About Shrine of Holy Family [Ukrainian] · Washington, District of Columbia
The Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family is an Eastern Catholic (Byzantine-Ukrainian rite) shrine located at 4250 Harewood Road NE in the Brookland / Catholic University neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1949 to serve Ukrainian Greek Catholics in the nation's capital, it is the visible presence of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in the United States and is administered by the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia. The 130-foot contemporary Ukrainian-style structure, topped with golden domes, was built in three phases between 1979 and 1999, was blessed cornerstone-by-cornerstone by Saint Pope John Paul II in 1979, and hosts the Divine Liturgy in both Ukrainian and English each Sunday. It functions as a place of worship, pilgrimage, evangelization, and reconciliation for Ukrainian Catholics across North America and welcomes visitors of every background who wish to experience Eastern Catholic liturgy in the U.S. capital.
- Established
- 1949
- Patron
- The Holy Family — Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Robert J. Hitchens (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia
Why belong here
The Shrine is the de facto spiritual home of Ukrainian Greek Catholics in the United States — the place every Ukrainian Catholic is encouraged to call 'their church' when visiting Washington. Parishioners experience the full Byzantine-Ukrainian Divine Liturgy celebrated in both Ukrainian and English each Sunday, with a bilingual summer liturgy, the Rosary prayed after each Liturgy by the Rosary Altar Society, a parish choir that has carried Holy Family's choral tradition forward since the 1950s, and a deep calendar of Marian and Holy Family devotions. Its location, adjacent to St. Josaphat's Ukrainian Catholic Seminary and across from the Catholic University of America, places it at the heart of Catholic Washington, and its ministries — Knights of Columbus Council #11675, Rosary Altar Society, Marian Sodality, Religious Education Program, Pysanka Workshop, Library & Bookstore, and ongoing Ukraine-relief efforts — give newcomers many ways to worship, learn, and serve.
Mass times at Shrine of Holy Family [Ukrainian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Available before the Divine Liturgy — see the priest before the service (per the official Liturgical Schedule page).
About the Shrine
The Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family is the national Ukrainian Catholic presence in Washington, D.C. — a place of worship, pilgrimage, evangelization, and reconciliation dedicated to the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. It gives visitors an opportunity to encounter the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, one of 23 Eastern Catholic (sui iuris) churches in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, and to experience its Byzantine-Ukrainian liturgical and cultural heritage in the heart of the U.S. capital. The Shrine is administered by the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, currently under the pastoral care of Fr. Robert Hitchens (Administrator) and Fr. Mykola Dziurakh (Parochial Vicar).
- Type: National Shrine (parish-level) of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
- Diocese: Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia
- Metropolitan / Archbishop: Most Rev. Borys Gudziak
- Languages: Ukrainian and English
History
Founded in September 1949 by Metropolitan Constantine Bohachevsky, the parish began life in the chapel of the Discalced Carmelite Monastery on Lincoln Road NE and over three decades moved four times before settling on its permanent three-acre site on Harewood Road NE. A Memorial Fund Raising Campaign launched in 1975 was the financial engine for the project; construction was completed in three phases (1979-1980, 1988, 1999) and was blessed at multiple stages by (now Saint) Pope John Paul II, Cardinals Myroslav Lubachivsky and James Hickey, Metropolitans Maxim Hermaniuk, Ambrose Senyshyn, and Stefan Soroka, and Bishop Basil Losten. The full Shrine was dedicated October 9-10, 1999 by Metropolitan Sulyk and Bishop Kuchmiak; the 75th anniversary was marked in 2024 under Archbishop-Metropolitan Borys Gudziak.
- 1949: Parish founded by Metropolitan Constantine Bohachevsky; Fr. Vladimir Wozniak celebrates first Divine Liturgy on June 19, 1949.
- 1972: Fr. Stephen Shawel, C.Ss.R. assumes the pastorate.
- 1973: Fr. Joseph Denischuk, C.Ss.R. joins and champions the national-shrine vision.
- 1975: Harewood Road site chosen, blessed by Bishop Basil Losten; Memorial Fund Raising Campaign launched (original goal $500,000).
- 1977: Bishop Losten formally names the project 'The Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family.'
- September 1978: Groundbreaking ceremony.
- October 7, 1979: Pope John Paul II blesses the cornerstone.
- 1979-1980: Shrine Center (lower level) completed.
- September 14, 1980: Formal cornerstone laying and dedication of the Shrine Center.
- 1988: Upper sanctuary shell built.
- October 9-10, 1999: Dedication of the completed Shrine and 50th-anniversary celebrations.
- 2007: Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Bishops gathers at the Shrine under Patriarch Lubomyr Cardinal Husar.
- January 2009: Fr. Robert Hitchens and Fr. Wasyl Kharuk appointed parish priests.
- 2024: 75th anniversary of the parish celebrated.
Architecture & Iconography
Designed by parishioner-architect Miroslav (Myroslav) Nimciv, the Shrine rises about 130 feet in a contemporary Ukrainian style crowned with three golden domes and a bell tower, set on a three-acre campus. The upper-church interior has seating for approximately 450; the lower-level Shrine Center includes a 600-seat auditorium, meeting hall, classrooms, offices, a library, Ukrainian religious gift shop, kitchen, and stage. Gold-anodized chandeliers light the nave, and an Our Lady of the Sign icon (canvas) is currently in place. A two-stage international Iconography Design Competition is underway for a new permanent iconostas (15 ft high × 30 ft long, designed by architect Larysa Kurylas) and a full sanctuary iconographic program depicting Ukrainian-Catholic feast days, the Baptism of Ukraine, the U.S. mission, the Ukrainian Martyrs, and Christ the King (Pantokrator) on the ceiling.
- Architect: Miroslav (Myroslav) Nimciv (parishioner)
- Style: Contemporary Ukrainian, ~130 ft tall
- Phases: lower Shrine Center (1979-80), upper shell (1988), upper-church interior (1999)
- New iconostas designer: Larysa Kurylas
- Capacity: ~450 in upper church; 600 in lower auditorium
Liturgical Schedule & Sacraments
The Shrine celebrates the Byzantine-Ukrainian Divine Liturgy each Sunday in both Ukrainian and English, with a bilingual single Liturgy at 10:00 a.m. during the summer (May 24 – September 6). Weekday and Holy Day services are scheduled in the parish bulletin; the Shrine recommends checking the bulletin for any changes, and all Divine Liturgies are live-streamed on Facebook. The Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) is available before the Divine Liturgy by speaking with the priest. Other sacraments are arranged through the parish office by appointment.
- Sunday 9:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy (English)
- Sunday 11:30 a.m. — Divine Liturgy (Ukrainian)
- Summer (May 24 – Sept 6): 10:00 a.m. — Bilingual Divine Liturgy
- Weekdays/Holy Days: 9:00 a.m. (days vary — see bulletin)
- Confession: before the Divine Liturgy
- All Divine Liturgies live-streamed on Facebook
Parish Clergy & Staff
Pastoral care is currently provided by Fr. Robert J. Hitchens (Administrator; also Protopresbyter of the Washington Protopresbyterate and Rector of St. Josaphat's Ukrainian Catholic Seminary) and Fr. Mykola Dziurakh (Parochial Vicar; also Administrator of SS. Joachim and Anna Ukrainian Catholic Church in Front Royal, VA). The Shrine is served by the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, whose head is Archbishop-Metropolitan Borys Gudziak.
- Fr. Robert J. Hitchens — Administrator
- Fr. Mykola Dziurakh — Parochial Vicar
Organizations & Ministries
The Shrine supports an unusually rich network of parish organizations — many of them rooted in mid-20th-century Ukrainian-American Catholic parish life — that sustain the Shrine's worship, cultural, charitable, and educational mission. Members are actively recruited and the Choir and Religious Education Program in particular welcome new participants.
- Choir (sings in Ukrainian and English; rehearsals ~10:15 a.m. Sundays; Director Oksana Lassowska, Cantor Ryan Mulvey)
- Knights of Columbus Holy Family Council #11675 (charity, unity, fraternity; Coats for Kids program)
- Rosary Altar Society (prays the Rosary after each Sunday Liturgy; President Pamela White)
- Marian Sodality / Mariyska Druzyna (parish women's society)
- Religious Education Program (parish catechesis)
- Pysanka Workshop (Ukrainian Easter-egg tradition)
- Library & Bookstore (founded 1982 by Jurij Dobczansky)
- Help Ukraine (parish relief and awareness efforts)
- Iconography Design Competition (sanctuary art program)
Contact
The parish office welcomes calls, email, and visits by appointment. Sacramental and pastoral needs outside office hours can be directed to the after-hours emergency line. The Archeparchy of Philadelphia also lists parish contacts at [email protected] and individual priest emails.
- Office: 202-526-3737
- Fax: 202-526-1327
- Emergency (after hours): 202-262-5040
- Email: [email protected] (parish); [email protected] (Fr. Hitchens); [email protected] (Fr. Dziurakh)
- Office visits by appointment only
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Vladimir Wozniak1949
First pastor; named the parish Holy Family; organized the first church committee and parish choir; celebrated the inaugural Divine Liturgy on June 19, 1949.
- Rev. Theodore Danusiar
Served as Holy Family's pastor; in November 1963 was one of three clergymen to lead the funeral procession of President John F. Kennedy.
- Rev. Stephen Shawel, C.Ss.R.1972–
Redemptorist pastor; selected the Harewood Road site, launched the Memorial Fund Raising Campaign in 1975, oversaw the groundbreaking in September 1978 and the cornerstone blessing by Pope John Paul II on October 7, 1979.
- Rev. Joseph Denischuk, C.Ss.R.1973–
Associate pastor and Campaign Director; traveled over 200,000 miles to nearly 200 parishes in the U.S. and Canada, raising several times the original $500,000 goal; championed the idea of a national shrine.
- Rev. Andrew Krafcik, C.Ss.R.1972–1973
Associate pastor under Fr. Shawel.
- Rev. Joseph Korba, C.Ss.R.1973–1974
Associate pastor under Fr. Shawel.
- Msgr. John Bura
Served the parish from St. Josaphat's Seminary during an interim period.
- Rev. Henadiy Mykhayluyk
Served alongside Msgr. Bura during the interim period.
- Rev. Petro SemenychNov 1, 1996 – Sept 1997
Administrator of Spiritualities; Fr. Deacon Staruch served concurrently as Administrator of Temporalities.
- Rev. Wasyl KharukOct 4, 1997
Became Administrator of Spiritualities, then Parochial Vicar in residence; also pastor of St. Mary's, Manassas, VA, and St. John the Baptist, Richmond, VA.
- Rev. Taras Lonchyna
Pastor of Holy Family while retaining pastorate of Holy Trinity Particular Ukrainian Catholic Church, Silver Spring, MD.
- Rev. Thaddeus KrawchukMay 1998
Returned to Holy Family to complete the Shrine; reinvigorated the Building Construction Committee, modified construction plans to lower cost, and oversaw the Saylor Construction Company contract (January 1999) that completed the Shrine in time for the 1999 dedication.
- Rev. Nestor IwasiwNovember 2001 – January 2009
Pastor; paid off the remaining mortgage on the church, purchased a parish residence in 'Little Ukraine' (Hyattsville, MD), and had the bell tower repaired, repainted, and the bells restored with Knights of Columbus funds.
- Rev. Robert J. HitchensJanuary 2009–present
Rector of St. Josaphat's Seminary at the time of his appointment; current Administrator of the Shrine.
- Rev. Mykola Dziurakhcurrent
Current Parochial Vicar (also Administrator of SS. Joachim and Anna Ukrainian Catholic Church, Front Royal).
![Shrine of Holy Family [Ukrainian] in Washington, District of Columbia — photo 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Ukrainian_Catholic_National_Shrine_of_the_Holy_Family_2012.jpg (exterior, 2012, Wikimedia Commons) "Shrine of Holy Family [Ukrainian]")