About Ss. Peter and Paul [Ukrainian] · Auburn, New York
Saints Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church is a Byzantine-Rite Ukrainian Catholic parish located at 136 Washington Street in Auburn, New York. Founded in 1901 by the first Ukrainian immigrants to settle in the Auburn area, it belongs to the Ukrainian Diocese of Stamford (geographically within the Roman Diocese of Rochester) and welcomes both English- and Ukrainian-speaking faithful to its Divine Liturgies. The parish serves as both a spiritual home for the local Ukrainian-American community and an open, inviting place of worship for anyone seeking the Byzantine Christian tradition in the Finger Lakes region.
- Established
- 1901
- Patron
- Saints Peter and Paul (Apostles, Princes of the Apostles)
- Rector
- Very Reverend Vasile Colopelnic
- Diocese
- Ukrainian Greek Catholic Eparchy of Stamford (within the geographic territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester)
Why belong here
Saints Peter & Paul offers a rare living witness of the Ukrainian Byzantine Catholic tradition in the Finger Lakes. The parish celebrates Divine Liturgy in both English and Ukrainian each week, ministers to Ukrainian refugee families arriving in central New York, and runs a beloved annual summer festival that draws visitors from across the region. Recent upgrades — an accessibility lift at the rear of the church, an expanded parking lot, and a newly replaced roof — have made its century-old building more welcoming than ever, and the pastor's Jubilee letter invites twenty-five new families or individuals to join the community as 'fishers of men' for this historic moment.
Mass times at Ss. Peter and Paul [Ukrainian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Parish Story — From 1882 to the 125th Jubilee
Saints Peter & Paul was founded in 1901 by the Ukrainian families who began settling in Auburn in the 1880s — most arriving from Galicia and Transcarpatia — and who worked at places like Goodrich Quarry, Columbian Rope, Auburn Twine, and D.M. Osborne. Before they had their own church, they worshipped at St. Alphonsus on Water Street, then at a house on Clark Street, until the missionary priest Fr. Zaklinsky encouraged them to organize as a parish. In 2026 the community will celebrate its 125th anniversary with a Hierarchal Divine Liturgy presided by Bishop Paul Chomnycky, Bishop of Stamford, on October 11, 2026.
The 1910 Church Building
The present Auburn church was built 1905–1910 and consecrated September 5, 1910 by Bishop Soter Ortynsky of Philadelphia, the first Ukrainian Catholic bishop in America. The building's most cherished liturgical feature is its historic iconostasis, whose icons are scheduled for professional restoration as part of the parish's Jubilee interior renovation (Phase 2).
- Original 128 Washington Street church — worship site 1901–1910
- Present 136 Washington Street church — consecrated 1910
- Iconostasis and icons — slated for restoration
Worship Schedule — Divine Liturgy, English & Ukrainian
The parish follows the Byzantine liturgical calendar. Each week the community gathers for the Sunday Divine Liturgy twice — in English at 8:30 AM and in Ukrainian at 10:00 AM — and on weekdays at 8:00 AM (Tuesday through Friday). The Saturday Vigil Divine Liturgy is celebrated in English at 4:00 PM.
- Sunday 8:30 AM — English
- Sunday 10:00 AM — Ukrainian
- Saturday Vigil 4:00 PM — English
- Tue–Fri 8:00 AM — Daily Liturgy
Lenten & Seasonal Practices
Following Byzantine tradition, the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is celebrated on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout Great Lent. Father Colopelnic has spoken publicly about this distinctive Ukrainian Catholic Lenten observance in the diocesan Catholic Courier.
- Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts — Wed & Fri in Lent
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
The parish is currently led by Very Reverend Vasile Colopelnic, who was assigned as pastor in September 2012 and is marking his thirteenth year in Auburn with a Jubilee Letter dated October 1, 2025. He is a graduate of the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (Theology, 1996) and previously served as Director of Religious Education for the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy.
- Fr. Vasile Colopelnic — Pastor since September 2012
Parish Organizations & Heritage
Lay organizations have anchored parish life since its earliest days. The St. Nicholas Society (Brotherhood) — the first Ukrainian organization in Auburn — was instrumental in planning the parish and church and is remembered in the parish's photographic archive. Today, the Altar Rosary Society continues that legacy, sponsoring memorial Divine Liturgy intentions for deceased parishioners.
- St. Nicholas Society (Brotherhood) — founding organization
- Altar Rosary Society — memorial Liturgy intentions
Outreach & Ukrainian Refugee Ministry
Beyond its liturgical life, Saints Peter & Paul has played an active role in welcoming and resettling Ukrainian refugee families arriving in central New York, working in partnership with the broader Auburn community. This ministry is highlighted by the pastor as a defining expression of the parish's present-day mission alongside its century-old liturgical tradition.
- Refugee resettlement — Ukrainian families in Auburn area
125th Jubilee Capital Renovation
To mark the 125th anniversary, the parish has launched a three-phase, approximately $425,000 restoration of the church building. The first two Phase 1 projects — replacement of the church roof ($106,575) and installation of a lightning-protection system ($19,384) — have already been completed, with masonry pointing planned for the following spring.
- Phase 1 — Exterior: roof (done), masonry pointing, mosaics, lightning rods (done)
- Phase 2 — Interior: repaint, restore iconostasis & icons, replace flooring
- Phase 3 — Beautification: choir-loft icons, candle stands, electronic carillon
- Capital goal: ~$425,000
Annual Summer Festival
In recent years the parish has revived its annual summer festival, now regionally recognized as a celebration of Ukrainian-American heritage in the Finger Lakes. It is one of the parish's signature community events alongside its liturgical life.
Visiting & Accessibility
The church building at 136 Washington Street is open for services as listed above, and a handicap-accessible lift is available at the rear of the church. The parish has expanded parking by acquiring additional land behind the church, and the front steps have been replaced in recent years.
- Accessibility lift — rear of church
- Expanded parking lot
- Replaced front steps
- Mailing address: 136 Washington Street, Auburn, NY 13021
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Zaklinsky (missionary priest)circa 1900
Missionary priest who urged the small Ukrainian community of about 75 to establish their own parish.
- Father Leo Giretsky1901–
First resident pastor of the newly established parish, serving at the original 128 Washington Street church.
- Very Reverend Vasile ColopelnicSeptember 2012 – present
Thirteenth year of pastorate marked in Jubilee Letter of October 1, 2025; leads the 125th Anniversary preparations and renovation campaign.