About Us

Welcome...

We learn much about people from being in their homes. You can learn a lot about the Byzantine catholic community by seeing our church. This is where we express our relationship to God and each other.

     The interior of a Byzantine Church is designed:

     * to speak to the worshiper.
     * to establish a mood for worship.
     * to preach the Gospel through architecture and art.
     * to free our minds and heart from our daily concerns, so we can praise

and worship God.

The church building shows us what the church really is - a communion of God and his people.

The structure, arrangement and decoration of the church building are different from that of other buildings. It is rich with the splendors of the heavenly world.

As you move through the church building, you are taken forward and upward - but not beyond. As history and live move through time, so our life in Christ is a continual journey. The church building helps you to realize that. We are always called closer to God.

Our history

Holy Ghost Byzantine Catholic Church
was dedicated on July 4, 1899 and the first pastor was Reverend Nestor Volensky. This church marked the beginning of a spiritual home for the Eastern Catholics. It was also consolation to many Roman Catholic Slavs who came to pray in the Slavonic tongue.

The church celebrated it's 60th Anniversary in 1959 under the spiritual guidance of Reverend George Kuzma who later served as Bishop of the Eparchy of Van Nuys, California.

In 1970, construction of a new church structure was completed. The beautiful new building was necessary to accommodate a thriving parish family.

During the 1980's the parish faithful undertook a complete icon renovation project., donating the time and resources to provide for 250 icons in the church. The idea of covering every space in a church with icons has its origin in the concept attributed to St. John Chrysostom. The House of God must be the happiest place under the heavens and wherever the eye rests should call the viewer to the contemplation of God.

The Church

The Building reveals the very nature and meaning of what the church is: a
communion of God and His People.

On entering The Narthex (entrance hall) we recall the need to prepare ourselves to meet the Lord.

The Nave (body of the church) symbolized the body of believers. Here the people gather for worship.

The Holy Place (alter area) represents the glory of God. The Holy Table at its center represents the throne of God.

Heaven and Earth

are joined by Jesus

Christ. This is

represented by

the Icon Screen

which joins the Holy Place to the body of the church.

Icons are the distinctive art form of the Christina East. These proclaim the nature of the Church and the live of grace to which we are called.

Perfumed Incense is burned during services to recall the cloud which covered Israelites in the desert in Exodus 13, symbolizing the presence of God. As we observe the clouds of incense, we recall that we are in God's presence.

May we all discover in our own lives the Divine Plan for us which our church building expresses in physical form.

Holy Ghost Byzantine Catholic Church

Mother Parish of the Monongahela Valley