About St. John the Baptist [Ruthenian] · Avella, Pennsylvania
St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church is a small Ruthenian (Byzantine) Catholic parish in the rural community of Avella, Pennsylvania, in Washington County. Founded by Slavic immigrant coal-country faithful in 1919, the parish belongs to the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, the U.S. Ruthenian Metropolitan Church. Today the congregation gathers for the Divine Liturgy on Sundays and Wednesdays, maintains a parish cemetery, and supports a range of spiritual, educational, and social programs under the direction of its pastor.
- Established
- 1919
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist (Forerunner / Prodromos)
- Rector
- Father Luke Iyengar (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh (Ruthenian Metropolitanate sui juris of Pittsburgh)
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist offers Byzantine Catholics in rural Avella a warm, close-knit home for worship and fellowship, celebrating the Divine Liturgy in the Ruthenian tradition with congregational singing led by two cantors. The parish supports faith formation for all ages through its Eastern Christian Formation (ECF) classes, gives lay members an active voice through its Lector Program, and nurtures community through the Altar-Rosary Society and Men's Club — all in a small, historic church that has served Slavic Catholic families in the Cross Creek Township area for more than a century.
Mass times at St. John the Baptist [Ruthenian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 9:00 am – 11:00 am
- By appointment
- Sunday 8:20 am – 8:50 am (per Discover Mass listing)
History of St. John the Baptist
St. John the Baptist traces its founding to 1919, when Slavic Catholic faithful in the Cross Creek Township area of Avella incorporated as the 'Russian Greek Catholic Church of Avella' and purchased land from the Pittsburgh and Southwestern Coal Company on November 1, 1919. Father Valentine Staurosky became the first resident pastor and built the first church with the help of a loan and personal contributions from the founders. The parish grew through the early 20th century despite a devastating 1927 coal strike and the Great Depression, and built a new, larger church that was dedicated on May 13, 1962 by Bishop Nicholas Elko.
- November 1, 1919 — land purchased from the Pittsburgh and Southwestern Coal Company
- Father Valentine Staurosky named first resident pastor
- 1927–1932 — Father Andrew Dzmura traveled from Canonsburg during the coal strike years
- Great Depression — faithful prayed Sunday Matins themselves when no priest could come
- 1957 — cemetery land purchased; 10 acres set aside for the new church
- May 13, 1962 — new church dedicated by Bishop Nicholas Elko
- 1968 — Father George Evancho assigned; mortgage-burning banquet celebrated
Parish Patron and Byzantine Identity
The parish is named for St. John the Baptist (the Forerunner, or Prodromos), whose icon is venerated in the church. As a Ruthenian Catholic parish, St. John's belongs to the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, part of the Ruthenian Metropolitanate sui juris of Pittsburgh, the U.S. self-governing Eastern Catholic church in full communion with Rome. The faithful worship according to the Byzantine liturgical tradition, with the Divine Liturgy celebrated in English, congregational singing led by cantors, and devotions such as the Altar-Rosary Society.
- Patron: St. John the Baptist
- Major feasts: June 24 — Nativity of St. John the Forerunner; August 29 — Beheading of St. John the Forerunner
- Rite: Byzantine (Ruthenian)
- Jurisdiction: Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh
Divine Liturgy and Sacraments
St. John the Baptist gathers the faithful for the celebration of the Byzantine Divine Liturgy each week, with services on Sundays and Wednesdays, and (per third-party listings) on Fridays as well. The Mysteries of the Church — including Confession, Marriage, and the Anointing of the Sick — are celebrated on a regular schedule or by appointment through the rectory. Confessions are heard Saturday mornings from 9:00 to 11:00 am, with additional times available on Sunday mornings before the Divine Liturgy.
- Sunday Divine Liturgy: 8:45 am
- Wednesday Divine Liturgy: 9:00 am
- Friday Divine Liturgy: 9:00 am (per catholicmasstime.org)
- Confessions: Saturday 9:00–11:00 am (also Sunday 8:20–8:50 am per Discover Mass)
- Marriage and Anointing: by appointment through the rectory
Parish Ministries and Faith Formation
Parish life at St. John's is enriched by a number of lay-led ministries and faith-formation programs. A Lector Program gives parishioners the opportunity to read the Scriptures during services, while Eastern Christian Formation (ECF) classes provide ongoing catechesis for children and adults. The Altar-Rosary Society and the Men's Club bring generations of the parish together for prayer, fellowship, and service, and two cantors lead the congregational singing at every Divine Liturgy.
- Lector Program — lay Scripture reading
- Eastern Christian Formation (ECF) — faith formation classes
- Altar-Rosary Society
- Men's Club
- Two cantors leading congregational singing
Cemetery and Grounds
The parish has its own cemetery in Avella, the Saint Johns Cemetery, on land acquired by the parish in 1957. Memorial services (Panachida) are celebrated at the cemetery for departed parishioners and their families, and the surrounding ten acres originally set aside for the church provide space for parish facilities including a social hall, where a mortgage-burning banquet was held under Father George Evancho.
- Cemetery: Saint Johns Cemetery, Avella, Pennsylvania
- Land for cemetery acquired in 1957
- Panachida (memorial service) celebrated at the cemetery for departed faithful
Clergy
The parish is currently served by Father Luke Iyengar as Administrator. Father Luke also serves the Assumption of the Mother of God Byzantine Catholic Church in Weirton, West Virginia, where the rectory phone is based. The parish was previously led by Very Reverend Vasyl Symyon, who was appointed Administrator of St. John the Baptist on November 10, 2015, and was appointed to the academic faculty of the Byzantine Catholic Seminary effective August 28, 2023.
- Current Administrator: Father Luke Iyengar
- Rectory: (304) 748-2780
- Former administrator: Very Reverend Vasyl Symyon (2015–2023), now on seminary faculty
Contact and Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. John the Baptist at its physical address in Cross Creek Township, just outside the village of Avella in Washington County, Pennsylvania. The parish maintains a dedicated email address and an active Facebook page where events and announcements are posted. Inquiries about the Mysteries — especially Marriage and Anointing — are welcomed by contacting the rectory.
- Address: 176 Cross Creek Road, Avella, PA 15312
- Phone: (724) 587-5819
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stjohnsinavella
- Diocesan listing: https://archpitt.org/place/avellapa-2/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Valentine Staurosky1919–c.1927
First resident pastor; oversaw the building of the original church.
- Father Andrew Dzmura1927–1932
Traveled from Canonsburg during the coal strike years when the parish could not support a resident priest.
- Father George Evancho1968–
Assigned in 1968; celebrated a mortgage-burning banquet in the church social hall during his tenure.
- Father Edward LucasUntil November 10, 2015
Administrator; relieved and entered retirement effective November 10, 2015.
- Father Vasyl SymyonNovember 10, 2015 – August 28, 2023
Appointed administrator of St. John the Baptist effective November 10, 2015; appointed to the academic faculty of the seminary effective August 28, 2023.
- Father Luke Iyengar2023–present
Current Administrator listed on the parish's Archeparchy page.