About Saints Cyril and Methodius · Cary, North Carolina
Ss. Cyril and Methodius is a Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic parish in Cary, North Carolina that serves the faithful of the Eastern Christian liturgical tradition while remaining in full communion with the Pope of Rome. Officially founded in March 1991 as a mission of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic (within the Metropolia of Pittsburgh), the parish today gathers for Sunday Divine Liturgy at 2510 Piney Plains Road under its current Parochial Administrator, Father Vasyl Sokolovych. Its church is distinguished by a full iconostasis with Royal and Deacon Doors, devotional shrines to the Theotokos and its patron saints, and richly Byzantine interior furnishings. The parish building also hosts Orthodox and other Eastern-rite missions on Saturdays, including a St. Nicholas Byzantine Mission, an Eritrean Orthodox congregation, and Coptic Orthodox faithful.
- Established
- 1991
- Patron
- Saints Cyril and Methodius (the 9th-century Byzantine missionaries to the Slavs, 'Apostles to the Slavs')
- Rector
- Rev. Father Vasyl Sokolovych (Parochial Administrator, since July 21, 2020)
- Diocese
- Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic (part of the Byzantine Catholic Metropolia of Pittsburgh, a Church sui iuris in full communion with Rome; geographically within the territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh). Bishop: Most Rev. Kurt Burnette.
Why belong here
Ss. Cyril and Methodius offers Triangle-area Catholics the chance to worship in the venerable Byzantine tradition — the same rite the apostles brought to Constantinople and that evangelized the Slavs through its patron saints — while remaining in full communion with the Pope of Rome. The parish combines a rich liturgical life (icon-adorned sanctuary, full iconostasis, sung Divine Liturgy) with a small, tight-knit community under the steady pastoral care of Father Vasyl Sokolovych and an active Parish Pastoral Council. Members can take part in parish leadership, weekday and Sunday liturgical services (with the 9:00 AM liturgy livestreamed via Facebook), and a calendar of Byzantine fasts, feasts, and devotional seasons. The building itself is also a regional hub for other Eastern Christians, with a St. Nicholas Byzantine mission, an Eritrean Orthodox community, and Coptic Orthodox faithful regularly celebrating in the same space.
Mass times at Saints Cyril and Methodius
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:30 AM (before the Divine Liturgy, by announcement)
- By appointment — call the parish office (919-239-4877) or Fr. Vasyl (908-404-0777)
About the Parish
Ss. Cyril and Methodius is a Byzantine Catholic (Ruthenian) parish located in Cary, North Carolina, one of the small number of Eastern Catholic communities in the Research Triangle. It was officially founded in March 1991 as a mission of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic and has since grown into a stable worshipping community served by a succession of pastors. The parish belongs to the Byzantine Catholic Metropolia of Pittsburgh, a Church sui iuris (self-governing) that is in full communion with the Pope of Rome. Geographically the church falls within the territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh.
Who Are the Byzantines?
The parish identifies as part of the Eastern Christian tradition that traces back to the Apostles and to the year 313, when Emperor Constantine freed Christianity and moved the imperial capital from Rome to Byzantium (renamed Constantinople). Through the mission of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in the 9th century, certain Slavic peoples received this Eastern Christianity and — much later, at the turn of the 20th century — immigrated to America. Byzantine Catholics practice a Christianity that is Eastern in expression and Catholic in doctrine, and they are full members of the one Universal Catholic Church in communion with Rome, one of 21 Catholic Churches sui iuris that together make up the Catholic communion.
- Eastern in expression, Catholic in doctrine
- Full communion with the Pope of Rome
- One of 21 Catholic Churches sui iuris in the universal communion
Parish History
The Cary community grew out of monthly visits in the late 1980s by Father John Lazarek of Epiphany of Our Lord Byzantine Catholic Church in Annandale, Virginia, who met with local faithful at Saint Andrew Catholic Church in Apex, NC. After roughly a year, Father Thomas McCann of Saint Gabriel in Greenville, NC took over and the mission was officially founded in March 1991 with the blessing of Bishop Michael Dudick of the Eparchy of Passaic. Since then five pastors have shepherded the parish through its growth and maturation.
- c. 1988 — Father John Lazarek begins monthly meetings at Saint Andrew Catholic Church, Apex
- March 1991 — officially founded as a mission of the Eparchy of Passaic with the blessing of Bishop Michael Dudick
- 1991–1993 — Father Thomas McCann (first resident pastor)
- 1993–1994 — Father David Siroki
- 1994–2016 — Father Richard Rohrer (longest tenure)
- 2016–2020 — Father Mark Shuey, Parochial Administrator
- April 2016 — Bishop Kurt Burnette visits for the 25th anniversary on Thomas Sunday
- May 2016 — anniversary covered in Eastern Catholic Life
- July 21, 2020 — Father Vasyl Sokolovych begins as Parochial Administrator
Clergy
The parish is currently served by Father Vasyl Sokolovych as Parochial Administrator. Father Vasyl was born in 1976 in Yasinya, Ukraine; he entered seminary in 1994, graduated in 2000, and was ordained a priest in July 2000. Before coming to Cary he served in three parishes in Ukraine and most recently as Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Byzantine Catholic Church in Levittown, Pennsylvania, beginning June 2018. His wife, Pani Olena, was a school teacher in Ukraine; the couple has three children.
- Rev. Father Vasyl Sokolovych — Parochial Administrator (since July 21, 2020)
- Born 1976 in Yasinya, Ukraine; ordained July 2000
- Three children: Solomiya, Vasyl, and Andriy
- Direct line: 908-404-0777
Our Church — Byzantine Architecture and Furnishings
The interior of the church is built around the Byzantine separation between nave (the human, temporary world) and sanctuary (the divine, permanent world), achieved by an iconostasis — a large screen of icons through which the clergy enter by the Royal Doors. The iconostasis carries the inscription 'HOLY–HOLY–HOLY' above its doors and bears icons of Christ the Teacher, St. Gregory, the Theotokos with the Infant Jesus, and St. Nicholas of Myra, alongside icons of deacons St. Stephen and St. Prochorus on the Deacon Doors.
Sanctuary Furnishings
The sanctuary contains the Holy Table (Altar) at its center, dressed with the antimension (a silken cloth bearing the Burial of Christ, with relics sewn into it), on which rests the decorated Book of Gospels. Also on the altar are the Artophorion (Tabernacle) holding the reserved Eucharist, a sanctuary lamp that burns constantly as a sign of Christ's presence, a seven-branched candelabra signifying the seven Mysteries (sacraments), ripidia with cherubim icons, and a synthronos — a seat for the bishop. The proscomedia (preparation table) and the sacristy, where vestments and vessels are stored, lie just behind the iconostasis.
- Artophorion (Tabernacle)
- Sanctuary lamp
- Seven-branched candelabra (signifying the seven sacraments)
- Antimension with relics
- Book of Gospels with decorated metal cover
- Ripidia (round fans inscribed with cherubim)
- Synthronos (bishop's chair)
Nave Furnishings and Devotional Shrines
In the nave, an elevated ambo serves as the platform for entering through the Royal Doors into the sanctuary and is where the Book of Gospels is read. Two devotional shrines flank the space: an Icon of the Mother of God (Theotokos) on the left and an Icon of Ss. Cyril and Methodius, the parish's patron saints, on the right. Other furnishings include the tetrapod (a four-legged table bearing the icon and cross of the holy day), the trojca (a three-branched candle held by a parishioner during the Gospel chant), and the baptismal font, whose blessed water is used for baptisms, house blessings, and other blessings.
- Ambo with Book of Gospels
- Devotional shrines: Theotokos (left); Ss. Cyril and Methodius (right)
- Tetrapod and trojca
- Baptismal font (also for house blessings)
Worship Schedule
The parish celebrates the Byzantine Divine Liturgy (the Eastern equivalent of the Mass) in English on Sunday mornings. The 9:00 AM liturgy is livestreamed via the parish Facebook page for those unable to attend in person, and a second liturgy is celebrated at 11:00 AM on all Sundays except the first Sunday of the month. Holy Day Vigils are scheduled at 6:30 PM. Weekday feast-day and penitential services follow the Byzantine liturgical calendar, with weekly announcements, fasting periods such as Philip's Fast, and the Great Fast of Great Lent.
- Sunday Divine Liturgy — 9:00 AM (English, livestreamed)
- Sunday Divine Liturgy — 11:00 AM (English; NOT on the first Sunday of the month)
- Holy Day Vigil — 6:30 PM
- Weekday and feast-day services per the parish calendar
Parish Pastoral Council
The Parish Pastoral Council (P.P.C.) assists the pastor with pastoral planning. Its members, listed on the parish website, are Mike Carpenter, Paul Cwik, Dan Pope, Mike Sapsara, Patti Kingery, Joshua Chen, and Nathaniel McCallum, with Lance Morgan and Father Vasyl as ex officio members. The Council investigates, considers, and recommends conclusions on matters delegated by the pastor. Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 PM in the parish office; quarterly parish meetings take place on the first Sundays of February, May, August, and November.
- Council members: Mike Carpenter, Paul Cwik, Dan Pope, Mike Sapsara, Patti Kingery, Joshua Chen, Nathaniel McCallum
- Ex officio: Lance Morgan and Fr. Vasyl
- Monthly meetings: 2nd Tuesday, 6:30 PM in the parish office
- Quarterly parish meetings: 1st Sundays of February, May, August, November
Eastern-Catholic Identity and Formation
To help newcomers and cradle Byzantine Catholics deepen their faith, the parish has promoted the 'Becoming Byzantine' online webinar series for adult faith formation — a year-long monthly webinar based on the Christ Our Pascha catechism, co-sponsored by the Eparchy of Phoenix Office of Religious Education and the Vineyard of the Lord Catholic Ministries. The parish's wider identity draws on the heritage of Ss. Cyril and Methodius, who in the 9th century evangelized the Slavs and created the Glagolitic alphabet, the first alphabet for Old Church Slavonic.
- 'Becoming Byzantine' adult formation webinar series (Christ Our Pascha catechism)
- Patron saints Ss. Cyril and Methodius — Apostles to the Slavs
- Byzantine fasts (e.g., Philip's Fast / Philipovka) and feast-day calendar observed
Visitor Information
Newcomers should email the parish in advance if they plan to attend in person, since space inside the church is very limited. The 9:00 AM Sunday Divine Liturgy is livestreamed on the parish Facebook page for those worshipping from home. The parish office can be reached at 919-239-4877, and Father Vasyl directly at 908-404-0777. The parish is located at 2510 Piney Plains Road, Cary, NC 27518, and questions about sacraments, house blessings, or the Eastern-rite Christian formation program should be directed to the parish email ([email protected]).
- Email ahead to attend in person (limited seating)
- Sunday 9 AM Divine Liturgy livestreamed on Facebook
- Parish office: 919-239-4877
- Direct line to Fr. Vasyl: 908-404-0777
- Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Father John Lazarekc. 1988–c. 1989
Visiting priest from Epiphany of Our Lord Byzantine Catholic Church, Annandale, VA; met monthly with area parishioners at Saint Andrew Catholic Church, Apex, NC during the parish's inception.
- Rev. Father Thomas McCann1991–1993
First resident pastor; shepherded the mission through its official founding in March 1991 with the blessing of Bishop Michael Dudick; based at St. Gabriel Catholic Church, Greenville, NC.
- Rev. Father David Siroki1993–1994
Short-term pastor succeeding Fr. McCann.
- Rev. Father Richard Rohrer1994–2016
Long-tenured pastor (more than two decades) under whose leadership the mission matured into a thriving parish.
- Rev. Father Mark Shuey2016–2020
Parochial Administrator.
- Rev. Father Vasyl Sokolovych2020–present
Parochial Administrator from Ukraine; arrived July 21, 2020.