Saint Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church
Pastor:
Rev. Robert E. Halus
Address:
102 Railroad Street
Perryopolis, PA 15473
Phone:

724-736-4344
Fax:
724-736-4642
E-mail:
n/a
Web site:
n/a
DIVINE LITURGY SCHEDULE
Sundays:
9:00 am
Vigil of Holy Days:
7:00 pm if posted
Holy Days:
9:30 am and/or 7:00 pm
Confessions:
after Sunday Liturgy and after Lenten services
GREAT FAST (LENT) SERVICES
Wednesdays
Lenten Devotions and/or Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
(call for time)
Fridays:
Lenten Devotions and/or Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
(call for time)
HOLY MYSTERIES (SACRAMENTS)
Baptism/Chrismation/Eucharist:
as posted
Reconciliation:
Sundays and Holy days by appointment
Marriage:
as posted by appointment
Anointing:
as posted
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Eastern Christian Formation (ECF):
Sundays
10:15 - 11:15 am
Adult Education:
as posted
MINISTRIES
Youth:
Yes
SOCIAL/ANNUAL EVENTS
Parish Festival:
in August, around Feast of the Dormition
Other Events:
as posted in bulletin


St. Nicholas Perryopolis
When the Slavs settled in Fayette and surrounding counties of Pennsylvania, their numbers became a source of security and comfort. Praying to God became a source of solace. They did not dread traveling a distance to a place of worship. Some walked as far as 13 miles to St. Stephen's Greek Catholic Church in Leisenring, which had been founded in 1892 by Rev. Alexander Dzubay. This was the first Greek Catholic church west of the Allegheny Mountains. Later, it was arranged for Father Dzubay to come to Star Junction's public school to hold Divine Services once a month. This continued until 1911 when a group of parishioners met to legally form the St. Nicholas parish in Perryopolis.

The decision to build a church created a controversy over the site. Should it be Star Junction, Perryopolis or Whitsett? Perryopolis was selected and the property was purchased from parishioners on May 10, 1913 for the sum of $2,800. It consisted of a house and three lots at the corner of Liberty and Railroad Streets. In May 1917 construction of the new church began. During this time, services were held in the parish house and later in the basement.

The parish was officially incorporated as the Greek Catholic Church of St. Nicholas on September 6, 1920. The name of St. Nicholas was selected for several reasons. St. Nicholas is the patron of many Slavs, particularly the Rusins. A mine explosion occurred at the Darr mine in Jacobs Creek, killing 239 coal miners. This disaster happened on the Feast Day of St. Nicholas. The memory was still vivid that many of the church members' lives were saved because they stayed away from the mine that day to attend church.

The church is constructed in the form of a three-bar cross facing eastward. Onion domes with three-bar crosses stand atop three towers. The main tower houses three bronze bells. The largest bell, named St. Nicholas, weighs 1300 pounds and rings in the note of G#. The middle bell, named St. John the Baptist, weighs 550 pounds and rings in the note of C. The smallest bell, named St. Michael, weighs 250 pounds and rings in the note of D#. The interior of the church has a central crystal chandelier which was imported from Czechoslovakia.

In 1965 a new rectory was built. Approximately 20 years later, the men of the parish built a picnic pavilion. The present church property consists of the church, rectory, picnic pavilion, picnic area, parking lot, three lots behind the church and the cemetery property.

St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church of Perryopolis was placed in the National Register of Historical Places on November 7, 1997. The National Register recognizes the historical, architectural or cultural merits of properties.

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