About St. John the Baptist · Hunter, New York
St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church (and its companion Parish Center, the Grazhda) sits on a pine-clad hilltop between the Hunter ski area and the village of Lexington in New York's Northern Catskill Mountains. Built in 1961–1962 by Ukrainian immigrants known as the 'Hantertsi,' the church is a faithful timber reproduction of a Carpathian wooden village church, raised without nails from hand-hewn Canadian cedar and topped with five metal domes. The parish belongs to the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford and serves both as a summer spiritual home for Ukrainian-heritage faithful and a cultural destination, with folk-art courses, an art gallery, Saturday-evening concerts, and a Sunday buffet held in the Grazhda.
- Established
- 1962
- Patron
- Saint John the Baptist
- Rector
- Rev. Dr. Ivan Kaszczak
- Diocese
- Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford (geographically within the territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany)
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist is a living link between Ukrainian immigrant heritage and the American Catskills — a place where Byzantine liturgy is celebrated in a hand-built Carpathian wooden church, proclaimed a shrine to those who fought for Ukraine's freedom. Visitors are welcomed not only to the Divine Liturgy but to the Grazhda's folk-art and singing courses, Saturday-evening concerts, art gallery, gift shop, and traditional Ukrainian Sunday buffet during the summer months. It is at once a parish, a cultural center, and a Catskills landmark that draws Ukrainian-heritage faithful and curious travelers alike.
Mass times at St. John the Baptist
Weekly Mass schedule
About St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church
Tucked into the Northern Catskill Mountains on a pine-covered hilltop off Route 23A (Ukraine Road), between the Hunter ski area and the village of Lexington, St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church is both a working Byzantine-rite parish and a celebrated Catskills landmark. The 'Hantertsi' — the Ukrainian-American summer community that built it — raised the timber church in 1961–1962 as a faithful reproduction of a Carpathian village church and dedicated it to Saint John the Baptist. Today the parish welcomes Ukrainian-heritage faithful, summer visitors, and travelers drawn by the church's distinctive five-domed silhouette above the trees.
History of the Parish
The parish grew out of a 1950s wish among Ukrainian summer residents for worship in their own language and rite. A 1960 meeting at the Xenia Resort formed an Exploratory Committee; Dr. Iwan Makarewycz donated two acres of hilltop land; a Christmas-card campaign led by his wife Natalia funded construction; and architect Titus Hewryk, model-maker Jaroslaw Paladij, and master craftsman Yuri Kostiw turned a Carpathian-style sketch into a 65-foot cedar church raised without nails. Bishop Joseph Schmondiuk consecrated the completed church on August 18, 1962 and proclaimed it a shrine to those who fought for Ukraine's freedom. The Bell Tower followed in 1966, the Grazhda parish center in 1973, and the Parsonage in 1984.
- 1960 — Exploratory Committee formed at Xenia Resort (Kobziarivka)
- 1961 — Dr. Iwan Makarewycz donates two acres; design approved; temporary chapel erected
- 1961–1962 — Construction by ~100 NYC volunteers/weekend and local craftsmen using BC cedar
- August 18, 1962 — Consecration by Bishop Joseph Schmondiuk; proclaimed a shrine
- 1966 — Bell Tower (Dzvinytsya) completed with bells from Italy and Holland
- 1973 — Parish Center (Grazhda) opened
- 1984 — Parsonage (Khyzha) completed
The Church (Tserkva) — Exterior
The Tserkva sits atop the hill where Ukrainian immigrants raised their dream in cedar. Its 65-foot, three-tiered log structure is finished with hand-split cedar shakes and crowned by five metal domes. The whole building was stacked and joined without nails or metal fasteners — a deliberate choice by master craftsman Yuri Kostiw to honor centuries of Boyko church-building tradition.
- Canadian cedar logs, hand-hewn
- 65-foot, three-tiered construction
- Five metal domes
- Built without nails or metal fasteners
The Church Interior (Byzantine Style)
Inside, the church follows Eastern Christian tradition. An ornate hand-carved wooden icon screen (the Iconostas) separates the sanctuary from the nave; additional icons embellish the walls above the iconostas and the sanctuary behind the altar. A large carved wooden chandelier hangs from the center of the ceiling, depicting a three-dimensional cross emerging from a central sphere. Except for a few side benches for the elderly and infirm, the floor is open — the congregation stands throughout the Divine Liturgy.
- Hand-carved Iconostas (icon screen)
- Icons on the walls and in the sanctuary
- Central carved wooden chandelier with three-dimensional cross
- Open floor plan (congregation stands)
The Bell Tower (Dzvinytsya)
Completed in 1966, the square Bell Tower is built of Canadian cedar and topped by an eight-sided pyramidal roof covered in hand-split cedar shingles that visually unify it with the main church. It accommodates two bells — one from Italy and one from Holland — traditionally rung before and during specific parts of the Divine Liturgy, funerals, and other religious services.
- Completed 1966
- Two bells from Italy and Holland
- Eight-sided pyramidal cedar-shingled roof
The Parish Center (Grazhda)
The Grazhda was officially opened in 1973 to complement the architectural style of the existing structures and to preserve and celebrate Ukrainian culture. It is most active during the summer, when cultural and folk-art courses are offered. Summer visitors can browse the art gallery, shop the gift shop, attend Saturday-evening concerts, and enjoy traditional Ukrainian foods at the Sunday buffet. In the colder months, part of the building is converted into a modest Chapel to accommodate services while the Church itself is closed for winter.
- Opened 1973
- Summer: folk-art and singing courses, art gallery, gift shop
- Saturday-evening concerts
- Sunday Ukrainian-food buffet
- Winter: serves as a chapel when the Church is closed
The Parsonage (Khyzha)
Completed in 1984, the Parsonage complements the architectural style of the other structures on the mountaintop. It serves as the private residence of the parish priest and accommodates visiting clergy — completing the original grand vision for the Ukrainian Mountaintop community.
Pastor — Rev. Dr. Ivan Kaszczak
Father Ivan Kaszczak was born in Szprotawa, Poland, on September 13, 1959, and immigrated with his family to the United States on November 17, 1963, settling in Yonkers, NY, where his parents Andrew and Teresa and siblings Lydia, George, and Lesia attended St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church. He earned a B.A. from St. Basil College, a Master of Education from La Salle University (1997), a Master's degree at Oblate College, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from Fordham University in New York City (2005). He was ordained on May 4, 1985 in the Stamford Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy and has since served parishes in Troy, Spring Valley, Syracuse, Hempstead, and Rochester, NY; Woonsocket, RI; Fall River, MA; Bridgeport, CT; and currently Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church in Kerhonkson, NY, together with St. John the Baptist in Hunter. He retired from the United States Air Force Chaplain Corps on May 1, 2010 after 21 years of Reserve service, has served as a chaplain in the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) since 1988, and is currently the National Chaplain for PLAST (Ukrainian Scouting). He is also the author of several books and articles on the history of the Ukrainian Catholic Church.
- Ordained May 4, 1985 — Stamford Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy
- Ph.D., Fordham University, 2005
- Also pastors Holy Trinity UCC, Kerhonkson, NY
- Retired USAF Chaplain Corps, May 1, 2010 (21 years Reserves)
- Chaplain, Civil Air Patrol (CAP) since 1988
- National Chaplain, PLAST (Ukrainian Scouting)
Ukrainian Cultural Programs at the Grazhda
Beyond the Divine Liturgy, the Grazhda carries the parish's cultural mission. Summer weekends fill with courses in Ukrainian folk arts such as embroidery, traditional singing classes, an art gallery, a gift shop, Saturday-evening concerts, and a traditional Ukrainian Sunday buffet — all of which the website invites visitors to enjoy.
- Folk-art courses (embroidery, etc.)
- Traditional Ukrainian singing courses
- Art gallery and gift shop
- Saturday-evening concerts
- Sunday Ukrainian-food buffet
Visit, Contact, and Mailing Information
The parish welcomes visitors year-round. Summer is the easiest time to reach the church staff; in winter, please contact the pastor directly in Kerhonkson. A separate Facebook page (linked from the official website) keeps the community connected to news and announcements.
- Address: 57 Ukraine Road, Jewett, NY 12442
- Mailing: PO Box 284, Hunter, NY 12442
- Parish phone: 518-263-3862 (June–August only)
- Pastor: Rev. Dr. Ivan Kaszczak — 845-626-2864
- Email (parish): [email protected]; Email (pastor): [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Bohdan Osidach1961 (summer)
Traveled weekly from Hudson, NY to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in the temporary chapel at the future Hunter site.
- Rev. Dr. Ivan Kaszczakcurrent
Also pastors Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church in Kerhonkson, NY; serves the Hunter parish from Kerhonkson.