In
the 1880's, thousands of people, mainly Slavic immigrants
from Central and Eastern Europe, poured into a tiny hamlet
on the banks of the Monongahela River known as Homestead.
They were seeking jobs in a new steel mill. The new slavic
enclav included the Carpatho-Rusins, a little-known people
who immigrated to America from lands just south of Europe's
rugged Carpathian Mountains.
In 1894 only a scant two years after the infamous and
bloody confrontation between striking Homestead millworkers
and Pinkerton guards, the Carpatho-Rusin community of
Homestead began to meet and discuss the formation of their
Greek Catholic Church.
Within
almost two years of organizational activities, their
efforts to form a Greek Catholic church in Homestead
finally were successful. Father Irenaeus Matyaczko celebrated
the Divine Liturgy at Homestead's "National Hall"
and assumed the pastorate of the fledgling Greek Catholic
community. In less than four mounths, the new church,
a modest frame structure measuring thirty-two feet by
sixty-four feet, was completed. In Janurary 1897 the
new church was officially chartered and dedicated as
St. John the Baptist Greek Catholic Church.
On
March 25, 1900 Father Alexius Holosnyay, a newly arrived
emigre' from the Mukachevo Eparchy, came to Homestead
and agreed to become pastor, the parish's fourth in
four years. Father Hollosnyay's presense seemed to provide
the missing ingredient for the struggling parish and
thoughts soon turned to the building of a new and larger
church. In the summer of 1902 two lots were acquired
on the corner of tenth and Dickens Streets in the newly
created Borough of Munhall for the church. Finally,
on December 27, 1903 the new St. John's Greek Catholic
Church a building whose towering twin steeples bore
a striking resemblance to Holy Cross Cathedral in Uzhorod,
Subcarpathia-Rus, was solemnly dedicated at the elaborate
ceremonies presided over by Co-Adjutor Bishop Regis
Canevin of the Pittsburgh Roman Catholic Diocese.
Under
Father Holosnyay's pastoral care, St. John's Parish
continued to grow spiritually and materially. Several
large tracts of land were purchased for a parish cemetery.
In addition, a large three-story building was constructed
near the church as a meeting hall and "Rusin"
school for the parish's children.
In
October 1924 the parish authorized its lay leaders
to offer land and financial assistance to Bishop Takach
if he would locate his episcopal residence and chancery
near St. John’s. Bishop Takach accepted the parish’s
generous offer and designated St. John’s as his
cathedral.
The Cathedral Parish’s spiritual and material
progress came to an abrupt halt in the early 1930’s.
The Great Depression caused severe economic hardship
for the parishioners. More unfortunately, a bitter and
divisive battle for spiritual and temporal control of
the parish erupted. Although Bishop Takach’s authority
over the Cathedral was eventually restored, the conflict
left the parish materially exhausted and spiritually
demoralized. With Father Holosnyay’s retirement,
the seemingly insurmountable task of healing the parish’s
wounds fell upon the shoulders of Father George Michaylo
who became rector on August 4, 1936.
Father, later Monsignor, Michaylo’s personal intervention
brought many individuals and families back into the
parish fold. In addition, Msgr. Michaylo undertook many
initiatives to invigorate the parish spiritually, socially
and financially, including the opening of a parochial
school staffed by the Sisters of St. Basil the Great.
After eighteen years, Msgr. Michaylo’s remarkable
pastorate ended when he was named the rector of Saints
Cyril and Methodius Seminary.
Msgr. Nicholas T. Elko succeeded Msgr. Michaylo as rector
of the Cathedral in September 1954. Little less than
three months later, Msgr. Elko was named Apostolic Administrator
of the Pittsburgh Byzantine Catholic Exarchate and ordained
as a bishop. Msgr. Elko’s successor, Father George
Bonchonsky, served as rector until 1956 and was succeeded
by Father John Pipik.
During Father Pipik’s pastorate, the parish began
the immense task of renovating and modernizing the Cathedral.
While the lengthy renovation progressed, liturgies were
held in the school auditorium. Msgr. John Gernat who
served as rector from November 1, 1959 to September
26, 1963 eventually completed the renovation of the
Cathedral.
Msgr. John Bilock, the Cathedral’s tenth pastor,
succeeded Msgr. Gernat in October 1963. Under Msgr.
Bilock’s energetic leadership, St. John’s
Cathedral began to host a weekly radio broadcast of
the Divine Liturgy, paid off its longstanding mortgage
and renovated its many properties and buildings. On
March 8, 1973, Pope Paul VI appointed Msgr. Bilock the
auxiliary bishop of the Pittsburgh Archeparchy.
Msgr. Judson Procyk be came the rector of the Cathedral
parish on July 18, 1973. As rector, Msgr. Procyk had
the vision and foresight to plan for and oversee the
complete relocation of the parish to newer and better
facilities. In 1978, the parish acquired 18 acres of
property off Greentree Road in Munhall. On August 3,
1980 Archbishop Stephen Kocisko broke ground for the
construction of a large, social and activities center.
In November 1981 St. John’s Cathedral Center was
opened. With the hard work and unselfish energies of
many volunteers, the Cathedral Center quickly became
one of the premiere locations in the Pittsburgh area
for wedding receptions, banquets and other social functions.
When the debt on the Cathedral Center was finally retired,
the parish set its sights on achieving the ultimate
goal of Msgr. Procyk’s grand vision: a new and
magnificent Cathedral church. After years of hard work
and financial sacrifice, Archbishop Thomas Dolinay broke
ground for the new Cathedral and rectory on July 5,
1992.
On December 19, 1993 the parish closed the Dickson Street
church with a farewell Liturgy and proceeded to the
new Cathedral for a prayer service. On Christmas Eve,
Bishop Bilock, with Archbishop Kocisko presiding, celebrated
the first Divine Liturgy in the new church. On June
12, 1994 Bishop Michael Dudick, the Acting Metropolitan
and Bishop of the Passiac Eparchy, with Bishop Bilock
and Archbishop Kocisko formally dedicated the new Cathedral.
On February 7, 1995 Msgr. Procyk was ordained and installed
as Metropolitan Archbishop in the Cathedral he was instrumental
in building. Father Robert Karl succeeded Archbishop
Procyk as rector. During Father Karl’s pastorate,
the parish paid off substantial amounts of its construction
debt and gloriously commemorated the one-hundredth anniversary
of its founding.
In June 1998 Archpriest John Kudrick succeeded Father
Karl as Cathedral Rector. As spiritual father of St.
John’s Cathedral, Father Kudrick leads an active
community of Christians, united in worshiping God in
the Byzantine Catholic tradition and forever thankful
for the many, many gifts the Lord has bestowed upon
His people over the last one hundred and two years!
The
present rector of the Cathedral is Father Simeon Sibenik.
The
Official Website of the
Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh
66 Riverview Avenue • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15214 Telephone: 412-231-4000 | Fax: 412-231-1697
