About Saint Michael the Archangel [Ruthenian] · Oregon, Ohio
Saint Michael the Archangel is a Ruthenian (Byzantine) Catholic parish in Oregon, Ohio, just east of Toledo, serving Byzantine Catholics in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan since 1910. Founded by Hungarian Greek Catholic immigrants who first organized the St. Michael's Greek Catholic Sick and Benefit Society, the parish today is part of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma and uses the Divine Liturgy of the Byzantine Rite while remaining in full communion with the Bishop of Rome. The current church and parish hall on Navarre Avenue were dedicated in 1983, and the parish is well known for its Eastern Christian Formation program, its Hungarian folk ensemble (Csáladi), and its long-running Tuesday Night Bingo.
- Established
- 1910
- Patron
- St. Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Rev. Andriy Kovach
- Diocese
- Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma (Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh)
Why belong here
St. Michael is a welcoming Byzantine Catholic home for anyone in Northwest Ohio or Southeast Michigan who wants to worship in the Eastern Christian tradition while remaining in full communion with the Pope of Rome. The parish offers the full Byzantine liturgical life — Divine Liturgy on Sundays and holy days — alongside a vibrant parish hall life, an Eastern Christian Formation program for children, the Csáladi Hungarian Folk Ensemble, and active service at the altar. It is also the host of Tuesday Night Bingo and a venue regularly shared with Oregon City Schools for civic events, making it a true community anchor.
Mass times at Saint Michael the Archangel [Ruthenian]
Weekly Mass schedule
History of St. Michael the Archangel
The parish traces its roots to the early 20th century, when Hungarian Greek Catholic immigrants in the Birmingham neighborhood of Toledo organized the St. Michael's Greek Catholic Sick and Benefit Society — a fraternal insurance body in the tradition of the Greek Catholic Union. In 1910 they arranged for the pastor of St. Mary's in Marblehead to come into Toledo for occasional services, with the approval of Bishop Soter Ortynsky, the first Greek Catholic Exarch in America. A benefactor offered property for a church and rectory in June 1912; the basement was finished in 1913 and used immediately for worship, and the wooden church was completed in 1915.
- 1910 — First arrangements for visiting priest from St. Mary's, Marblehead.
- 1912 — Property offered for new church and rectory.
- 1913 — Basement finished and used for services.
- 1915 — Wooden church completed.
- 1915–1919 — First pastor Rev. Laszlo Berecz records 163 baptisms in four years.
- 1931–1944 — Rev. Valentine Orosz's long pastorate marked by growth of the Benefit Society to 200 members.
- 1946 — Rev. Nicholas Szabo arrives and enlarges/remodels the church.
- 1957 — English-language Divine Liturgy introduced by Fr. Szabo.
- 1972 — Rev. Stanley Bartkus assigned; land purchased in Oregon, Ohio.
- 1983 — New church and hall dedicated on Navarre Avenue under Rev. Michael Huszti.
- 1985 — Rev. Jim Kubajak becomes 21st pastor, the longest-tenured in parish history.
- 2003 — Rev. Deacon Jim Sofalvi ordained as the parish's first deacon.
- 2005 — Parish website created.
- 2012 — Bishop Milan Šašik of Mukachevo celebrates Grand Compline at St. Michael's.
Byzantine Identity & Eparchy
St. Michael parish uses the Divine Liturgy of the Byzantine Rite and is a parish of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma, itself a suffragan see of the Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Archeparchy of Pittsburgh. Geographically, the parish lies within the territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo, but canonically it belongs to the Ruthenian (Carpatho-Rusyn / Hungarian) Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Pope. The Ruthenian community in America was organized as an Exarchate in 1924 under Bishop Basil Takach with its seat in Pittsburgh; it was elevated to an Eparchy in 1963, and in 1969 Pope Paul VI established Pittsburgh as the Metropolitan Church sui iuris, with Parma among its suffragan sees.
- Rite: Byzantine (Ruthenian)
- Diocese/Eparchy: Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma
- Metropolitan: Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh
- Geographical area: Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo territory
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
The parish is currently served by Father Andriy Kovach as pastor and Father Deacon Jim Sofalvi, who in 2003 became the first deacon in the history of the parish after a lifetime of membership. The parish's pastoral history is a succession of more than twenty priests stretching back over a century; among the most notable are the founding-era Rev. Laszlo Berecz, the long-serving Rev. Valentine Orosz (1931–1944), the reforming Rev. Nicholas Szabo, Rev. Stanley Bartkus (who led the move to Oregon, Ohio), and the Very Rev. Gary Mensinger, who was assigned in 2013 and previously served as Syncellate of the Susquehanna Syncellate for the Eparchy of Passaic.
- Current Pastor: Rev. Andriy Kovach
- Deacon: Rev. Deacon Jim Sofalvi (ordained 2003; first deacon in parish history)
- Pastors mentioned in the parish's published history: Berecz, Orosz, Szabo, Bartkus, Huszti, Kubajak, Mensinger
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish runs an Eastern Christian Formation (ECF) program for its children and youth, reflecting the Byzantine Catholic emphasis on catechesis in the Eastern Christian tradition. The parish also supports altar service, with the parish's own history noting that 'there are always young men to serve at the Lord's table.' Father Gary Mensinger, during his later pastorate, was active on both the Eparchial and Inter-Eparchial Youth and Young Adult Commissions.
- Eastern Christian Formation (ECF) program
- Altar servers
- Eparchial and Inter-Eparchial Youth & Young Adult ministry connections
Hungarian Heritage — Csáladi Folk Ensemble
St. Michael's roots are Hungarian Greek Catholic, and the parish keeps that heritage alive through the Csáladi Hungarian Folk Ensemble. The ensemble is one of the most visible expressions of the parish's Carpatho-Hungarian identity, in addition to the still-remembered St. Michael's Greek Catholic Sick and Benefit Society that the founding immigrants organized a century ago.
- Csáladi Hungarian Folk Ensemble
- St. Michael's Greek Catholic Sick and Benefit Society (heritage fraternal organization)
Parish Life — Hall, Bingo & Community
The parish hall — built alongside the new church on Navarre Avenue in 1983 — is a well-known community venue. It hosts wedding receptions, parish parties, and civic events, and is regularly shared with Oregon City Schools. A long-running Tuesday Night Bingo has become a parish tradition and fundraiser, and the parish community is active in volunteering and workdays around the property.
- Parish hall (dedicated 1983) used for receptions, parties, and civic events
- Tuesday Night Bingo (long-running parish fundraiser)
- Parish volunteering and workdays
- Civic partnerships with Oregon City Schools
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Laszlo Bereczc. 1912–c. 1919
First pastor of record. Oversaw 163 baptisms in four years and the building of the first rectory next door to the wooden church.
- Rev. Valentine Orosz1931–1944
Thirteen-year pastorate noted for spiritual and material growth; grew the Sick and Benefit Society to 200 members and organized the St. Mary's Society and Dramatic Society for youth.
- Rev. Nicholas Szabo1946–c. mid-1960s
Enlarged and remodeled the church and rectory; introduced the English-language Divine Liturgy in 1957 to secure the parish's future for American-born descendants.
- Rev. Stanley Bartkus1972–1976
Led the purchase of land in Oregon, Ohio, for future parish expansion.
- Rev. Michael Huszti
Oversaw construction of the new church-and-hall building on the Oregon property, dedicated in 1983.
- Rev. Jim Kubajak1985– (longest-tenured)
21st pastor of the parish, by tradition its longest-serving pastor.
- Rev. Deacon Jim SofalviOrdained August 1, 2003
First deacon in the history of the parish; lifelong member. Ordained on his 52nd birthday.
- Very Rev. Gary Mensinger2013–
Assigned 2013; also served as Syncellate of the Susquehanna Syncellate for the Eparchy of Passaic and was active on the Eparchial and Inter-Eparchial Youth and Young Adult Commissions.
- Rev. Andriy Kovach
Current pastor.