Saint Nicholas of Myra [Ruthenian]

About St. Nicholas of Myra

St. Nicholas of Myra Byzantine Catholic Church (Ruthenian) is a growing Christian community of people from various ethnic and social backgrounds sharing a common commitment to the Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ, to one another, and to the Apostolic Faith. Its mission as a Christian community is to be educated and instructed by the commandments and teachings of the Byzantine Catholic Church, enriched in the fullness of the Gospel, and empowered to become true servants of God. The parish warmly welcomes all families, couples, and individuals seeking a deeper experience of the salvation offered in Jesus Christ.

Parish History

Founded in 1957 when Most Reverend Nicholas Elko, Exarch of Pittsburgh, sent two Byzantine Catholic priests to Alaska — one to Juneau, one to Anchorage — St. Nicholas began as a small mission of six families. Within a year the parish had moved to the current Arctic Boulevard site, where a surplus World War II Army mess hall was purchased from Fort Richardson in 1958 and converted into a church and rectory. Through the late twentieth century the community grew and the building was repeatedly upgraded, with a major 1993 remodel that added Artim Hall (named for the parish's third pastor, Rt. Rev. Mitred Archpriest Michael Artim), two domes, and a garage. In 2017 the parish marked its 60th anniversary with a December 10 celebration of the Divine Liturgy led by Bishop John Pazak and joined by the Archbishop of Anchorage.

• 1957 — Mission founded in Anchorage with six families
• 1958 — WWII Army mess hall purchased from Fort Richardson, moved to Arctic Blvd, remodeled into church and rectory
• 1993 — Major remodel: Artim Hall, two new domes, garage added
• 1995/1996 — Iconostas, altars, and the signature interiorly-lit copper dome ('Jewel of the North') installed
• 2017 — 60th anniversary celebration with Bishop John Pazak and the Archbishop of Anchorage

The Church Building & 'The Jewel of the North'

The church was originally a World War II Army mess hall purchased from Fort Richardson outside Anchorage in 1958, moved to the current site, and remolded into a church and rectory with a basement hall. In 1993 the complex was totally remodeled and upgraded with the addition of Artim Hall, two new domes, and a garage. Its best-known feature is the interiorly-lit dome over the main entrance — 'the only interiorly lit dome in the United States, possibly the world' — designed by Dominic Gospadar and recognized as the largest perforated dome in Alaska and believed to be the only internally illuminated copper dome in the world (24 feet tall, 10 feet in diameter, 1,500 pounds).

• Building origin: WWII Army mess hall, 1958
• Artim Hall (parish hall), named for the third pastor
• Iconostas, altar, tetrapod and two side altars crafted by John Haskin of North Pole, Alaska
• Icons written by Rev. Deacon Charles Rohrbacher of Juneau

Clergy & Pastoral Leadership

The parish is currently served by Very Rev. Father Vasyl Mutka, S.T.L., Pastor. He serves within the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix, whose bishop is Most Rev. Artur Bubnevych, and under the metropolitan authority of the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh headed by His Eminence, Metropolitan Archbishop William C. The parish has historically been served by married priests in keeping with Eastern-rite tradition; past pastor Father Michael Sidun (originally from Ukraine) was the first married Byzantine Catholic priest to serve in Alaska, and his successor Father Joseph Wargacki (assigned July 2018) is also a married priest.

• Pastor: Very Rev. Father Vasyl Mutka, S.T.L.
• Eparchial Bishop: Most Rev. Artur Bubnevych (Phoenix)
• Metropolitan Archbishop: His Eminence, Metropolitan Archbishop William C. (Pittsburgh)
• Pastors of record: founding priest(s) 1957; Rt. Rev. Mitred Archpriest Michael Artim (3rd pastor); Fr. Michael Sidun (~2013–2018); Fr. Joseph Wargacki (July 2018–)

Schedule of Services

The parish follows the Byzantine liturgical calendar with Sunday morning Divine Liturgy preceded by the Holy Mystery of Penance (Confession) and Divine Praises, a Saturday Vigil combining Vespers with the Divine Liturgy, and weekday services as announced in the weekly bulletin. A Wednesday evening Divine Liturgy has historically been celebrated, often followed by the adult formation class 'Byzantine 101'.

• Sunday: 9:15–9:45 am Confession; 9:40 am Divine Praises; 10:00 am Divine Liturgy
• Saturday: 4:00–4:30 pm Confession; 5:00 pm Vespers / Divine Liturgy (Vigil)
• Weekdays: As announced in the weekly bulletin
• Sacramental emergency line: 907-277-6731

Faith Formation & Adult Education

In addition to the Sunday Divine Liturgy, the parish has historically offered a Wednesday evening Divine Liturgy followed by 'Byzantine 101,' an introductory adult formation class on the Eastern Christian tradition. A separate class on the Church Fathers (patristics) has been taught at the parish by parishioner Dr. Lisa Unterseher, professor of religious studies and holder of the Cardinal Newman Chair at Alaska Pacific University.

• Byzantine 101 — adult faith formation after Wednesday evening Divine Liturgy
• Patristics / Church Fathers class — taught by Dr. Lisa Unterseher (APU)

Blessed Theodore Romzha Mission (Wasilla)

Parishioners in the Mat-Su Valley are encouraged to worship with the Blessed Theodore Romzha Byzantine Catholic Mission, which celebrates Divine Liturgy at 4:00 pm on the second and fourth Sundays of the month at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Wasilla. The mission extends the parish's reach beyond Anchorage and is named for the Ukrainian Greek Catholic martyr Bishop Theodore Romzha.

• Location: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Wasilla
• Schedule: 2nd & 4th Sundays of the month, 4:00 pm
• Contact: 907-277-6731

Byzantine Tradition & Eastern-Catholic Identity

The parish belongs to the Ruthenian-Byzantine Catholic Church, one of several Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with Rome. The Byzantine Rite grew out of the Antiochian Liturgy as adapted in Constantinople after the capital of the Roman Empire moved east; it was carried to the Slavic peoples by Saints Cyril and Methodius. The Ruthenian jurisdiction, whose ancestors came from the southern Ukraine at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains, later migrated to Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Croatia, and to the United States in the late 1800s — many settling in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Ohio to work in the coal mines and frequently mortgaging their own homes to build churches. After World War II, many Eastern Catholics moved to the Western United States; in 1982 Pope John Paul II established the Eparchy (Diocese) of Van Nuys to serve Byzantine Catholics scattered across the Western States. Today the parish falls under the renamed Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix.

• Rite: Byzantine (Ruthenian)
• Eparchy: Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix
• Metropolitan See: Archeparchy of Pittsburgh
• In full communion with the Bishop of Rome (the Pope)

Outreach & Annual Celebrations

The parish marks the feast of its patron with an annual St. Nicholas Day celebration that includes an historical presentation of the parish, the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, and a dramatic visit from Saint Nicholas himself with gifts for the children. Parishioners are asked to bring canned food items that Saint Nicholas delivers to Clare House, an Anchorage outreach for homeless women and children.

• Annual St. Nicholas Day celebration (early December)
• Visit from Saint Nicholas with gifts for children
• Canned-food drive benefiting Clare House (Anchorage)