About Saints Cyril and Methodius [Ukrainian] · Olyphant, Pennsylvania
Ss. Cyril and Methodius Ukrainian Catholic Church is a Byzantine (Eastern) Rite Catholic parish in Olyphant, Pennsylvania, founded by Lemko Ukrainian immigrants from Galicia in the late 1880s. The parish is part of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, in full communion with the Holy See, and has served the local community for over 125 years. It is also classified as a Shrine by GCatholic — the Shrine of the Miraculous Icon of Our Lady of Zhyrovytsi. The current pastor is the Very Rev. Nestor Iwasiw, who also serves as Protopresbyter of the North Anthracite Protopresbyterate and pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul in nearby Simpson.
- Established
- 1886
- Patron
- Saints Cyril and Methodius
- Rector
- Very Rev. Nestor Iwasiw
- Diocese
- Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia (geographically within the territory of the Roman Diocese of Scranton)
Why belong here
Ss. Cyril and Methodius offers a warm Byzantine Catholic home for the Olyphant-area faithful — whether of Ukrainian heritage or not — where the rich liturgical, spiritual and theological traditions of the Eastern Christian Church are celebrated in full communion with the Holy See. Parishioners worship the Divine Liturgy with a dedicated cantor and choir, gather for faith formation for children and youth, share Ukrainian cultural events that have marked this community for more than 125 years, and care for loved ones at St. Cyril's Cemetery in Peckville. It is a place where family, tradition and an authentically Catholic — but distinctly Byzantine — way of prayer come together.
Mass times at Saints Cyril and Methodius [Ukrainian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays at 2:00 PM
Parish History
The Ukrainian Catholic community in Olyphant began around 1880 when Lemko immigrants from Galicia settled in the area to work the anthracite coal mines. The first Greek Catholic missionary priest in the region, Rev. John Wolansky, arrived from Galicia in December 1884 and took up residence in Shenandoah, from which he first visited Olyphant in 1885. On October 14, 1886 he helped organize the Brotherhood of St. John the Baptist, which created the parish's first Church Building Fund. In 1887 seventy pioneers raised $4,000 in a single day and opened a cooperative store at the corner of Delaware Avenue and Grant Street; with $2,500 in store profits and an $1,800 loan they purchased three lots at River and Grant Streets. A small wooden chapel facing River Street was built largely by miners after their shifts and completed in 1888, when its bell first summoned parishioners to a Divine Liturgy in their own Greek (Eastern) Rite Catholic Church.
- 1880s — first Ukrainian (Lemko) settlers arrive in Olyphant from Galicia
- 1884 — Rev. John Wolansky arrives from Galicia, resides in Shenandoah
- 1885 — Fr. Wolansky first visits the Olyphant Ukrainian community
- 1886 — Brotherhood of St. John the Baptist founded (Church Building Fund)
- 1887 — 70 pioneers raise $4,000 in one day; cooperative store launched
- 1888 — small wooden chapel at River and Grant Streets completed; first Divine Liturgy
- November 13, 1888 — four marriages recorded at the chapel
Growth in the 1890s and Early 1900s
Under the more permanent pastorates of Rev. Theofan Obushkevich (1891–1897) and Rev. John Ardan, the small chapel was enlarged in 1893 with a nave and vestibule, a partly gilded iconostas carved by Ukrainian sculptor Ivan Zakhariyash, and a Gothic-style tabernacle from the Michael Spozharsky Co. in Lviv. The congregation was incorporated by the Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas on April 4, 1892; a Ukrainian school was established in 1894; and the parish drama group staged its first theatrical production in 1895 before traveling to Pittsburgh for the dedication of a new Ukrainian church. A new brick church was dedicated on May 30, 1910, in a ceremony presided over by Bishop Soter Ortynsky and assisted by twelve Ukrainian and four Latin-rite priests; its iconostasis was designed by the iconographer Luhowey and imported from Ukraine.
- 1892 — Charter of incorporation (April 4, Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas)
- 1893 — Chapel enlarged (75 × 28.5 ft) with nave, vestibule and iconostas by Ivan Zakhariyash
- 1893 — Two-acre cemetery purchased ($1,400); wooden rectory built ($3,800)
- 1894 — Ukrainian school established
- 1895 — First theatrical production 'Znimcheney Yurko'; trip to Pittsburgh for church dedication
- 1901 — Parish school of Ukrainian language and religion added
- May 30, 1910 — Brick church dedicated at 135 River St. by Bishop Soter Ortynsky
Twentieth-Century Pastorates
The mid-twentieth century brought the parish's longest and most formative pastorates. Rev. Michael Guryansky served from 1920 to 1935, followed by Very Rev. John Ortynsky (1935–1948), a nephew of Bishop Soter Ortynsky, who continued the four-year evening Ukrainian school program. Under Rev. Constantine Berdar (1948–1951), St. Cyril's first full-time parochial school opened in 1948 under the Sisters of the Order of St. Basil the Great. Msgr. Stephen Hrynuck then led the parish for 37 years (1951–1988) through the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. For nearly 25 years after Berdar's tenure, the parish enjoyed the service of at least two priests at a time, with 22 assistants serving between 1947 and 1975.
- Rev. Michael Guryansky (1920–1935)
- Very Rev. John Ortynsky (1935–1948)
- Rev. Constantine Berdar (1948–1951)
- 1948 — Opening of St. Cyril's Parochial School under the Sisters of the Order of St. Basil the Great
- Msgr. Stephen Hrynuck (1951–1988) — 37-year pastorate
Modern Parish Life
The parish capped its 125th anniversary in October 2013 with a Ukrainian Cultural Day and a banquet attended by 270 parishioners at Fiorelli's Family Catering in Blakely. Metropolitan Archbishop Stefan Soroka of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia visited for the 4:00 PM Divine Liturgy on October 15, 2016, and was greeted at the church doors by the youth of the parish in traditional Ukrainian clothing. The parish continues to host a Holy Year of Mercy Pilgrimage and actively participates in the Archeparchy's Healing of Wounds of the War in Ukraine Fund.
- October 2013 — 125th anniversary celebration (Ukrainian Cultural Day; 270 attendees)
- October 15, 2016 — Visit of Metropolitan Archbishop Stefan Soroka
- Parish participates in Holy Year of Mercy Pilgrimage
- Healing of Wounds of the War in Ukraine Fund supported by the parish
Clergy, Staff and Parish Leadership
The parish is led by Very Rev. Nestor Iwasiw, Pastor, who also serves as Protopresbyter of the North Anthracite Protopresbyterate and pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in Simpson, PA. Supporting him are Mrs. Rosemarie Sember (Administrative Assistant), Mr. Patrick Marcinko III (Cantor and Choir Director), and Mrs. Sandra Berta (Director of Religious Education).
- Father Nestor Iwasiw — Pastor
- Mrs. Rosemarie Sember — Administrative Assistant
- Mr. Patrick Marcinko III — Cantor, Choir Director
- Mrs. Sandra Berta — Director of Religious Education
Worship, Music and Liturgical Arts
Byzantine worship is at the heart of parish life, with chanting led by Cantor and Choir Director Patrick Marcinko III. The parish's liturgical heritage is reflected in its iconostas (designed by iconographer Luhowey and imported from Ukraine for the 1910 brick church) and in continuing traditions of liturgical singing that trace back to the 1895 Choir and Dramatic Club that traveled to Pittsburgh for a church dedication.
- Cantor and Choir program directed by Mr. Patrick Marcinko III
- Iconostasis designed by iconographer Luhowey and imported from Ukraine (1910)
- Liturgical books, censer, chalice and candelabra historically sourced from Lviv and New York
- Devotions include panachyda services at the cemetery for the faithful departed
Religious Education and Youth
Faith formation for children and youth is directed by Mrs. Sandra Berta, drawing on more than a century of parish educational tradition — beginning with the Ukrainian school founded in 1894, the parish school added in 1901, the four-year evening Ukrainian school program of the 1930s–1940s, and the full-time parochial school that opened in 1948 under the Sisters of the Order of St. Basil the Great. Parish youth actively take part in parish life, including greeting the Metropolitan Archbishop in traditional Ukrainian clothing in 2016.
- Director of Religious Education: Mrs. Sandra Berta
- Continuation of parish school tradition begun in 1894 and formalized in 1901
- Parish youth participation in hierarchal visits (e.g., 2016 Metropolitan visit)
St. Cyril's Cemetery
Two acres of land were purchased for a cemetery for $1,400 in 1892–1893 during the pastorate of Rev. Theofan Obushkevich. Today, St. Cyril's Cemetery is located on Gino Merli Drive in Peckville. The parish gathers there annually — typically on or near Memorial Day/Pentecost — for the Divine Liturgy celebrated in the cemetery chapel, followed by panachyda services praying for all those buried there and the blessing of individual graves. The service is open to the public, especially those with loved ones interred at the cemetery.
- Cemetery: St. Cyril's Cemetery, Gino Merli Drive, Peckville
- Acquired 1892–93 for $1,400 (two acres)
- Annual Memorial Day / Pentecost Divine Liturgy and panachyda
- Blessing of individual graves following the panachyda
Ukrainian Catholic Identity
The parish identifies clearly as Byzantine Catholic — 'Orthodox in communion with Rome.' The Ukrainian Catholic Church is the second-largest Catholic Church in the world after the Roman (Latin) Catholic Church, with 14 Particular Catholic Churches worshipping according to the Byzantine Rite. Although the parish has deep Ukrainian roots and a strong Ukrainian cultural flavor, it is also a pan-ethnic community: you do not have to be Ukrainian to be part of this parish, just as you do not have to be Italian to be part of the Roman Catholic Church. The parish belongs to the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia and is in full communion with the Holy See.
- Byzantine Rite Catholic parish in full communion with the Holy See
- Part of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia
- Geographically within the territory of the Roman Diocese of Scranton
- Welcoming to people of all ethnic backgrounds — 'pan-ethnic' identity
- Founded by Lemko Ukrainian immigrants from Galicia
Contact, Office and Visiting
Parishioners and visitors are warmly welcomed. The Parish Office asks that those who plan to visit call ahead (570-291-4451) so that staff can be available to receive them. Messages may also be sent through the parish website or directed to specific staff via email.
- Address: 135 River Street, Olyphant, PA 18447-1435
- Phone: 570-291-4451
- Fax: 570-489-6918
- Email: [email protected]
- Pastor's direct contact: [email protected]
- Recommended to call the parish office ahead of visiting
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John Wolansky1884–1890
First Greek Catholic missionary priest from Galicia, residing in Shenandoah; visited Olyphant periodically from 1885 and guided the founding of the parish; returned to Galicia in 1890.
- Rev. Gabriel Wyslotskycirca 1891 (brief)
Began plans for a larger structure during a brief stay.
- Rev. Theofan ObushkevichJuly 1891 – November 1897
Signed the 1892 charter of incorporation; oversaw the 1893 expansion of the chapel into a larger church.
- Rev. John Ardan1897 – circa 1902
Served about 4.5 years; period of pastoral stability at the turn of the century.
- Rev. Michael Guryansky1920–1935
Led the parish during a period of growing pains and consolidation.
- Very Rev. John Ortynsky1935–1948
Continued and expanded the four-year evening Ukrainian school program until his death; nephew of Bishop Soter Ortynsky.
- Rev. Constantine Berdar1948–1951
Administrator then Pastor; first Assistant Pastor of the parish; oversaw the opening of St. Cyril's first full-time parochial school in 1948 under the Sisters of the Order of St. Basil the Great.
- Msgr. Stephen Hrynuck1951–1988
Longest-serving pastor (37 years); oversaw the parish through the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
- Very Rev. Nestor Iwasiwcurrent
Current pastor; also serves as Protopresbyter of the North Anthracite Protopresbyterate and pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church, Simpson.