About St. Volodymyr the Great [Ukrainian] · Utica, New York
St. Volodymyr the Great Ukrainian Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic (Byzantine-Ukrainian rite) parish in Utica, New York, serving the local Ukrainian-American community and welcoming all who wish to worship. Founded by post-war Ukrainian immigrants in 1950–1951 and incorporated in June 1951 under Bishop Ordinary's permission, the parish built its own sanctuary on Cottage Place in the late 1970s and today celebrates a Ukrainian-language Divine Liturgy at 10:00 AM and an English liturgy at 11:30 AM every Sunday. The parish is best known locally for its weekly pierogi (varenyky) and cabbage roll sales, its annual Ukrainian festival, and its ongoing efforts to raise relief funds for Ukraine.
- Established
- 1951
- Patron
- St. Volodymyr the Great (Volodymyr the Great, Grand Prince of Kyiv, baptizer of Kyivan Rus')
- Rector
- Very Rev. Michael Bundz
- Diocese
- Eparchy of Stamford (Ukrainian Catholic)
Why belong here
St. Volodymyr's is a small but active Eastern Catholic community that offers a uniquely Ukrainian-Byzantine liturgical experience in English as well as Ukrainian, with two Sunday liturgies each week. Members support relief efforts for war-affected Ukraine through weekly pierogi and cabbage-roll fundraisers and an annual Ukrainian festival that draws the wider Utica–Rome community. The parish welcomes anyone seeking the Ukrainian Greek Catholic tradition, looking to connect with Ukrainian heritage, or simply wanting to join a parish where the faithful know one another and the doors of the rectory, auditorium, and cemetery chapel are all open to the people who built them.
Mass times at St. Volodymyr the Great [Ukrainian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sundays before the Divine Liturgy (per parish bulletin: Confessions at 9:00 AM on Sundays)
Parish History
St. Volodymyr the Great was born of post-war Ukrainian immigration to central New York. After organizing meetings in 1950 led by Rev. Savyn Durbak, the parish was formally incorporated in June 1951. The young community worshipped first at St. George's Lithuanian Catholic Church and then restored a former Episcopal church on State Street before outgrowing it. Under Father Bohdan Smyk (pastor 1952–1994) and his successor Father Michael Bundz (1994–present), the parish built the School-Auditorium (1965), the Genesee Street parish home (1974), the Cottage Place sanctuary (1978), an iconostas (1982) and stained glass windows (1983), and the cemetery chapel (2008).
- 1950 — Ukrainian immigrants meet with Rev. Savyn Durbak to form a parish
- June 1951 — Parish incorporated as St. Volodymyr the Great Ukrainian Church
- 1951 — Purchases former St. George's Episcopal Church on State Street
- Easter Sunday 1952 — First Divine Liturgy celebrated in the restored State Street church
- May 1952 — Rev. Bohdan Smyk installed as pastor (serves 42 years)
- 1953 — Large tract of land purchased for cemetery and parish park
- 1957 — Building fund instituted
- 1964–1965 — School-Auditorium built and blessed (May 1965)
- 1974 — Victorian building on Genesee St. acquired as new parish home
- October 1976 — Ground broken for new sanctuary at 4 Cottage Place
- July 1978 — New church blessed
- May 1982 — Iconostas installed
- May 1983 — Stained glass windows installed
- October 1994 — Very Rev. Canon Smyk falls asleep in the Lord
- November 1994 — Rev. Michael Bundz installed as pastor
- 2000 — Sanctuary beautification completed for the parish's 50th anniversary
- July 2008 — Cemetery Utility Building/Chapel blessed by Bishop Paul Chomnycky
Sacraments
St. Volodymyr offers the full range of Eastern Catholic (Byzantine) sacraments in the Ukrainian tradition. Confessions are heard before the Sunday Divine Liturgy; baptisms, marriages, and funeral/memorial services are coordinated with the pastor.
- Confession — Sundays before the Divine Liturgy (9:00 AM per bulletin)
- Divine Liturgy — see Liturgy & Mass Times
- Baptism — contact the rectory
- Marriage — contact the rectory
- Memorial Services / Funerals — Memorial Saturdays and by arrangement
Parish Staff & Leadership
The parish is led by Pastor Very Rev. Michael Bundz, with governance shared by elected trustees and a Stewardship Council.
- Pastor — Very Rev. Michael Bundz
- Trustee — Zynowij Jackiw
- Trustee — Dr. John Kosar
- Stewardship Council members — Maria Brumbaugh, Taras Zenczak, Bogdan Kaszycki, Dr. Roman Melnyk, Maria Sawanec, Gloria Jakubowski
Parish Ministries & Organizations
Beyond the liturgies, the parish runs a heritage/religious school, multiple fundraisers, and an active stewardship council. The weekly pierogi sale is both a community gathering and a major fundraiser, with proceeds split between parish needs and humanitarian relief for Ukraine.
- School of Ukrainian Knowledge and Religious Studies (Ukrainian heritage and religious education)
- Weekly pierogi (varenyky) and cabbage roll sales
- Annual Ukrainian festival
- Christmas food sale
- Stewardship Council
- Ukraine relief fundraising (cash, check, and credit-card donations via Square)
Pierogi & Cabbage Roll Sales
A signature ministry of St. Volodymyr is its weekly pierogi (varenyky) and cabbage roll sale, held Fridays at 10:00 AM in the parish auditorium. Volunteers prepare the food by hand, and the proceeds support both parish operations and humanitarian relief for Ukraine. Sales typically run from spring through fall, with a Christmas food sale before the winter break.
- Sale day/time: Fridays at 10:00 AM
- Potato pierogi: $10 per dozen
- Cabbage pierogi: $11 per dozen
- Cabbage rolls: $5 each
- Volunteer opportunities announced on the parish Facebook page
Annual Ukrainian Festival
The parish's yearly Ukrainian festival is one of its major community events, traditionally held in mid-October on the parish grounds. It features traditional Ukrainian entrées, desserts, and drinks, along with Ukrainian entertainment, and draws visitors from across the Utica–Rome area. The most recent festival was held October 17–18.
- Traditional Ukrainian food and desserts
- Ukrainian entertainment and cultural programming
- Open to the broader Utica/Rome community
- Fundraiser for parish operations and Ukraine relief
Support for Ukraine
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, St. Volodymyr has made ongoing humanitarian relief for Ukraine a core parish mission. Funds are raised through pierogi sales, festival proceeds, and direct donations; the parish also encourages volunteers to help with food preparation and asks the community to keep Ukraine in prayer.
- Cash or check donations made payable to 'Ukrainian Catholic Church'
- Checks mailed to St. Volodymyr Church, 296 Genesee St, Utica, NY 13502
- Credit-card donations accepted via Square through the parish website
- Volunteer opportunities for pierogi preparation posted on Facebook
- Prayer intentions for Ukraine regularly included in parish communications
Buildings & Facilities
The parish campus at 4 Cottage Place includes the 1978 sanctuary with its iconostas and stained glass windows, a Carriage House behind the church, the School-Auditorium blessed in 1965, and the parish home (a Victorian building) on Genesee Street purchased in 1974. A separate Mandeville Street rental property has also been renovated under the current pastor. The main heating system in the Cottage Place church has failed and is being replaced together with new air conditioning.
- Church — 4 Cottage Place, Utica, NY 13502 (built 1976–1978)
- Rectory / Parish home — 296 Genesee St, Utica, NY 13502
- School-Auditorium — blessed May 1965
- Victorian parish home on Genesee St. — purchased 1974
- Carriage House behind the church — renovated under Father Bundz
- Mandeville Street rental property — renovated under Father Bundz
- Current capital project: replacement of failed heating system and addition of air conditioning
Cemetery
The parish operates its own cemetery, with land originally purchased in 1953. A Cemetery Utility Building/Chapel was constructed and blessed by Bishop Paul Chomnycky in July 2008, giving the parish a dedicated place for committal services and cemetery business.
- Cemetery land purchased 1953
- Cemetery Utility Building/Chapel constructed under Father Bundz
- Chapel blessed by Bishop Paul Chomnycky, July 2008
- Contact the rectory for cemetery arrangements
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Savyn Durbak1950–1951 (organizing priest)
- Rev. Ivan Prokopovych1951–1952
First pastor of the newly incorporated parish; oversaw purchase of former St. George's Episcopal Church on State Street and the first Divine Liturgy on Easter Sunday 1952.
- Rev. Bohdan Smyk (later Very Reverend Canon Smyk)1952–1994
42-year tenure; visionary leader who oversaw purchase of cemetery land (1953), the School-Auditorium (1964–1965), the Genesee St. parish home and Cottage Place site (1974), and construction of the new sanctuary (1976–1978), iconostas (1982) and stained glass windows (1983). Fell asleep in the Lord October 1994 before beautification was complete.
- Very Rev. Michael Bundz1994–present
Installed November 1994; completed sanctuary beautification in time for the parish's 50th anniversary in 2000; oversaw renovations of the parish home, Mandeville St. rental property and Carriage House; reinstated weekly varenyky sales and yearly festival; oversaw construction of the Cemetery Utility Building/Chapel blessed by Bishop Paul Chomnycky in July 2008.