140 Years Ago Today, a UGCC Priest Celebrated the First Divine Liturgy in the United States

This year marks the 140th anniversary of the first Divine Liturgy celebrated by a priest of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in the United States. On December 18, 1884, the feast of St. Nicholas according to the old calendar, Fr. Ivan Voliansky celebrated Vespers in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania.

Over these 140 years, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in the United States has grown into the Metropolia of Philadelphia, comprising the Archeparchy of Philadelphia and the Eparchies of Stamford, Parma, and Chicago.

Reflecting on this event, Metropolitan Borys Gudziak remarked in a commentary for the UGCC Department for Information: “The Lord has been communicating with us for 140 years, and we, in turn, within our communities. These are 140 years of service, identity, and presence.”

He also shared memories of his parents, who emigrated to the United States after World War II: “My father was from Pomoryany in the Zolochiv district of the Lviv region, and my mother was from Zolochiv. They met in a church in New York. Every holiday and every week were marked by the sacrament of worship, the peace and beauty of the church, and its certain postulates that help one ascend rather than fall apart.”

The Metropolitan continued: “For those fleeing war and distress, forced migrants who lost contact with their families, land, culture, and identity, the Church provided a community that prevented disintegration. At different times, the Church has strived to embrace people with various traumas, including those caused by war, offering a home, a mother, a companion.”

He emphasized that during these 140 years, “the Church has provided a framework—moral, spiritual, social, and aesthetic. Singing, the beauty of the temple, the closeness of people, mutual assistance, insurance organizations, youth groups, sports, music, and dance ensembles—all of this has supported and uplifted individuals who were often broken.”

The Metropolitan expressed gratitude to “all the priests, monks, nuns, faithful, and everyone who built these churches and communities, which now advocate for Ukraine in America.” He further noted: “Where the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church exists, there is a Ukrainian community, and where there is a Ukrainian community, people are aware of what is happening in Ukraine and roll up their sleeves to help.”

To commemorate the 140^th anniversary, Metropolitan Borys Gudziak will preside over the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy on December 22, 2024, at St. Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania.

Reference

Father Ivan Voliansky was born on July 2, 1857, in the village of Yabluniv in the Ternopil region. As a prominent figure in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and Ukrainian communities in the United States, he made significant contributions to both spiritual and cultural life.

In 1884, Fr. Voliansky moved to the United States, becoming the first priest of the UGCC there and establishing the first Greek Catholic Church in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania. He also founded and edited the first Ukrainian newspaper in the United States, America. He played a key role in organizing the church and cultural life of Ukrainian immigrants and served as chairman of the Union of Rus’ Brotherhoods, which united Ukrainians in North America.

After returning to Galicia, Fr. Voliansky continued his ministry, fostering spiritual and cultural life in his homeland, advancing the Ukrainian community, and developing various social initiatives. He also traveled to Brazil twice to study the living conditions of Ukrainian immigrants there.

Fr. Ivan Voliansky passed away on August 2, 1926, in the village of Dychkiv in the Ternopil region, where he is buried.