Saint Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church
Pastor:
Rev. David J. Shortt
Pastoral Ministry:
Sister Bernarda Sevachko, OSBM
Address:
1898 Wilson Avenue
Youngstown, OH 44506
Phone:

330-743-0419
Fax:
330-743-6888
E-mail:
Web site:
n/a
DIVINE LITURGY SCHEDULE
Saturdays:
5:00 pm
Sundays:
10:30 am
Vigil of Holy Days:
as scheduled
Holy Days:
as scheduled
Confessions:
4:30 pm Saturday or by appointment
GREAT FAST (LENT) SERVICES
Wednesdays
7:00 pm - Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
HOLY MYSTERIES (SACRAMENTS)
Baptism/Chrismation/Eucharist:
by appointment after Baptismal Preparation
Reconciliation:
contact pastor
Marriage:
contact pastor at least six months before any other arrangements
Anointing:
call office
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Eastern Christian Formation (ECF):
combined with other Youngstown area parishes
Adult Education:
by appointment


The only Byzantine Catholic Church in the whole area was across town. St Mary's in Steelton had been in existence for over ten years. The idea of a new parish in Haselton had been gaining momentum. Many experienced hardships of attending a parish so far away with the the street car being the only mode of public transportation. Fares for the whole family were prohibitive. Many families walked to St. Mary's and back on a Sunday morning because they could not afford the car fare.

A group of nineteen men led by the Rev. Alexius Medvecky, pastor of St. Mary's, met with the idea of organizing a parish of their own in Haselton. First a social function was held, netting a total of $60 for the new church building fund. The enthusiasm and goodwill resulting from this first gathering led to the organization of the new parish on January 7, 1912.

The founders quickly negotiated the purchase of an old church building from a Swedish congregation located at 1886 Wilson Avenue. Not long afterwards, the steadily increasing membership of the parish necessitated the building of an addition to the church in 1914. The first pastor of St. Nicholas Church was Rev. Alexander Kossey. Even though his pastorate was only two years, he is remembered for enlarging the old church and for acquiring the cemetery on Hyatt Street in Campbell, OH, then known as East Youngstown.

In 1914, the Rev. Alexander Papp was appointed pastor of St. Nicholas. During Fr. Papp's pastorate, the young parish continued to grow. In 1918, the need for a new and much larger church became apparent. With a new church in mind, the parish purchased the Haselton estate for $15,000. With youthful vigor Fr. Papp began making plans for the new church, envisioning a magnificent structure patterned after the Cathedral Church of the Holy Cross in Uzhorod, Subcarpathia-Rus'. The Haseltine home is still used as the rectory and in 1919, the new church arose in all its splendor on the corner lot.

In 1937, the parish acquired eleven acres of wooded land in the Lansingville, which was developed into a picnic area and is now generally known as Shady Run Grove.

The late Rev. John Rommack made no secret that he had always looked forward to having a parochial school at St. Nicholas. In 1952 the Oles estate on Youngstown-Poland Road was purchased for $75,000 by the combined efforts and resources of all five Youngstown area parishes. The Sister Servants of Mary Immaculate accepted an invitation to Youngstown, and by May 1953 our Byzantine Catholic Central School was well underway. The school continues to serve the needs of Byzantine Catholic youth in the greater Youngstown area.

St. Nicholas parish has been transformed from a national parish to a cosmopolitan parish, attended regularly by a great number of person of various ethnic backgrounds.

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Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh
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