St. Luke [Ukrainian]

About St. Luke Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

St. Luke Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is a mission parish of the Ukrainian Greco-Catholic Church located in Cody, Wyoming, under the Eparchy of St. Nicholas in Chicago. The community professes the apostolic Christian Faith handed down from Christ and lives it according to the Greek (Byzantine) tradition and Ukrainian patrimony, while remaining part of the universal Catholic Church in full communion with Rome. The mission is one of only two Byzantine Catholic churches in the entire state of Wyoming. Services are celebrated in English using the Byzantine Rite, with the Divine Liturgy as the central act of worship.

Parish History & Timeline

St. Luke's is a very young mission whose story is told in a detailed timeline on the parish website. The community was born from a grassroots effort by descendants of Ukrainian Catholics in Park County, and within just a few years moved from an idea to an officially recognized mission parish with a resident priest.

• Fall 2021 — A parishioner writes to the Eparchy of St. Nicholas in Chicago asking for a priest to serve Wyoming's Ukrainian Catholics.
• December 2021 — Fr. Pavlo Popov visits Cody, celebrates Divine Liturgy and baptizes a baby.
• January 2022 — Cody Ukrainian Catholic Mission (CUCM), a non-profit, is formed.
• April 2022 — Eparchy agrees to send traveling priests to Cody for monthly Divine Liturgy.
• February 2023 — Bishop Benedict Aleksiychuk formally declares the community an official mission parish and names it St. Luke.
• April 2023 — Bishop Benedict visits and celebrates a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy.
• September 2023 — Very Rev. Roman Bobesiuk is assigned as the mission's first resident pastor.
• December 2023 — Fr. Roman arrives in Cody.
• June 2024 — Fr. Roman is reassigned to two parishes of the Eparchy in California.
• September 2024 — Newly ordained Fr. Philip Gilbert takes over as parish administrator.

Clergy & Pastoral Staff

The mission is currently led by Fr. Philip Gilbert as parish administrator. He was newly ordained when he took over in September 2024; his wife is Ukrainian and continues to develop Ukrainian tradition at the parish. The Eparchy is led by Most Reverend Benedict Aleksiychuk, Bishop of St. Nicholas Eparchy, who has personally visited Cody for a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy.

• Fr. Philip Gilbert — Parish Administrator (since September 2024); [email protected]
• Fr. Roman Bobesiuk — Former first resident pastor (December 2023 – July 2024); now assigned to two parishes in California.
• Most Rev. Benedict Aleksiychuk — Bishop of the Eparchy of St. Nicholas (Chicago).
• Rev. Pavlo Popov — Priest who made the December 2021 investigative visit and celebrated the community's first recorded Divine Liturgy and baptism.

Worship & the Byzantine Divine Liturgy

The parish celebrates the Divine Liturgy — the Byzantine Rite's celebration of the Eucharist — primarily in English. In the Byzantine tradition the Divine Liturgy is composed of two main parts: the Proskomidia (the preparation of the gifts) and the Liturgy of the Word (Liturgy of the Catechumens), followed by the Liturgy of the Faithful. The parish has published educational posts on both the Proskomidia and the Liturgy of the Word on its website to help the faithful and visitors follow along.

• Sunday Divine Liturgy at 9:00 AM
• Saturday Divine Liturgy at 8:30 AM
• Saturday Vigil Divine Liturgy at 4:00 PM (fulfills the Sunday obligation)
• Thursday Divine Liturgy at 8:30 AM
• Sung prayer led by Church Cantors
• Epistle reading (chanted or read) by Epistle Readers

Parish Ministries & Volunteer Opportunities

As a small but growing mission, St. Luke's depends heavily on parishioner volunteers. The ministries page lays out a full roster of ways to serve — from liturgical roles to behind-the-scenes upkeep — and encourages all ages (men, women and young adults) to get involved.

• Altar Servers — young men who bear candles, assist with incense and Holy Communion, and lead processions.
• Church Cantors — lead the sung prayer of the Divine Liturgy.
• Epistle Readers — chant or read the Epistle during Liturgy (adults and youth welcome).
• Church Cleaners — volunteer rotation for dusting, vacuuming, trash removal, etc.
• Building Maintenance Volunteers — painting, plumbing, carpentry.
• Coffee Social Helpers — prepare and serve snacks and coffee after Sunday Divine Liturgy.

Sacraments & Faith Formation

The mission offers the full Byzantine sacramental life. The parish's very first baptism in its history took place during Fr. Pavlo Popov's December 2021 visit, before the community was even formally named. In June 2024 the mission celebrated the First Confession and Solemn (First) Communion of its children during Bishop Benedict's visit, alongside the induction of new altar servers.

• Divine Liturgy (Eucharist)
• Confession (Sacrament of Reconciliation) — Sunday 8:30–8:55 AM, Saturday 5:00–5:15 PM
• Baptism
• First Confession and Solemn Communion for children
• Holy Communion

Building a Permanent Church

St. Luke's is currently in the third phase of its founding plan: building a permanent Ukrainian Greek Catholic church in the Cody area. The mission currently worships in a chapel at 1922 Big Horn Ave and is searching for land that can accommodate a church seating at least 100 people, along with a small residence for the priest and his family. Parish leadership has described the project as a grassroots, locally organized effort — unusual by national standards — and has reached out for support from Ukrainian Catholics nationwide.

• Phase 1 (Establish a mission) — completed February 2023.
• Phase 2 (Receive a pastor) — completed December 2023 with arrival of Fr. Roman Bobesiuk.
• Phase 3 (Build a church) — current phase; land search and fundraising underway.
• Fundraising handled through the Cody Ukrainian Catholic Mission (CUCM), a 501(c)(3) non-profit (EIN 93-3772378).
• Donations accepted online via the parish website and Zeffy.

Contacts, Location & Giving

Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Luke's by phone, email, or in person at the chapel in Cody. As a small mission community the parish relies entirely on donations to keep the church running and all benefactors are commemorated in prayer.

• Office email — [email protected]
• Pastor email — [email protected]
• Phone — +1 (785) 991-0788
• Chapel address — 1922 Big Horn Ave, Cody, WY 82414
• Mailing/alternate address — 901 Sheridan Ave, Cody, WY 82414 (used on contacts page)
• Donate online — https://stlukecody.org/donation/ (via Zeffy) or in the donation box in the chapel
• Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/stlukecody/