Our History
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1800s
1877
The first Greek Catholics from the Austro-Hungarian Empire arrive in Minneapolis. They will later become known as Byzantine Catholics.
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1884
The first Divine Liturgy is celebrated in a private home in Northeast Minneapolis by Fr. Ivan Wolansky.
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1884-1888
Fr. Wolansky visits numerous times and celebrates Divine Liturgy.
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1887
The first church is built. Dedicated to the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, it is commonly known as St. Mary’s.
The Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, John Ireland, writes Rome to inform Pope Leo XIII of the presence of Greek Catholics in the United States.
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1888
Bishop Janos Valji of Presov sends Fr. Alexis Toth as the first resident pastor.
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1889
St. Mary’s is blessed by Fr. Wolanski.
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1891-1900
New waves of immigrants begin moving to Northeast Minneapolis, either directly from the Austro-Hungarian and Russian Empires, or via New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
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1891
Fr. Toth and most of the members of St. Mary’s, enter into communion with the Russian Orthodox Church.
Greek Catholics who remain in the Catholic communion, along with new arrivals, begin worshiping at SS. Cyril and Methodius Roman Catholic Church, and other local Roman Catholic churches.
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1900–1910
1902
The Brotherhood of St. John the Baptist is established. This group quickly evolves into the St. John’s Greek Catholic Union Lodge No. 300.
At the request of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, St. Pius X, Pope of Rome, sends Fr. Alexander Hodobey from the Eparchy of Presov to visit the Greek Catholic communities in the United Sates.
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1906
Fr. Eugenij Volkay celebrates Divine Liturgy and hears confessions at SS. Cyril and Methodius Roman Catholic Church.
Fr. Hodobey visits Archbishop Ireland, concerning the Greek Catholics of the region.
At the recommendation of Fr. Hodobey and with support from Archbishop Ireland, along with three years of financial support from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it is agreed to formally establish a Greek Catholic parish in Minneapolis.
Members of the St. John’s Lodge purchase 5 lots and a house on 3rd street NE. The first Divine Liturgy is celebrated in the house.
A wooden church building is purchased from nearby Holy Cross Polish Catholic Church and moved to 3rd Street NE.
November 28, Thanksgiving Day, St. John the Baptist Greek Catholic Church is established with the celebration of Divine Liturgy. The community consists of 23 households.
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1907
Fr. Sotor Ortinsky, OSBM is named Bishop for the Greek Catholics in the
United States.
Bishop Ortinsky assigns Fr. Ivan Zaklynsky as the first Pastor of St. John’s.
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1908
Fr. Volodymyr Stech is assigned as Pastor.
In May, Bishop Ortinsky blesses the new church.
In June, Articles of Incorporation are signed by Bishop Ortinsky, Fr. Stech,
and Archbishop Ireland. The parish grows to 93 households.
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1911–1930
1912
St. Constantine Ukrainian Catholic Church is established by 20 families
from St. John’s.
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1917
St. John’s present rectory is built.
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1923
The Byzantine Catholic Exarchate of Pittsburgh is established, assuming complete jurisdiction of all Greek Catholics in the United States. Fr. Basil Takach is ordained as the first Bishop.
St. John the Baptist is transferred from protection of the local Roman Catholic Diocese to the Greek Catholic Exarchate of Pittsburgh.
The parish begins building its current church.
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1927
The new church building is completed, celebrating the first Divine Liturgy in the month of May.
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Other significant dates
1940s
The use of English is first introduced into worship services.
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1957
St. John’s celebrates its Golden Jubilee.
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1958
Ukrainian iconographer Sviatoslav Hordinsky is commissioned to write icons for the sanctuary, as well as those that will later become the main icons in an icon screen.
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1963
The Holy See establishes the Eparchy of Pittsburgh as an Archeparchy with complete and full jurisdiction in the United States. archpitt.org
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1966
Archbishop Nicholas Elko promulgates an English translation of the Divine Liturgy for use in all parishes in the United States.
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1969
June 23, the Holy See establishes the Eparchy of Parma, Ohio, of which St. John the Baptist becomes a member. parma.org
The Archeparchy of Pittsburgh is recocnized by the Holy See as a Sui Iuris (Self governing) Church.
Fr. Emil Mihalik is ordained as the Eparchy’s first Bishop.
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1992
Following directives of the Second Vatican Council, the interior of St. John’s is remodeled to conform to the spiritual and theological traditions of the Byzantine Catholic Church.
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2002
St. John’s celebrates its Silver Jubilee.
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2019
St. John’s original bell (c. 1906) is removed from the belltower, restored, and reinstalled.
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