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St. Joseph The Betrothed Ukrainian Greek-Catholic church is a Ukrainian church located in Chicago, Illinois and belonging to the St. Nicholas Eparchy for the Ukrainian Catholics. It is the second largest parish in the diocese. The church, designed by Zenon Mazurkevich, was built in 1975–1977.[1]
St. Joseph the Betrothed is housed in a church building with a roof topped by thirteen gold domes. The twelve outer domes symbolize the twelve apostles and the largest dome, in the center, represents Jesus Christ. This unique design has led to it being listed as one of the "10 Most Unique Churches in the World"[2], as well as other lists of interesting architecture.[3]
Buildings
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The iconostasis inside the church is a traditional Byzantine iconostasis with two tiers and is in the Modern Cossack Baroque Style. The interior of the church is completely adorned with Byzantine style icons (frescoes). At the second level of the new structure are relief geometric patterns of crosses etched into the walls. Unfortunately, not all the saints were inscribed as is normally prescribed by iconographic traditions, as the iconographer was deported back to Ukraine before he was finished.
Among the things that attracted a great deal of attention was the large rock near the ramp leading up to the entrance of the church. It is a piece of the Canadian Shield that found its way to the site where the new church was built. It was retrieved by the contractors during excavation of the foundation. The pastor saved it and had it placed in its present position after construction was completed in 1976.
In the rear, on the west end of the altar server and priest sacristy is the St. Paraskevia Chapel. Notably, the Iconostasis in the chapel is the same one from the original 1950s church (see history below). The chapel seats ten to fifteen people.
Across the way from the church is a grotto (shrine) set up to Our Lady of Hushed with an altar sometimes used for outdoor services. In 2006 the pastor's wife led a restoration and relandscaping of the grotto into a memorial garden to deceased parishioners.
History
In the years after World War II many Ukrainians were moving out of the Ukrainian Village into the Northwest Side of Chicago. Fr. Joseph Shary was appointed to organize a new community. The first liturgies in 1956 were celebrated at St. Patrick's High School auditorium, of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. Construction of the original building commenced in 1958. With growth, a new building was required, and the current edifice was constructed from 1975-1977.[1]
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St. Joseph’s choir joined with St. Nicholas Cathedral Slavuta choir to become known as the Metropolitan Andrej Sheptytsky Choir of Chicago. The choir recorded an album of a newly commissioned composition of the Divine Liturgy, by Andrij Hnatyshyn. One of the most momentous performances by the choir was for the visit of Pope John Paul II in Grant Park, in 1979.
Leadership
Past pastors of St. Joseph the Betrothed
- Rev. Joseph Shary 1956-1982
- Rev. William Bilinsky 1982-1983
- Rev. Andriy Chirovsky 1983-1985
- Rev. Mykhajlo Kuzma 1985-1987
- Rev. William Bilinsky 1987-1995
- Rev. Pavlo Hayda 1995-2007
- Rev. Mykola Buryadnyk 2008-Present
Current Priests
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Rev. Mykola Buryadnyk - Pastor
Mykola Buryadnyk was born in the Lviv region in Ukraine; his father was a Ukranian priest. After attending the Pedagogical Lyceum, Fr. Mykola entered the Lviv Theological Academy and Holy Spirit Seminary, and during his studies twice he visited the United States. He was ordained a deacon in 2000 and a priest in 2002. He then moved to the United States with his wife. He was appointed pastor of St. Joseph the Betrothed parish in 2008.
Very Rev. Canon Thomas Glynn - Associate Pastor Thomas Glynn, a native Chicagoan of Irish ancestry, has served as associate pastor for St. Joseph the Betrothed since 1989. He has been a priest since 1964.
References
- ^ a b "Church Architecture". Encyclopedia of Chicago. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
- ^ http://www.oddee.com/item_96506.aspx
- ^ http://villageofjoy.com/20-unusual-churches-part-i/
External links