About St. Josaphat [Ukrainian] · Rochester, New York
St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church is a Byzantine-rite Catholic parish in Rochester, New York, that serves one of the largest populations of Ukrainian descent in the United States. Founded in 1908 by Ukrainian Greek Catholic immigrants, the parish belongs to the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford, Connecticut, even though it sits within the geographic territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester. Today the parish offers Divine Liturgies in both Ukrainian and English, runs religious education for K–8, supports a Holy Name Society and weekly bingo, and hosts the famous four-day St. Josaphat's Ukrainian Festival each summer at its 105-foot domed church on East Ridge Road in Irondequoit.
- Established
- 1908
- Patron
- Saint Josaphat Kuntsevych (Ukrainian Catholic bishop-martyr, d. 1623)
- Rector
- Rev. Ilie Babota (current pastor; after-hours contact line also lists him)
- Diocese
- Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford (Connecticut); geographically located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester
Why belong here
St. Josaphat is one of the oldest and most established Ukrainian Catholic parishes in the United States, with more than a century of continuous worship in the Byzantine rite serving the Rochester area's large Ukrainian-descended community. Worshippers of any background are warmly welcomed into both Ukrainian and English Divine Liturgies, and the parish is known for its distinctive liturgical traditions — including the blessing of Easter baskets and the blessing of pussy willows grown on the church grounds and used on Palm Sunday in place of palms. With K–8 religious education, a Holy Name Society chartered in 1943, weekly Friday Bingo, the enormous four-day Ukrainian Festival each August, and the unmistakable domed church rising 105 feet above Ridge Road, St. Josaphat offers a deep, lived expression of Ukrainian Catholic faith, culture and hospitality.
Mass times at St. Josaphat [Ukrainian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Both daily and Sundays, before all Divine Liturgies (call the rectory for exact times before a given service)
Parish History
St. Josaphat's history begins in 1908, when Rochester's Ukrainian community — newly arrived immigrants — organized the Benevolent Fraternity of St. Josaphat and broke ground for their first church on Remington Street. Within a few years the parish had outgrown that building, and in 1914 it moved to a larger house of worship at 305 Hudson Avenue in Rochester, where it remained for half a century. The 1940s brought growth and the 1945 opening of St. Josaphat School under the Sister Servants of Mary Immaculate, and the postwar arrival of Ukrainian displaced persons swelled the parish even further. By 1957 the congregation was buying land in the suburbs and, in 1964, moved permanently to Irondequoit — raising the next generation of worshippers first in a temporary school-hall church, and then, thanks in part to the very first Ukrainian Festival of the early 1970s, in the spectacular domed Byzantine-style church that was completed in 1979 and still serves the parish today.
- Ground broken for the first church on Remington Street in Rochester (1908)
- Parish moves to 305 Hudson Avenue in Rochester (1914)
- St. Josaphat School opens under the Sister Servants of Mary Immaculate (1945)
- Father Basil Turula serves as pastor for more than two decades (1923–1949)
- Land purchased in Irondequoit; mission chapel established (1957)
- Parish relocates permanently to Irondequoit (1964)
- First Ukrainian Festival held; current domed church completed (1979)
- Centennial celebration over three days with pontifical Divine Liturgy (2009)
Worship Schedule & Liturgical Life
St. Josaphat offers a bilingual program of Divine Liturgies in the Ukrainian Catholic (Byzantine) rite. The Saturday evening 5:00 PM Liturgy is celebrated in English, Sunday morning at 9:30 AM is bilingual English and Ukrainian, and a full Ukrainian Divine Liturgy follows at 11:00 AM. Weekday Liturgies are offered Tuesday through Thursday at 8:00 AM in Ukrainian, with an additional Ukrainian Liturgy on Saturday mornings at 8:30 AM. Holy Days of Obligation are kept with a 9:00 AM Ukrainian Liturgy and a 6:00 PM English Liturgy. Confessions are heard both daily and on Sundays before each Divine Liturgy — visitors are encouraged to call the rectory to confirm times before the service they plan to attend.
- Saturday Vigil 5:00 PM — English
- Sunday 9:30 AM — English & Ukrainian (bilingual)
- Sunday 11:00 AM — Ukrainian
- Tuesday–Thursday 8:00 AM — Ukrainian
- Saturday 8:30 AM — Ukrainian
- Holy Days 9:00 AM (Ukr) and 6:00 PM (Eng)
- Confessions before every Liturgy
Byzantine-Rite Identity & Special Traditions
St. Josaphat belongs to the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford and follows the Byzantine rite, in full communion with Rome but with its own distinctive liturgical calendar, chant and customs. The parish keeps several beloved year-round traditions that mark its Ukrainian Catholic identity, including the blessing of Easter baskets on Holy Saturday and the blessing of pussy willows on Palm Sunday — pussy willows are actually grown on the parish grounds and distributed to parishioners in place of palms. The Ukrainian Festival in August and the parish's bingo nights are likewise woven into parish life as both worship-adjacent community moments and significant fundraisers.
- Blessing of Easter baskets at Pascha
- Blessing of pussy willows on Palm Sunday (pussy willows grown on-site)
- Bilingual English/Ukrainian Divine Liturgies
- Eparchy of Stamford within the worldwide Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
Religious Education
Religious Education is offered for children in Grades K through 8 on Sundays at 11:15 AM, running concurrently with the late-morning Divine Liturgy so that families can attend Mass together. The program is directed from the rectory office; parents are asked to contact the parish to register their children and to inquire about preparation for the reception of First Holy Communion and Confirmation in the Byzantine rite.
- Grades K–8
- Sunday sessions at 11:15 AM
- Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation preparation in the Byzantine rite
Sacraments
The parish prepares its faithful for and administers the full range of Byzantine-rite sacraments. Baptisms are scheduled by appointment and require sponsors who are practicing Catholics. Couples preparing for marriage must contact the pastor at least six months in advance and complete Pre-Cana. The parish also coordinates ministry to the sick — anointing and communion calls — for parishioners who are homebound, hospitalized, or residing in convalescent homes. When making wills, parishioners are encouraged to remember St Josaphats Ukrainian Catholic Church of Rochester, NY under that legal title.
- Baptism by appointment; sponsors must be practicing Catholics
- Marriage: contact pastor at least six months ahead; Pre-Cana required
- Anointing and visits to the sick, homebound, hospitalized or in nursing care
- Funerals and bequests coordinated through the rectory
Parish Life, Ministries & Fundraisers
Beyond the liturgy, St. Josaphat maintains an active roster of lay organizations and parish fundraisers. The Holy Name Society — a men's spiritual and service organization chartered by the Dominican Order on January 10, 1943 — promotes reverence for the Holy Name of Jesus, encourages frequent reception of the sacraments, and works on behalf of the parish. Weekly Friday Bingo at 7:30 PM remains a community gathering and a key fundraiser; Bingo Team #4, captained by Roman Lechnowsky, currently runs the operation. The largest fundraiser of the year is the four-day St. Josaphat's Ukrainian Festival each August, which draws some 25,000 visitors to the church grounds. New parishioners are warmly invited to stop by the Rectory to introduce themselves and register.
- Holy Name Society (Dominican charter, 1943; meets 2nd Sunday, July–August off)
- Friday Parish Bingo at 7:30 PM — Bingo Team #4
- St. Josaphat's Ukrainian Festival (founded 1973; ~25,000 visitors; biggest annual fundraiser)
- Ministry to the Sick
- Sunday Bulletin staff (notices due Mondays by noon)
- New-parishioner registration at the Rectory
St. Josaphat's Ukrainian Festival
Held on the church grounds each August, the St. Josaphat's Ukrainian Festival was established in 1973 to share Ukrainian heritage with the wider Rochester community. The festival features traditional foods — varenyky/pyrohy (pierogies), holubtsi (stuffed cabbage), kovbasa (Ukrainian sausage), kapusta and borshch — alongside Ukrainian arts and crafts vendors, ceramics, embroidery, wood carvings, jewelry, and pysanky (Ukrainian Easter eggs). A Ukrainian Stage hosts folk dancers and singers from both the local community and international guests. The festival's three stated goals are to preserve Ukrainian heritage, share Ukrainian culture with Greater Rochester, and offer a family-friendly event open to all; it raises roughly $60,000–$70,000 each year for the parish.
- Founded 1973
- Four days each August at 940 E. Ridge Road
- Traditional foods: varenyky/pyrohy, holubtsi, kovbasa, kapusta, borshch
- Ukrainian arts, crafts, pysanky and a Ukrainian Stage
- Welcomes roughly 25,000 visitors and raises $60,000–$70,000 annually
The Church Building & Architecture
Completed in 1979 and set on a generous lot at 940 East Ridge Road, the current St. Josaphat church is a striking example of Ukrainian Catholic Byzantine architecture in North America. The overall height of 105 feet makes it one of the tallest Ukrainian Catholic churches on the continent. Five distinctive domes crown the building — the large central dome represents Jesus Christ, and the four smaller domes symbolize the four Evangelists. Inside, a 16-foot-tall by 10-foot-wide stained glass window depicts the parish's patron, St. Josaphat, while a custom-designed chandelier weighing some 3,000 pounds anchors the nave. The worship space seats 546 people and is regularly opened to neighboring Roman Catholic parishes for tours explaining the Ukrainian Catholic rite and its architecture.
- Completed 1979
- Height: 105 feet — one of the tallest Ukrainian Catholic churches in North America
- Five domes: Christ (center) and the four Evangelists
- 16-ft x 10-ft stained glass window of St. Josaphat
- Custom 3,000 lb central chandelier
- Capacity: 546 worshippers
Clergy, Staff & Parish Leadership
St. Josaphat is pastored by Rev. Ilie Babota, who was ordained to the Holy Priesthood on August 28, 2014 by Bishop Paul of Stamford in Romania. Father Ilie celebrated his first Divine Liturgy in the United States at Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Auburn, New York, and was then assigned as associate pastor at St. Josaphat before becoming its pastor. The rectory office is staffed by Mary Ann, the parish secretary, who also handles bulletin submissions and visitor questions through the website's contact form.
- Rev. Ilie Babota — Pastor (ordained 2014)
- Mary Ann — Parish Secretary
- Father Kiril Angelov — pastor at the 2009 centennial
- Rev. Philip Weiner — pastor in 2017
Visiting & Contact Information
St. Josaphat's Ukrainian Catholic Church is located at 940 Ridge Road East, Rochester, NY 14621, in the suburb of Irondequoit, just north of the City of Rochester line and easily reached from the I-590 / NY-104 interchange. Driving directions from both Buffalo and Syracuse are published on the parish website. The rectory office is reached at (585) 467-6457, with an after-hours line at (585) 467-7296; the parish email is [email protected]. Visitors of any background are warmly welcomed to worship with the parish.
- Address: 940 Ridge Road East, Rochester, NY 14621
- Phone: (585) 467-6457
- After-Hours / Fax: (585) 467-7296
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.stjosaphats.org
- Driving directions posted from Buffalo and Syracuse
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Basil Turula1923–1949
Served more than two decades as pastor; oversaw parish growth in the interwar period.
- Father Kiril Angelov
Pastor at the 2009 centennial; spoke publicly about the parish's bilingual ministry and outreach to Roman Catholic neighbors.
- Rev. Philip Weiner
Pastor as of 2017; described in local press as pastor of St. Josaphat during the 45th anniversary Ukrainian Festival.
- Rev. Ilie Babota2014–
Ordained August 28, 2014 in Romania by Bishop Paul of Stamford; first served as associate pastor at St. Josaphat before becoming pastor.