About St. Michael [Ruthenian] · Pleasant City, Ohio
St. Michael the Archangel Byzantine Catholic Church is a Ruthenian (Byzantine) Catholic parish located at 408 Walnut Street in Pleasant City, Guernsey County, Ohio. Founded on June 24, 1898 by Slovak, Hungarian, and Rusyn immigrants who came to work the southeastern Ohio coal mines, it belongs to the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh. The parish is currently served by Father Ryan F. Liebhaber and celebrates its Divine Liturgy on Sundays at 11:00 AM in the Byzantine (Ruthenian) tradition. The current brick church, built in 1916 and renovated for the parish's centennial in 1998, retains its full icon screen and donor-stained-glass windows depicting Christ, the Mother of God, the apostles, and the saints.
- Established
- 1898
- Patron
- St. Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Father Ryan F. Liebhaber (Administrator, appointed effective October 4, 2024)
- Diocese
- Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh (Ruthenian Metropolitanate sui juris of Pittsburgh); geographically within the territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Steubenville
Why belong here
St. Michael's offers a small, historic Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic home in the coal-country hills of Guernsey County where worship is celebrated in the Eastern Christian tradition with a full icon screen, hand-donated stained glass, and the liturgical chant of the Eastern Catholic Church. Worshippers of Rusyn, Slovak, and Hungarian heritage — and anyone drawn to the Byzantine rite — will find a parish that has celebrated the Divine Liturgy continuously since 1898 and that still gathers for a once-a-Sunday Divine Liturgy, weekly Holy Day services, Eastern Christian Formation for children, and a beloved annual homecoming picnic on the parish's five-acre grove.
Mass times at St. Michael [Ruthenian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM (one hour before Divine Liturgy)
- One hour before all services, or immediately after all services
History of St. Michael Byzantine Catholic Church
St. Michael the Archangel Byzantine Catholic Church in Pleasant City, Ohio was organized on June 24, 1898 to serve the Byzantine Catholic Slovaks, Hungarians, and Rusyns who had emigrated from Eastern Europe and settled in small towns throughout Guernsey County. Most of the men worked in the coal mines, while others farmed or held other jobs to support their families and their church. The first church was a small wooden structure that also served Roman Catholics and Russian Orthodox. Under Father Nestor Volensky, it was consecrated in 1899 by Most Reverend John Ambrose Watterson, Roman Catholic Bishop of Columbus. As the congregation grew, a larger brick church was built and consecrated in 1916 by Bishop Soter Ortinsky, and adorned with a full icon screen and stained-glass windows depicting Christ, the Mother of God, the apostles, and the saints.
Founding Era and First Wooden Church (1898–1916)
The parish traces its origins to Eastern European immigrants — Slovaks, Hungarians, and Rusyns — who settled the coal-mining communities of Guernsey County. The first church was a small wooden structure that, by necessity, served Byzantine Catholics, Roman Catholics, and Russian Orthodox together. Father Nestor Volensky was the founding pastor; he oversaw the 1899 consecration by Bishop Watterson of Columbus.
- Organized June 24, 1898
- First church consecrated 1899 by Bishop John Ambrose Watterson of Columbus
- Founding pastor: Father Nestor Volensky
The 1916 Brick Church and its Furnishings
To accommodate the growing congregation, a larger brick church was built in 1916 and consecrated by Bishop Soter Ortinsky. The new interior was endowed with a full Byzantine icon screen and stained-glass windows depicting Christ, the Mother of God, the apostles, and the saints. Many of the stained-glass windows and icons on the walls and ceiling were specifically donated by parish groups and individuals, giving the church a distinctly community-built character.
- Brick church built and consecrated in 1916
- Consecration by Bishop Soter Ortinsky
- Full icon screen (iconostasis) installed
- Stained-glass windows and icons donated by families and parish groups
The Great Depression, World War II, and Shrinkage
The biggest changes in parish size came in the late 1920s and early 1930s, as the southeastern Ohio coal mines began closing during the Great Depression. Many families moved to Cleveland, Akron, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and other metropolitan areas to find work. World War II further reduced the parish, as over 150 young men and women were called to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces.
- Mine closures in late 1920s–1930s drove families to major cities
- More than 150 parishioners served in WWII
Parish Properties: Cemetery, Grove, and Hall
Over the decades the parish assembled a remarkable set of properties. In 1910, land for a parish cemetery was acquired. When the original church hall burned down, the parish bought property near Pleasant City that included a social hall building and a five-acre picnic grove; the grove building was destroyed by strong winds in the 1970s, but the grove continues to host the annual homecoming picnic. A new hall next to the church provides space for Eastern Christian Formation classrooms, fellowship, and organizational meetings.
- Parish cemetery land acquired in 1910
- Five-acre picnic grove used for the annual homecoming picnic
- Parish hall next to the church for ECF and fellowship
The Centennial Year (1998)
The parish centennial in 1998 was a year of renovation and remembrance. Special events honored past and present parishioners and former pastors. A notable honoree was Anna Chervenak, then 91, who had been present at the 1916 consecration of the brick church. The centennial year culminated in a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy celebrated by Most Reverend Judson Procyk, Metropolitan Archbishop of Pittsburgh.
- 1998 centennial renovation of the church
- Anna Chervenak honored as a 1916 consecration witness
- Hierarchical Divine Liturgy with Metropolitan Archbishop Judson Procyk
Divine Liturgy and Holy Mysteries
St. Michael's celebrates the Byzantine (Ruthenian) Divine Liturgy in the Eastern Catholic tradition. The weekly Sunday Divine Liturgy is the heart of parish life, with weekday and Holy Day services held in the evening prior, as announced on the parish Facebook page. The Holy Mysteries (sacraments) of Confession, Marriage, and Anointing are available through the parish clergy.
Ministries and Parish Life
As a small rural Byzantine Catholic parish, St. Michael's life centers on its Sunday Divine Liturgy, Eastern Christian Formation for children, parish fellowship, and its beloved annual homecoming picnic. The parish hall next to the church hosts ECF classrooms, organizational meetings, and gatherings after services.
Eastern Christian Formation (ECF)
Eastern Christian Formation — the Byzantine equivalent of CCD / religious education — is offered to parish children in the classrooms of the parish hall next to the church.
- ECF classes held in the parish hall
Annual Homecoming Picnic
The parish maintains a five-acre picnic grove, acquired together with a former social hall in the mid-20th century. Even after the grove building was destroyed by high winds in the 1970s, the grove itself has remained the site of the annual church homecoming picnic, drawing current and former parishioners together each year.
- Five-acre parish grove
- Annual homecoming picnic continues in the grove
Parish Cemetery
Land for the parish cemetery was acquired in 1910 and remains part of the parish's property holdings, providing a sacred resting place for generations of Byzantine Catholic faithful from Pleasant City and surrounding Guernsey County communities.
- Cemetery land acquired 1910
Clergy and Leadership
St. Michael is currently administered by Father Ryan F. Liebhaber, who was appointed effective October 4, 2024. He succeeded Father A. Edward Gretchko, who had served as Administrator. The parish's first known pastor, Father Nestor Volensky, oversaw the consecration of the original 1898 wooden church in 1899. Father Liebhaber can be reached at the rectory or by email.
- Father Ryan F. Liebhaber — current Administrator (appointed Oct. 4, 2024); [email protected]
- Father A. Edward Gretchko — former Administrator (relieved Oct. 4, 2024)
- Father Nestor Volensky — first pastor, c. 1898
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Nestor Volensky1898 – c. early 1900s
First pastor; oversaw the 1899 consecration of the original wooden church by Bishop John Ambrose Watterson of Columbus.
- Father A. Edward GretchkoUntil October 4, 2024
Administrator of St. Michael prior to Father Liebhaber.
- Father Ryan F. LiebhaberEffective October 4, 2024 – present
Current Administrator of St. Michael; previously preached at an Emmanuel Moleben series at St. Mary's Byzantine Catholic Church.