About St. Joseph's Ukrainian Catholic Church · Saint Joseph, Missouri
St. Joseph Ukrainian Catholic Church is a small Eastern Catholic community on the south side of St. Joseph, Missouri that has worshipped at the corner of Virginia and Sherman streets for over a century. It is the oldest Eastern Catholic church in Missouri and the first in the Kansas City–St. Joseph area, and it belongs to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), a sui iuris Church in full communion with Rome whose parishes across the western United States fall under the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saint Nicholas, headquartered in Chicago. Today the parish is served by parochial administrator Fr. Petro Kozar, who lives in Omaha, Nebraska and commutes down for services, while descendants of the original post–World War II immigrant families keep the Byzantine liturgical tradition alive in English and Ukrainian.
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Fr. Petro Kozar (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saint Nicholas (Chicago) — Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, in full communion with Rome; geographically within the territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City–Saint Joseph.
Why belong here
St. Joseph's is a rare local doorway into the Byzantine-Ukrainian Catholic tradition that descends from Kyivan Christianity and follows the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, celebrated in English and Ukrainian. It is small enough that the priest, the cantor and the regulars all know one another, yet it carries more than a century of immigrant faith and is the oldest Eastern Catholic community in Missouri. For anyone seeking the eastern half of the Catholic communion — fully Catholic, fully Roman, fully Orthodox in worship — the parish extends an open invitation to 'experience the orthodox Catholic faith and to celebrate the Holy Mysteries with us.'
Mass times at St. Joseph's Ukrainian Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Before or after the Saturday Divine Liturgy (call ahead to confirm)
About St. Joseph Ukrainian Catholic Church
St. Joseph's Ukrainian Catholic Church is a small Eastern Catholic community on the south side of St. Joseph, Missouri. According to the parish's own statement, it is 'the first Eastern Catholic church in the Kansas City-St. Joseph area,' and a 2010 interim site described it as 'the oldest Eastern Catholic Church in Missouri.' It is a parish of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in full communion with Rome, organized under the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saint Nicholas, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The parish welcomes all Christians and inquirers who wish to experience the Orthodox Catholic faith and to celebrate the Holy Mysteries in the Eastern Catholic liturgical tradition.
- Small community, south side of St. Joseph, MO
- Member of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), in full communion with Rome
- First Eastern Catholic parish in the Kansas City–St. Joseph area
- Falls under the Eparchy of Saint Nicholas, Chicago
Belonging to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
The parish belongs to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), which the parish's About page describes as 'the largest of the particular Eastern Catholic Churches in full Eucharistic communion with Rome.' That means members are fully Catholic, recognized by and ultimately under the Pope, while keeping their own liturgical and devotional traditions, canon law and hierarchy under the Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych. The eparchy that covers the western United States, including this parish, is the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saint Nicholas, based in Chicago. In the wider Kansas City–St. Joseph area this Eastern Catholic parish sits geographically within the territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City–Saint Joseph.
- Sui iuris Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
- Full communion with Rome; own hierarchy under the Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych
- Belongs to the Eparchy of Saint Nicholas, Chicago
- In the geographic territory of the Roman Diocese of Kansas City–Saint Joseph
History of the Parish
St. Joseph's Ukrainian Catholic community has met on the south side of St. Joseph, MO for more than 100 years. The present-day congregation was largely built by post–World War II Ukrainian displaced persons — refugees who had survived Stalin's 1930s famines, German occupation and forced labor, often spending years in Displaced Persons camps before coming to Missouri farms and ultimately to St. Joseph's South Side, where they worked at packing plants and raised large families. A 2022 News-Press NOW feature described the parish as 'a small church at the corner of Virginia and Sherman streets,' noting that on some weekends only seven or eight people filled the pews while still reciting prayers in Ukrainian, 'just like their parents.' Through the fall of the Soviet Union and the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the parish has remained a living link to the old country.
- Worshipping on the south side of St. Joseph for over 100 years
- Parishioners were largely post-WWII Ukrainian displaced persons
- Families often worked at South Side packing plants
- Community has kept Ukrainian-language prayer alive across generations
Clergy and Parish Staff
The parish is currently led by parochial administrator Fr. Petro Kozar, who lives in Omaha, Nebraska and commutes to St. Joseph for services. Earlier parish communications identify Fr. Bohdan Kudleychuk as pastor and Fr. Deacon Randolph ('Randy') Brown as the parish deacon; the rectory line (402-345-1552) and Fr. Petro's cell (312-607-2909) are the main contact numbers published on the parish site. A 'Contact the webmaster' note on the site also lists [email protected] as a parish-administrator email.
- Fr. Petro Kozar — Parochial Administrator (cell 312-607-2909)
- Fr. Bohdan Kudleychuk — pastor (per prior records; rectory 402-345-1552)
- Fr. Deacon Randolph Brown — deacon (per prior records; 785-220-3322)
Worship Schedule
Because the parish is served by a commuting priest rather than a resident pastor, services are scheduled rather than daily. The parish's current homepage lists the next Divine Liturgy for Saturday, May 16, 2026 at 2:00 PM, and earlier parish communications stated that the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom 'is usually celebrated at 4 p.m. on Saturdays' at 526 Virginia Street. Confessions are heard before or after the Saturday liturgy. Callers are urged to phone Fr. Bohdan (or Fr. Petro) ahead to verify the liturgical schedule.
- Saturday Divine Liturgy — historically 4:00 PM; the next scheduled liturgy is listed at 2:00 PM
- Confessions before or after Saturday liturgy
- Call ahead to verify the schedule
Liturgy and Devotions
Worship follows the Byzantine-Ukrainian Catholic tradition, centered on the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, celebrated in a blend of English and Ukrainian. The parish has hosted special Ukrainian Catholic observances such as the veneration of the Jubilee Icon of the Protection of the Mother of God and, in December, the visit of St. Nicholas (Sviatyi Mykolai) to the parish children after the liturgy.
- Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
- Liturgy in English and Ukrainian
- Veneration of the Jubilee Icon of the Protection of the Mother of God
- Visit of St. Nicholas to parish children (December)
Contact and Getting in Touch
The parish's official mailing and contact details are split between St. Joseph, where the church stands, and Omaha, where the parochial administrator lives. Visitors should confirm liturgy times in advance, since this is a mission-style parish served by a priest who travels in.
- Worship location: 526 Virginia Street, St. Joseph, MO 64504
- Mailing address: 1513 Martha Street, Omaha, NE 68108
- Parish phone: (816) 238-1187
- Rectory: (402) 345-1552
- Fr. Petro Kozar cell: (312) 607-2909
- Email: [email protected]
Visiting an Eastern Catholic Parish
St. Joseph's openly invites non-Eastern Christians and inquirers to attend, quoting Pope John Paul II's 1995 apostolic letter Orientale Lumen: 'Since, in fact, we believe that the venerable and ancient tradition of the Eastern Churches is an integral part of the heritage of Christ's Church, the first need for Catholics is to be familiar with that tradition, so as to be nourished by it…' Visitors can expect the Byzantine liturgical style — iconography, the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and a worshipping community small enough that the priest and regulars greet newcomers personally.
- All Christians and inquirers are welcome
- Byzantine-Ukrainian Catholic (Eastern Catholic) liturgical tradition
- Quoted welcome includes a passage from Pope John Paul II's Orientale Lumen (1995)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Bohdan Kudleychuk
Listed as parish priest on the earlier interim parish site (ukiecatholickc.wordpress.com); rectory number 402-345-1552.