About Saint Joseph [Ruthenian] · Brecksville, Ohio
St. Joseph Byzantine Catholic Church is a Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic parish located at 8111 Brecksville Road in Brecksville, Ohio, in the southern suburbs of Cleveland. It belongs to the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma and serves faithful of the Byzantine (Ruthenian) liturgical tradition. The parish's story begins with Rusyn (Carpatho-Rusyn) immigrants who organized a parish in Cleveland's Union-Miles Park neighborhood in 1912; after decades there, the community relocated to its present 35-acre Brecksville campus in the 1980s, where it has been recognized as one of the most vibrant Byzantine Catholic parishes in the country.
- Established
- 1912
- Patron
- Saint Joseph
- Diocese
- Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma (Ruthenian)
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a small but close-knit Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic community of about 300 families that worships in the Eastern liturgical tradition — with the Divine Liturgy, the Julian calendar, Old Church Slavonic roots, and married clergy as part of its heritage. The parish offers daily and weekend Divine Liturgies, Byzantine devotional services such as Saturday Vespers and monthly Sunday Matins, faith formation, Bible study and youth groups, and an active social calendar, all on a spacious 35-acre campus in Brecksville with an Education Center and Activity Center built in 2001.
Mass times at Saint Joseph [Ruthenian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- See the latest bulletin on the parish website for the Holy Mystery of Reconciliation schedule (no fixed schedule published on the home page)
Parish Identity & Byzantine Catholic Tradition
St. Joseph Byzantine Catholic Church in Brecksville is a parish of the Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic tradition, sui iuris under the Pope, served by the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma. While physically located within the territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, the parish follows the Eastern liturgical, spiritual, and disciplinary tradition — including the Divine Liturgy (the Byzantine equivalent of the Mass), use of the Julian calendar for fixed feasts, liturgical Slavonic roots, iconography, and the traditional Byzantine understanding of the sacraments (called 'Holy Mysteries').
- Byzantine (Ruthenian) rite Catholic
- Eparchy of Parma
- Use of Julian calendar for fixed feasts
- Divine Liturgy rather than Latin Mass
History
Parishioners trace their roots to Rusyn immigrants from the eastern provinces of Slovakia, near the Carpathian Mountains, who began arriving in Cleveland around 1898. On June 9, 1912, they gathered in Jelinka Hall on Aetna Road and decided to organize a parish. The first wooden church on Orleans Avenue was built in two months at a cost of $3,000, and the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated on January 7, 1913 — Christmas Day on the Julian Calendar. Dues were set at $1.00 per family and $0.50 per single person.
Cleveland Years (1913–1980)
Growth prompted plans for a new church as early as 1916; a motion to build was finally passed September 17, 1928. Construction was delayed by the Great Depression and internal disagreements until Father John Krusko became pastor in 1931 and drove the project to completion. The new Byzantine Revival church (designed by Joseph E. Fronczak) with Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial touches, semi-circular windows, a low-pitched clay-tile roof, and two copper-domed towers was finished under a $60,000 contract in 1933. The old church was converted to a recreation hall.
- Father John Krusko, pastor 1931–1950
- New church built for $60,000 under a 1933 contract
- Italian altar installed
- Convent land purchased
Parochial School (1955–1971)
Ground was broken October 23, 1955, by Reverend Vladimir Firzcak for a $400,000 eight-room parochial school and rectory; the cornerstone was laid June 10, 1956, and the school opened that fall, originally as a high school. The first class graduated in 1960 (24 students), followed by 30 the next year. When the regional St. John Byzantine Central Catholic High School opened in suburban Parma in fall 1961, the high school wing closed and the building became an elementary school. The school closed in 1971 as the surrounding neighborhood declined.
- Groundbreaking October 23, 1955 by Fr. Vladimir Firzcak
- Cornerstone June 10, 1956
- First graduating class 1960 (24 students)
- Converted to elementary school in 1961
- Closed 1971
Relocation to Brecksville (1977–1985)
With the Union–Miles Park neighborhood changing and active membership falling to about 100 families by Easter 1980, the parish in 1977 purchased 35 acres in Brecksville from the Diocese of Cleveland and sold the Orleans Avenue complex. The congregation worshipped at Brecksville Junior High School while the new campus was built. In late autumn of 1984 the parish received a one-day occupancy permit from the City of Brecksville and celebrated its first Divine Liturgy on the new site, with the formal opening on June 30, 1985. The original Cleveland church changed hands several times and was finally demolished in February 2016.
- 35 acres purchased from Diocese of Cleveland in 1977
- Worshipped at Brecksville Junior High School during construction
- First Divine Liturgy at Brecksville site celebrated autumn 1984
- Formal opening June 30, 1985
- Cleveland church demolished February 2016
Brecksville Campus & Education Center (2001–present)
The parish has been recognized as one of the most vibrant Byzantine parishes in the country, with about 300 families currently. In 2001 an Education Center and Activity Center were added, expanding facilities for faith formation, youth gatherings, Bible studies, and parish social life.
- Education Center added 2001
- Activity Center added 2001
- Approximately 300 active families
Clergy & Pastoral Staff
The parish is staffed by clergy of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma. Publicly available online directories currently name Father Bruce Riebe in connection with the parish, and the parish history credits Father John Krusko (1931–1950) as the pastor who shaped the parish through the Depression and into the mid-20th century, and Reverend Vladimir Firzcak, who broke ground for the school in 1955. A current staff list is not posted on the homepage; the parish encourages visitors to call (440) 526-1818 or consult the latest bulletin for current clergy assignments.
- Father John Krusko — pastor 1931–1950
- Reverend Vladimir Firzcak — broke ground for school, October 23, 1955
- Father Bruce Riebe — credited in parish history; documented presiding at Holy Saturday blessing of Easter baskets (2010) and blessing of pets (2011)
- Contact the parish office at (440) 526-1818 for current clergy
Other Services & Byzantine Devotions
Beyond the Divine Liturgy, the parish maintains a small cycle of regular Byzantine devotions: Saturday Vespers at 3:15 PM each Saturday, and Matins at 9:30 AM on the 4th Sunday of each month. The parish also celebrates traditional Byzantine blessings such as the blessing of Easter baskets on Holy Saturday and the blessing of pets. Schedules are confirmed in the latest bulletin.
- Vespers — Saturdays at 3:15 PM
- Matins — 9:30 AM on the 4th Sunday of the month
- Blessing of Easter baskets — Holy Saturday
- Blessing of pets
Parish Ministries & Community Life
Public descriptions of the parish emphasize a close-knit community that, despite its modest size, hosts social and service activities, traditional youth programming, and Bible study. The Education Center built in 2001 serves as the parish's hub for faith formation and group meetings. Visitors and newcomers are explicitly welcomed, with the bulletin page serving as the main source for current activities.
- Youth group
- Bible study
- Social activities
- Service activities
- Faith formation in the Education Center
Visitor Information & How to Get There
The parish welcomes visitors and is easy to reach from the Cleveland area. It sits on Brecksville Road (Route 21) just south of I-77. Travelers should take I-77 to the Wallings Road exit, head east to Brecksville Road (Route 21), turn right (south), and continue about 1,000 feet; the parish will be on the left. The mailing address, phone, and email are listed on every page.
- From I-77 take Exit at Wallings Road
- East to Brecksville Road (Route 21), turn right (south)
- Parish ~1,000 feet ahead on the left
- Address: 8111 Brecksville Road, Brecksville, OH 44141
- Phone: (440) 526-1818
- Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father John Krusko1931–1950
Led construction of the new church in Cleveland; oversaw conversion of the old church to a recreation hall, purchase of adjacent convent land, installation of an Italian altar, and start of the school fund.
- Father Bruce Riebe
Identified in parish history pages and credited with providing parish history and photos to The Carpathian Connection; documented presiding at Easter basket blessings (Holy Saturday 2010) and blessing of pets (2011).