About Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker [Melkite] · Rochester, New York
St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is an Eastern Catholic (Melkite Greek-Catholic) parish serving Rochester, New York, since 1927. It belongs to the Greek-Melkite Diocese of Newton (while situated geographically within the Roman Diocese of Rochester) and is part of the Melkite Greek-Catholic Church, the Antiochian tradition in full communion with the Pope of Rome. The community gathers every Sunday for Orthros at 9:00 a.m. and the Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m., celebrated in English with festal responses in Greek and Arabic and an Arabic choir. The parish welcomes all — Roman Catholics attending fulfill their Sunday obligation — and the only requirement for newcomers is that they be seeking Jesus Christ.
- Established
- 1927
- Patron
- St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (Nicholas of Myra)
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Michael Copenhagen
- Diocese
- Greek-Melkite Diocese of Newton (geographically within the territory of the Roman Diocese of Rochester)
Why belong here
St. Nicholas the Wonderworker offers Rochester-area Catholics a chance to worship in the ancient Byzantine tradition — the same Church of Antioch where 'the disciples were first called Christians' — while celebrating in English. The parish is fully Catholic and in communion with Rome, so Roman Catholics may fulfill their Sunday obligation at its Sunday Divine Liturgy. It is a small, multigenerational community that welcomes everyone 'seeking Jesus Christ,' with sung liturgy by the Mount Lebanon Choir, the Cor Unum Artists, and an Arabic choir, and a pastor and two deacons committed to a warm, intimate worship experience in the Melkite tradition.
Mass times at Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker [Melkite]
Weekly Mass schedule
About St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is a parish of the Melkite Greek-Catholic Church, historically the Church of Antioch in communion with the Church of Rome. The parish has been located in Rochester, NY since 1927 and gathers at 1492 Spencerport Road. Membership today reflects the universality of the Church — men, women, and children of Middle Eastern ethnic heritage alongside many families from other backgrounds and traditions — all united in the greater Tradition of the Church. The parish is shepherded by the Patriarch of Antioch, the city St. Peter visited before Rome and where the disciples were first called Christians (Acts 11), who is in full communion with the Holy Father in Rome.
What It Means to Be Melkite (Greek-Catholic)
At the time of the Early Church, several rich cultures in the Middle East each gave rise to a different church tradition. The Melkite tradition reflects the Greek or Byzantine culture — so its members are also called Greek Catholics or Byzantine Catholics (from Byzantium, the ancient name for Constantinople). The name 'Melkite' comes from the Arabic 'melek' (king/emperor): Middle Eastern Greek Catholics were so called because they followed the faith of the Byzantine emperor in supporting the decisions of the Council of Chalcedon. The average Melkite is no more a Hellenic Greek than the average Roman Catholic is Italian — it is a confession of faith and a liturgical tradition, not an ethnicity.
- Melkite = Byzantine tradition + full communion with Rome
- Also called Greek Catholic or Byzantine Catholic
- Name comes from Arabic 'melek' (emperor) and the Council of Chalcedon
- Shepherded by the Patriarch of Antioch in communion with the Pope
Are We Catholic? Are We Under the Pope?
Yes. The parish is fully Catholic. The Melkite Greek-Catholic Church is in full communion with the Holy Father in Rome, which means the two churches — separate and distinct though they are — share the same faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Members of one church may participate in the sacraments of the other. Roman Catholics attending the Divine Liturgy (Mass) at St. Nicholas the Wonderworker fulfill their Sunday obligation.
Liturgy and Languages
All of the parish's services are celebrated in English. The Eastern Churches had a vernacular liturgy long before the Roman Church. At St. Nicholas, the recurring responses and festal hymns are sometimes repeated in Greek and Arabic, and the parish also has an Arabic choir that sings for a portion of the Divine Liturgy. The full Byzantine liturgical tradition is therefore present, while the worship remains accessible to English-speaking visitors.
- Primary language: English
- Recurring responses and festal hymns also in Greek and Arabic
- Arabic Choir sings a portion of the Divine Liturgy
Sunday Schedule (Orthros & Divine Liturgy)
The parish gathers every Sunday for the Byzantine liturgical cycle of Orthros (Matins) followed by the Divine Liturgy. The Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m. is the principal Sunday service, celebrated in English. The Mass-times directory also lists Sunday Orthos at 9:00 a.m. and Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m., which is the published weekly rhythm of the parish.
- Sundays — Orthros at 9:00 a.m.
- Sundays — Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m.
Music and Choirs
Music is a defining feature of worship at St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The Divine Liturgy is sung, drawing on the rich Byzantine chant tradition as well as Arabic and English choral music. Multiple groups serve the parish: the Mount Lebanon Choir, the Cor Unum Artists (with Paul Jernberg as Conductor and Harmonist), and the parish's own Arabic Choir, which sings a portion of the Divine Liturgy each Sunday.
- Mount Lebanon Choir
- Cor Unum Artists — Conductor and Harmonist: Paul Jernberg
- Arabic Choir (sings a portion of the Divine Liturgy)
Receiving Holy Communion (The Eucharist)
Holy Communion at St. Nicholas follows the discipline of the Eastern Catholic and Orthodox tradition. The parish teaches that only those who are baptized and chrismated into the Catholic or Orthodox Church, are not impeded by unrepented and unconfessed sins, and have prepared themselves by fasting from the previous night may approach the Holy Eucharist. Sharing the Eucharist is, in the parish's own words, the sign of church unity already accomplished, and the parish looks to the day 'when all will be one' in the words of Ephesians 4:4–6.
- Open to baptized and chrismated Catholics and Orthodox
- Fasting from the previous night is required
- Must be free of unrepented / unconfessed sins
Clergy and Pastoral Team
The parish is served by a priest and two deacons, who together care for the liturgical and pastoral life of the community. The current pastor is Rev. Fr. Michael Copenhagen, who is also listed as the registered agent of St. Nicholas Melkite Catholic Church, Inc. in New York State filings. He is assisted by two deacons: Rev. Fr. Deacon Edmond J. Elhilow, Jr. and Rev. Fr. Deacon Elias Y. Sarkis.
- Pastor: Rev. Fr. Michael Copenhagen — (585) 426-4218
- Deacon: Rev. Fr. Deacon Edmond J. Elhilow, Jr. — (585) 467-5475
- Deacon: Rev. Fr. Deacon Elias Y. Sarkis — (585) 748-9646
Who Can Attend? Visiting the Parish
The parish's own invitation to visitors is simple: 'The only requirement: you are seeking Jesus Christ.' The community welcomes people of every background — Roman Catholics, other Eastern Catholics, Orthodox Christians, inquirers, and the simply curious. Marrying, marrying already-married men, and the diaconate are all part of the Melkite tradition; in this tradition, qualified married men can be ordained to the diaconate and priesthood, provided they are already married before ordination and their wife consents.
- Open to anyone seeking Jesus Christ
- Roman Catholics may receive the sacraments and fulfill their Sunday obligation here
- Eastern discipline permits married clergy (already married before ordination, with spousal consent)
Diocese and Canonical Status
St. Nicholas the Wonderworker belongs to the Greek-Melkite Diocese of Newton, the Melkite Greek-Catholic eparchy that covers the United States. Geographically, however, the parish is located within the territory of the Roman (Latin) Diocese of Rochester, which is the ordinary Roman Catholic jurisdiction for the area. This dual belonging is typical of Eastern Catholic parishes that live alongside — and in full communion with — their Roman Catholic neighbors.
- Eparchy: Greek-Melkite Diocese of Newton
- Geographic territory: Roman Diocese of Rochester
- Full communion with the Holy Father in Rome
Contact and Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Nicholas the Wonderworker by phone at (585) 426-4218 or by email at [email protected]. The parish is located at 1492 Spencerport Road, Rochester, New York 14606-3520, and an interactive map is available on the parish website. The parish also maintains an active presence on Facebook at facebook.com/StNickRoc, where updates, announcements, and information about feast-day services are regularly posted.
- Address: 1492 Spencerport Road, Rochester, NY 14606-3520
- Phone: (585) 426-4218
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://stnicholaswonderworker.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StNickRoc/