About Saint Melany [Ruthenian] · Tucson, Arizona
Saint Melany Byzantine Catholic Church is a Ruthenian (Byzantine) Catholic parish in mid-town Tucson, Arizona, founded in 1977 and in its own church building since 1982. The parish belongs to the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix, one of the four Byzantine Catholic eparchies serving the United States, and serves the Byzantine Catholic faithful across the Tucson metropolitan area. Father Robert A. Rankin has been pastor since 2002, and the parish also operates a satellite mission for the northwest side (Marana, Dove Mountain, Oro Valley, Rancho Vistoso) at the Immaculate Heart School Chapel. Saint Melany is closely associated with the Mary Undoer of Knots Byzantine Catholic Shrine atop Mt. Lemmon, consecrated by the Eparchy of Phoenix in September 2021.
- Established
- 1977
- Patron
- St. Melania the Younger (Roman noblewoman, ascetic and monastic foundress, c. AD 383–439)
- Rector
- Rev. Robert A. (Fr. Bob) Rankin
- Diocese
- Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix (Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic); geographically within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson
Why belong here
Saint Melany invites anyone seeking the ancient but ever-new Byzantine liturgical tradition — a Catholic church fully in communion with the Roman Pontiff but with its own spirituality, chant and iconography — to worship with them. Visitors are welcomed to a parish that has served Tucson-area Byzantine Catholics since 1977, offers the full weekly cycle of Divine Liturgies in mid-town Tucson plus a Sunday mission in northwest Tucson/Oro Valley and a mountain Shrine on Mt. Lemmon, and centers its life on the family, faith formation, marriage preparation, and beauty in worship.
Mass times at Saint Melany [Ruthenian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:30 AM – 8:50 AM
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 3:50 PM (except final Saturday of the month)
- Prior to every Divine Liturgy (please check the weekly bulletin)
About Saint Melany Byzantine Catholic Church
Saint Melany is a Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic parish in mid-town Tucson, Arizona. The parish is a Catholic church in full communion with the Roman Pontiff but follows the Byzantine liturgical tradition, with its own hierarchy and eparchies. Saint Melany belongs to the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix, one of four Byzantine Catholic eparchies in the United States (alongside Passaic on the East Coast, Pittsburgh in the lower Midwest, and Parma in the upper Midwest). The parish's home is 1212 N. Sahuara Avenue, and Divine Liturgy is celebrated there every Sunday at 9:00 AM.
- Mid-town Tucson location at 1212 N. Sahuara Avenue
- Ruthenian (Byzantine) Catholic rite, in full communion with Rome
- Member of the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix
- Geographically within the Roman Diocese of Tucson
History of the Parish
Saint Melany was opened in Tucson in 1977 as Byzantine Catholic mission work expanded across southern Arizona, an effort seeded in part by Fr. John and Pani Cecelia Bovankovich, one of the last married priestly couples in the Byzantine Catholic priesthood in America. The community built and moved into its own church in 1982. As the western states' Byzantine presence grew, the Eparchy of Van Nuys was erected in 1981 to serve western parishes; in 2009 its seat was moved to Phoenix and the jurisdiction was renamed the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix — Saint Melany has been part of this eparchy ever since.
- Founded 1977 in Tucson
- Own church building occupied 1982
- Part of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Van Nuys from 1981, renamed Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix in 2009
Our Pastor — Father Robert A. Rankin
Father Robert A. ('Fr. Bob') Rankin has been pastor of Saint Melany since 2002 and also serves as Syncellus for Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado, pastor of the Mission at Dove Mountain, and pastor of the Mary Undoer of Knots Byzantine Catholic Shrine on Mt. Lemmon. Although he was ordained to the priesthood in the Roman Catholic Rite in 1980, he received bi-ritual faculties in 1984 and served for eighteen years at the Byzantine Proto-Cathedral of Saint Mary Protection of the Mother of God before transferring to full-time Byzantine ministry in the western United States.
- Ordained 1980 in the Roman Catholic Rite
- Bi-ritual faculties 1984; eighteen years at the Proto-Cathedral of St. Mary Protection of the Mother of God
- Specialized in Eastern Christian studies and Greek Patristics at the University of Scranton and Saint Pius X College Seminary; exchange student at Saint Tikhon's Orthodox Seminary
- Pastor of Saint Melany since 2002
- Specialties: marriage and family counseling, evangelization, faith formation, sacramental preparation, religious studies education
Worship Schedule — Divine Liturgies
Saint Melany's primary worship is the Byzantine Divine Liturgy, celebrated at three locations: the parish church in mid-town Tucson, a Sunday mission on the northwest side, and the mountain Shrine on Mt. Lemmon. Weekday and Holy Day schedules are also posted, with the weekly bulletin carrying any changes.
- Saturday Vigil 4:00 PM at St. Melany (last weekend of the month: Vigil is at the Mt. Lemmon Shrine)
- Sunday 9:00 AM at St. Melany
- Sunday 10:00 AM at Immaculate Heart School Chapel on Magee Road (Oro Valley / Marana / Dove Mountain Mission)
- Tuesday 12:00 noon (as scheduled)
- Wednesday 12:00 noon (as scheduled)
- Friday 12:00 noon (as scheduled)
- Holy Day Vigil 7:00 PM; Holy Day 12:00 noon
- Mt. Lemmon Shrine: Tuesdays and Saturdays at 4:00 PM
Ministries & Faith Formation
The parish lists five core ministry areas on its home page, plus broader parish and eparchial initiatives through which parishioners can serve. Several ministry pages are still under construction on the website.
- Music Ministry
- Religious Education
- Children's Faith Formation
- Adult Faith Formation
- ByzanTeens (youth ministry)
- Marriage and family pastoral counseling
- Vocations initiatives (encouraging future priests and religious)
- Seminarian formation support (tuition and housing offset)
- Youth support for the annual Byzantine Teen Rally
Locations
In addition to its main church, Saint Melany's diocesan family includes a mission chapel in northwest Tucson and the Mary Undoer of Knots Byzantine Catholic Shrine in Summerhaven on Mt. Lemmon.
- St. Melany Byzantine Catholic Church — 1212 N. Sahuara Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85712 — (520) 886-4225
- Oro Valley / Marana / Dove Mountain Mission — Immaculate Heart School Chapel on Magee Road (Sunday 10:00 AM)
- Mary Undoer of Knots Byzantine Catholic Shrine — 12849 N. Tucson Ave., Mt. Lemmon, AZ 85619 — (520) 576-9653 (Liturgies Tuesdays and Saturdays at 4:00 PM)
Mary Undoer of Knots Byzantine Catholic Shrine on Mt. Lemmon
The Shrine is a separate chapel under Father Rankin's pastoral care, set in Summerhaven at the top of Mt. Lemmon. The land was purchased at the end of 2015 at Father Rankin's suggestion when he was house-blessing the cabin of parishioners Eugene and Catherine Kinghorn. Construction ran from 2016 through 2019 — delayed in the summer of 2017 by a nearby wildfire — and the Eparchy of Phoenix consecrated the completed Shrine on September 24, 2021. Architecturally, the Shrine blends Boyko-style 16th-century Ukrainian wooden church design with American frontier touches, fitting into the Summerhaven setting. Interior highlights include an icon of Christ painted on a dome 22 feet above the floor by artist/architect Chuck Albanese, a bell cast by Paul Revere's son acquired from a demolished New England church, and a bronze Theophany Icon commissioned from Brian Donahue for the baptismal font grotto. The Shrine campus also includes an open-air Ramada with commemorative bricks and 'Poustinia' overnight retreat accommodations, and honors St. Therese of Lisieux and her parents Zelie and Louis Martin with relics on display.
- Land purchased end of 2015 by the Kinghorns at Fr. Rankin's prompting
- Construction 2016–2019 (built by Master Builder Gary Griffith, Master Mason Miguel Miranda, et al.)
- Consecrated by the Eparchy of Phoenix on September 24, 2021
- Boyko 16th-century Ukrainian wooden-church aesthetic fused with American frontier style
- Poustinia overnight retreat cabin available
- Revere family bell and relics of St. Therese of Lisieux and her parents
Annual Bishop's Appeal
Each year Saint Melany participates in the Annual Bishop's Appeal of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix, which supports ministry across the entire western territory — nine of the thirteen western states, covering nineteen parishes, four missions, and three outreaches.
- Parish goal: $21,600
- Mission (northwest Tucson) goal: $5,400
- Suggested household gift: $300
- Supports the Chancery, Tribunal, seminarian formation, clergy pension, 'Alive in Christ' and 'Myrrh Bearers' retreats, vocations, and eparchial-wide catechesis
Getting Involved
The parish frames belonging to Saint Melany as belonging to Christ and his Church, becoming the person God created you to be, and building a better world for your family and others — open to 'sinners seeking God's infinite mercy and willing to extend it to others.' Specific ways to participate include joining one of the five listed ministries, supporting the Bishop's Appeal, attending the annual Byzantine Teen Rally or eparchial retreats, and helping at the Shrine on Mt. Lemmon.
- Join Music Ministry, Religious Education, Children's or Adult Faith Formation, or ByzanTeens
- Visit the parish for a Sunday 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy in Tucson, or the 10:00 AM Liturgy in Oro Valley / Marana / Dove Mountain
- Make a pilgrimage to Mary Undoer of Knots Shrine on Mt. Lemmon
- Support the Annual Bishop's Appeal