About St. Michael [Ukrainian] · Milwaukee, Wisconsin
St. Michael's Ukrainian Catholic Church is a Byzantine-rite (Greek Catholic) parish in Milwaukee's near South Side (Walker's Point), and the only Ukrainian Catholic parish in the State of Wisconsin. It belongs to the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Nicholas of Chicago, the Eastern Catholic diocese that covers the entire western United States, while geographically sitting inside the territory of the Roman Metropolitan Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The parish worships bilingually, with a Sunday Divine Liturgy in English at 8:30 a.m. followed by the Ukrainian Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m., and is currently served by Very Rev. Ihor Darmohray with longtime parish administrator Joseph Spolowicz.
- Established
- 1949
- Patron
- Saint Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Very Rev. Ihor Darmohray
- Diocese
- Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Nicholas of Chicago (geographically within the territory of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee)
Why belong here
St. Michael's is the only Ukrainian Catholic parish in Wisconsin, so it gathers Byzantine-rite Catholics from across the Milwaukee area and the state into one bilingual worshipping community. A parishioner can attend the full Divine Liturgy in English at 8:30 a.m. and in Ukrainian at 10:00 a.m., stay for coffee and fellowship, and join a parish that has actively supported Ukraine through $141,000+ in humanitarian fundraising since 2022.
Mass times at St. Michael [Ukrainian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes prior to any scheduled service
- By appointment
About St. Michael's Ukrainian Catholic Church
St. Michael's is a Byzantine-rite (Ukrainian Greek Catholic) parish serving the Milwaukee area and, because of its singular status, the entire State of Wisconsin. The parish belongs to the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Nicholas in Chicago, while geographically located within the territory of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The community is bilingual: Sunday Divine Liturgy is celebrated in English at 8:30 a.m. and in Ukrainian at 10:00 a.m., with the priest hearing confessions 30 minutes before any scheduled service or by appointment. Visitors are warmly invited to stay for coffee, food and fellowship after Liturgy.
- Only Ukrainian Catholic parish in Wisconsin
- Byzantine (Greek Catholic) rite, in communion with Rome
- Bilingual worship in English and Ukrainian
- Parish administrator: Joseph Spolowicz
History
The parish was founded in 1949 to serve the post-Second World War wave of Ukrainian Catholic immigrants in Milwaukee. Before buying their own building, the community worshipped in a borrowed classroom at St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church on the city's north side. In 1953 they purchased the 1874 Gothic Revival former Salem Evangelical Church on South 11th Street and made it their permanent home. In the early 1960s they acquired the former Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church at 808 West Washington Street as a recreation hall and credit union office. Members are scattered across Wisconsin, and the parish marked 70 years in its present building in 2023.
- Parish founded: 1949
- Moved into present church: 1953
- Acquired recreation hall / credit union at 808 W. Washington St.: early 1960s
- 70th anniversary celebrated: 2023
The Building: A 1874 Gothic Revival Church
The worship space is the former Salem Evangelical Church, built in 1874 for Milwaukee's South Side German population at a cost of $6,849.34 — the same year the Italianate parsonage next door was raised at $1,336.50. The church's most unusual architectural feature is a tall limestone foundation that separates the street-level social hall from the upper worship space, an arrangement closer to 19th-century New England Protestant meetinghouses than typical Gothic design. The building is documented on the National Register of Historic Places. Inside, the Ukrainian Catholic community has installed a Byzantine iconostasis and icons proper to its rite.
- Built 1874 as Salem Evangelical Church
- Gothic Revival style
- Distinctive tall limestone foundation
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- Byzantine iconostasis and icons added by the parish
Clergy and Staff
The parish is currently served by Very Rev. Ihor Darmohray as pastor, with longtime parishioner Joseph Spolowicz serving as parish administrator. The parish publishes a direct phone line for the pastor and a rectory line for general inquiries.
- Pastor: Very Rev. Ihor Darmohray
- Parish Administrator: Joseph Spolowicz
- Pastor phone: 708-506-7222
- Rectory phone: 414-672-5616
Liturgical Schedule
The parish publishes its full liturgical schedule bilingually on its website. Confessions are heard 30 minutes before any scheduled service or by appointment; sacraments such as Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick and Funerals are arranged by notifying the pastor.
- Sunday Divine Liturgy (English): 8:30 a.m.
- Sunday Divine Liturgy (Ukrainian): 10:00 a.m.
- Feast Day Divine Liturgy: 8:30 a.m.
- Confession: 30 min before scheduled services or by appointment
- Coffee and fellowship after Liturgy
Parish Feast Day: St. Michael the Archangel
The parish observes its patron, Saint Michael the Archangel, on the Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and the Bodiless Powers on November 10. The official parish announcement invites all to the Church Feast Day, with a 10:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy followed by a festive lunch and entertainment program.
- Patron: Saint Michael the Archangel
- Feast Day: November 10
- Festive Divine Liturgy followed by lunch and program
Sacraments
In addition to the regular Sunday Divine Liturgy schedule, the parish celebrates the sacraments by arrangement with the pastor. Confessions are available 30 minutes before scheduled services or by appointment; Baptisms, Marriages, Anointing/Visitation of the Sick, and Funerals are coordinated directly through the pastor.
- Baptism
- Marriage
- Anointing/Visitation of the Sick
- Funeral
- Confession (before services or by appointment)
Humanitarian Aid for Ukraine
Since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, St. Michael's has run an ongoing fundraising campaign in support of verified Ukrainian charities and direct relief shipments. The parish publicly reports totals, including support to the Serhiy Prytula Charitable Foundation, the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council, and direct purchases of medical and military supplies. It has also partnered with the International Institute of Wisconsin on refugee assistance, and parish leaders have participated in Milwaukee city ceremonies raising the Ukrainian flag in solidarity with sister city Irpin.
- Total raised reported: $141,000+
- $80,000 to Serhiy Prytula Charitable Foundation
- $10,000 to Ukrainian American Coordinating Council
- $32,000 in direct medical/military supply purchases
- $5,000 presented to the International Institute of Wisconsin for Ukrainian refugees
- Coordinated with City of Milwaukee Ukrainian Independence Day flag-raising
Parish Life and Fellowship
Community life centers on Sunday worship and the hospitality that follows. The parish has hosted author talks (including a presentation on Ukrainian generals of the 1917–1921 War of Independence), an annual picnic in September, rummage sales benefiting the building repair fund, and seasonal Feast Day celebrations.
- Annual picnic (September)
- Sunday coffee and fellowship after Liturgy
- Rummage sales for building repair fund
- Author talks and cultural events
- Church Feast Day with festive lunch
Contact and Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the rectory by phone or email, and Sunday financial donations may be mailed to the parish address or made by credit card via the website's Donate button.
- Address: 1025 S. 11th St., Milwaukee, WI 53204
- Rectory phone: 414-672-5616
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://stmichaelsukr.org/
- Online giving via Donate button on website