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By Maria Ivaniv Lonchyna, PhD
The origins and development of Greek Catholic church life in the United States in the 1880s can be summed up by a well-known Chinese proverb: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Reflecting on those early years reveals a series of significant first steps, each requiring focus, courage, and ingenuity. This article provides a glimpse into the first years of Father Ivan Volyansky’s ministry, a journey that began in the small mining town of Shenandoah, PA, nestled in the foothills of the Appalachians, and extended to cities and towns across America.
This December marks a special milestone for our Church in America. It was 140 years ago, in early December 1884, that Father Ivan Volyansky and his wife, Pavlyna (née Hankewych), arrived on American soil. They answered the call of a community that had written to Metropolitan Josyf Sembratovych in Lviv, pleading for a priest who could provide spiritual guidance in their native traditions. These people, a mix of Lemkos, Galicians, and others from the Prešov region, had emigrated to America seeking a better life. Despite their struggles with hard labor and poverty, they remained deeply devoted to their faith and church life, which had been central to their existence in the old country.
To prepare for the priest’s arrival, the Shenandoah community collected funds for his journey. In the fall of 1884, they visited neighboring towns such as Shamokin, Hazleton, and Excelsior to gather contributions—a significant first step that united scattered immigrants and laid the foundation for future church communities.
On December 10, 1884, Father Ivan and Pavlyna arrived in Shenandoah after a brief stop in Jersey City, NJ. Denied permission to serve in the local Roman Catholic church, Father Ivan rented Kern Hall on North Main Street. Its second floor became a place of worship, while the Volyansky couple temporarily resided on the third. After some preparations, the first Greek Catholic service in the United States was held there on December 18—Vespers at the close of St. Nicholas Day, celebrated according to the Julian calendar. A makeshift altar was soon constructed, and on December 21, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Father Ivan blessed the chapel, dedicating it to this feast day.
The early years of ministry for 27-year-old Father Ivan and Pavlyna were fraught with challenges. The local Roman Catholic clergy and the Archbishop of Philadelphia refused to recognize his priesthood, doubting the legitimacy of a married Catholic priest. Despite these obstacles, Father Ivan pressed forward, creating parishes, organizing communities, and securing spaces for prayer, burial grounds, and other spiritual needs.
Father Volyansky not only fostered prayer but also built social connections. He established reading rooms, cooperative stores, and the newspaper America, importing its printing press from Lviv. In 1885, with his encouragement, the Brotherhood of St. Nicholas was founded in Shenandoah. Similar organizations soon emerged in towns where he had missions, aiding the formation of parishes. These efforts revived cultural life, leading to evening schools, choirs, and theater groups.
A short article from Shenandoah’s Evening Herald on May 30, 1887, offers insight into Father Ivan’s character and impact:
“Although young, barely more than 30 years of age, tall and slim, though compactly built, and fairly good looking, Father Volansky has no superior as a worker. He scarcely permits himself any rest, so thoroughly is his soul in his work. If life and health stands the test, his religious standing and that of his church will in a decade or two of years rank high and firm in America, and he will then be able to enjoy with ease, the honors he will have richly earned.”
Although Shenandoah remained the heart of Father Volyansky’s ministry, he frequently traveled to other towns and states where immigrants sought spiritual care. By the time he left the United States in 1889, parishes had been established in Shenandoah, Olyphant, Shamokin, Kingston, Freeland (PA), Jersey City (NJ), and Minneapolis (MN). Six of these parishes continue to thrive within the Ukrainian and Byzantine Catholic Churches.
Unfortunately, Father Ivan and Pavlyna’s time in the U.S. lasted only four and a half years. The Roman Catholic hierarchy successfully petitioned Rome to ban married priests from serving in America, forcing the couple to return to their homeland. Later, in 1896–1898, they embarked on a missionary trip to Brazil to assess the conditions of Ukrainian emigrants there. Tragically, Pavlyna contracted yellow fever and died during this mission. Father Ivan returned to Ukraine, serving in the village of Dychkiv, Ternopil region, until his death in 1926.
The journey of Father Ivan and Pavlyna Volyansky, along with the establishment of America’s first Greek Catholic parishes, began 140 years ago and remains a vital part of our history. Their courage, alongside the determination of early settlers, laid the foundation for a flourishing Church. Despite challenges and setbacks, others followed in their footsteps, ensuring the growth of the Church in the United States. The bishops, structures, churches, schools, and monasteries we see today are a testament to those first brave steps taken by pioneers like Father Ivan and Pavlyna in the small mining town of Shenandoah.