About St. Andrew [Ukrainian] · Parma, Ohio
St. Andrew Ukrainian Catholic Church is a Byzantine-rite Ukrainian Catholic parish in Parma, Ohio, belonging to the Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma. The parish was organized in the mid-1960s as a mission from the mother church of Saints Peter & Paul on Cleveland's south side, with construction beginning in 1966 and the first liturgical service celebrated at the end of that year. The church was formally dedicated and blessed by Metropolitan Archbishop Ambrose Senyshyn, OSBM on May 28, 1967, before a roof had even been installed on the building. Officially constituted as a separate parish on July 18, 1972, St. Andrew is currently served by Fr. Ihor Kasiyan and is widely known for its Pyrohy (pierogi) sales, Lenten Fish Fry, annual Ukrainian Festival, and bilingual English-Ukrainian liturgical life.
- Established
- 1967
- Patron
- St. Andrew the Apostle
- Rector
- Fr. Ihor Kasiyan
- Diocese
- Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma
Why belong here
St. Andrew offers a rare combination of faithful Byzantine-rite Ukrainian Catholic worship in both Ukrainian and English, a deeply rooted parish family, and a vibrant calendar of cultural and charitable life. Parishioners are drawn by bilingual Divine Liturgies, a strong adult religion program, the women's, men's and youth organizations that have served the parish for decades, and signature events such as the Lenten Fish Fry, Pyrohy sales, the Ukrainian Festival, Sviachene (Easter dinner) and St. Nicholas festivities — all of which keep Ukrainian Catholic heritage alive in Ohio's largest Ukrainian-American community.
Mass times at St. Andrew [Ukrainian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM (Reconciliation)
History of St. Andrew Ukrainian Catholic Church
St. Andrew UCC traces its origins to the mother parish of Ss. Peter & Paul on Cleveland's south side. After the parochial school opened in 1949 and post-WWII immigration swelled Cleveland's Ukrainian Catholic community, the search for a new parish site led to land on Hoertz Road purchased in 1935 through Messrs. Szmagala, Lipian and Pretyliak. Fr. Msgr. Dmytro Gresko organized the new community; architect Walter Stickle and builder Wasyl Mural constructed the church at a cost of $600,000, and it was blessed by Metropolitan Archbishop Ambrose Senyshyn on May 28, 1967. On July 18, 1972 it was canonically erected as a separate parish with Fr. Msgr. Leo Tymkiw as first pastor, and in 1984 it was designated a pilgrimage church of the new Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma.
- Land on Hoertz Road purchased 1935 (Szmagala, Lipian, Pretyliak)
- Construction began spring 1966; first liturgy end of 1966
- Church dedicated May 28, 1967 by Metropolitan Archbishop Ambrose Senyshyn, OSBM
- Iconostasis, altar, tabernacle, pews by Dmytro Kohutych installed 1973
- Three mosaics by I.M. Baranski (Yonkers, NY)
- Separate parish erected July 18, 1972
- Designated a pilgrimage church in 1984
Pastor and Clergy
The parish is currently served by Fr. Ihor Kasiyan, a native of Kalush in Ukraine's Ivano-Frankivsk region, who came with his wife Tatiyana and children Pavlo, Dmytro and Christina. He is assisted by the retired Fr. Msgr. Mitred Archpriest Michael Poloway, Fr. Deacon Michael Kulick and Subdeacon Joseph Zappernick (a native son of the parish). Fr. Deacon Roman Turchyn, also listed, is now deceased.
- Fr. Ihor Kasiyan — pastor
- Fr. Msgr. Mitred Archpriest Michael Poloway (retired, assisting)
- Fr. Deacon Michael Kulick
- Fr. Deacon Roman Turchyn (deceased)
- Subdeacon Joseph Zappernick (native son)
Worship Schedule (Liturgy & Sacraments)
St. Andrew celebrates the Byzantine-rite Divine Liturgy bilingually each week, with Ukrainian and English services on both Saturday and Sunday plus a Ukrainian Divine Liturgy each weekday morning. Confessions are heard Saturday afternoons before the vigil Mass; Great Fast weekday adjustments are published in the weekly bulletin.
- Sunday 9:30 AM (Ukrainian) and 12:00 PM (English)
- Saturday 9:00 AM (Ukrainian) and 4:30 PM (English)
- Weekdays 9:00 AM (Ukrainian)
- Confession Saturday 3:30 PM
- Family Rosary on the 2nd Sunday of each month at 9:00 AM
- Men's Rosary on the 2nd Sunday of each month
Parish Organizations & Ministries
Decades of lay organizations sustain the life of St. Andrew. The Ladies Guild (now Women's League) was founded in 1967; the Holy Name Society in 1971; and the Men's Club and Jr. Ladies Guild merged in 1995 into the St. Andrew UCC Adult Group. Other groups through the years include the Apostleship of Prayer, the League of Ukrainian Catholic Youth, the Ukrainian Dance Group, the Acolyte Confraternity, Legion of Mary, the Junior Ladies League, Girl's Sodality and the B-Stars youth group.
- Pyrohy (Pierogi) Group — long-running fundraiser and community builder
- Women's League (est. 1967)
- Adult Group (since 1995)
- Holy Name Society (est. 1971)
- Apostleship of Prayer, Legion of Mary
- Acolyte Confraternity / League of Ukrainian Catholic Youth
- Ukrainian Dance Group, B-Stars youth group
- Cantor, choir and Epistle readers
- Catechism and Public School Religion programs
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religion classes were organized in 1972 to instill Ukrainian Catholic identity in the young. The current program offers Catechism classes for children on Sundays from 11:00 to 11:45 a.m. — a 1st-grade class, a Reconciliation prep class and a youth group class for those who have already made First Confession. The parish also runs a Public School Religion program that for more than 25 years was directed by Mary Sulhan with teachers Bonnie Daymat and Wira Gernaga, both honored at the 2006 Bishop's Ball.
- Sunday Catechism 11:00–11:45 a.m. between liturgies
- 1st-grade, Reconciliation Prep and youth group catechesis
- Public School Religion Program (Mary Sulhan, director 25+ years)
Annual Events & Festivals
Beyond weekly worship, St. Andrew UCC hosts a full calendar of community events: the two-day outdoor Ukrainian Festival in the parish Picnic Grove, the six-Friday Lenten Fish Fry in the upper fellowship hall (serving 300–400 dinners weekly), Sviachene (Easter dinner) about two weeks after Pascha, the Pentecost Picnic Social, the St. Andrew Feast Day Liturgy and Dinner on the Sunday closest to November 30, and the St. Nicholas event for children in early December.
- Lenten Fish Fry — six Fridays of Lent (not Good Friday)
- Ukrainian Festival — two-day fundraiser in Picnic Grove
- Sviachene (Easter Dinner) — paska, eggs, sausage, ham, horseradish relish
- Pentecost Services and Picnic Social
- St. Nicholas event for children (December)
- St. Andrew Feast Day Liturgy & Dinner (Sunday near November 30)
Outreach & Charity
The parish actively supports area charities. The most visible ongoing effort is its food drive for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul / Southwest Ozanam Center on Broadview Road in Cleveland; the parish also gathers for a special prayer service for the healing of living persons and runs the Adopt a Seminarian program for future priests of the eparchy.
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul / Southwest Ozanam Center food drive
- Prayer service for healing of living persons
- Adopt a Seminarian Program (eparchy-wide)
Property, Cemetery & Facilities
The Hoertz Road campus includes the church, rectory, upper fellowship hall, cemetery and picnic grove that have been developed for parish and community use since the original 1935 land purchase.
- Church building (built 1966; dedicated 1967)
- Rectory
- Upper fellowship hall (site of Lenten Fish Fry)
- Parish cemetery and picnic grove
Anniversary & Giving
In 2027 the parish will joyfully celebrate the 60th anniversary of St. Andrew UCC. Parishioners are asked to support a dedicated 'Anniversary Fund' to help commemorate and celebrate the milestone together as a parish family.
- 60th anniversary to be observed in 2027
- Dedicated Anniversary Fund for improvements and commemorative events
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Msgr. Dmytro Gresko1960s–early 1970s
Driving force behind organizing the parish; oversaw design and construction of the church (architect Walter Stickle, builder Wasyl Mural).
- Fr. Saganearly 1970s
Founded the Holy Name Society in 1971 under lay leadership of Messrs. Stanley Kozak, John Fedoryshyn and John Buczkowski.
- Fr. Msgr. Leo Tymkiw1972–November 1998
First pastor after St. Andrew became a separate parish on July 18, 1972. Launched the Holy Name Society, Apostleship of Prayer, Ukrainian dance group, and League of Ukrainian Catholic Youth; hosted the original statue of Our Lady of Fatima in August 1988.
- Fr. Msgr. Waslolate 1990s/early 2000s
Also served as Vice-Chancellor of the Eparchy and Judicial Vicar on the Tribunal; organized the Pastoral Advisory Council, started adult religion classes and joined the 'Adopt a Seminarian' program; was the first and only priest ordained at St. Andrew (June 1986); later re-assigned as rector of St. Josaphat Seminary in Washington, DC.
- Fr. Ihor Kasiyan2003–present
Current pastor, originally from Kalush, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine; wife Tatiyana and children Pavlo, Dmytro and Christina. Strongly encourages volunteer participation and revived the Pyrohy Group, Lenten Fish Fry and other projects.