Russell A. Duker as the eleventh pastor of Holy Spirit. Monsignor Duker held a Doctorate in Historical Theology from the Gregorian University in Rome and had just completed a five-year term as Rector of the Byzantine Catholic Seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius; he concurrently served as Protosyncellus and Chancellor of the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh. He retired in August 2021 after 50 years of faithful ministry to God and the Archeparchy, and Father Michael Kunitz was appointed Administrator beginning December 22, 2021.
- Appointed eleventh pastor: June 15, 1995 by Archbishop Judson M. Procyk
- Doctorate in Historical Theology, Gregorian University (Rome)
- Former Rector of the Byzantine Catholic Seminary of SS. Cyril and Methodius
- Retired August 2021 after 50 years of ministry
2021 Merger and the Dormition of the Mother of God Parish
On March 5, 2021, Bishop Milan Lach decreed that St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Holy Spirit Parish, and Dormition of the Mother of God Parish (St. Mary's) in Cleveland would merge. After the Congregation for the Eastern Churches quickly reversed the decree, Bishop Lach emended and republished it on March 29, 2021. The merged entity uses the facilities of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Cleveland and retains that name; Holy Spirit continues as a worship site within the merged parish.
- March 5, 2021: original merger decree
- Reversed by the Congregation for the Eastern Churches
- March 29, 2021: decree emended and republished
- Merged parish uses Dormition of the Mother of God facilities in Cleveland
2024 — Holy Spirit Becomes the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
On October 7, 2024, Bishop Robert Pipta decreed the transfer of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist to the Holy Spirit church at 5500 W. 54th St. in Parma, confirming the 2021 merger and moving the cathedral and its name onto the Holy Spirit site. The eparchial offices were also transferred to the same location, and the former St. John the Baptist church on Snow Road was deconsecrated to non-sacred but not sordid use. Plans were announced to renovate the exterior of the former Holy Spirit Church (built 1969, modernist) by adding multiple domes in the Hutzul architectural style of the Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic tradition in Central and Eastern Europe.
- October 7, 2024: Cathedral of St. John the Baptist transferred to Holy Spirit site
- Eparchial offices moved to 5500 W. 54th St., Parma
- Former St. John the Baptist on Snow Road deconsecrated
- Proposed exterior renovation with Hutzul-style domes
Parish Organizations and Community Life
Parish societies have been the backbone of community life for generations. The church choir dates back to the early 1920s, the Ladies' Altar Guild was founded March 2, 1951, the Holy Name Society was established May 8, 1960, and the Rosary Society was organized May 27, 1962. The parish complex's Social Hall and Catechetical Center continue to host gatherings, classes, and events.
- Church Choir — organized early 1920s
- Ladies' Altar Guild — founded March 2, 1951
- Holy Name Society — established May 8, 1960
- Rosary Society — organized May 27, 1962
Liturgical Schedule and Worship
Worship at the Holy Spirit site follows the Byzantine liturgical calendar. The Saturday Vigil Divine Liturgy is celebrated at the Cathedral (5500 W 54th St) preceded by Great Vespers; the principal Sunday Divine Liturgy is celebrated at Dormition Parish (4600 State Road, Cleveland) with Matins and Rosary beforehand. Holy Days follow a similar pattern, with vigil services the evening before at Holy Spirit and Festal Matins the morning of at Dormition. Confessions are heard Saturday afternoon before the Vigil Liturgy.
- Saturday: 4 pm Great Vespers / Divine Liturgy at Cathedral (HS)
- Sunday: 8:30 am Matins, 9:30 am Rosary, 10 am Divine Liturgy at Dormition (D)
- Holy Day Vigil: 6 pm Great Vespers, 7 pm Divine Liturgy at HS
- Weekday: 8 am Matins, 8:30 am Divine Liturgy at Dormition
- Confessions: Saturday 2:30–3:30 pm
Visiting, Giving, and Contact
Parishioners of all three merged parishes (Cathedral, Holy Spirit, St. Mary's) may continue to mail donation envelopes to the Parish Office at 5500 West 54th Street, Parma, OH 44129, or drop them in the mailbox by the office door — they will be deposited to the proper parish. Online Giving is also available through the parish website. Live streaming of liturgical services is offered through http://parma.org/live and http://logos.tv.
- Mailing address for donations: 5500 West 54th Street, Parma, OH 44129
- Drop-off mailbox by office door
- Online Giving link via stmarybyz.com
- Live stream at parma.org/live or logos.tv
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Very Rev. Joseph Hanulya1909–early 1910s
First pastor of Holy Ghost Greek Catholic Church on West 14th Street, Cleveland
- Rev. Lawrence J. Slavik1964–1969
Led Holy Ghost Parish through the transition; first pastor of Holy Spirit in Parma when the new church was dedicated June 15, 1969
- Rev. Donald Petyo1984–
Led the 1984 interior renovation: iconostasis installed, new chandelier, remodeled sanctuary
- Rt. Rev. Msgr. John M. Macko1970–1992
Appointed pastor March 1, 1970; oversaw construction and 1977 dedication of the rectory; retired August 1992
- Rev. John Kasarda1992–1995
Assigned by Archbishop Thomas V. Dolinay to shepherd the parish for three years
- Rt. Rev. Msgr. Russell A. Duker1995–2021
Eleventh pastor; held doctorate in Historical Theology from the Gregorian University; concurrently Chancellor/Protosyncellus of the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh; retired August 2021 after 50 years of ministry
- Rev. Fr. James Batcha
Native Clevelander who served as pastor (listed on the Cuyahoga County research site)
- Rev. Fr. Michael Kunitz2021–
Appointed Administrator beginning December 22, 2021 following Msgr. Duker's retirement