About St. Nicholas [Ruthenian] · Youngstown, Ohio
St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church is a Ruthenian (Byzantine) Catholic parish serving the east side of Youngstown, Ohio from its landmark church at 1898 Wilson Avenue. Founded in 1912 by Rusyn immigrants who could not afford the streetcar fare to reach the only other Byzantine parish across town, the parish is part of the Metropolitan Archeparchy of Pittsburgh. The current church, dedicated in 1919, was patterned after the Cathedral Church of the Holy Cross in Užhorod, Subcarpathia-Rus', and its gold-leaf copper domes remain a neighborhood landmark. Today, Divine Liturgy is celebrated on Sunday mornings and Saturday afternoons, and the parish continues Byzantine faith formation (ECF), social activities at Shady Run Grove, and outreach as a cosmopolitan community of Eastern Catholic Christians.
- Established
- 1912
- Patron
- St. Nicholas
- Rector
- Father Michael (Mykhaylo) Farynets
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archeparchy of Pittsburgh (Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic)
Why belong here
St. Nicholas offers a tight-knit Byzantine Catholic community rooted in more than a century of faith on Youngstown's east side, with a beautiful landmark church patterned after the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Užhorod and an active social life centered around Shady Run Grove. Parishioners of every Eastern Catholic background worship together in the Ruthenian liturgical tradition, with regular Sunday and Saturday Divine Liturgies, weekly Lenten classes during the Great Fast, Eastern Christian Formation (ECF) classes for youth, and the Byzantine Social Club's parish brunches and gatherings. With easy contact for the Holy Mysteries (Confession, Marriage, Anointing), it is a welcoming home for Byzantine Catholics who want both deep liturgical tradition and a family-friendly social community.
Mass times at St. Nicholas [Ruthenian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM
- By appointment
Parish History
Founded January 7, 1912 by 19 laymen under Father Alexius Medvecky to serve Byzantine Catholics on Youngstown's east side, St. Nicholas grew from a purchased Swedish church into a landmark Ruthenian parish. The current church was dedicated in 1919, modeled after the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Užhorod, and the parish expanded its grounds with the Shady Run Grove picnic area in 1937 and the Byzantine Catholic Central School in 1953.
- Founded January 7, 1912 in the Haselton neighborhood
- First pastor: Father Alexander Kossey (1912–1914)
- Father Alexander Papp (1914–) led construction of the present church in 1919
- Father John Rommack championed the parish school
- Byzantine Catholic Central School opened May 1953; closed 2009
- Haseltine family home (purchased 1918) still serves as the rectory
Architecture and Landmark Status
The 1919 church was designed after the Cathedral Church of the Holy Cross in Užhorod, Subcarpathia-Rus'. Its distinctive copper domes were originally gold-leaf and remain a recognizable neighborhood landmark. The original Swedish-congregation church and the 1914 addition served the parish before this larger structure was built.
- Modeled on the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Užhorod
- Copper domes, originally gold-leaf
- Original 1886 Wilson Avenue Swedish church (purchased 1912) later replaced by the 1919 structure
- Corner-lot site on Wilson Avenue
Holy Mysteries (Sacraments)
Confessions are heard before Saturday Liturgy and by appointment. Couples should contact the rectory to arrange Marriage, and the priest should be contacted for the Anointing of the Sick.
- Confessions — 3:30 PM Saturday or by appointment
- Marriage — please contact the rectory
- Anointing — please contact the rectory
Faith Formation — Eastern Christian Formation (ECF)
The parish offers Eastern Christian Formation classes for its youth during the school year. The parish site currently lists ECF at 6:00 PM each Tuesday online; the Archeparchy listing places the gathering at the Byzantine Social Center at The Grove.
- ECF — 6:00 PM Tuesdays during the school year (online per parish homepage)
- Alternate location: Byzantine Social Center at The Grove (per Archeparchy listing)
Lenten Life
During Great Lent the parish gathers for the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts on Fridays and follows up with mid-week Lenten Education Classes on Wednesdays to grow in the Byzantine faith.
- Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts — Fridays, 4:00 PM
- Lenten Education Classes — Wednesdays during Lent after Pre-sanctified Liturgies
Parish Life and Shady Run Grove
Community life centers on Shady Run Grove, the 11-acre wooded picnic grounds acquired by the parish in 1937 at Lansingville. The Byzantine Social Club — a joint fellowship with Infant Jesus of Prague in Boardman — meets on the last Wednesday of each month and hosts parish brunches, basket raffles, and 50/50 drawings at the Byzantine Center at The Grove.
- Shady Run Grove — 11 acres, 3801 Shady Run Road (parish mailing address)
- Byzantine Social Club — $10/person dues, last Wednesday of the month
- Parish Breakfast Brunches at Byzantine Center at the Grove
- Past events included chicken francese brunches, basket raffles, 50/50 drawings
Facilities and Capital Campaign
The parish is currently running a hall renovation capital campaign. The Byzantine Center at The Grove serves as a venue for parish social events alongside the historic church and Haseltine-era rectory.
- Hall Renovation Capital Campaign — total available reported at $344,607.80 (per blog)
- Liturgical requests for 2026 being taken via Paula (330) 799-5983
- Byzantine Center at The Grove on Shady Run Road
Clergy
St. Nicholas is currently served by Father Michael (Mykhaylo) Farynets, a priest of the Metropolitan Archeparchy of Pittsburgh who also serves Infant Jesus of Prague Byzantine Catholic Church in Boardman, OH.
- Pastor: Father Michael (Mykhaylo) Farynets
- Also serves Infant Jesus of Prague, Boardman, OH
- Joint Byzantine Social Club connects the two parishes
Byzantine Catholic Central School (1953–2009)
For more than 55 years, St. Nicholas partnered with the four other Youngstown-area Byzantine parishes to operate the Byzantine Catholic Central School. The school was founded in May 1953 on the Oles estate on Youngstown-Poland Road, purchased for $75,000 by the combined parishes, and staffed by the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate. It closed in 2009 after decades of service to Byzantine families across greater Youngstown.
- Opened May 1953 on the Oles estate, Youngstown-Poland Road
- Jointly funded by all five Youngstown-area Byzantine parishes ($75,000)
- Staffed by the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate
- Served Byzantine youth and families until its closure in 2009
Contact and Visit
The parish can be reached by phone at (330) 743-0419 or by email at [email protected]. Visitors are welcomed for Saturday and Sunday Divine Liturgy; Confessions are heard Saturday afternoons before Liturgy and by appointment.
- Phone: (330) 743-0419
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stnicholasbyz.org
- Physical address: 1898 Wilson Avenue, Youngstown, OH 44506
- Mailing address: 3801 Shady Run Road, Youngstown, OH 44502
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Alexander Kossey1912–1914
First pastor of St. Nicholas; oversaw purchase of the Swedish church at 1886 Wilson Ave., built the 1914 addition, and acquired the cemetery on Hyatt Street in Campbell.
- Father Alexander Papp1914–
Second pastor; purchased the Haseltine estate in 1918 and built the present church (dedicated 1919) patterned after the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Užhorod.
- Father John Rommack
Late pastor remembered for his long-held wish to found a parochial school; vision realized in 1953 as the Byzantine Catholic Central School.
- Father Michael (Mykhaylo) Farynetspresent
Current pastor; also serves Infant Jesus of Prague Byzantine Catholic Church in Boardman, OH.