About St. Nicholas Of Myra · New Orleans, Louisiana
St. Nicholas of Myra is a Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic mission parish in New Orleans, Louisiana, canonically part of the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Archeparchy of Pittsburgh while physically located within the territory of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans. The community gathers at 2435 South Carrollton Avenue for the Byzantine Divine Liturgy every Sunday morning, and is in full communion with the Holy See in Rome. Founded in 1976 and formally established as a mission in 1984, it is the longest-lasting Byzantine Catholic initiative in Louisiana and welcomes Roman-rite Catholics to fulfill their Sunday obligation at its liturgy.
- Established
- 1976
- Patron
- St. Nicholas of Myra (St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia)
- Rector
- Father John Brown, SSJ
- Diocese
- Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Archeparchy of Pittsburgh (Ruthenian Metropolitanate sui iuris of Pittsburgh); located within the territorial Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans.
Why belong here
St. Nicholas of Myra offers a rare opportunity in the Deep South to experience the fullness of the Catholic faith through the Byzantine (Ruthenian) liturgical tradition, celebrated every Sunday morning in English at a welcoming, restored worship site on South Carrollton Avenue. As a mission in full communion with Rome, it welcomes Roman Catholics to fulfill their Sunday obligation and receive Holy Communion while immersing themselves in the depth and beauty of the Eastern Catholic inheritance. The community also extends its reach through the Byzantine Outreach of Acadiana, celebrating a monthly Divine Liturgy in Lafayette.
Mass times at St. Nicholas Of Myra
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Confessions / Reconciliation / Visitations: Upon Request — Before or After Divine Services
About St. Nicholas of Myra
St. Nicholas of Myra is a Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic mission parish in New Orleans, canonically part of the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church sui iuris of Pittsburgh and physically situated within the territorial Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans. The community gathers every Sunday morning at 2435 South Carrollton Avenue for the Byzantine Divine Liturgy. Because the mission is in full communion with Rome, Roman-rite Catholics may fulfill their Sunday obligation at its liturgy and are welcome to receive Holy Communion. The community frames its invitation in the words of Christ to the first disciples: 'Come and see.'
- Liturgy: Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic
- Canonical jurisdiction: Archeparchy of Pittsburgh
- Geographic territory: Archdiocese of New Orleans
- Status: Mission
History of the Mission
The story of St. Nicholas of Myra is a chronicle of small beginnings, faithful persistence, and rebuilding after catastrophe. It began in 1976 as an educational outreach, became a formal mission in 1984, and nearly lost its church to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Through decades of itinerant worship in seminary and college chapels, donations of labor and furnishings, and the dedication of a rotating cast of bi-ritual priests and deacons, the community has endured for nearly fifty years as the longest-lasting Byzantine Catholic initiative in Louisiana.
- 1976 — Father Francis Twardzik, SDB, celebrates the first Byzantine Divine Liturgy at Notre Dame Seminary
- 1978 — Father Ellis DePriest, SM, receives bi-ritual faculties and begins serving the Ruthenian faithful
- 1981 — Liturgy relocates to the Dominican College Chapel on St. Charles Avenue
- 1982 — Archbishop Joseph Tawil grants Father Ellis Melkite faculties
- 1984 — Metropolitan Stephen J. Kocisko formally establishes the community as a mission under the patronage of St. Nicholas of Myra
- 1995 — Pastoral visit by Metropolitan Judson Procyk
- 1999 — Mission purchases 2435 South Carrollton Avenue with a loan from Metropolitan Judson
- 2002 — Bishop Basil M. Schott, OFM, installed as Metropolitan Archbishop of Pittsburgh
- 2005 (August 29) — Hurricane Katrina severely damages the church
- 2007 — Deacon Gregory Haddad appointed Administrator; reconstruction intensifies
- 2008 (Palm Sunday, March 16) — Church reopens for the Divine Liturgy
- 2009 (February 6) — Father Ellis DePriest passes away
- 2009 (end of year) — Father Phillip Linden, SSJ, accepts the call to be Celebrant and Spiritual Guide
- 2011 — Construction begins on the new iconostasis (icon screen)
Clergy and Leadership
St. Nicholas of Myra is currently shepherded by Father John Brown, SSJ, as Celebrant, and Father Deacon Gregory A. Haddad as Administrator. Deacon Haddad, a long-time parishioner ordained as a Melkite deacon in 1996, has been central to the mission's survival and rebuilding — leading worship as a deacon when no priest was available, taking over as owner/contractor after Hurricane Katrina, and being appointed Administrator in 2007. The mission has also been served over the years by a wide circle of bi-ritual and visiting priests from the Salesians (SDB), Marists (SM), Jesuits (SJ), Society of St. Joseph (SSJ), and the Ukrainian and Melkite clergy of the region.
- Father John Brown, SSJ — Celebrant
- Father Deacon Gregory A. Haddad — Administrator
Worship and Service Times
The mission's regular Sunday gathering is the Byzantine Divine Liturgy at 10:00 AM. During Great Lent, the community gathers for the Presanctified Liturgy on Wednesdays. Holy Day liturgies are scheduled as announced; visitors and members are encouraged to contact the mission directly for the current calendar.
- Sunday — 10:00 AM Divine Liturgy (English)
- Wednesday in Lent — 6:00 PM Presanctified Liturgy
- Holy Day — Varies; please contact the mission
Holy Mysteries (Sacraments)
All sacraments at St. Nicholas of Myra are scheduled upon request. Confessions are heard before or after Divine Services, and the deacon is available for pastoral visitations on request. As an Eastern Catholic mission in full communion with Rome, the Byzantine sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Chrismation, and Eucharist) are typically celebrated together, especially for converts.
- Baptism / Chrismation / Eucharist — Scheduled upon Request
- Marriage — Scheduled upon Request
- Anointing of the Sick — Scheduled upon Request
- Confession / Reconciliation — Upon Request, before or after Divine Services
Byzantine Outreach of Acadiana
St. Nicholas of Myra extends its ministry beyond New Orleans through the Byzantine Outreach of Acadiana, which celebrates the Divine Liturgy once a month in Lafayette, Louisiana. This outreach is the mission's principal apostolate to Byzantine-rite faithful across the Louisiana bayou country, and information about the monthly services is available through byzantinecatholiclouisiana.com.
- Location: Lafayette, Louisiana
- Frequency: Once a month
- Website: byzantinecatholiclouisiana.com
Visit Us
Visitors and new members are warmly welcomed. The mission asks that those needing urgent pastoral care or wishing to schedule sacraments contact the office directly by phone or email. Because the church is still undergoing phases of restoration after Hurricane Katrina, parishioners and visitors are encouraged to call ahead for the latest schedule and any access information.
- Phone: (504) 861-0806
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: 2435 South Carrollton Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118
The Patron: St. Nicholas of Myra
The mission is named for St. Nicholas of Myra, the fourth-century Bishop of Myra in Lycia (modern-day Turkey), one of the most beloved saints of both the Greek and Latin Churches. According to tradition, he was imprisoned under the Diocletian persecution and released after Constantine's accession; his relics were translated from Myra to Bari, Italy, in 1087, where they remain venerated to this day. He is patron of Greece, Russia, the Kingdom of Naples, Sicily, Lorraine, the Diocese of Liège, and many cities in Europe, as well as of mariners, merchants, bakers, travelers, and children. His feast is celebrated on December 6.
- Title: Bishop of Myra in Lycia (4th century)
- Feast Day: December 6
- Patron of: Children, mariners, merchants, bakers, travelers
- Relics: Cathedral of San Nicola, Bari, Italy
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Francis Twardzik, SDB1976
Celebrated the inaugural Byzantine Divine Liturgy at Notre Dame Seminary that began the community.
- Father Ellis DePriest, SM1978–2009
Received bi-ritual faculties in 1978; shepherded the community from its first monthly liturgies through formal mission status (1984), the 1999 Carrollton Avenue purchase, and Katrina; passed away February 6, 2009.
- Father Phillip Linden, SSJ2009–
Long-time parishioner who accepted the call to be Celebrant and Spiritual Guide at the end of 2009; granted bi-ritual faculties by Metropolitan Basil.
- Father Nicholas (Kirk) Mansell, S.J.
Rotating celebrant after the mission was formally established in 1984.
- Father Stan Klores
Priest of the Archdiocese of New Orleans who assisted on the rotating schedule.
- Monsignor William Bilinsky
Ukrainian priest of the Archdiocese of New Orleans who occasionally joined the rotation.
- Father John Zolota, S.M.
Occasional visiting celebrant.
- Father Steve Shafran, SDB
Occasional visiting celebrant.
- Father James Deshotels, SJ
Served alongside Father Ellis.
- Deacon Eric Gamble
Armenian-rite deacon (ordained 1993) who assisted the community.
- Father John Brown, SSJPresent
Current celebrant.