About Transfiguration [Ukrainian] · Shamokin, Pennsylvania
Transfiguration of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church is a Byzantine-rite (Ukrainian Greek Catholic) parish serving the Shamokin, Pennsylvania coal-region community. The parish traces its roots to a devout group of Ukrainian immigrants who began gathering for worship in December 1884, and its current granite church on Shamokin Street was consecrated in 1905. Today it is pastored under the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, with regular Divine Liturgies celebrated in English each weekend and a weeknight Bible study and Ukrainian-language class. The parish is also historically significant as the home church of the first Ukrainian National Association branch, founded on George Washington's birthday in 1894.
- Established
- 1884
- Patron
- The Transfiguration of Our Lord (Jesus)
- Rector
- Very Rev. Mark Fesniak (Administrator / Dean of the South Anthracite Deanery)
- Diocese
- Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church / Byzantine rite); physically located within the territory of the Roman Diocese of Harrisburg
Why belong here
Transfiguration of Our Lord is a small but historically significant Byzantine-rite Ukrainian Catholic community in the heart of Pennsylvania anthracite coal country. Parishioners worship in a striking granite church with oxidized-copper domes built by their own ancestors in 1905, attend weekly Bible study and Ukrainian-language classes, and are part of the Archeparchy of Philadelphia's South Anthracite Deanery. It is an ideal parish for English-speaking Ukrainian Catholics in the region, for those tracing family roots to the early coal-mining immigrants, and for anyone drawn to the Byzantine liturgical tradition sung in a tight-knit community setting.
Mass times at Transfiguration [Ukrainian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:30 PM
- Sunday after the Divine Liturgy
History of Transfiguration of Our Lord Parish
Transfiguration Parish traces its beginning to a devout group of Ukrainians who worshipped in the Whitney School in Excelsior in December 1884. As the number of immigrants to the anthracite coal region grew, the Brotherhood of Sts. Cyril and Methodius assumed responsibility for erecting a permanent church in the Greek Catholic tradition. The first church was dedicated on September 22, 1889, in the Fifth Ward of Shamokin (bounded by Pine, Pearl, and Vine Streets). As the parish community continued to grow, the larger current church was constructed on Shamokin Street and was consecrated in 1905. By that year, some 1,000 parishioners attended the parish, the great majority of them members of the newly founded Ukrainian National Association.
- Founded 1884 in the Whitney School in Excelsior
- First church dedicated September 22, 1889 (Pine/Pearl/Vine area, Fifth Ward)
- Current church consecrated 1905 on Shamokin Street
- 125th anniversary Hierarchical Divine Liturgy celebrated April 25, 2010 by Metropolitan Archbishop Stefan Soroka
Founder and the Roots of Ukrainian Catholicism in America
The parish holds a special place in American church history as the place where Father Ivan Voliansky — the first Ukrainian Catholic priest to arrive in the United States — laid the foundation for the Ukrainian Catholic Church in this country. He established the Shamokin parish but was later forced to leave the U.S. because of prejudice against married priests, eventually continuing his ministry in Ukraine for another 26 years. On January 19, 2025, Metropolitan Borys Gudziak reflected on Voliansky's legacy during a Divine Liturgy at Transfiguration, noting that 'it all started here in Coal Country.'
- Father Ivan Voliansky — first Ukrainian Catholic priest in the U.S.
- Forced departure due to prejudice against married clergy
- Continued priestly service in Ukraine for another 26 years
Birthplace of the Ukrainian National Association
On February 22, 1894 — George Washington's birthday — the very first branch of what would become the Ukrainian National Association (UNA) was organized in Shamokin, with the parish community at its heart. The first UNA convention to elect a president was held in Shamokin on May 30, 1894, where 'Shche Ne Vmerla Ukraina' (Ukraine's national anthem) was reportedly heard for the first time in America, sung by local choirs. The parish and the UNA worked closely from the 1890s onward to build a thriving Ukrainian community with its own schools and reading rooms. As of 2019 roughly 350 people of Ukrainian origin still attended church services in Shamokin, most of them fourth- or fifth-generation descendants of those coal-country immigrants.
- First UNA branch organized February 22, 1894 in Shamokin
- First UNA convention held May 30, 1894 in Shamokin
- Ukrainian national anthem first performed in America at the 1894 convention
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
Today the parish is administered from within the South Anthracite Deanery of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia. Very Rev. Mark Fesniak serves as Administrator (and Dean), overseeing both Transfiguration in Shamokin and Patronage of the Mother of God in Marion Heights. The parish is currently served by Parochial Vicar Rev. Volodymyr Prokipchuk, introduced to the community by Metropolitan Borys Gudziak on January 19, 2025, succeeding Rev. Paul Spotts, who had served as Liturgical Minister from September 1, 2023.
- Very Rev. Mark Fesniak — Administrator and Dean, South Anthracite Deanery
- Rev. Volodymyr Prokipchuk — Parochial Vicar (since January 19, 2025)
- Rev. Paul Spotts — Parochial Vicar / Liturgical Minister (2023–2025); continues to assist the deanery
- Rev. John Seniw — Liturgical Minister until August 31, 2023 (returned to retirement)
The Church Building
The current Transfiguration church is a large granite structure built in the style of the immigrants' Ukrainian homeland, featuring domed copper roofs that have weathered to a distinctive oxidized green. According to former pastor Father Mykola Ivanov, the parishioners themselves told the architects how they wanted the church designed using influences from the various regions of Ukraine they had come from — and much of the actual construction was done by the miners themselves after their exhausting shifts underground. A parish cemetery is associated with the property.
- Granite construction in Ukrainian style
- Domed copper roofs, now oxidized green
- Consecrated 1905
- Parish cemetery on site
Liturgical Schedule & Services
The parish celebrates the Byzantine-rite Divine Liturgy primarily in English each weekend, with a Saturday evening Liturgy and a Sunday morning Liturgy. Weekday Liturgies and other services are offered each morning Monday through Friday at 8:00 AM, and Holy Days are marked with two Liturgies at 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM. Confessions are heard on Saturday at 5:30 PM and on Sunday after the Divine Liturgy.
- Saturday 6:00 PM — Divine Liturgy (English)
- Sunday 9:30 AM — Divine Liturgy (English)
- Monday–Friday 8:00 AM — Liturgies and other services
- Holy Days 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM
- Confessions: Saturday 5:30 PM and Sunday after the Divine Liturgy
Faith Formation & Ukrainian Heritage
On Tuesdays the parish hosts a Bible Study alongside a Ukrainian-language class — a living link to the heritage of the immigrant founders who worshipped in their ancestral tongue. As Father Ivanov noted in a 2019 Kyiv Post interview, fourth- and fifth-generation descendants today predominantly speak English, with very few in the parish still understanding or speaking Ukrainian, making the weekly class an important bridge to the parish's roots.
- Tuesday Bible Study
- Tuesday Ukrainian Language class
Parish Life & Lay Organizations
At major parish celebrations such as the 125th anniversary, the combined deanery choir sings the responses, the Knights of Columbus form an honor guard, and the men of the Holy Name Society seat the congregation and direct them to Communion. Longtime parishioners and benefactors, like Sir John Glowa and community leaders such as David Kaleta and Joanna (Chowka) Wolfe, have helped sustain the parish's life across generations.
- Combined Deanery Choir
- Knights of Columbus — honor guard at anniversaries
- Holy Name Society — ushers and Communion direction
- Volunteers and Anniversary Committee honored at the 125th jubilee
Visiting & Contact
The parish can be reached by phone at 570-648-5932 or by email at [email protected], and its official page is hosted on the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia's website. A parish Facebook page under the name 'Transfiguration Shamokin' keeps the community connected with news and announcements. The church stands at 303 North Shamokin Street, Shamokin, PA 17872, and shares ministry with Patronage of the Mother of God Parish in nearby Marion Heights.
- 303 North Shamokin Street, Shamokin, PA 17872
- Phone: 570-648-5932
- Email: [email protected]
- Archeparchy parish page: ukrcatholic.org/parish/transfiguration-of-our-lord-ukrainian-catholic-church-shamokin
- Facebook: facebook.com/Transfigurationshamokin/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Ivan Voliansky1880s
First Ukrainian Catholic priest to arrive in the United States; established the Shamokin parish and laid the foundation for the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the U.S.
- Rev. Stepan Bilyk
Pastor at the time of the 125th anniversary celebration in April 2010
- Father Mykola Ivanovfrom 2005
Born in Lviv; studied in Ivano-Frankivsk and Rome; assigned to Shamokin in 2005
- Rev. Mark Fesniak
Former pastor of Transfiguration; later pastor of St. Nicholas Church, Minersville; now Administrator / Dean of the South Anthracite Deanery overseeing Transfiguration and Patronage of the Mother of God, Marion Heights
- Rev. John Seniwuntil 2023
Liturgical Minister; returned to retirement effective August 31, 2023
- Rev. Paul Spotts2023–2025
Appointed Liturgical Minister effective September 1, 2023; re-assigned in 2025
- Rev. Volodymyr Prokipchukfrom January 19, 2025
Introduced to the parish by Metropolitan Borys Gudziak as new Parochial Vicar for Transfiguration and Patronage of the Mother of God