About St. Michael [Ruthenian] · Sheffield, Pennsylvania
St. Michael the Archangel Byzantine Catholic Church is a small Ruthenian (Byzantine) Catholic parish in Sheffield, Warren County, Pennsylvania, belonging to the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh. Founded in 1905 by Carpatho-Rusyn immigrants and dedicated on October 7, 1906, the parish has served the greater Sheffield area for over a century, offering the Byzantine Divine Liturgy in English, supporting a Rosary Society, an annual St. Michael's Dinner, a Parish Council, and a Cemetery Association. As one of the northernmost parishes of the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, it is pastored in conjunction with the Archeparchy's chancery and welcomes faithful of the Byzantine tradition in northwestern Pennsylvania.
- Established
- 1905
- Patron
- St. Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Very Reverend David A. Bosnich (per parish page; Archeparchy appointments also list Father Edward Pyo appointed in 2024 for liturgical services and the spiritual care of the faithful at St. Michael, Sheffield)
- Diocese
- Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh (Ruthenian Metropolitanate sui juris of Pittsburgh); geographically within the territory of the Roman Diocese of Erie
Why belong here
St. Michael's offers a rare Byzantine Catholic witness in rural northwestern Pennsylvania, where the Divine Liturgy and the Great Fast liturgies are celebrated in the Ruthenian tradition. Parishioners gather for Sunday and Saturday Divine Liturgy, share faith through the Rosary Society, support one another through the Parish Council, and come together socially at the annual St. Michael's Dinner and at the parish cemetery's Veterans' Memorial. It is a small, generational community — a place for Byzantine-rite Catholics in the Sheffield area to worship, mark life's sacraments, and stay rooted in their Carpatho-Rusyn heritage.
Mass times at St. Michael [Ruthenian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Before Divine Liturgies
- Sunday 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
- Anytime by request
About St. Michael the Archangel Byzantine Catholic Church
St. Michael the Archangel is a Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic parish in Sheffield, Pennsylvania, entrusted to the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh. It is a small parish in rural Warren County that maintains the Byzantine liturgical tradition, a parish cemetery, a Rosary Society, and an annual St. Michael's Dinner. Although geographically within the territory of the Roman Diocese of Erie, the parish belongs to the Ruthenian Metropolitanate sui juris of Pittsburgh.
- Parish name: Saint Michael the Archangel Byzantine Catholic Church
- Jurisdiction: Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh (Ruthenian)
- Geographic area: Roman Diocese of Erie
- Located at 407 School Street, Sheffield, PA 16347-0471
Parish History
The parish was founded in 1905 by Byzantine-rite (Greek Catholic) faithful of Carpatho-Rusyn heritage. The church was dedicated on October 7, 1906, and Father Sylvester Lupish became the first pastor on October 17, 1907. The community has grown, enlarged and improved its buildings over more than a century, and remains an active Byzantine Catholic presence in northwestern Pennsylvania.
- 1905: Parish founded; church construction begins
- October 7, 1906: Church dedicated
- October 17, 1907: Father Sylvester Lupish appointed first pastor
- 1914: Church enlarged
- 1919: New icon screen and three church bells installed
- September 1940: First Greek Catholic Day with Bishop Lotocky of Jersey City
- June 6, 1948: Church redecorated and rededicated
- 1959-1973: St. Michael's Pavilion built; new icon screen and ceiling lights; new rectory offices
- 1973-1998: Parking lot, cemetery road paving, masonry pointing, new roof, basement classrooms, interior painting, rectory renovations
- 1993: Veterans' Memorial at cemetery dedicated on the feast of St. Michael
Clergy and Pastoral Leadership
The parish is currently pastored by Very Reverend David A. Bosnich, who was appointed pastor effective July 18, 2014. Father Roy R. Schubert served as administrator from 2004 until his retirement in 2014, and Father Sylvester Lupish was the parish's first pastor from 1907. The Archeparchy has also appointed Father Edward Pyo in 2024 for liturgical services and the spiritual care of the faithful at St. Michael, Sheffield.
- Current pastor: Very Reverend David A. Bosnich
- Father Edward Pyo (appointed 2024 for liturgical services and spiritual care)
- Former administrator: Father Roy R. Schubert (2004-2014)
- First pastor: Father Sylvester Lupish (1907)
Holy Mysteries (Sacraments)
The parish celebrates the Byzantine-rite Holy Mysteries, with confessions heard before liturgies or by request, and arrangements made through the rectory for marriage and anointing of the sick.
- Confessions: before Divine Liturgies or upon request
- Marriage: contact the rectory
- Anointing: contact the rectory
Parish Life, Ministries and Activities
St. Michael's supports a small but active network of parish organizations. The Rosary Society gathers for Marian devotion, the Parish Council helps guide parish life, and the Cemetery Association oversees the parish cemetery. The annual St. Michael's Dinner, held on the patron's feast day, is a key social event each year.
- Rosary Society
- Parish Council
- Cemetery Association
- Religious education in basement classrooms
- Choir (historically a 50-voice parish choir)
- Annual St. Michael's Dinner (feast of St. Michael)
Contact and Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish by phone or email, and the parish is served by the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh's website at archpitt.org.
- Address: 407 School Street, Sheffield, PA 16347-0471
- Phone: (814) 968-5478
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://archpitt.org/place/sheffieldpa/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Sylvester Lupish1907-
First pastor of St. Michael the Archangel, formally appointed October 17, 1907, shortly after the church's 1906 dedication.
- Father Roy R. Schubert2004-2014
Served as administrator of St. Michael Church, Sheffield from 2004 until his retirement from active ministry in 2014. Ordained in 1963 by Bishop Nicholas T. Elko; fell asleep in the Lord on July 25, 2019.
- Very Reverend David A. Bosnich2014-present
Appointed pastor of St. Michael, Sheffield effective July 18, 2014; has also served as Protopresbyter and as Assistant Chancellor for the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh.