About Resurrection [Ruthenian] · Monroeville, Pennsylvania
The Byzantine Catholic Church of the Resurrection is a Ruthenian (Byzantine) Catholic parish in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, a suburb east of Pittsburgh. Founded in 1969 to serve Byzantine Catholics in the growing eastern suburbs, it belongs to the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh and gathers each Sunday for the Divine Liturgy in the Eastern tradition — with icons, bells, incense, chant, and communion received on a golden spoon. The parish is lovingly known in the wider community as the 'Fish Fry Church' for its wildly popular Lenten fish fries and as the 'Pirohy Church' for its monthly homemade pirohy sales, but its people are most proud to be 'Jesus' Church,' dedicated to the Lord's Resurrection. Current pastor is the Reverend Donald M. Bolls, DMin.
- Established
- 1969
- Patron
- The Resurrection of the Lord (Jesus Christ)
- Rector
- Reverend Donald M. Bolls, DMin
- Diocese
- Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh (Ruthenian Metropolitanate sui juris of Pittsburgh)
Why belong here
Resurrection is a warm Byzantine Catholic home in the Monroeville area where worship is full and beautiful — icons, bells, incense, chant, and communion received on a golden spoon — and where visitors are welcomed with coffee and donuts after the liturgy. It is a close-knit ethnic parish that honors the faith of its Central European forebears and gathers around two beloved traditions: the Lenten Fish Fry (Fridays in the Great Fast, 4:00–7:00 PM) and the monthly homemade Pirohy sales (third Wednesday, September through May). Faith formation (Eastern Christian Formation) follows the Sunday Divine Liturgy, so children learn their faith rooted in the very worship they share with their families.
Mass times at Resurrection [Ruthenian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Before and after Sunday Divine Liturgy
About the Parish — Eastern Catholic Worship in Monroeville
Resurrection is an Eastern (Byzantine) Catholic parish in full communion with Rome and the Holy Father. The parish celebrates the Eastern Christian tradition with holy icons of Jesus, Mary, the saints, and the events of Scripture, and uses bells, incense, chant, and the constant physical movement of the liturgy to engage all five senses in worship. Holy Communion is given on a golden spoon, with the bread and wine united in a common cup, so that each Sunday the faithful receive the Mystical Body and Blood of Christ. The parish honors the faith of its Central European forebears — Slavic Christians who survived Nazi persecution and Soviet communism to worship in freedom — and many of its members descend from families who came to work in the mines and mills of western Pennsylvania.
- In communion with Rome and the Holy Father, Pope Francis
- Uses icons, bells, incense, and chant
- Communion on a golden spoon (bread and wine united)
- Honors Central European / Slavic heritage
Parish History
Founded in 1969 to serve Byzantine Catholics in the booming eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh, Resurrection grew from 120 people in a fire hall to a thriving parish on seven acres of Center Road. From the first Divine Liturgy at the Number 4 Fire Hall to the burning of the mortgage in 1987, and from the 25th Anniversary icon screen in 1997 to the bells and chandeliers of the 21st century, the parish has built both its buildings and its community life in stages — always with debt-reduction, fundraising, and Slavic hospitality at the heart of the work.
- September 7, 1969: First Divine Liturgy at Number 4 Fire Hall — 120 people
- February 1970: 4.66 acres purchased on Center Road
- March 7, 1970: Groundbreaking
- December 1971: Church, social hall, and pastor's apartment completed
- Christmas Eve 1971: First Divine Liturgy in the new church
- September 9, 1979: 10th Anniversary, dedication and laying of cornerstone
- September 13, 1987: Mortgage burned
- September 13, 1994: 25th Anniversary celebrated
- Summer 1997: Permanent icon screen and Christ Pantocrator ceiling icon completed
- Early 21st century: New roof, HVAC, repaved parking, landscaping, new icons
- Two large Byzantine-style chandeliers and six cast-iron Russian bells added
- September 29, 2019: 50th Anniversary Hierarchical Divine Liturgy with Metropolitan William Skurla
Clergy
The parish is currently served by the Reverend Donald M. Bolls, DMin, who is also pastor of Holy Trinity Byzantine Catholic Church in Wall, PA and a Professor of Homiletics at the Byzantine Catholic Seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius.
- Reverend Donald M. Bolls, DMin — current pastor (since 2016)
- Very Rev. Archpriest Dennis M. Bogda — founding pastor; fell asleep in the Lord September 21, 2019
Worship & Schedule
The parish gathers for the Byzantine Catholic Divine Liturgy each Sunday, preceded by Matins. Visitors are welcomed and invited to stay for fellowship, coffee, and donuts after the liturgy.
- Sunday 8:30 AM — Matins
- Sunday 9:30 AM — Divine Liturgy
- Confessions: before and after the Divine Liturgy
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Eastern Christian Formation (ECF), the Byzantine equivalent of CCD, is offered Sundays after the Divine Liturgy at the parish. The parish was instrumental in piloting the 'God With Us' catechetical series used across the Archeparchy.
- Eastern Christian Formation (ECF) — Sundays after Divine Liturgy
- ECF Coordinator: Mike Bobella
Parish Life & Signature Traditions
Resurrection is famous in the Monroeville area for two beloved traditions — the Lenten Fish Fry and the year-round homemade Pirohy — that bring the parish into the wider community and fund its ongoing mission.
- Lenten Fish Fry — Fridays 4:00–7:00 PM during the Great Fast (Lent)
- Pirohy sales — 3rd Wednesday of the month, September through May
- Parish Festival — 3rd Friday & Saturday in June (Ethnic Food Festival)
- Parish Dinner — Sunday after the Exaltation of the Precious Cross (Sept. 14)
- Parish Holy Supper (Sviachena Vechera) — Sunday before Christmas
- Holiday Bake Sales — Christmas and Easter
- Advent Bake Sale and Flea Market — first Saturday in December
Parish Organizations & Ministries
Parish life at Resurrection is supported by a parish council, the Ladies Guild of the Theotokos, a youth organization, trained altar servers, and the parish's many fundraising and fellowship groups.
- Parish Council
- Ladies Guild of the Theotokos
- Youth organization
- Altar servers
Buildings, Grounds & Future Plans
The parish complex on Center Road includes the Byzantine-style church, a social hall, and (since the 1980s) a separate rectory on the additional land. Recent improvements include a new roof, updated HVAC, repaved parking on both levels, and major landscaping. Future plans under consideration include the addition of a bell tower and renovations to the rectory.
- Church, social hall, and (initially) pastor's apartment on Center Road
- Rectory acquired in the 1980s; total property ~7 acres
- Permanent icon screen and Christ Pantocrator ceiling icon
- Two Byzantine-style chandeliers and six cast iron Russian bells
- Future: bell tower and rectory renovations
Contact & Visit
Visitors are warmly welcomed at Resurrection. The parish office can be reached by phone, and Father Don Bolls can be reached by email. The church is located on Center Road in Monroeville, with a large two-level parking lot.
- Address: 455 Center Road, Monroeville, PA 15146
- Phone: (412) 372-8650
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://resurrectionmonroeville.wordpress.com/
- Fellowship, coffee, and donuts after the Sunday liturgy
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Very Rev. Archpriest Dennis M. Bogda1969–
Founding pastor. Born June 7, 1941 in Homestead, PA. Ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Stephen J. Kocisko on April 3, 1967. Elevated to Archpriest by Archbishop Basil M. Schott on September 9, 2007. Fell asleep in the Lord on September 21, 2019, just days before the parish's 50th anniversary celebration. Also served parishes in Ohio and other PA parishes including St. John Cathedral, Munhall.
- Reverend Donald M. Bolls2016–present
Current pastor; also pastor of Holy Trinity Byzantine Catholic Church in Wall, PA since 2016. Professor of Homiletics at the Byzantine Catholic Seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius.