ST. NICHOLAS CONGREGATION

Love Of God

Excerpts from the Jubilee Book: Saint Nicholas Church, Old Forge, Pennsylvania, 1973

The Pioneers of St. Nicholas

The anthracite coal fields of Pennsylvania attracted thousands of immigrants from the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the turn of the century. These tillers of the Carpathian Mountain soil left their homeland and came to the United States of America imbued with the same high ideals and purposes which inspired and motivated the immigrants of various European countries. This land of opportunity promised freedom from want and oppression, and the human birthrights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Being a God-fearing people, the worship of Almighty God according to their own traditions and customs remained uppermost in the newcomers' minds and hearts. Their Catholic faith and their Greek (Byzantine) Rite was something deeply intimate and dear to the hearts of these people. It was this love that caused them to spare no sacrifice to establish a church of their own in Old Forge, Pennsylvania.

In 1892, under the leadership of Father Alexander Shereghy, the pastor of St. Mary's Church in Scranton, they founded a church under the patronage of St. Michael the Archangel. However, by 1895, factionalism became rampant among the various nationality groups in the parish. Matters were brought to a head when, on December 25, 1896, the Russian Orthodox Bishop Nicholas visited Old Forge.

Court proceedings were instituted for the possession of the church property. Later, however, half of the congregation decided to drop the suit and organize a church of their own which they placed under the patronage of St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra.
Proceedings for the incorporation of the new parish were instituted on January 4, 1896 and articles of incorporation were granted on March 23, 1896 under the title "St. Nicholas United Greek Catholic Congregation of the Township of Old Forge, Pennsylvania." The signatures on the articles of incorporation include the following: James Mora, John Argonish, Stephen Dufala, Isaac Melma, A.R. Fridel, John Slachta, John Munchak, John Chundock, Vasil Kopko, Peter Fedorisce, John Krafchak, John Yehnat and Andrew Ignaz.

Until the establishment of St. Nicholas Parish, the faithful of Old Forge were under the pastoral care of the Reverend Alex Shereghy (1892-1894), Reverend Valentine Balogh (1894-1895), and Nicephorus Chanat (1895-1897) of St. Mary's Church, Scranton, Pennsylvania.

The Parish Takes Root

The first St. Nicholas building was begun on September 26, 1897 on property purchased from Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Kennedy for the sum of six hundred and sixty-five dollars. Father Roman Wolynec administered the parish from this time until the completion of the church in 1898. The church was dedicated by Father Balogh of St. Mary's, as delegate of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Scranton. In April of 1899, Reverend George Gulovich was assigned as the first resident pastor of St. Nicholas Church.
Due to the scarcity of priests of their native rite, the parish had numerous priests, some of whom resided at St. Nicholas and some of whom administered St. Nicholas from parishes in the surrounding territories. The Right Reverend Andrew Hodobay, Titular Abbott and Apostolic Visitator of the Holy See was among the priests who cared for the parish at various intervals between 1903 and 1905.
To prevent a repetition of past legal difficulties, with the appointment of the Most Reverend Stephen Soter Ortynsky, O.S.B.M., as Bishop of the Greek Rite Catholics of Ruthenian Extraction in the United States, all the church properties were transferred to Bishop Ortynsky as sole trustee for the congregation for the consideration of one dollar. This was accomplished continued during the pastorate of the Reverend Roman Wolynec with the approval of the entire congregation and with the following lay church officials as signers of the transfer: Stephen Haschak, John Argonish, Michael Kaminsky, Adolph Fredmonsky, John Leschinsky and Michael Gajtko. All church properties were deeded to Bishop Ortynsky and his rightful successors "to keep for all time the church properties entirely in his own trust" in order to prevent the church and its properties from falling into the hands of individuals who would divert it from its original purpose.

To provide a place for parish activities, an old school building was purchased from St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church of Old Forge for the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars and transferred to church property. This hall became the place of meetings for the various parish organizations and lodges and the source of much revenue for the parish. On August 11, 1926, additional property was purchased from the Mary Soroka Estate and during the pastorate of Father Eugene Runtagh, the parish home was completely remodeled and enlarged.

Reverend Andrew Symko, who was assigned by Bishop Basil Takach to succeed Father Cornelius Gribovsky in October of 1929, soon realized the necessity for a larger parish hall as a social center and as a source of income to beautify and remodel the church buildings. In 1938, he began a building fund campaign for a new parish center. The advent of World War II halted the project. In 1946 another extensive campaign was launched to realize funds for the new parish center. Bonds were purchased by parishioners to obtain the necessary funds to begin the project. Ground-breaking ceremonies were held by Father Symko on May 28, 1950. The Greek Catholic Union of the U.S.A. furnished the loan to see the project through to completion.

With the death of Father Symko, Reverend George Durisin, assistant pastor of St. Mary's Church in Wilkes-Barre, was assigned to the parish with the task of completing the project barely under construction. With the cooperation of many parishioners who gave of their time and labor, the edifice was completed under revised plans. The center, a monument to the initiative and zeal of the pastor and parishioners, was dedicated by the Most Reverend Daniel Ivancho, D.D., Apostolic Exarch, on April 27, 1952.

After three years at St. Nicholas Church, Father Durisin was succeeded by Fathers Michael Frelock and George Petro in rapid succession. The latter completed the last mortgage payments on the parish center and the mortgage was burned during special ceremonies at the annual St. Nicholas Banquet on December 17, 1954.

A Building Parish

In January 15, 1955, the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese, the Right Reverend Monsignor Nicholas T. Elko, appointed Reverend Michael J. Dudick as administrator of St. Nicholas Church. To better promote cooperation between the pastor and his flock and to further the progress of the parish, at a parish meeting called on May 29, 1955, the congregation passed a resolution nullifying all former by-laws of the corporation and accepting Act 160 of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (passed on June 20, 1935), invested the power of administration of all church properties in the Bishop and the pastor as his representative with a "Council of Administration" consisting of lay members of the parish, appointed by the pastor and approved by the Bishop, to act in an advisory capacity to the pastor.

At the annual banquet in honor of St. Nicholas, the patron of the parish, on December 17, 1955, a campaign was initiated to raise funds to build a combination church and rectory. A total of twenty thousand dollars in pledges was attained at the banquet and an additional thirty thousand dollars was realized through the campaign itself.

Ground-breaking ceremonies were conducted by the Very Reverend Nicholas Chopey, V.F., dean of the Wilkes-Barre, Scranton area, on Sunday, May 20, 1956. Demolition of the old church was begun a few days later, and the new building was soon under construction with the Wyoming Valley Lumber Company as general contractors.

On March 24, 1957, with the exterior of the church and rectory complete except for a small portion of the tower, the cornerstone of the new building was solemnly blessed and put in place by His Excellency, the Most Reverend Stephen J. Kocisko, D.D., Titular Bishop of Theveste and Auxiliary Bishop of the Byzantine Catholic Exarchate of Pittsburgh.

Because of the desire for all the church buildings to conform in style and architecture, the entire facade of the parish center was completely remodeled. A new lighting system was installed in the center, as well as a new system of ventilation and air-conditioning.

The new church now boasts of a marble Main Altar fashioned of Botticino marble and mosaic and two shrine Altars in marble and mosaic dedicated to the patron St. Nicholas and Our Mother of Perpetual Help. All are imported from Carrara, Italy. Stained- glass windows, new pews, and air-conditioning aid in producing the comfort and atmosphere necessary for fruitful prayer and meditation. Two glass-enclosed rooms in the rear of the church provide for the sick. and parents with infants the privacy and convenience of dignified worship.

Major renovations were undertaken at the cemetery in the year of 1960. Hundreds of tons of fill leveled the large gap, improving the landscaping and the entire cemetery's general appearance. A chapel was built at a cost of fifteen thousand dollars to provide shelter for conducting funeral services during inclement weather or when the grave is not ready for burial. A Shrine of Crucifixion now over- looks the cemetery grounds, so the faithful may pray and look up to Our Lord for consolation.