About St. Nicholas [Ukrainian] · Elmira Heights, New York
St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church is a Byzantine-rite (Ukrainian Greek Catholic) parish serving the Southern Tier of New York from its home in the village of Elmira Heights, Chemung County. Founded in 1895 by Ukrainian immigrants who settled in the Elmira area, it is the only Ukrainian Catholic church geographically located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester, while belonging canonically to the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford. The parish shares the same sacraments, theology, and dogma as Roman Catholic churches, while celebrating the Divine Liturgy in the Ukrainian Byzantine tradition — with distinctives such as Holy Communion distributed as leavened bread dipped in wine. The parish is pastored by Father Teodor Czabala, who also serves Sacred Heart Ukrainian Catholic Church in Johnson City and Ascension of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church in Sayre, Pennsylvania.
- Established
- 1895
- Patron
- St. Nicholas (the Wonderworker)
- Rector
- Father Teodor Czabala
- Diocese
- Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford (within the geographic territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester)
Why belong here
St. Nicholas offers a rare opportunity in the Southern Tier to worship as a Byzantine-rite Catholic in the Ukrainian tradition while remaining in full communion with Rome. The parish combines a small, tightly-knit immigrant-rooted community with the deep liturgical patrimony of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church — including the December 6 St. Nicholas Day celebration with gift-giving for the children, the distinctive Byzantine Divine Liturgy, and Communion under the form of leavened bread dipped in wine. Visiting parishioners are warmly welcomed, and the pastor, Father Teodor Czabala, also leads active outreach efforts in support of Ukraine during times of crisis.
Mass times at St. Nicholas [Ukrainian]
Weekly Mass schedule
History of St. Nicholas Parish
St. Nicholas Parish was founded in 1895 to minister to a wave of Ukrainian immigrants who settled in the Elmira, New York area. Its first church was built that same year at the corner of West 14th Street and Parkwood Avenue; in 1910, the building was moved to Horseheads Boulevard and East 11th Street. The parish grew steadily under successive pastors and a strong tradition of Ukrainian liturgical music — most notably established by its founding pastor, the priest-composer Rev. Volodymyr Stech (1913). After World War II, a new influx of Eastern European immigrants again outgrew the facility, and the present church on East McCann Boulevard was dedicated on August 31, 1958, by Bishop Ambrose Senyshyn of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford.
- 1895: Parish founded and first church built at W. 14th St. and Parkwood Ave.
- 1910: Original structure relocated to Horseheads Blvd. and E. 11th St.
- 1913: Rev. Volodymyr Stech becomes founding pastor at Elmira Heights
- 1958 (Aug. 31): Present church dedicated by Bishop Ambrose Senyshyn
- Today: Oldest continuous Ukrainian Catholic presence in the Southern Tier
Ukrainian Byzantine-Rite Identity
St. Nicholas is a parish of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with Rome. The faithful share the same sacraments, theology, and dogma as Roman Catholics, but the liturgy follows the Byzantine rite — Mass is called the 'Divine Liturgy,' and Holy Communion is received under the form of leavened bread (rather than unleavened hosts) that has first been dipped in wine. The pastor, Father Teodor Czabala, has expressed that the community 'would prefer to be known as Catholics alongside our Roman Catholic brethren,' even as they preserve their distinct liturgical heritage.
- Liturgy celebrated in Ukrainian and English
- Byzantine Divine Liturgy (rather than Roman-rite Mass)
- Communion distributed as bread dipped in wine
Clergy and Pastoral Care
St. Nicholas has been served since mid-March 2022 by Father Teodor Czabala, who also serves as pastor of Sacred Heart Ukrainian Catholic Church in Johnson City, New York, and Ascension of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church in Sayre, Pennsylvania. The parish's most historically noted pastor was the Rev. Volodymyr Stech, who in 1913 became founding pastor of the Elmira Heights community before continuing his work organizing Ukrainian Catholic parishes across the eastern United States.
- Current Pastor: Father Teodor Czabala (since March 2022)
- Founding Pastor: Rev. Volodymyr Stech (1913–c. 1917)
- Father Czabala also leads Sacred Heart (Johnson City, NY) and Ascension of Our Lord (Sayre, PA)
St. Nicholas Day Celebration
Each year on the Sunday nearest December 6 — the feast of the parish's patron, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker — the parish gathers for a 10:30 a.m. liturgy followed by a luncheon and program of songs and prayers in honor of St. Nicholas. The celebration culminates in the parish's long-standing tradition of an appearance by 'St. Nicholas' himself to distribute gifts to the children of the parish.
- Annual Divine Liturgy in honor of St. Nicholas (10:30 a.m.)
- Parish luncheon and program of songs and prayers
- Gift-giving for children by 'St. Nicholas'
Outreach in Support of Ukraine
Since the escalation of war in Ukraine, St. Nicholas — through its pastor, Father Teodor Czabala — has been a center for Southern Tier fundraising and prayer for Ukraine. Many parishioners have close or extended family still living in Ukraine, and the parish has welcomed support from both Catholics and non-Catholics in the region. Donations can be directed through Father Czabala's parish offices at 607-797-6293 or [email protected], or to Catholic relief agencies and the American Red Cross.
- Parish-wide fundraising for humanitarian aid to Ukraine
- Joint prayer events with Roman Catholic neighbors
- Coordinated outreach through Father Czabala's three-church cluster
Parish Location and Contact
St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church is located on East McCann Boulevard in the village of Elmira Heights, just east of Elmira in New York's Southern Tier (Chemung County). It is geographically within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester but canonically belongs to the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford.
- Address: 412 East McCann Boulevard, Elmira Heights, NY 14903
- Phone: (607) 734-1221
- Website: http://www.stnicholasukrainianchurch.org/
- Diocese: Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Volodymyr Stech1913–c. 1917
Founding pastor called to America in 1907 by Bishop Soter Ortynsky to organize new Ukrainian churches; priest and composer of more than eighty liturgical songs.