St. Nicholas [Ukrainian]

About St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church

St. Nicholas is a Byzantine-rite (Ukrainian Greek Catholic) parish in Amsterdam, New York, in the Mohawk Valley. It is one of the historic Ukrainian-American parishes of the region and is served by the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford, whose cathedra is St. Volodymyr Cathedral in Stamford, Connecticut. Although geographically located within the territory of the Roman Diocese of Albany, the parish is in full communion with Rome through the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and celebrates the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom in the Byzantine tradition.

Parish History and Community

Amsterdam's Ukrainian community traces its roots to waves of immigration through the twentieth century, with a particularly strong influx of displaced Ukrainians after World War II. Many current parishioners of St. Nicholas are descendants of that post-war generation, and as founders have aged and passed, the parish has taken on the role of preserving Ukrainian identity in the region. Parishioner Mary Conrad, for example, came to Amsterdam from Ukraine at age 6 and has been involved in parish life for roughly 50 years. The church community is described by its members as 'the closest piece of Ukraine here in New York.'

• Descendants of post-WWII Ukrainian immigrants form the core of the parish
• Roman Catholic neighbors have recently begun attending Liturgy and joining parish life
• Parish has been the subject of regional news coverage for sustaining itself through food sales

Clergy

Rev. Marian Kostyk is publicly identified as the parish priest in contemporary local reporting. He is described leading parish pierogi preparations with his wife Marina and daughter Anastasia, both of whom are deeply involved in parish fundraising and hospitality. The Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford (bishop: Paul Patrick Chomnycky, O.S.B.M.) is the immediate ecclesiastical authority.

• Rev. Marian Kostyk — pastor

Sacraments

No sacramental preparation schedule is published online for this small parish. As a Byzantine-rite Catholic parish, St. Nicholas would offer the full sacramental life of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (Baptism, Chrismation, Eucharist, Confession, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Marriage). Inquiries should be directed to the parish phone line.

Parish Fundraisers: The Famous Pierogi Sale

The monthly pierogi and golumki sale is the most visible expression of parish life at St. Nicholas — and, parishioners say, the chief reason the church has been able to keep its doors open. Held on a Thursday and Friday each month from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, the sale brings together multiple generations of parishioners to roll dough, fill potato-and-cheese pockets, and serve hot food to a stream of regulars who travel from across the Mohawk Valley and as far as Albany. Members describe the work as both a fundraiser and a community-building tradition.

• When: monthly, Thursday and Friday, 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Where: the parish hall at 22 (or 24) Pulaski Street, Amsterdam
• Menu: pierogi (potato/cheese or cabbage), golumki, borscht, smoked kielbasa, babka bread
• Sample pricing (2025): pierogi $12/dozen, golumki $5, borscht $5, kielbasa ring $25, babka $13
• Pre-orders / pickup: 518-669-1680
• Sale dates announced on the parish's Facebook page

Ukrainian Heritage and Language

Parishioners speak openly about the church as a vehicle for keeping the Ukrainian language and liturgical traditions alive for younger generations. Mary Conrad, 81 at the time of a 2025 profile, noted that since her parents died the church has become one of the last places she can find others to speak Ukrainian with. The parish also welcomes non-Ukrainian-American Roman Catholics who have been drawn to the Byzantine liturgy — described by one such newcomer as 'still the same [Catholic Church], just different liturgy, and we love the liturgy.'

• Liturgy celebrated bilingually in Ukrainian and English
• Parish identified by members as a primary local carrier of Ukrainian language and culture
• Roman Catholic newcomers have been joining in recent years

Civic Engagement

St. Nicholas has periodically drawn the attention of New York State elected officials. On March 25, 2022, Senator Jim Tedisco (R, C – Glenville) visited the parish during its annual pierogi and golumki sale to show support for the local Ukrainian-American community and to present parishioners with a copy of his state Senate resolution condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine — a moment that tied the parish's local fundraising tradition to its continuing concern for the homeland.

• March 25, 2022: visit by NY State Senator Jim Tedisco
• Parish presented with Senate resolution condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Visit, Contact, and Getting Involved

The parish can be reached by phone at (518) 842-8731. Because St. Nicholas does not appear to maintain an independent website, the most reliable up-to-date source of information — including monthly pierogi sale dates — is the parish's Facebook page. Visitors are warmly welcomed at Sunday Liturgy, and newcomers (whether of Ukrainian descent or not) are invited to take part in both the liturgical and the food-sale life of the community.

• Phone: (518) 842-8731
• Address: 22 Pulaski Street, Amsterdam, NY 12010
• Parish listings: Eparchy of Stamford 'New York State Parishes' page
• Sale dates and parish news: Facebook page for St. Nicholas Ukrainian Church, Amsterdam, NY