About Saint Peter and Saint Paul · Beaver Meadows, Pennsylvania
Ss. Peter and Paul Byzantine Catholic Church serves the small Carbon County borough of Beaver Meadows, Pennsylvania, as part of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic (Ruthenian). The parish was organized in 1895 by Carpatho-Rusyn immigrants and remains an active Byzantine-rite Catholic community. It is currently served by Very Reverend Dr. Vasyl Chepelskyy, who also cares for nearby St. Mary in Nesquehoning. The congregation gathers for Divine Liturgy on Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings at 119 Berwick Street.
- Established
- 1895
- Patron
- Saints Peter and Paul (Apostles)
- Rector
- Very Reverend Dr. Vasyl Chepelskyy
- Diocese
- Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic (Ruthenian) — geographically within the territory of the Roman Diocese of Allentown
Why belong here
Ss. Peter and Paul offers a faithful Byzantine Catholic home in the heart of the Beaver Meadows–Hazleton coal country, where the Carpatho-Rusyn liturgical tradition has been kept alive since 1895. Worshippers can take part in the Byzantine (Ruthenian) Divine Liturgy in a small, family-style parish, served by a dedicated cantor and a pastor who is actively building bridges with the wider Church — including hosting Ukrainian seminarians and offering parish days of spiritual reflection. For anyone seeking Eastern Catholic spirituality rooted in a tight-knit Pennsylvania community, with a parish cemetery nearby and links across the Eparchy of Passaic, this is a welcoming place to belong.
Mass times at Saint Peter and Saint Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
About Ss. Peter and Paul Byzantine Catholic Church
Ss. Peter and Paul is a Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic parish in Beaver Meadows, Carbon County, Pennsylvania. It is one of the parishes of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic and continues a Carpatho-Rusyn liturgical tradition brought to the coal region by immigrants in the 1890s. The parish is located at 119 Berwick Street and maintains an active Divine Liturgy schedule, with Mass celebrated on Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings in the Byzantine rite. The community is closely tied to other small Byzantine parishes in the area, including St. Mary in Nesquehoning, which is also served by the present pastor.
- Parish address: 119 Berwick St., Beaver Meadows, PA 18216
- Mailing: P.O. Box 206, Beaver Meadows, PA 18216
- Byzantine (Ruthenian) rite
- Member of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic
History of the Parish
The parish was organized in 1895 by Carpatho-Rusyn Greek Catholic settlers in the anthracite coal country of northeastern Pennsylvania. Father Viktor Martyak, the first priest of nearby St. John the Baptist Greek Catholic Church in Hazleton (arriving from Slovakia in 1893), is credited as the organizing pastor who helped establish and grow the Beaver Meadows community. Father Viktor returned to Slovakia after 1901, where he continued priestly service in the village parishes of Cukalovce and Hostovice. The parish became part of what is today the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic, and grew as a spiritual home for Rusyn families in Beaver Meadows and surrounding communities for well over a century.
- Founded 1895
- Organizing pastor: Father Viktor Martyak (of the Martyak priestly family)
- Part of the Ruthenian Greek Catholic tradition of the Eparchy of Passaic
Recent Pastoral Leadership
Father Vasyl Chepelskyy was formally welcomed as pastor on Cheesefare Sunday in early 2023, arriving with his wife Mariia, daughter Viktoriya, and son Vitaliy. He also serves nearby St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church in Nesquehoning. Father Chepelskyy is identified in the Eparchy's Eastern Catholic Life newspaper with the academic title 'Rev. Dr.' In 2014, the parish's previous pastor, Rev. James Demko, was quoted in local press welcoming a Vatican decision restoring the ordination of married men in Eastern-rite Catholic churches in the Western Hemisphere.
- Current pastor: Very Reverend Dr. Vasyl Chepelskyy
- Pastor since 2023 (welcomed Cheesefare Sunday)
- Also serves St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church, Nesquehoning
- Earlier pastor (pre-2023): Rev. James Demko
Worship and Schedule
The parish celebrates the Byzantine (Ruthenian) Divine Liturgy, the Eastern-rite Eucharistic celebration of the Carpatho-Rusyn tradition. Public schedules posted on diocesan and aggregator listings show weekend liturgies on Saturday at 5:00 PM and Sunday at 8:30 AM. Anyone planning a visit is encouraged to call the parish office to confirm current times, especially around the Great Fast (Lent), Pascha, and other Byzantine liturgical seasons when the schedule can shift.
- Saturday Divine Liturgy: 5:00 PM
- Sunday Divine Liturgy: 8:30 AM
- Rite: Byzantine (Ruthenian)
- Parish phone: (570) 455-1442
Parish Life and Ministries
A defining feature of parish life is the long tenure of its cantor, Michael 'Mike' Komishock, who in recent years marked 40 years of service leading the chant at Ss. Peter and Paul — described in the Eparchy of Passaic's Eastern Catholic Life as '40 years of dedication, 40 years of sacrifice, 40 years of service, 40 years of offering his weekends for the parish community and God.' The parish also runs Eastern Christian Formation (ECF) classes for children and welcomes Ukrainian seminarians for extended stays. Most recently it hosted Bohdan Fesyk, a Ukrainian doctoral seminarian from Ternopil/Rome studying moral theology, who chanted the Epistle, led Days of Spiritual Renewal, and helped make pirohi alongside parishioners. The parish has also hosted Days of Spiritual Reflection led by visiting priests such as Fr. Roman Vasylenka.
- Cantor: Michael 'Mike' Komishock (40+ years of service)
- Eastern Christian Formation (ECF) classes — instructors Dr. Marisue Rayno and cantor Mike Komishock
- Ukrainian seminarian hosting program
- Days of Spiritual Reflection
Clergy and Staff
The parish is served by Very Reverend Dr. Vasyl Chepelskyy as pastor. He also shepherds St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church in Nesquehoning, and during a recent visit his wife Mariia and their three children joined him in parish life. The cantor, Mike Komishock, is a named liturgical leader of long standing. Inquiries to the parish office can be directed to the rectory number (570) 455-1442 or by email at [email protected].
- Pastor: Very Reverend Dr. Vasyl Chepelskyy
- Cantor: Mike Komishock
- Parish phone: (570) 455-1442
- Parish email: [email protected]
Cemetery
A Ss. Peter and Paul Byzantine Catholic Cemetery serves the parish community and is located on Route 93 West in Beaver Meadows, Carbon County, Pennsylvania. It is listed in cemetery databases (Find a Grave ID 979345) with over 1,800 memorials, reflecting the parish's deep roots in the multi-generational Rusyn community of the area.
- Saints Peter and Paul Byzantine Catholic Cemetery
- Route 93 West, Beaver Meadows, PA
- Find a Grave Cemetery ID 979345
Contact and Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach Ss. Peter and Paul at the parish office, by phone, or via the parish email. The parish also maintains a Facebook page under the name 'Saints Peter and Paul Byzantine Catholic Church in Beaver Meadows, PA,' which is referenced by the Eparchy of Passaic as the parish's official web presence.
- Address: 119 Berwick St., Beaver Meadows, PA 18216
- Mailing: P.O. Box 206, Beaver Meadows, PA 18216
- Phone: (570) 455-1442
- Fax: (570) 455-7144
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089855984091
Jurisdiction
Ecclesiastically, Ss. Peter and Paul belongs to the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic, the Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic eparchy headquartered in New Jersey that serves Byzantine-rite Catholics of Rusyn, Ukrainian, and other Eastern Catholic heritage across much of the eastern United States. Geographically, Beaver Meadows sits within the territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown, which has historically provided Roman-rite coverage for the region.
- Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic (Ruthenian)
- Geographic territory: Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Viktor Martyak1893–1901 (organizing pastor)
First priest of St. John the Baptist Greek Catholic Church in Hazleton (1893); instrumental in organizing and growing Ss. Peter and Paul in Beaver Meadows. Later returned to serve in Slovakia.
- Rev. James Demko
Pastored the parish through at least 2014, quoted in the Standard-Speaker regarding the Vatican decision restoring the ordination of married Byzantine Catholic priests in the West.
- Very Reverend Dr. Vasyl Chepelskyy2023–present
Welcomed with his family on Cheesefare Sunday 2023; also serves St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church in Nesquehoning.