About Saint Mary · Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Saint Mary of the Assumption Byzantine Catholic Church is a Byzantine (Eastern) Catholic parish at 695 North Main Street in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, serving faithful of the Rusyn/Slavic heritage in the Byzantine tradition. Tracing its roots to Carpatho-Rusyn immigrants of the late 19th century, the parish was formally established when its cornerstone was blessed on the Feast of the Assumption in 1888, making it one of the earliest Byzantine Catholic parishes in the United States. Today the parish operates under the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic and continues the Eastern Christian liturgical tradition in English, including the Divine Liturgy, Holy Confession, and traditional Byzantine services throughout Great Lent and Advent.
- Established
- 1888
- Patron
- Saint Mary of the Assumption
- Rector
- Very Rev. Michael Kerestes
- Diocese
- Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic
Why belong here
Saint Mary of the Assumption is more than a century-old Byzantine Catholic community rooted in Carpatho-Rusyn heritage, yet it remains a living parish where the Eastern Christian tradition is actively practiced. Daily Divine Liturgy, three weekend liturgies, Great Lent and Advent services, and a renewed emphasis on traditional Byzantine worship give parishioners a full liturgical life, while ministries such as the Saint Nicholas Apostolate reach out to the sick and homebound. A Byzantine Catholic Youth Group, an adult choir with a children's choir, and ongoing Sunday catechesis staffed by the Sisters of St. Basil the Great make the parish a welcoming home for families seeking formation in the Eastern Catholic faith.
Mass times at Saint Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment / in the presence of a priest facing an icon of Christ (Byzantine tradition)
Parish identity and Byzantine Catholic heritage
Saint Mary of the Assumption is a Byzantine (Eastern) Catholic parish in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, rooted in the Rusyn/Slavic heritage of Carpatho-Rusyn immigrants. The parish's stated mission is to save lives by the grace and truth of Jesus Christ and to help believers grow through faith, community formation, and social justice.
- Located at 695 N. Main Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18705
- Diocese: Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic
- Patron: Saint Mary of the Assumption; feast day August 15
History of Saint Mary's Church
The parish's founding fathers came from the Carpathian Mountains of Eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After worshipping in private homes, they built a church on North Main Street; the cornerstone was blessed on the Feast of the Assumption in 1888. Within a year, growth required a larger building almost directly across the street. Construction of the present church and parish house began in spring 1907; the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated there on Palm Sunday 1908, and within a decade it had been appointed with icons and a floor-to-ceiling iconostasis.
The Chopey era and growth of the parish
Under the extraordinarily long pastorate of Rev. Nicholas Chopey (54 years), the new church was adorned with icons and the famous iconostasis. The parish opened the first Byzantine Catholic parish school in the United States in September 1909, staffed at first by lay teachers including Prof. Theodore Ratzin. The Sisters of St. Basil the Great began their mission in September 1925 with 292 pupils, and a new school building was constructed in 1929, the year of the first graduating class.
Centennial and recent history
Rev. Msgr. John T. Sekellick became pastor in 1987 and led the parish's centennial in October 1988, when about 900 people attended the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy. He was followed by Fr. James Demko, remembered for his kind demeanor despite a brief stay. The Very Rev. James G. Hayer then refurbished the interior with new icons, restored the convent chapel for daily services, organized the Byzantine Catholic Youth Group, and revived traditional Byzantine services; regrettably, after more than three quarters of a century, St. Mary's School closed in 2003. The current pastor is the Very Rev. Michael Kerestes.
Liturgy and worship schedule
Following the Byzantine Catholic tradition, the parish celebrates the Divine Liturgy on Saturdays and Sundays, with additional daily services in the refurbished convent chapel. Great Lent and Advent services, along with other liturgical-year observances, round out the worship life of the parish.
- Saturday Vigil Divine Liturgy — 5:00 PM
- Sunday Divine Liturgy — 9:00 AM
- Daily Divine Liturgy — held in the convent chapel
Sacraments
The parish website teaches that the sacraments of the Byzantine Church are the gift that makes the New Life in Christ present to the faithful. Holy Confession is described as a Byzantine tradition of confessing sins in the presence of a priest while facing an icon of Christ; through Confession the faithful are reconciled to Christ and His Body, the Church, and receive grace to persevere.
- Baptism — for infants and little children
- Eucharist / Holy Communion — distributed at the Divine Liturgy
- Holy Confession (Penance)
- Catechumenate and Chrismation (Myron)
- Office of Christian Burial
Catechesis and education
After the 2003 closing of St. Mary's School, catechetical studies for students continue through Sunday classes staffed by two Sisters of St. Basil the Great and lay teachers, in keeping with the parish's more than a century of investment in religious formation dating to the first Byzantine Catholic parish school in the United States (1909).
- Sunday catechetical program (grades school-age)
- Taught by Sisters of St. Basil the Great and lay teachers
Music and choir
St. Mary's Choir was formed and gained notable recognition under Prof. Stephen J. Pauley, who also directed a Children's Choir. The parish continues this tradition of congregational and choral singing in the Byzantine liturgical style.
- St. Mary's Choir (founded under Prof. Stephen J. Pauley)
- Children's Choir (also under Prof. Pauley)
Outreach and parish organizations
The Saint Nicholas Apostolate, formed during the pastorate of Fr. John Fetsco, C.SS.R., is a ministry to the sick, shut-ins and senior members of the parish. The Byzantine Catholic Youth Group, organized by Fr. James Hayer, serves community outreach programs and provides spiritual and social activities for the youth. Fundraising and parish social activities round out parish life.
- Saint Nicholas Apostolate (sick and elderly ministry)
- Byzantine Catholic Youth Group (outreach, spiritual and social activities)
- Parish fundraising and social committees
Cemetery ministry
The parish operates a cemetery on Lake Street in Dallas, Pennsylvania, with its own chapel completed during the pastorate of Fr. John Fetsco, C.SS.R. and opened for committal services. Funerals are celebrated as the Byzantine Office of Christian Burial at the parish church, with interment in the family lot at the Dallas cemetery.
- Parish cemetery — Lake Street, Dallas, PA
- Cemetery chapel — used for committal services
Locations and contact
The parish office and worship site is located on North Main Street in Wilkes-Barre, in the same North End neighborhood where the original church was built in 1888 and the present church in 1908. Visitors and those wishing to join the parish are invited to contact the rectory.
- Church: 695 N. Main St., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18705
- Phone: (570) 822-6028
- Email: [email protected] (parish listing) / [email protected] (locations page)
- Website: http://www.stmarywb.com/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Nicholas Chopeyafter 1908 (served 54 years)
Built up the new church with icons and a floor-to-ceiling iconostasis; served 54 years.
- Rev. John D. Taptich1957 – c.1965
Succeeded Fr. Chopey as pastor in 1957.
- Rev. Msgr. Andrew Sokol1965 – c.1987
Led major interior renovations, driveway ramp and modernization; oversaw merger of parish schools into North End Elementary.
- Rev. John Fetsco, C.SS.R.
Founded the Saint Nicholas Apostolate (ministry to the sick, shut-ins and seniors); completed cemetery chapel in Dallas and added candle room and handicap-accessible ramp.
- Rev. Msgr. John T. Sekellick1987 – c.2001
Led the 1988 centennial celebration attended by ~900 people.
- Rev. Fr. James Demko
Succeeded Msgr. Sekellick; brief tenure remembered for gentle demeanor.
- Very Rev. James G. Hayer
Refurbished church interior with new icons, restored convent chapel, organized Byzantine Catholic Youth Group, revived traditional Byzantine services; oversaw closing of parish school in 2003.
- Very Rev. Michael Kerestes
Current pastor according to the Eparchy of Passaic directory.