Ukrainian Catholic church in Curtis Bay closes

A small Ukrainian Catholic church in Curtis Bay that has suffered declining population and financial challenges for many years has closed its doors.

Ss. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church, a historic parish that has served the Ukrainian community for more than a century, celebrated its last Divine Liturgy Feb. 25 with 13 people in attendance. The church, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Archeparchy of Philadelphia and shares a pastor with St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church in East Baltimore, officially closed March 1.

Monsignor Peter Waslo, chancellor and vicar general of the Archeparchy of Philadelphia, said Ss. Peter and Paul had offered a weekly liturgy in Ukrainian that attracted between five and eight people. With the low numbers, an aging population and increasing financial burdens, he said, it was not feasible to keep the church open.

“There’s a sadness,” Monsignor Waslo said. “We were hoping that they could turn it around and see what they could do, but it was beyond their capacity.”

The small community at Ss. Peter and Paul has been encouraged to attend Divine Liturgy at St. Michael, where the weekly attendance is approximately 30, according to Monsignor Waslo.

The chancellor said an agreement has been signed with a realtor to put the property in Curtis Bay up for sale. After outstanding debts have been paid, any proceeds left over from a sale will be given to St. Michael the Archangel Parish. Cultural and historical artifacts from the church, including icons and an iconostasis that was installed in 1963, will be removed and preserved for possible future use in other parishes of the archeparchy, he said.

Ss. Peter and Paul’s history dates to 1910, when Father Zachary Orun began visiting Ukrainian immigrants in Curtis Bay. According to a parish history, he organized the parish and oversaw the erection of a wooden church in 1911. After that structure was destroyed in a fire in 1913, parishioners purchased a new church from the Presbyterians in 1914 for $4,000. That building was beautified over the last 110 years with the addition of a bell, icons, an iconostasis and stained glass windows.

The parish has always been a small faith community, operating as a mission of St. Michael from its establishment until 1950, when Father Wasyl Solowiy became the first permanent pastor. In the 1970s, priests from Ss. Peter and Paul also did missionary work in Salisbury, according to the parish history. From the 1980s, continuing through its closure, Ss. Peter and Paul again was a mission of St. Michael. Most recently, the two faith communities have been pastored by Father Vasyl Sivinksyi.

Father Waslo said declines in church attendance are affecting many different religious denominations.

“It’s across the board,” he said. “It’s just a crisis of faith.”

Email George Matysek at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org

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