About Saint John the Baptist · Hazleton, Pennsylvania
St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church is a Ruthenian (Byzantine) Catholic parish in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, serving the Eastern Catholic community of the greater Hazleton area. It belongs to the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic and celebrates the Divine Liturgy in the Byzantine rite. Founded in 1893 by Carpatho-Rusyn immigrants from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the parish moved to its present home at 5 East 20th Street in 1974. It is administered by Rev. Fr. Yevhenii (Eugene) Hradil and is known for its wooden Carpathian-style interior and 42-icon iconostasis, dedicated in 2005.
- Established
- 1893
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist (the Forerunner)
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Yevhenii (Eugene) Hradil, Administrator
- Diocese
- Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic (Ruthenian / Byzantine Catholic, in communion with Rome)
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist offers a distinctive Eastern Catholic home in the Hazleton area, celebrating the Byzantine-Ruthenian Divine Liturgy in full continuity with Rome while preserving the Carpathian-Rusyn spiritual heritage brought by the founding immigrants. The parish sustains a weekly cycle of Divine Liturgy, the Mystery of Reconciliation on Saturday afternoons, and Byzantine Morning and Evening Prayer, all supported by an active cantor program. Beyond the liturgy, parishioners keep community traditions alive through homemade paska and pirohi sales, weekly bingo, fundraising for families in need in Ukraine, and the parish's own cemetery, making it a true family of faith for Rusyn-American Catholics and anyone drawn to the Byzantine tradition.
Mass times at Saint John the Baptist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM (Mystery of Penance and Reconciliation)
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:40 PM (as listed on some directories)
Parish History
St. John the Baptist was founded in 1893 as the second Byzantine Catholic parish in Hazleton, growing out of the 1889 mother parish of St. Mary's (Assumption) at Beech and Cedar streets. The community was formed by Greek Catholic immigrants from the Carpathian Mountains of the Austro-Hungarian Empire who began arriving in the 1880s to work in the region's coal mines. The first church was built that same year at 553 Arthur Street; it burned in 1897 and was rebuilt in 1898. The parish built a school staffed by the Sisters of St. Basil the Great in 1932, and a convent the following year. The present church at 5 East 20th Street was dedicated in July 1974 after a groundbreaking in September 1972. In 2005 the parish dedicated a new 42-icon iconostasis, and the parish celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2018.
- 1893 — Parish founded under patronage of St. John the Baptist; first church built at 553 Arthur Street
- 1894 — First baptism (January) and first marriage (February); three bells and cemetery lots acquired
- 1897 — Original church destroyed by fire, including its Russian icon screen
- 1898 — Rebuilt church blessed (cost $4,500)
- 1932 — School and auditorium built on North Wyoming Street ($120,000); Sisters of St. Basil the Great assigned to teach
- 1933 — Convent constructed on adjoining Wyoming Street land
- 1954 — Rev. Nicholas Martyak dies after 47 years of service; Rev. Joseph Jackanich installed
- 1971 — Msgr. Jackanich elevated by Pope Paul VI
- September 1972 — Groundbreaking for new church at 5 East 20th Street (300+ parishioners present)
- July 1974 — Present church dedicated
- 1981 — Msgr. Jackanich retires as pastor emeritus
- 2001 — Parish school closes
- 2005 — School building sold; new 42-icon iconostasis dedicated (icons by Peter Pearson of Pittsburgh, woodwork by Frank Cunius of Swoyersville)
- 2018 — 125th anniversary celebrated under Rev. Jerome Wolbert, OFM
Clergy & Staff
The parish is administered by Rev. Fr. Yevhenii (Eugene) Hradil, who is supported by the diaconal ministry of Deacon Lawrence Foran (ordained 2003) and the cantors Monica Washko and Paul Komishock. Deacons in the Byzantine tradition lead the liturgical petitions, help direct traffic at services, and assist the pastor; Pastor Fr. Jerome Wolbert has said 'the role of the deacon in the Byzantine tradition is pretty integral to the smooth celebration of the Divine Liturgy. You can get by without one but it's nicer to have one.'
- Rev. Fr. Yevhenii (Eugene) Hradil — Administrator (current)
- Deacon Lawrence Foran — ordained 2003
- Monica Washko — Cantor
- Paul Komishock — Cantor
Worship & Schedule
The parish celebrates the Byzantine Divine Liturgy in the Ruthenian tradition. The current published schedule shows the Sunday Divine Liturgy at 11:00 AM, with a Saturday vigil Divine Liturgy at 5:00 PM, and the Mystery of Penance and Reconciliation (Confession) on Saturday afternoons before the vigil Mass. The parish also offers Byzantine Morning Prayer and Byzantine Evening Prayer.
- Sunday — Divine Liturgy, 11:00 AM
- Saturday vigil — Divine Liturgy, 5:00 PM
- Saturday — Mystery of Penance and Reconciliation (Confession), 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
- Byzantine Morning Prayer
- Byzantine Evening Prayer
Music, Iconography & Liturgical Art
Byzantine liturgical music is led by cantors Monica Washko and Paul Komishock. The centerpiece of the church's interior is its 42-icon iconostasis dedicated in 2005, designed and written by Pittsburgh iconographer Peter Pearson with woodwork by Frank Cunius of Swoyersville. The icons depict the saints, angels, feasts and apostolates of the Byzantine Catholic Church and are understood as symbols rather than decoration. The present church, built in the 1970s, also features memorial stained glass windows and mosaics donated during construction.
- 42-icon iconostasis dedicated 2005 (Peter Pearson, iconographer; Frank Cunius, woodworker)
- Cantors: Monica Washko, Paul Komishock
- Stained glass windows and mosaics (memorial donations, 1970s)
- Carpathian-styled wooden church interior
Parish Ministries & Societies
The parish sustains a wide range of lay organizations, many of them dating back generations. As early as the mid-20th century, the community had organized a Rosary Society, Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Holy Name Society, League of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Altar Society. Today these are complemented by an active diaconal program, a cantor program, an iconography study group, faith-formation sessions and an immigration-reflection program led by visiting teachers.
- Rosary Society
- Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Holy Name Society
- League of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Altar Society
- Iconography study group
- Faith formation / immigration reflection sessions
- Diaconal ministry
Community Life & Fundraisers
Beyond the Divine Liturgy, the parish keeps Carpatho-Rusyn traditions alive through weekly Tuesday-night bingo at 6:00 PM, annual homemade paska (Easter bread) sales, and periodic homemade pirohi (pierogi) sales. The parish also runs charitable initiatives for families in need in Ukraine, including a paska-bread fundraiser whose proceeds support Ukrainian relief.
- Bingo — Tuesdays, 6:00 PM
- Annual paska (Easter bread) sale
- Periodic homemade pirohi (pierogi) sales
- Charitable initiative supporting families in need in Ukraine
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the regular Byzantine Catholic sacraments (Mysteries). The Divine Liturgy is offered each weekend, the Mystery of Penance and Reconciliation is heard on Saturday afternoons, and baptisms, marriages and Christian burial (including the Office of Christian Burial for a Priest) are offered in accordance with Byzantine Catholic practice. Parish records go back to the very first weeks of the parish's existence: the first baptism was recorded in January 1894 and the first marriage a month later in February 1894.
- Divine Liturgy — Saturday vigil and Sunday
- Mystery of Penance and Reconciliation (Confession) — Saturday afternoon
- Baptism
- Marriage
- Christian Burial (Office of Christian Burial for a Priest celebrated at the parish, e.g. February 2025 for Father Eugene J. Fulton)
Visit & Contact
St. John the Baptist is located at 5 East 20th Street in Hazleton, Pennsylvania (ZIP 18201), on the eastern side of the city. The parish can be reached by phone at (570) 454-1142 (fax 570-454-6120) or by email at [email protected]. The official website is stjohnbyz-hazleton.org, and the parish maintains a Facebook presence at facebook.com/stjohnbyz.hazleton. Deacons help direct traffic at liturgies, and visitors are encouraged to call ahead for current Mass times and any accessibility needs.
- Address: 5 East 20th Street, Hazleton, PA 18201-1916
- Phone: (570) 454-1142
- Fax: (570) 454-6120
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://stjohnbyz-hazleton.org/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stjohnbyz.hazleton
Byzantine Catholic Tradition
The Byzantine Catholic Church is a self-governing Church sui iuris in full communion with Rome, and the Ruthenian (Carpatho-Rusyn) tradition is one of its largest communities in the United States. St. John the Baptist belongs to the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic, which ministers to Ruthenian Catholics across the eastern United States. Parishioners at St. John's celebrate the liturgical cycle in the Byzantine manner, with feasts such as the Nativity of St. John the Baptist on June 24, the Beheading on August 29, and the Synaxis with the Theophany on January 7, and they maintain many of the devotional customs brought from the Carpathian Mountains by the founding immigrants.
- Byzantine Catholic (Ruthenian) rite, in communion with Rome
- Member parish of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic
- Feast of St. John the Baptist: June 24 (Nativity) and August 29 (Beheading)
- Carpatho-Rusyn heritage from the Austro-Hungarian Empire (today's Zakarpattia Oblast, Ukraine)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Cyril Gulovich1893
First administrator of the parish
- Rev. Victor Martyak1894–1900
First resident pastor; arrived 1894; returned to Hungary August 1900
- Rev. John Halyko1900–
Built the rectory at the original Arthur Street location
- Rev. Nicholas Martyakearly 1900s–1954
Lengthened church by 25 feet; installed stained glass windows; built school and convent; died in 1954 after 47 years of service
- Rev. Joseph JackanichMarch 1954 – June 1981
27 years of service; elevated to monsignor by Pope Paul VI in 1971; oversaw construction of the present church at 5 E. 20th St. (dedicated July 1974); retired as pastor emeritus June 1981
- Rev. Jerome Wolbert, OFMcirca 2018
Pastored during 125th anniversary celebration in 2018
- Rev. Fr. Yevhenii (Eugene) Hradilpresent
Current Administrator