About St. John the Baptist [Ruthenian] · Uniontown, Pennsylvania
St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church is a Ruthenian (Byzantine) Catholic parish in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, founded in 1911 by Carpatho-Rusyn immigrants who had come to the coal fields and industry of southwestern Pennsylvania. A parish of the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, it worships in the Byzantine liturgical tradition (English with historic Carpatho-Rusyn / Church Slavonic roots) at 185 East Main Street, on the hilltop site where the original church and rectory were completed in 1918. Today the parish is served by Administrator Fr. Kyprian Wojciechowski, runs an active Eastern Christian Formation program, weekly pirohy sales, an annual Carpatho-Rusyn Festival, an Eggstravaganza pysanky show, and broadcasts the Divine Liturgy on local radio for the homebound — a ministry it has carried on since 1973.
- Established
- 1911
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Fr. Kyprian Wojciechowski, Administrator
- Diocese
- Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh (Ruthenian / Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh, an Eastern Catholic Church sui juris in full communion with Rome). Geographically located within the territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg.
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist is a small but deeply rooted Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic community where the Carpatho-Rusyn heritage is not only preserved but lived out — through the Byzantine Divine Liturgy, Eastern Christian Formation for children and adults, the Greek Catholic Union (GCU) chapter, and traditions like the weekly Friday pirohy sale (September–May), the annual Carpatho-Rusyn Festival (last Sunday of October), the pysanky Eggstravaganza in Lent, the Parish Feast Day Dinner (June 24), the Parish Car Show (September), and the monthly birthday social. The parish also broadcasts the Divine Liturgy on local radio and visits the sick and homebound monthly, so belonging here means joining a community that takes seriously the Gospel's command to love and to grow 'into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ' (Eph 4:13).
Mass times at St. John the Baptist [Ruthenian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays, 3:30 – 4:15 pm (or as posted 3:15 – 4:15 pm)
- Sundays, 8:15 – 8:45 am (before the Divine Liturgy)
- Before and after all weekday and Holy Day liturgies
- By appointment — contact the parish office
Parish History — From the Carpathian Coal Fields to the Uniontown Hilltop
St. John the Baptist traces its roots to the great wave of Eastern European immigration to America in the late nineteenth century, when Slovak, Rusyn, Hungarian, and Croatian families — most of them Carpatho-Rusyns from what is now Slovakia, Poland, and Ukraine — came to the coal fields and industry around Uniontown, Pennsylvania, with little more than their faith and their Byzantine traditions. As the Rusyn community put down roots, plans were made to establish a church of their own in the Uniontown area. On August 10, 1911, the Very Rev. Stephen Gulovich was appointed first pastor, celebrated the first Divine Liturgy on August 27, 1911 in the local Greek Catholic Union hall (early services were also held in the hall of nearby St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church), and on September 21, 1911 the St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Congregation of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, was formally chartered. The present church and rectory, on a hilltop site on East Main Street, were completed in 1918. The school opened in 1956–57 with four Sisters of the Order of St. Basil the Great and 114 students in grades one through eight, and served the parish for 42 years before closing in 1998 due to declining enrollment. In 1973 the parish began broadcasting the Divine Liturgy on a local radio station for the homebound — a ministry that continues today. The church was renovated in the 1990s, the former school building was converted to house the parish offices and Eastern Christian Formation, and the Parish Feast Day Dinner (June 24) was begun. In the new millennium, the founding ancestors are still remembered with great pride, and many of their ethnic traditions continue to be passed from generation to generation.
- Chartered September 21, 1911
- First pastor: Rev. Stephen Gulovich, appointed August 10, 1911
- First Divine Liturgy: August 27, 1911, in the Greek Catholic Union hall
- Present church and rectory completed: 1918
- School opened: 1956–57 (closed 1998)
- Radio broadcast of the Divine Liturgy for the homebound: since 1973
- Church renovation: 1990s
Two Parish Sons Became Archbishops
One of the most distinctive honors in the life of St. John the Baptist is that two of its native sons were raised to the rank of Metropolitan Archbishop of the Byzantine Catholic Church. Archbishop Thomas V. Dolinay served as Metropolitan from 1991 until his death in 1993, and Archbishop Judson M. Procyk served from 1995 until his death in 2001. Archbishop Procyk reposes in the bishops' section of Mount St. Macrina in Uniontown, the Byzantine Catholic religious center in the area.
- Archbishop Thomas V. Dolinay (Metropolitan 1991–1993)
- Archbishop Judson M. Procyk (Metropolitan 1995–2001)
Clergy and Staff
The parish is currently served by Fr. Kyprian Wojciechowski as Administrator. He can be reached through the rectory at 724-438-6027 or by email at [email protected]. The website also lists a parish events line at 724-438-1382 and a pirohi-order line at 724-434-5355 (Mondays through Wednesdays, for Friday pickup).
- Administrator: Fr. Kyprian Wojciechowski
- Rectory: 724-438-6027
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Events line: 724-438-1382
- Pirohi order line: 724-434-5355 (Mon–Wed)
Faith Formation — Eastern Christian Formation (ECF) and Adult Education
Children's religious education is offered through the Eastern Christian Formation (ECF) program, which meets every other week after the Sunday Divine Liturgy, and now takes place in the former school building on the parish campus. Adult Education is offered as well — details are announced in the parish bulletin or by contacting the pastor directly.
- Eastern Christian Formation (ECF): every other week after Sunday Liturgy
- Adult Education: see bulletin or contact the pastor
Carpatho-Rusyn Heritage and Parish Life
St. John the Baptist is a living expression of the Carpatho-Rusyn heritage in southwestern Pennsylvania. The parish hosts an annual Carpatho-Rusyn Festival (last Sunday of October) that brings together Byzantine liturgy, folk music, the Slavjane Folk Ensemble, pysanky and folk-craft demonstrations, the Carpatho-Rusyn Society, and a full menu of traditional foods (pirohy, holubki, halushki, kolachi, pagach, kolbasi and sauerkraut, nalesniki, and soups). The parish also publishes the Carpathian Cookery cookbook, now in its 18th printing with more than 17,000 copies sold. Members of the Greek Catholic Union (GCU) — the oldest and largest fraternal organization of the Greek/Byzantine Catholic community — are active in the parish.
- Carpatho-Rusyn Festival — annual, last Sunday of October
- Carpathian Cookery parish cookbook (18th printing, 17,000+ copies sold)
- Greek Catholic Union (GCU) chapter at the parish
- Mount St. Macrina Byzantine Catholic center, also in Uniontown
Annual and Seasonal Events
Beyond the weekly and Sunday cycle, the parish calendar is filled with events that sustain both faith and community. The annual Eggstravaganza pysanky show, held in Lent, brings together egg artists demonstrating Eastern European pysanky, Polish drop-and-pull wax-relief eggs, Hungarian-style eggs, etched goose and emu eggs, and more — along with a Lenten luncheon of the parish's 'famous' pirohi, pysanky workshops, a children's corner, and a bake sale of traditional Easter breads. A monthly birthday social gathers parishioners (typically the third Sunday of each month). The weekly Pirohy Sale, every Friday from September through May, is a beloved fundraiser and a tangible link to the founding generation. Each fall the Parish Car Show is held in September, the Carpatho-Rusyn Festival closes October, and the Parish Feast Day Dinner honors the patron on June 24.
- Monthly Birthday Social — typically the third Sunday of each month
- Weekly Pirohy (Pirohi) Sales — Fridays, September through May (pickup in the church parking lot behind the school)
- Carpatho-Rusyn Festival — last Sunday of October
- Parish Feast Day Dinner — June 24
- Parish Car Show — September
- Eggstravaganza (pysanky/Easter-egg show) — annual Lenten event
Facilities: Church, Social Hall, and Former School
The parish campus centers on the church at 185 East Main Street, with the social hall (used for the Eggstravaganza, Carpatho-Rusyn Festival, monthly birthday social, and other gatherings) at 201 East Main Street. The former St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic School, which served the parish from 1956–57 to 1998, has been repurposed to house the parish offices and Eastern Christian Formation classrooms. Visitors to social-hall events find the facilities handicapped accessible. Inside the church, visitors can see the three-tier icon screen (iconostasis), many icons, and an outdoor shrine on the hilltop site.
- Church and rectory: 185 East Main Street, Uniontown, PA 15401
- Social hall: 201 East Main Street, Uniontown, PA 15401
- Former school building (closed 1998) — now parish offices and ECF classrooms
- Three-tier iconostasis, icons, and outdoor shrine
Contact, Visit, and Getting Involved
Visitors and parishioners are warmly welcomed at St. John the Baptist. The parish website offers a Visitor Information Center and an FAQ page for first-time visitors, and a weekly bulletin page for current events and Liturgy times. The parish office is open by phone at 724-438-6027 (rectory), with an event line at 724-438-1382 and a pirohi-order line at 724-434-5355 (Mon–Wed). Email is [email protected], and updates are also posted on the parish Facebook page.
- Visitor Information Center and FAQ page on the parish website
- Weekly bulletin page (current events and Liturgy times)
- Facebook: facebook.com/StJohnByzUniontown
- Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Stephen Gulovich1911–
First pastor; appointed August 10, 1911, and celebrated the first Divine Liturgy in Uniontown on August 27, 1911 in the local Greek Catholic Union hall. Shepherded the parish through its chartering on September 21, 1911 and the construction of the church and rectory, completed 1918.