History of St. Mary's
BYZANTINE CATHOLIC CHURCH
1938-1963
In 1938, at the home of Mr. Wasil Zevchik, a meeting was held for the purpose of organizing a Byzantine Catholic Parish in the Brooklyn area. During the course of the meeting, designated as the first organizers were: Mr. Stephen Monchak, now deceased; Mr. Wasil Molchan; Mr. Wasil Zevchik; Mr. John Radio; and Mr. Michael Kurak, deceased. The fruit of their labor was the compilation of a list of names of 137 families, who, today, still belong to the parish.
God's hand lead the first day, and today, in the organization and development of a bigger and better congregation dedicated toward His glory.
Soon, a committee, as a representative of the Brooklyn faithful, reported to the Dean, Very Reverend Edmund Tabakovich. Father Tabakovich accepted their invitation to be present at an assembly of the faithful, August 15, 1938, at Smucel Hall. Also present at this gathering were Father Stephen Petrick, Father George Hritz, Father John Krusko, and Father Stephen Gulyassy, neighboring Byzantine Rite pastors. Father Petrick was appointed as secretary of the meeting, which opened with the traditional "Carju Nebesnij", "Come, Holy Ghost".
Seventy-two families constituted the founders who were present at this initial meeting. The statutes of the new congergation were provided by His Excellency Bishop Basil Takach. These were read to the group and unanimously accepted. Thus the new parish was canonically founded. The presiding official, the Reverend Dean, announced officially that from this day on, the parish was recognized as a part of our diocese.
The election of committee men took place and the following were elected:
Mike Kurak, George Lesso, George Hallahan, Joseph Furda, John Mohnacky, Peter Zidik, Emil Skripko, John Lucash, Andrew Rash, Wasil Molchan, John Chizmar, Basil Petruska, John Maruchnics, Mike Korsnak, Peter Hmelar, Stephen Munchak, John Freight, Mike Barilka, Mike Slepecky, Henry Homer, Mike Dudiak and Andrew Hlebasko.
The above took their oath of office and made the first collection for the new parish, which amounted to $17.18.
Now the good people were anxious to procure a suitable location where the Divine Liturgy could be celebrated. Finally it was decided to rent the small, one floor wooden shop where stone monuments were fabricated on the corner of West 35th Street (now State Road) and Stickney Avenue. A rental of $30 a month was agreed upon with a three-year lease and an option for the purchase of the building. Eagerly the new parishoners transformed the mechanical shop into a temporary church. The total expenditure for pews, lumber, and furnishings was $1,143. A little tower was placed on the roof to designate the building as a church. This, together with a simple little altar, was made by a devoted parishoner, Mr. Michael Kosar. This completed, plans were made for blessing the crude little place of worship. After rendering their building acceptable, the congregation awaited its first temporary pastor, Reverend Stephen Petrick. The eventful day of the blessing took place on the 25th of September, 1938, when the Dean, Father Tabakovich assisted by Father Petrick, Father Krusko, and Father Hricz, blessed the new church.
At the first Liturgy there was a big assemblage of people, who generously contributed that day $333.20. The donations continued to increase until after a six month period the total was $2,758.54.
In 1939 the congregation bought additional lots adjoining the first location. The lot on the Stickney side was bought for $500. A second lot was later purchased for $1,775. Further purchases were halted until a permanent pastor was appointed, in 1940. His Excellency Bishop Basil Takach appointed Reverend Daniel Ivancho as the pastor. In a very short time the wooden building used for the church was purchased outright as well as three lots, on which now stand the new church and the parish house. By the end of 1940 the rectory was built, at a cost of $13,000.
Later a recreation hall and auditorium were built adjoining the little church, and served as an excellent gathering place for the parishoners and kept them in a thriving communal spirit. Here Communion breakfasts were served by the ladies of the Altar Society, religious plays and concerts were given, bazaars and entertainments were held.
Gradually the little flock grew into a larger flock. Financial strength grew; a symbol of the sacrificial hearts of the people.
Planning has been underway for a new church. A small church was first contemplated on the corner of Biddulph and West Thirty-Fifth Street. While deliberations were being made on these plans, the war broke out and there was an interruption in the plans for the proposed building.
This interruption, appearing as a disappointment and a liability, was converted by Divine Providence to an advantage. For after the war, the parish was stronger both financially and numerically. Careful thrift and economy brought the total cash on hand to the amount of sixty-nine thousand, one hundred dollars by 1947. Thus plans for a small church were dismissed and new drawings were made for a larger edifice, grander in proportions and architecture.
On April 1, 1947, Father Nicholas Elko was appointed pastor of the church. The good people responded to a money raising campaign so generously the plans for a large, basilica-style edifice were made. New members joined the congregation; school attendance for catechetical instruction grew; a Sodality to the Mother of God was organized. The existing organizations increased as new members were received into the Altar Society, the Men's Club, and the Athletic Club. The Guild of the Blessed Virgin Mary was organized for the ladies.
With the Grace of God guiding, and the people sacrificing, the ground-breaking for the new church took place October 3, 1948. With a steam shovel on the site, thirty-one priests, of both the Latin and Byzantine Rite participated in the ceremony, lead by the Very Reverend Dean, Edmund Tabakovich and Monsignor Tomislav Firis.
Good friends turned out on this chilly October day to add their prayers, offering and good wishes to the Church that was to be erected and named in honor of the Mother of God.
The winter was so mild that construction continued without interruption. Then on May 9, 1949, again the Month of Mary, the corner stone was blessed. Several feet of the beautiful gray Indiana limestone were already shaping the walls of the building.
It was an eventful day for the parish, a strong manifestation of the accumulated sacrifices of the people. A heavy copper box containing the history of the parish, together with all the names of all the donors who had contributed to this corner stone blessing, was placed on the inside of the stone to remain there for recorded history.
In April, 1950 the Church was completed. An outstanding example of a cruciform type building, it is one hundred twenty-one feet long and sixty-six feet wide. Two large copper towers pierce the sky, crowned with the symbolic Eastern cross, so common to Byzantine Rite Churches. On the front panel over the entrance is a stone carving made on this site by sculptor David Kay, a native of Edinboro, Scotland. It portrays the famous Mother of Perpetual Help Icon; the original of which, tradition attributes to Saint Luke the Evangelist. Flanking either side of the main entrance are two paneled angles; one holding a chalice, above which is depicted the square host of the Byzantine Rite; the other holds a dome-shaped censor, common to Oriental churches. These, too, were carved by the same sculptor.
The interior of the church is forty feet high, the outside parapet walls form a lower ceiling which broadens into a high groin at the sanctuary.
As is common in the Byzantine Rite, the altar extends away from the wall, toward the people. During the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, the priests circle the altar in processions.
The altar is of imported Italian Levanto marble and Breche Violet from Pietra Santa, Italy. The reddish-brown center cross on the front panel, inlaid on white cremo, is a replica of one of the first crosses found on Christian altars in the catacombs of early Christianity. The four large columns support a baldichino enriched with twenty-three karat gold leaf, and color, in the center of which is a painting of the Holy Spirit.
The two side altars are built around two marble carvings of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The entire church is air conditioned and refrigerated for summer use. Two small infant rooms have been installed where mothers can see the celebration of the Divine Liturgy through large sound-proof glass panes and have no fear of interrupting the congregation.
A major part of the beauty of the Eastern Ritual is its chant. The faithful participate in the Liturgy with the Priest and the cantor, who leads them. In addition, the choir sings the responses to the Liturgy in harmony.
In the history of the parish the following have served as choir directors: Mr. Michael Kurak, who served when the parish was founded and helped its organization; Mr. Michael Zaretsky who devotedly served the parish in its early years and directed musical plays; Mr. Michael Stinich, who served dutifully when called upon in 1947. At the present time the parish has as its choir director and cantor the amiable and zealous Mr. Nicholas Kalvin who graduated from the Byzantine Rite Catholic Lyceum of Chant in Munkach, Czechoslovakia, with a Masters Degree. He has distinguished himself in his work and brought the name of St. Mary's Choir for congregational singing to the forefront. Mr. Kalvin is also a certified teacher in St. Mary's School, a position he has held for the last four years, as a teacher of the fifth grade. He has a lifetime certificate to teach in any school in the state of Ohio.
Father Joseph Bodnar was appointed pastor of St. Mary's on November 15, 1952. Then, the Holy Name Society was organized in the parish in 1953. Increased parking problems resulted in the 1955 demolition of the old church and hall, which for the first time made off-street parking available.
Our former pastor, now our Exarch, the Most Reverend Nicholas T. Elko, showed his continued interest in the development of the parish conferred with Father Bodnar on the need of a parochial school. Then, in the month of February, 1956, St. Mary's purchased the Corpus Christi property at 4119 Stickney Avenue with the intention of beginning a temporary school site. The property purchased from the Diocese of Cleveland for $34,828, included the church, rectory, and four lots. Used as a convent was the rectory, which fronted on Biddulph Avenue. Permission to convert the church into a school was granted by Bishop Nicholas on June 10, 1956. Immediately plans were drawn up, gratitiously, by Nicholas Yadlowsky, a member of St. Mary's parish.
By June 25, the plans had been approved by the Bishop and work began within two weeks, under contract with M. Glagola, Inc. Completion of the renovation was August 17, two days before His Excellency, Bishop Nicholas dedicated the three-room parochial school.
The first scholastic year began on September 3, 1956, with an enrollment of 84 students, with three teachers. The Sister Servants of Mary Immaculate from Toronto, Ontario, Canada assigned Sister Vincent and Sister Rosali to teach at this time. One lay teacher, Mrs. Bushi, completed the teaching staff, which was given the task of providing classes for kindergarten and the first to fourth grades. Transportation to and from the school for the pioneer students was provided with the purchase of a passenger school bus, purchased September 5.
With the initiation of the school and the school year, it was deemed expedient to organize a Parent-Teacher's Union, to facilitate many of the proposed advances in the education of the parish children.
Almost immediately, the need for a bigger convent brought the 1956 purchase of the property next door to the original Biddulph Avenue former rectory.
September, 1957 saw an enrollment increase to 134 pupils, with the addition of a fifth grade. This increase required an additional classroom in the basement of the school. Work on this was done gratis by two members of the parish, Mr. Mohnacky and Mr. Marhevka. The fifty more students necessitated purchase of two station wagons to be used as busses.
In the academic year, 1958, the sixth grade was added at St. Mary's school. There was an enrollment now of 191 pupils and a teaching staff of three Sisters and two lay teachers (Mrs. Bushi and Mrs. Bobik).
And the sisters moved again, this time their convent was the home behind the church.
Realizing the great interest in the school and the continuous increase in the enrollment, it was decided by the Bishop to build a new and bigger school on the property next to the church and sell the old school. The Circle Work Shop for the Handicapped purchased the old school for $60,158.
Reverend Joseph Bodnar, Pastor of St. Mary's together with the Parish Committee, formulated plans for the construction of the school in June of 1958. Bishop Elko favored with acceptance the design and specifications for the proposed St. Mary's School as submitted by Nicholas Lesko, Cleveland architect. The contract was granted to M. Glagola, Inc.
His Excellency, Bishop Stephen J. Kocisko, auxiliary, officiated at the ground-breaking ceremony on July 15, 1958. Bishop Elko was petitioned on February 1, 1959, to solemnly bless the corner stone for the new building on March 1. Another Sister was added to the staff, along with Mr. Nicholas Kalvin.
Sunday, February 28, 1960, was the joyful day of the dedication of the new school by Bishop Elko. The building was completely equipped, including a modern kitchen and cafeteria managed by Mrs. Danko.
At the present time the school has an enrollment of 374 students, Kindergarten through grade eight, which was added in the scholastic year of 1960-61. The staff of teachers now numbers nine - four Sisters and five lay teachers.
Twice more the sisters changed convents. First to the house on Stickney Avenue behind the school, and just recently to the newly acquired Biddulph residence. The previous two convents have been removed to increase the parking lot.
Transportation is now handled by a fleet of eight school busses, each, of course, has its own driver and each covers an extensive route.
Thus far we have progressed since 1938. It has been a long and arduous task. Our work is not yet complete, but with the leadership of your Bishop and priests and the aid and untiring efforts of our very hard working parishioners, our aims will be fulfilled with God's help.
In commerating the Silver Jubilee of St. Mary's Parish, we deem it our duty to congratulate the founders and present members of the parish for a truly wonderful achievement. We ask God to grant eternal rest to the deceased founders, members, and benefactors of the church and to continue to shower His blessings on the present members and benefactors.
Records 1938 - 1963
Baptisms..............................1472
Marriages..............................573
Deaths...................................302
No. of Families......................669
Widows...................................41
Widowers................................57