About St. George [Ukrainian] · Lincoln, Nebraska
St. George Ukrainian Catholic Church is a small mission parish of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) located in Lincoln, Nebraska. It belongs to the Eparchy of Saint Nicholas in Chicago, the largest of the Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with Rome, and sits geographically within the territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lincoln. The community worships in the Byzantine rite in the Kyivan/Ukrainian tradition, celebrating the Divine Liturgy in both English and Ukrainian on Sundays and on announced feast days. The parish also hosts the monthly Melkite Byzantine Catholic community for its Divine Services, making the building a gathering place for several Eastern Catholic traditions in southeast Nebraska.
- Patron
- St. George the Great Martyr
- Rector
- Fr. Petro Kozar
- Diocese
- Eparchy of Saint Nicholas of Chicago (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church); geographically within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lincoln
Why belong here
St. George offers the rare opportunity in Lincoln to worship in the Byzantine-Ukrainian liturgical tradition of the Eastern Catholic Church — the largest of the Eastern Churches in full communion with Rome — celebrated in both English and Ukrainian. As a small, mission-sized parish, it is intimate and welcoming, and it shares its church home with the Melkite Byzantine community for monthly services, making it a true gathering place for Eastern Catholics across southeast Nebraska. Anyone seeking the Kyivan/Ukrainian spiritual, liturgical, and cultural heritage of the UGCC — with the Divine Liturgy at 12 p.m. on Sundays — will find a warm 'come and see' community here.
Mass times at St. George [Ukrainian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Welcome to St. George Ukrainian Catholic Church
The parish's WordPress homepage greets visitors with the words 'Glory be to Jesus Christ! — Слава Ісусу Христу!' and 'God is with us! — З Нами Бог!' The community describes itself as working to 'seek God's Kingdom and closer communion with Him, to make His presence and kingdom real through our worship and community life,' and extends the same invitation Christ gave Philip in John 1:46: 'come and see.' The page is bilingual in English and Ukrainian and emphasizes the parish's identity as part of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), Eparchy of St. Nicholas in Chicago.
- Greeting: 'Glory be to Jesus Christ! — Слава Ісусу Христу!'
- Parish motto: 'God is with us! — З Нами Бог!'
- Invitation: 'Come and see' (cf. John 1:46)
About Our Parish
St. George is a parish of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), Eparchy of St. Nicholas in Chicago — the largest of the particular Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with Rome. Liturgy is celebrated according to the Byzantine rite in the particular Kyivan/Ukrainian tradition, in both English and Ukrainian. The parish shares its church home with the Melkite Byzantine Catholic Community of Nebraska for their monthly Divine Liturgy.
- Jurisdiction: Eparchy of Saint Nicholas of Chicago (UGCC)
- Geographic location: Roman Diocese of Lincoln
- Liturgical rite: Byzantine, Kyivan/Ukrainian tradition
- Languages: English and Ukrainian
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
The parish has been served at different points by priests of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and is assisted by a permanent deacon from the local Melkite community. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Lincoln's parish directory and the Ukrainian Catholic BVM parish in Omaha both list Fr. Petro Kozar as the current pastor (he also pastors the Assumption of the B.V.M. Ukrainian Catholic Church in Omaha). The parish's WordPress site previously named Fr. Bohdan Kudleychuk as the serving priest, with Deacon Randolph Brown assisting.
- Fr. Petro Kozar — Pastor (per Diocese of Lincoln directory and Assumption BVM Ukrainian Catholic Church)
- Fr. Bohdan Kudleychuk — named serving priest on parish WordPress site
- Deacon Randolph Brown — assists at parish; helped establish the parish website
Mass & Service Schedule
The regular weekly worship of the parish is the Byzantine Divine Liturgy celebrated at 12:00 p.m. on Sundays. Feast-day liturgies are added as announced. The parish has historically posted updates on its WordPress site around Christmas, Holy Week, Pascha (with blessing of Paschal foods), and the spring blessing of graves.
- Sunday Divine Liturgy: 12:00 p.m.
- Feast days: as announced
- Pascha: Divine Liturgy with Blessing of Paschal Foods
- Holy Week and Christmas services (announced)
Liturgical Calendar Highlights
The WordPress site archives show seasonal announcements including 'CHRIST IS BORN! Glorify Him! — Христос Рождається! Славімо Його!' for Christmas and 'CHRIST IS RISEN! TRULY HE IS RISEN!' at Pascha. A separate notice covers the Blessing of Graves with Removal of Graves on a Saturday in the Paschal season.
- Christmas announcement: 'Christ is Born! Glorify Him!' (2013)
- Pascha announcement: Holy Week and Pascha (2012)
- Blessing of Graves with Removal of Graves — Saturday as announced
Byzantine Christian Formation
Because St. George is a small mission-sized community, formation has historically been offered on a community/individual basis. The byzcath.org directory references Byzantine Christian Formation for the parish, so catechesis in the Byzantine-Ukrainian tradition is available.
- Byzantine Christian Formation classes
Melkite Byzantine Catholic Community of Nebraska
St. George hosts the Melkite Byzantine Catholic Mission of Nebraska, which holds its Divine Services at the parish on a monthly basis. Deacon Randolph Brown, who set up the parish's WordPress presence and assists at the parish, is part of the Melkite community. Visitors interested in the Melkite Byzantine tradition can find the community at melkitenebraska.blogspot.com.
- Monthly Melkite Divine Liturgy at St. George
- Melkite community website: melkitenebraska.blogspot.com
- Deacon Randolph Brown — assists at parish and the Melkite mission
Visiting & Contact
All are welcome at St. George. The parish may be reached at the church address on North 13th Street or by phone. The current site's primary contact details come from its WordPress page, while the Diocese of Lincoln directory lists the parish's mailing address in Omaha, where its pastor is based.
- Church address: 3330 North 13th Street, Lincoln, NE 68521
- Phone: (402) 345-1552
- Alternative phone: (570) 486-3593
- Mailing address (pastor's office): 1513 Martha St., Omaha, NE 68108
- Website: http://stgeorgelincoln.wordpress.com/
In the Wider Ukrainian Catholic Community of Nebraska
St. George and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church in Omaha are the two Ukrainian Catholic parishes serving the state. The Omaha parish was founded by Ukrainian immigrants who began arriving in the area in 1949; Lincoln's St. George grew out of the same post–World War II immigration. Older members, some of whom have attended nearly every Sunday since the parish's founding, continue to sing traditional Ukrainian hymns at the Divine Liturgy and maintain the community's cultural and spiritual traditions, including decorated Easter eggs (pysanky), embroidered Ukrainian clothing, and Ukrainian poetry.
- Sister parish: Assumption of the B.V.M. Ukrainian Catholic Church, Omaha
- Founded by post-WWII Ukrainian immigrants, 1949 onward
- Preserves Ukrainian cultural traditions: pysanky, embroidered clothing, Ukrainian poetry
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Bohdan Kudleychuk
Listed as the serving priest on the parish's stgeorgelincoln.wordpress.com site.
- Fr. Petro Kozar
Current pastor per the Diocese of Lincoln parish directory and the Assumption BVM Ukrainian Catholic Church website (Omaha, NE).