About Mary Undoer of Knots [Ruthenian] · Tucson, Arizona
Mary Undoer of Knots Byzantine Catholic Shrine is a Ruthenian (Byzantine) Catholic shrine perched at roughly 8,100 feet atop Mount Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains about 50 miles northeast of Tucson, Arizona. Built in the Boyko style of traditional 16th-century Carpathian wooden churches, the Shrine is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title 'Undoer of Knots' and welcomes day-visitors, overnight retreatants in its Poustinia cabin, and faithful of the Eastern Catholic tradition for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. It is a mission of the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix and falls under the pastoral care of Rev. Robert 'Bob' Rankin, pastor of St. Melany Byzantine Catholic Church in Tucson.
- Established
- 2015
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, Undoer of Knots (Theotokos)
- Rector
- Rev. Robert (Bob) Rankin (Syncellus for Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado; pastor of St. Melany Byzantine Catholic Church, Tucson; Shrine Rector)
- Diocese
- Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix (Ruthenian Greek Catholic)
Why belong here
The Shrine offers a distinctive pilgrimage experience that marries ancient Ruthenian Byzantine spirituality with a setting almost no other Catholic shrine shares — a mountaintop retreat at 8,100 feet in the cool pines of Mount Lemmon, ringed by an authentic 1826 Paul Revere bell. Visitors encounter Byzantine iconography (including a hand-written Patron Icon of Mary Undoer of Knots by master iconographer Fr. Peter Pearson and a dome Christ Pantocrator), weekend and Tuesday/Saturday Divine Liturgies that fulfill the Sunday obligation for Latin and Eastern Catholics alike, self-guided overnight retreats in a dedicated Poustinia cabin, opportunities for baptisms, engagements, and house blessings, and a Veterans Memorial Ramada offering commemorative bricks and a prayer labyrinth. Ideal for anyone drawn to Eastern Catholic devotion, Marian intercession, quiet retreats, or simply an unforgettable place to pray.
Mass times at Mary Undoer of Knots [Ruthenian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Prior to every Divine Liturgy (call 520-576-9653 to confirm)
Adoration times
- By appointment; self-guided retreatants at the Poustinia receive a key to the chapel
About the Shrine
Mary Undoer of Knots Byzantine Catholic Shrine is a Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic mission perched on the summit of Mount Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains of southern Arizona, at roughly 8,100 feet. Founded on the prompting of Fr. Robert (Bob) Rankin, pastor of Saint Melany Byzantine Catholic Church in Tucson, and the generosity of the Kinghorn family and other benefactors, it was built between 2015 and 2019, and consecrated by the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix on September 24, 2021. Its mission is to provide pilgrims a destination to encounter Jesus, to strengthen all who come to the Shrine, and to share the beauty of the Eastern Catholic faith; its vision is to facilitate and encourage Mary's intercession through compassionate sharing in the life of Christ. The Shrine invites three kinds of visitors: day pilgrims drawn by Byzantine architecture, iconography, and Mary's intercession; retreatants who stay in the Poustinia cabin for self-guided silent retreats; and the Summerhaven mountain community, for whom the Shrine offers blessings, liturgies, and an annual July 4 celebration of American freedom rung in by the Shrine's 1826 Revere bell.
- Mission: provide pilgrims a destination to encounter Jesus; strengthen all who come; share the beauty of the Eastern faith
- Vision: through compassionate sharing in the life of Christ, encourage Mary's intercession
- Built 2015–2019; consecrated September 24, 2021
- Governed by the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix
History & Construction
The Shrine's story began in 2015, when Fr. Robert Rankin said during a house blessing at the Kinghorns' Mount Lemmon cabin, 'it would be ideal to have a church on Mount Lemmon.' Land was purchased at the end of 2015 and permits were secured in fall 2016. Site preparation in 2017 — including an 11-foot elevation of the chapel lot — was led by Gary Griffith; a master mason, master framer, and other craftsmen then built the chapel, the bell tower, and the Ramada through 2018, with site work continuing into 2019. The Shrine was solemnly consecrated in 2021. Among the most striking construction details are the iconographic program — a dome Pantocrator by Chuck Albanese and the Patron Icon of Mary Undoer of Knots by Fr. Peter Pearson — and the ambitious site work at 8,100 feet that paused during a 2017 wildfire. The Revere Bell, acquired by the Foundation in April 2016, was lifted into the tower and now chimes for events including the annual July 4 parade.
- 2015 — Fr. Bob Rankin suggests a chapel on Mount Lemmon; land purchased
- 2016 — permits awarded; third lot acquired
- 2017 — site prep raises chapel lot 11 ft; framing, masonry, and interior begin; wildfire halts work ~3 weeks
- 2017 — Bell tower foundation laid; interior work over winter
- 2018 — interior finishes; bell tower built; Veterans Memorial & Ramada built
- 2019 — construction substantially complete
- 2017 — Foundation acquires 1826 Revere bell from Ludlow Methodist, MA
- 2021-09-24 — Shrine consecrated by the Eparchy of Phoenix
The Founders
The Shrine was made possible by a small group of dedicated benefactors and clergy:
- Very Rev. Father Robert (Bob) Rankin — Eparchial Advisor and Founder; pastor of St. Melany Byzantine Catholic Church, Tucson
- Eugene (Gene) and Catherine Kinghorn — Co-Founders; Mount Lemmon residents who purchased the lots
- Robert and Toni Way — Co-Founders
- Kelly and Phil Hurtado — Co-Founders
- Chauncey Meyer — Architect and Co-Founder; designer of the Boyko-style Shrine
Architecture & Carpathian Design
The Shrine was designed by Tucson architect Chauncey Meyer in the Boyko style of traditional 16th-century wooden Carpathian churches, with an intentional 'fusion of Eastern European and American frontier' sensibilities. The 853-square-foot chapel is connected to a bell tower and a roughly 550-square-foot livable rectory. Throughout the campus visitors see hand-hewn timbers, forged metalwork, natural stonework, an 8-foot dome bearing a Pantocrator icon of Christ by Chuck Albanese, and the Patron Icon of Mary Undoer of Knots by Father Peter Pearson.
- Architect: Chauncey Meyer (University of Arizona-trained; Tucson practice since 1984)
- Style: Boyko 16th-century wooden Carpathian churches (Ukrainian)
- Chapel: 853 sq ft; rectory: ~550 sq ft livable
- Dome: 8-foot diameter with Christ Pantocrator icon by Chuck Albanese
- Patron Icon: Mary Undoer of Knots by Fr. Peter Pearson, written over months
Paul Revere Veterans Memorial Bell Tower
The Shrine's free-standing Bell Tower houses an original, authentic Paul Revere bell — an 831-pound bronze cast in 1826 by Paul Revere's son and partner Joseph Warren Revere. According to Massachusetts Historical Society research, it was purchased in 1833 by the First Congregational Church of Chicopee, Massachusetts, passed to the Methodist Church of Chicopee Falls in 1971, and was removed and donated to the Methodist Church of Ludlow, Massachusetts in 2013. After two years in a parishioner's garage, the bell was sold to a Michigan bell buyer and acquired by the Mary Undoer of Knots Shrine Foundation in April 2016. The Shrinerector describes the bell as having 'tolled at the passing of many of our great American presidents like Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR and even JFK' and having rung for the close of the Civil War, WWI, and WWII. It is one of only two Revere bells west of the Mississippi River and serves as the centerpiece of the annual July 4 Divine Liturgy and Parade.
- Weight: 831 lb (one source cites ~812 lb)
- Cast: 1826 by Joseph Warren Revere of the Paul Revere & Sons foundry (Boston)
- Owned successively by First Congregational Church of Chicopee (1833), Methodist Church of Chicopee Falls, Methodist Church of Ludlow MA
- Acquired by the Shrine Foundation in April 2016
- One of two Revere bells west of the Mississippi River
Byzantine Catholic Tradition & Liturgy
The Shrine celebrates the Divine Liturgy (the Byzantine-rite Mass) in full communion with the Pope, and its liturgical calendar fulfills the Catholic Sunday obligation for both Eastern and Latin-rite faithful. The liturgy is the unchanged form of worship of the Christian East — featuring icons, incense, chant, and standing — and was highlighted in Pope Leo XIV's Jubilee of the Eastern Churches (May 2025). According to the most recent published schedule (via Saint Melany's parish site), Divine Liturgy at the Mount Lemmon Shrine is offered on Tuesdays and Saturdays at 4:00 PM; on the last Saturday of the month, the Vigil Liturgy moves up the mountain from Saint Melany to the Shrine.
- Tuesdays 4:00 PM — Divine Liturgy (Byzantine rite)
- Saturdays 4:00 PM — Divine Liturgy
- Last Saturday of month: Vigil at the Shrine in lieu of St. Melany
- Confessions (Mystery of Reconciliation) prior to every Divine Liturgy
- Liturgical language: English with Church Slavonic elements; veneration of icons; incense; chant
Poustinia — Self-Guided Retreats
The Poustinia (a Slavic term meaning 'desert,' made popular by Catherine Doherty's book of the same name) is the Shrine's on-site retreat cabin, available April through October for single guests or married couples at $95/night with a 2-night minimum. Retreats are self-guided; guests receive a key to the chapel for prayer. The cabin includes a kitchen, living room, restroom, shower, and suite washer and dryer, and is recommended for discernment, anniversaries, sabbaticals, and quiet days of prayer. Winter: closed.
- Open: April through October
- $95/night, 2-night minimum
- Available for 1 person (single) or married couples
- Includes key to chapel for private prayer
- Not for groups; no pets
- Cabin amenities: kitchen, living room, restroom, shower, washer/dryer
Veterans Memorial Ramada & Prayer Labyrinth
The open-air Veterans Memorial Ramada seats over 100 people (with stadium seating on the west side) and serves as both a community gathering space and a memorial. Its floor is paved with commemorative bricks available for purchase in honor of veterans, first responders, and loved ones. A prayer labyrinth is laid into the Ramada for use in meditation and prayer for the departed. A future Columbarium — also being designed by regional artists — is planned for the Ramada campus.
- Seats 100+ with stadium seating
- Commemorative brick program ($10/$25 donations; Veteran and First Responder bricks qualify for special locations)
- Prayer labyrinth installed within the Ramada
- Future Columbarium planned for cremated remains
Sacraments, Blessings & Prayer Requests
Because it is a Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Shrine in full communion with Rome, the Shrine celebrates the full sacramental life of the Eastern Catholic Church and offers Sacramentals such as house, cabin, and business blessings throughout the Summerhaven community. Online prayer-request submission is available for those unable to visit in person; submitted intentions are remembered during the Divine Liturgy and at devotional gatherings at the Shrine.
- Divine Liturgy fulfilling Sunday obligation
- Baptism (arranged by appointment)
- Engagement and marriage preparation (and milestone celebrations on site)
- House, cabin, and business blessings on Mount Lemmon
- Confession prior to every Divine Liturgy
- Online prayer-request ministry to the intercession of Mary Undoer of Knots
Tours & Visiting
Self-guided tours allow pilgrims and curious visitors to explore the Shrine's exterior and interior at their own pace, focusing on Byzantine iconography (hand-written icons serve as 'windows into a divine realm'), the dome Pantocrator, the Patron Icon of Mary Undoer of Knots, the Carpathian Boyko architecture, the Revere Bell Tower, the Veterans Memorial Ramada and Prayer Labyrinth, the Grotto with baptismal font, and the museum of historical artifacts including revolutionary-era and historic American flags. Docent or priest-led tours can be arranged by appointment.
- Self-guided tours of architecture, iconography, and monuments
- American historical artifacts and flags on view
- For Appoinments or tours call 520-576-9653
Support the Shrine
The Mary Undoer of Knots Shrine receives no federal, state, or institutional church funding, relying entirely on private contributions and the generosity of individual donors. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization (EIN 82-1955825) and donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Gifts can be made online via the Shrine website or by mail to the P.O. Box; commemorative bricks for the Veterans Memorial Ramada are an additional way to support and remember loved ones.
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit — EIN 82-1955825
- Donate online at maryundoerofknotsshrine.org/donate
- Mail checks to: Mary Undoer of Knots, P.O. Box 789, Mount Lemmon, AZ 85619
- Buy a commemorative brick (Veteran, First Responder, or loved one)
- Benefactor program available
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Very Rev. Robert (Bob) Rankin2021–present
Eparchial Advisor/Founder; pastor of St. Melany Byzantine Catholic Church in Tucson since 2002; Syncellus for AZ/NM/CO; founding priest of the Shrine.