Today we’d like to introduce you to St. Sophia Ukrainian Catholic Church.
Thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
On Saturday, September 17, 2022, with a crowd of over 300 in attendance, Bishop Bohdan Danylo of the St. Josaphat Eparchy of Parma, Ohio, dedicated Saint Sophia Ukrainian Catholic Church in Garner, North Carolina. It is the only Ukrainian Catholic church edifice in North Carolina. The dedication was the fulfillment of a dream that started over two decades ago when several Ukrainian Catholic families began to meet in prayer with the hope of establishing a new parish.
The fledgling effort slowly but consistently grew and in 2006 bought 3 acres with 2 buildings at the current location of 8312 White Oak Road in Garner. Soon after, the mission parish was officially established by the then Bishop of the St. Josaphat Eparchy, Bishop Robert Moskal on his first formal visit to North Carolina. The parish was named Saints. Volodymyr and Olha in honor of the prince and his mother who brought Christianity to Kiev in 988.
The next milestone came on December 21, 2006, when Father Mykola Dobrutsky was named the first resident pastor. Shortly afterwards, in January 2007, the outbuilding was converted to a chapel. It was blessed and the first formal Divine Liturgy was celebrated. The first vocation of the parish, Deacon Mark Shuey, was ordained a priest in June of 2007, and now is an Archpriest and on the Eparchy’s board of consultors. He remains in residence at St. Sophia. Other pastors followed Father Dobrutsky at Saint Volodymyr and Olha until August 2, 2011, when our current pastor, Father Matthew Schroeder, was appointed.
Saints Volodymyr and Olha continued to grow and began to attract more local English-speaking parishioners who loved the Divine Liturgy and other services but did not understand Ukrainian. With the limited facilities, Bishop Robert asked Father Mark to begin a mission effort to serve and expand the faith to the English community at large. The Ukrainian and English missions would be merged into a single parish with the building of a new church. The English mission was named St. Nicholas, and Father Mark began the effort. Using several locations in the Cary area, the mission finally found a welcome habitat through the benevolence of Saint. Cyril and Methodius Byzantine Catholic Church on Piney Plains Road in Cary. St. Nicholas mission continued to grow and was merged according to the plan with Saints Volodymyr and Olha just prior to the dedication in 2022.
In the meantime, in 2014, the Saints Volodymyr and Olha mission began the process of applying for building and site permits from Wake County. The temporary church structure closed in preparation for construction. At this point, Divine liturgies were celebrated at various locations in Wake County, finally remaining at the Renaissance Funeral Home in Raleigh, NC until the dedication.
With permits and financing secured, Bishop Bohdan Danylo returned on September 15, 2019, to celebrate the formal groundbreaking and dedication of the cornerstone. From then, the construction of the new Church began in earnest. The consistent progress was dramatically slowed during the Covid pandemic which severely impacted crews and materials availability. With patience and perseverance, the church was finished in April of 2022. The first Divine Liturgy was celebrated on Palm Sunday, April 10, 2022, under the name of our new patron, St. Sophia.
The parish continues to grow with more than 100 families. The 8:30 Sunday liturgy in English and the 10:30 Ukrainian liturgy are well attended. Both services are at or near capacity each week with a good mix of children, young adults, senior citizens and everyone in between.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
On a practical level, the average parishioner drives 30 to 50 minutes to the church. Being a smaller community, it is difficult to have social and liturgical/prayer functions during the week. By the time one finishes work, makes it to church, and then returns home after the service, the evening is over. It is particularly difficult for families with children who need to be ready for school the next morning. Zoom meetings cannot build bonds between parishioners like being physically together.
On a more macro level, many of our community have left their homes in Ukraine due to economic conditions and the war. Helping them adapt to life in the USA takes time and patience. Most are able to learn enough English to confidently live in the USA, but no two people adapt at the same rate and same way. The English-speaking community and the Ukrainian-speaking community get along well, but it takes a constant effort to foster a sense of togetherness.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As Jesus says at His ascension in St. Matthew’s Gospel, our work is to go out and make disciples of all nations. We do this through our liturgical traditions which are basically unchanged since the 3rd century. Additionally, as an Eastern-Rite Catholic Church our cultural traditions totally reflect the warmth and community of our Eastern European heritage particularly of Ukraine. We are totally in communion with the Roman Catholic Church, but we maintain our own worship traditions. We are Catholic, so any visitors can fulfill their Sunday obligation by attending one of our Divine Liturgies. In our church you will find an icon screen, a liturgy where everything is sung between the priest and people – no instruments, and frequent use of incense.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
If one is searching for a spiritual director or a confessor, our priests are available before and after each liturgy and by appointment. You may just want to talk about a personal situation or learn more about the Ukrainian Catholic Church. We are always happy to spend time with guests and visitors. If you attend a service to see what it is like, by all means just come. Our parishioners are extremely friendly and helpful. Because we are a smaller congregation, we recognize our visitors and help them get situated. One of the beauties of our Divine Liturgy is that you don’t need to do anything but come and experience it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stsophiaugcc.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Saint-Sophia-Ukrainian-Catholic-Church-100064524319512/
- Donate: https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/4977266
