![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/57/Stjoesfulloutside.jpg/250px-Stjoesfulloutside.jpg)
St. Joseph Ukrainian Catholic church is a Ukrainian church located in Chicago, Illinois and belonging to (and second largest in)the St. Nicholas Eparchy for the Ukrainian Catholics. It is most known for a church building with an ultra-modern thirteen gold domed roof symbolizing the twelve apostles and Jesus Christ as the largest center dome. This year is is celebrating its fifty-first year.
History
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/fc/Stjoesmaindome.jpg/250px-Stjoesmaindome.jpg)
In the years after World War II many Ukrainians were moving out of the original Ukrainian Neighborhood (Chicago & Western Aves.) into the Northwest Side of Chicago. Seeing a need for a new Ukrainian Parish, Archbishop Constantine Bohachevsky appointed, in August 1956, a young energetic priest, Fr. Joseph Shary, to organize a new community. The first two Liturgies were celebrated at St. Patrick's High School Auditorium, but with the help of a handful of pioneering families, the first church was built at its current location. This Building stands north of the current church building and is used as a Parish Life Center that houses offices, classrooms, and a hall. It is also home to the Selfreliance Ukrainian American Federal Credit Union's northwest branch.
As the community quickly grew in number, Fr. Shary realized a larger church building needed to be built. He saw this as an opportunity to build a spectacular Church for "THE GLORY OF GOD AND FUTURE GENERATIONS." The church was dedicated and consecrated by Bishop Jaroslav Gabro on May 22, 1977.
Church Interior
Originally the new church's interior was supposed to be as modern as its outside, there would be no iconostasis, bare concrete walls, and an ultra-modern chandelier in the center. Using this approach, however, the church would lose almost all of its traditional byzantine, rich, symbolysm
The interior of the church is completely adorned with byzantine style icons (frescoes). Unfortunately the iconographer was deported back to his homeland before he was able to write the names of all the saints as prescribed by iconographic traditions.
The second level of the new structure are relief geometric patterns of crosses etched into the walls. these where left bare until in 1996 and 1997 the new Pastor, Fr. Pavlo Hayda had them painted. As a continuation of his work he also had the gold domes repainted in order to restore them to the sharpness they where painted to 20 years earlier. The iconostasis inside the church is a traditional byzantine iconostasis with two tiers and is in the Modern Kozak Baroque Style.
In the rear, on the west end of the altar server and priest sacristy is the St. Paraskevia Chapel. (Named after Fr. Shary's Mother) This is where 8am daily services take place. Notably, the Iconostasis in the chapel is the same one from the original church. Unfortuantely the St. Paraskevia Chapel onmly seats about 10-15 people.
Grotto
Across the way from the church is a grotto (Shrine) set up to Our Lady of Hoshiv with an altar sometimes used for outdoor sevices (such as Pascha Blessing) Many people pay daily pilgrimages to the shrine leaving gifts and candles at its base. Often times people walk up and pray or drive up the parish driveway and pray out of their car.
In 2006, Fr. Pavlo's Wife, Christine, lead a restoration and relandscaping of the grotto into a memorial garden to deceaced parishoners.
Building the Church
Priests over the Years
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/30/Insidestjoesbrighter.jpg/250px-Insidestjoesbrighter.jpg)
St. Joseph Parish is notorious for being assigned pastors when they where in their twenties. The first pastor was Fr. Joseph Shary (whom the parish is named after, along with St. Josephat in Munster, Indiana).