St. Joseph the Betrothed Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

St. Joseph Ukrainian Catholic church is a Ukrainian church located in Chicago, Illinois and belonging to (and second largest in) the St. Nicholas Eparchy for the Ukrainian Catholics. It is most known for a church building with an ultra-modern thirteen gold domed roof symbolizing the twelve apostles and Jesus Christ as the largest center dome. This year it is celebrating its fifty-second year.

Church Interior

Originally the new church's interior was supposed to be as modern as its outside; there would be no iconostasis, bare concrete walls, and an ultra-modern chandelier in the center. Using this approach, however, the church would lose almost all of its traditional byzantine, rich symbolism.

The interior of the church is completely adorned with byzantine style icons (frescoes). Unfortunately the iconographer was deported back to his homeland before he was able to write the names of all the saints as prescribed by iconographic traditions.

The second level of the new structure are relief geometric patterns of crosses etched into the walls. These were left bare until in 1996 and 1997 the new Pastor, Fr. Pavlo Hayda had them painted. As a continuation of his work he also had the gold domes repainted in order to restore them to the sharpness they were painted to 20 years earlier. The iconostasis inside the church is a traditional byzantine iconostasis with two tiers and is in the Modern Cossack Baroque Style.

In the rear, on the west end of the altar server and priest sacristy is the St. Paraskevia Chapel. (Named after Fr. Shary's Mother) This is where 8am daily services take place. Notably, the Iconostasis in the chapel is the same one from the original church. Unfortunately the St. Paraskevia Chapel only seats about 10-15 people.

Grotto

Across the way from the church is a grotto (Shrine) set up to Our Lady of Hoshiv with an altar sometimes used for outdoor services (such as Pascha Blessing). Many people make daily pilgrimages to the shrine leaving gifts and candles at its base. Often people walk up and pray or drive up the parish driveway and pray from their cars.

In 2006, Fr. Pavlo's Wife, Christine, led a restoration and relandscaping of the grotto into a memorial garden to deceased parishioners.

= History =In the years after World War II many Ukrainians were moving out of the Ukrainian Village into the Northwest Side of Chicago. Seeing a need for a new Ukrainian Parish, Archbishop Constantine Bohachevsky appointed, in August 1956, a young energetic priest, Fr. Joseph Shary, to organize a new community. The first two Liturgies were celebrated at St. Patrick's High School Auditorium, but with the help of a handful of pioneering families, the first church was built at its current location. This building stands north of the current church building and is used as a Parish Life Center that houses offices, classrooms, and a hall. It is also home to the Selfreliance Ukrainian American Federal Credit Union's northwest branch.

As the community quickly grew in number, Fr. Shary realized a larger church building needed to be built. He saw this as an opportunity to build a spectacular Church for "THE GLORY OF GOD AND FUTURE GENERATIONS." The church was dedicated and consecrated by Bishop Jaroslav Gabro on May 22, 1977.

Parish Organizations

Various organizations promoted the rich cultural and spiritual aspects of Byzantine tradition. They worked diligently and tirelessly throughout and deserve immense credit for raising the funds to build and sustain this parish.
*Acres of Fun Committee
*Altar Rosary Society
*Altar Server Group
*Bingo Committee
*Bishop Gabro Council, Knight of Columbus
*Church Choir
*Holy Name Society
*Pierogy Committee
*Senior Citizens Club
*Sts. Cyril and Methodius Youth Group
*Ukrainian Dance Group
*Spirit of St. Joseph Society (Successor to the Altar Rosary Society)

Milestones

The history of St. Joseph begins with Bishop Constantine Bohachevsky, Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Archeparchy of Philadelphia officially establishing St. Joseph Ukrainian Catholic Church on August 1, 1956. Father Joseph Shary was sent here as the organizing pastor, who upon his arrival to Chicago was met with an energetic group of Ukrainian Catholics, who were anxious to expand the Chicago community into the Northwest Side.

Timeline

August 21, 1956, Samuel Cardinal Stritch, permitted using St. Patrick’s Christian Brothers High School facilities on Belmont Avenue, until the newly formed parish was financially in a position to purchase land to build a church. His Eminence promised all possible assistance in this endeavor.
In 1958 building began on Cumberland Avenue. The upper portion became the church, with the addition of pews, altars, etc. all gifts from Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish.
The lower hall became the hub of numerous events and activities such as many cultural, social, and fund-raising functions. Parish praznyks, sviachenes, bake sales, choir rehearsals, rummage sales, children’s programs, Ukrainian dance lessons, dances, and countless other activities.
On October 1, 1975 building the new church edifice began.
On May 22, 1977 Bishop Jaroslav Gabro dedicated the church.
Among the things that attracted a great deal of attention was the large rock near the ramp leading up to the entrance of the church. It is a piece of the Canadian Shield that found its way to the site where the new church was built. It was retrieved by the contractors during excavation of the foundation. The pastor saved it and had it placed in its present position after construction was completed in 1976.
In 1980 — a hand carved iconostasis, designed in the Byzantine tradition by Marco Zubar, was installed in the church.
The Altar Rosary Society (ARS) has been a vital part of this parish. For fifty years this dedicated group of women worked tirelessly for the parish, by promoting Ukrainian cultural activities. Social events were also provided, bringing the varied groups together in a social atmosphere.
When the church was erected, The Altar Rosary Society covered the cost of the installation of the marble floor and apsidial wall. They also sponsored the royal throne, the altars, and the tabernacle. Additionally they provided and maintained the altar linens and many of the vestments
The Altar Rosary Society sponsored fashion shows, bake sales, yearly pascha sale, turkey raffles, bazaars, white-elephant sales, family picnics. Additionally, the members staffed the kitchen, and equipped the church hall kitchen for dinners, picnics, carnivals, breakfasts and other activities.
St. Joseph Church Choir was established in August 1956.
For one and a half years, the choir was trained and directed by Father Shary. Julian Pozniak, a qualified and trained cantor and experienced choir director, remained the sole director and cantor for St. Joseph’s until his retirement. Jaroslav Stefaniuk, with Julian Pozniak’s guidance, became choir director and cantor, until his untimely death in March, 2006.
Each Sunday the choir sang Divine Liturgy, caroled at Christmas time, and sang at various functions and events throughout the year, not only for the Ukrainian Community, but at numerous events throughout the city, from many Roman Catholic parishes to the Museum of Science and Industry.
St. Joseph’s choir joined with St. Nicholas Cathedral Slavuta choir to become known as the Metropolitan Andrew Sheptytsky Choir of Chicago. The choir recorded an album of a newly commissioned composition of the Divine Liturgy, by Andrij Hnatyshyn. One of the most momentous performances by the choir was for the visit of Pope John Paul II in Grant Park, in 1979.
The successful week long ACRES OF FUN Festivals, and the Friday night BINGOs. They along with the PYROHY sales were by far the largest financial supporters of the parish, due in large part to the tireless efforts of many volunteers who were recruited from our entire parish. They all worked diligently together towards the goal of financial stewardship.

Many of the young parishioners were in the STS. CYRIL and METHODIOUS Youth Group, were altar servers, or belonged to both. They actively participated in the life of the parish, volunteering and helping at events, as well as participating in liturgical services. They volunteered in soup kitchens, participated in retreats and organized city wide youth nights.
Both the KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS and HOLY NAME SOCIETY have been vibrant groups for the men of our parish. Members from these groups physically labored in order to keep the church facilities and grounds main-tained and operational. Much of their handiwork is still seen today.Now it is time to create a new history for the next fifty years. There are undoubtedly many equally hard-working, talented people in our midst who are willing and able to continue the work of our founding fathers.May we continue reaching out to our neighbors and friends, introducing them to our rich beauty and heritage, with our open hands remaining –

Priests over the Years

St. Joseph Parish is notorious for being assigned pastors when they were in their twenties. The first pastor was Fr. Joseph Shary (after whom the parish is named, along with St. Josephat in Munster, Indiana).

Pastors

*+Rev. Joseph Shary 1956-1982
* Rev. William Bilinsky 1982-1983
* Rev. Andriy Chirovsky 1983-1985
* Rev. Mykhajlo Kuzma 1985-1987
* Rev. William Bilinsky 1987-1995
*+Rev. Pavlo Hayda 1995-2007
* Rev. Mykola Buryadnyk 2008-Present

Current Priests

Rev. Mykola Buryadnyk - Pastor

Mykola Buryadnyk was born November 28, 1977 to Ivan and Olha Buryadnyk, in Lybokhora village of the Lviv region in Ukraine. Mykola grew up in the village of Modrychi, where his father served as a priest.

After attending the Pedagogical Lyceum, he entered the Lviv Theological Academy and Holy Spirit Seminary in 1995. During his studies, he visited the USA twice as a participant of a student internship program in 1999 and 2000.

In the summer of 2000, after his father’s tragic death, Mykola married Oksana Spylchak and was ordained as a deacon. In the summer of 2002, he completed his Master of Divinity degree from the Lviv Theological Academy and was ordained a priest by Bishop Yulian Woronowskyj in Holy Trinity Cathedral in Drohobych, Ukraine.

Fr. Mykola moved with his family to the United States, where he was appointed by Bishop Mykhail Wiwchar to serve at Sts. Volodymyr and Olha parish. Since 2002, Fr. Mykola has been working as a part-time chaplain at Resurrection Medical Center. In 2004, Fr. Mykola’s wife Oksana gave birth to a son, Ivasyk.

On January 1, 2008, Fr. Mykola was appointed Pastor of St. Joseph the Betrothed parish in Chicago, Il.

Very Rev. Canon Thomas Glynn - Associate Pastor Thomas Glynn was born July 12, 1932 to Tom and Pauline Glynn. He grew up with his brother Jack and many other relatives from Ireland on the south side of Chicago. After attending St. Basil's Grade School and St. Vincent Preparatory College in Cape Girardeau, Fr. Tom enrolled at DePaul University where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy and Education. His love for education drew him to a career in teaching. While teaching at a boarding school on the northwest side of Chicago, Fr. Tom had the opportunity to meet Fr. Shary. It was through his friendship with Fr. Shary that Fr. Tom learned and felt a calling to join the priesthood in the Ukrainian Catholic Church.

Fr. Tom entered Catholic University and St. Josaphat Seminary in 1960. On March 29, 1964, Fr. Tom became the first priest ordained to the newly established St. Nicholas Diocese of Chicago by Bishop Jaroslaw Gabro. After his ordination, he remained at St. Nicholas until 1967.

For a brief period between 1967 and 1970 Fr. Tom served at St. John the Baptist in Detroit, then returned to Chicago until 1977. From 1977 to 1984, Fr. Tom had the opportunity to serve the western part of our diocese, covering the parishes of St. John and St. Demetrius in Belfield, North Dakota.

1984 brought further educational pursuits. After having moved to Detroit, Fr. Tom enrolled at Mercy College where he received a Master’s Degree in Chemical Dependency Studies. He was also admitted to PSi CHi National Honor Society of Psychology and received a Certification as a Certified Social Worker. Fr. Tom also served at St. John the Baptist, Our Lady of Perpetual Help and worked as Spiritual Counselor at Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Center until 1989.

On June 1, 1989, Fr. Tom returned to Chicago and has served St. Joseph Parish. In 1998 Fr. Tom was bestowed the title of Canon by Bishop Michael Wiwchar.

Rev. Pavlo Hayda

Pavlo Denys Hayda was born in Battle Creek, Michigan on October 22, 1964 to Roma and Ihor Hayda. He grew up with three older siblings, Borys, Marko and Roman.

In his youth, Fr. Pavlo was an active member in the Ukrainian community as a member of the Ukrainian scouting organization Plast. Fr. Pavlo finished grade school and Fairfield College Preporatory High School in Easton, Connecticut. In 1982 Fr. Pavlo spent the summer in Harvard, studying Ukrainian and preparing for his college studies. Initially having the desire to study engineering, Fr. Pavlo surprised his parents with the announcement that he felt a vocation to enter the priesthood. Having come from a long lineage of priests, going back a few hundred years, Mr. & Mrs. Hayda were very pleased to hear that one of their sons wanted to continue the tradition of serving God and His people.

In 1982 Fr. Pavlo entered St. Basil’s College Seminary in Stamford, Connecticut where he completed his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy. Shortly after completing his studies at St. Basil’s, in May 1986, Fr. Pavlo entered the St. Sophia Seminary for Priestly Formation and began his Master’s Studies at Catholic Theological Union in Hyde Park. Before completing his Masters Degree in Divinity in 1991, Fr. Pavlo would take an active part in many aspects of the Ukrainian community, specifically church community. He taught religion at the Saturday School of Ukrainian Studies "Ridna Shkola", actively worked on the committee commemorating the Millennium of Ukrainian Christianity and Ukrainian Youth for Christ Conventions, as well as sang in many choirs. It was through his work at Sts. Volodymyr and Olha Parish that he met his wife Christine. The couple married in May of 1991.

Without a free church in Ukraine, there was great difficulty for a married man to get ordained. After a brief visit with Archbishop Volodymyr Sterniuk in Chicago, Fr. Pavlo and his wife accepted an invitation to live and work in Ukraine. Fr. Pavlo and his wife traveled to Lviv, Ukraine, in February 1992. By the grace of God and the hand of Patriarch Myroslav Ivan Lubachivsky, Pavlo Denys Hayda was ordained to the holy priesthood in St. George's Cathedral on March 29, 1992. Ordination at St. George's Cathedral is not only significant for Fr. Pavlo because it is the seat of the world-wide Ukrainian Catholic Church, but also because his grandfather Jaroslav Kniahynyckyj was also ordained in St. George's Cathedral 65 years earlier by the hand of Andrej Sheptytskyj. Within days of his ordination, Fr. Pavlo was assigned to his first parish. St. Paraskevia in Kalynivka, Ukraine, although a small church in size, was a large church in spirit. Unfortunately, this assignment was brief, for shortly before the birth of their first son Julian, Fr. Pavlo returned to Chicago. In October 1992 Fr. Pavlo was assigned to his second parish, that of St. Josaphat in Munster, Indiana, where he served the community of approximately 150 families for nearly three years.

By July 1995, change was again in the air. The day after the baptism of their second son Zachary, Fr. Pavlo and his family moved to St. Joseph Parish on the northwest side of Chicago. It is here in 2004, with his close family, dear friends and dedicated parishioners two new members into his family, the twins, Elias and Dymytrij. His service at St. Joseph Parish have been very active, in particular with the re-activation of the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Youth Group the completion of the interior painting of the church and the re-painting of the domes. In addition to parish work, Fr. Pavlo has continued to work within the St. Nicholas Eparchy and community. He has worked actively to organize Eparchial Conferences, clergy retreats and has held the position of Presbyteral Council member and Consultor to the bishop. Fr. Pavlo also dedicated his Saturday mornings to teaching religion at St. Joseph Ridna Shkola.

On September 4, 2007 Fr. Pavlo was riding his bicycle eastbound in the 1900 block of East Oakton Street in Des Plaines, Illinois from dropping off his car to be repaired. At about 11 a.m. he collided with an SUV as it was exiting the driveway of an apartment complex. Fr. Pavlo Hayda was pronounced dead at 12:27 p.m. at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois

On September 7, 2007 Fr. Pavlo's body lay in state under the main dome of the Church; an estimated 4,000 people are said to have filed past his casket in that day. That night a traditional priest Parastas was held with various dignitaries and international guests as well as an Honor Guard from The Ukrainian American Veterans, the Knights of Columbus, and Ukrainian Scouting Organization, Plast. On September 8, 2007 Divine Liturgy and Funeral were served. Fr. Pavlo was then interred at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery with military and scouting honors. Notably, a New Orleans Jazz Band played a traditional Jazz dirge during a procession to the Cemetery in the same fashion as that of a Jazz Funeral.

= External links =
* [http://www.stjosephucc.org Official Website]
* [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20070906/ai_n19519127 Rev. Pavlo Hayda: Article in Chicago Sun Times]
* [https://www.selfreliance.com/locations/northwest.asp Selfreliance Northwest Branch]
* [http://www.stnicholaseparchy.org/ Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Chicago]