St. John the Baptist

About the Parish

St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church is a small parish in Lyndora, Pennsylvania, just outside the city of Butler. It was founded in 1910 by Rusyn immigrants who came to work at the Standard Steel Car Company, and it has served the surrounding community for more than a century. Although it is not a Roman Catholic parish, it is in full communion with the Bishop of Rome and shares the same faith and seven sacraments (called 'Holy Mysteries' in the Byzantine tradition) as Roman Catholics. The parish celebrates the Byzantine Rite in English.

Byzantine Catholic Identity

Parishioners are Eastern Catholics in communion with Rome, sharing the same faith and sacraments as Roman Catholics while preserving the spiritual, liturgical and canonical heritage of the Byzantine Churches. The Byzantine Catholic faith was carried into Eastern Europe in the ninth century by the Greek missionaries Saints Cyril and Methodius, who brought both the Byzantine Rite and the use of the vernacular (the people's own language) into liturgical worship. In the United States, English is used in the Divine Liturgy. St. John the Baptist belongs to the Byzantine Metropolitan Church sui iuris (self-governing), one of the 23 Churches that make up the Catholic Communion of Churches.

• Full communion with the Bishop of Rome
• Shares the same faith and sacraments as Roman Catholics
• Byzantine Rite celebrated in English
• Distinct iconography, chant, architecture and canon law
• Part of the Byzantine Metropolitan Church sui iuris
• Led by His Eminence the Very Reverend William C. Skurla, Metropolitan Archbishop of Pittsburgh

Parish History

The parish was founded on May 10, 1910 by Rusyn families from the former Austro-Hungarian Empire who had originally worked in the steel mills of McKees Rocks and Pittsburgh before moving to Lyndora in 1902 for jobs at the Standard Steel Car Company. Father Aleksij Petrasovich was the first pastor. A frame church was dedicated on March 9, 1913; it was damaged by fire in January 1915 and repaired by the parish itself. After surviving the Depression and growing rapidly in the 1940s thanks to returning World War II veterans, the congregation outgrew the old church and razed it. The present Byzantine Catholic church was dedicated on the same Kohler Avenue site in 1955, built with stainless steel donated by the Butler Works of Armco Steel Corporation at a total cost of $250,000.

• 1910 — parish founded by Rusyn immigrants
• 1913 — first church dedicated
• 1915 — fire damaged the original church
• 1923 — new rectory built
• 1940s — post-WWII growth and property expansion
• 1955 — new church dedicated on the same site, built with Armco stainless steel
• Parish Picnic held annually in August

Clergy

The parish is currently served by a pastor and a permanent deacon. Contact information for both clergy is published by the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh and the parish website.

• Pastor — Rev. Radko Blichar
• Deacon — Deacon Paul Simko
• Rectory phone — (724) 287-5000
• Pastor email — [email protected]

Sacraments / Holy Mysteries

The Byzantine tradition uses the term 'Holy Mysteries' for what Roman Catholics call sacraments. The parish invites the faithful to contact the pastor directly for marriage preparation and the Anointing of the Sick. Confessions are heard on a regular weekly schedule and also by appointment.

• Confessions: Saturday 3:00 – 3:30 PM, and by appointment
• Marriage: contact the pastor at least six months before the wedding
• Anointing of the Sick: contact the pastor

Faith Formation & Education

Children and adults are both served by ongoing formation programs. Eastern Christian Formation (ECF) meets weekly after the Sunday Divine Liturgy, and adult education sessions are offered at varying times throughout the year.

• Eastern Christian Formation (ECF) — Sundays 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM
• Adult Education — varies throughout the year; contact the pastor for the current schedule

Parish Life & Events

Beyond the liturgical schedule, the parish gathers for community life through seasonal events and a regular weekly bulletin. The annual parish picnic in August is a long-standing tradition, and many other events are announced in the bulletin throughout the year.

• Parish Picnic — August
• Many events held throughout the year (see bulletin)
• Parish video retrospective (1933–1993)
• 75th Anniversary celebration held in parish history

Visit & Contact

The parish welcomes visitors to its Divine Liturgy and confession schedule. The church is located in the small Lyndora neighborhood near Butler, Pennsylvania, and can be reached by phone at the rectory.

• Address: 105 Kohler Avenue, Lyndora, PA 16045-1104
• Rectory: (724) 287-5000
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: http://www.stjohnbyzlyn.com/
• Listed under the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh