We are affiliated with The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA with headquarters located in South Bound Brook, N.J. Our mission is to provide liturgical and spiritual services and support to like-minded individuals. The liturgy is conducted and sung in the Ukrainian language with English inserts where applicable. We currently follow the Julian calendar, however that may be subject to change when our consistory adopts the Gregorian calendar in the near future.

Rev. Fr. Ihor Krekhovetsky is our pastor, and Lydia Dzus is currently our Parish Council president.

Our roots go back to the late 1940s with the post WWII emigration of Ukrainians looking to settle in the Rochester NY area. The commonality among these early church members was in that they escaped the Iron Curtain of the Soviet Union by way of having been captive and enslaved in German concentration camps by Nazi occupiers in Ukraine. When the war was over, these displaced Ukrainians sought freedom in the United States of America - which also included freedom of religion. The first liturgy was performed in a private home, then, as more Ukrainians came to Rochester, the services were done in a garage. The church was incorporated in 1950, and when the number of families increased in the area, they decided to buy, in 1954, a small vacant church within the city limits at the corner of Clinton Ave North and Avenue A,

By the early 1960s, the influx of Ukrainian Orthodox families from Europe and South America overcrowded the small church on Clinton Avenue and the church elders decided to purchase a plot of land on St.Paul Boulevard, in Irondequoit, with the idea of building a larger church in the Ukrainian/Byzantine style. The first step was to build a simple hall that would serve as a temporary chapel and a gathering place for parishioners. Bingo, hall rentals, donations and other fund raising events brought in sufficient cash to gradually begin the construction of the church. With the volunteer efforts of skilled parishioners, the church was completed piecemeal in 1982 and continues to provide liturgical and spiritual services to the present time.

Від заснування нашої парафії догляд за храмом та навколо нього здійснювали волонтери, члени Свято-Михайлівського братства. Настав час, коли цих волонтерів стало менше, вони досягли своїх фізичних обмежень і не можуть продовжувати легко виконувати необхідне технічне обслуговування церкви, залу та території церкви. Звертаємось до чоловічої статі нашої парафії, закликаємо їх приєднатися до братства та взяти на себе обов’язки щодо утримання церковного майна в належному стані. Будь ласка, зв’яжіться з нашим поточним менеджером нерухомості, Володею Любезним, і запропонуйте добровільно присвятити свій час служінню нашій парафії. Ваша допомога буде дуже вдячна.

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From the establishment of our parish, maintenance in and around the church was performed by volunteers, members of St. Michael's Brotherhood. The time has come in that these volunteers are fewer in numbers and have reached their physical limitations and cannot continue to easily do the needed maintenace on the church, the hall and church grounds. We're appealing to the male members of our parish, calling them to join the brotherhood and begin to take over the responsibilities of keeping the church assets in good condition. Please contact our current property manager, Volodya Lyubeznyy, and offer to volunteer your time in service to our parish. Your help will greatly be appreciated.

With our sincere apologies,

The Sisterhood Food Sale has been put temporarily on hold.

The re-start is yet to be determined. 

  We thank you for your patronage

THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS!

Thank you to all our parishioners and friends who continue to support our parish by sending donations by mail. Please mail your contribution to:   St. Mary the Protectress Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 3176 St. Paul Blvd, Rochester NY 14617. 

Дякуємо всім нашим парафіянам та друзям, які продовжують підтримувати нашу парафію, надсилаючи пожертви поштою. Будь ласка, надішліть свій внесок до: St. Mary the Protectress Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 3176 St. Paul Blvd, Rochester NY 14617. 

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CAN YOU PLEASE HELP?

Many churches today face decreasing membership numbers - St Mary's is no different.  Our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents built one of the most beautiful Ukrainian Orthodox churches in the United States!! They did it by working hard and by making contributions... in many ways.  Why?  To give their children and future generations a special place to worship.

Many of them are no longer with us, but their dream lives on.  Your help is needed to keep their dream alive.  Our annual expenses are over $125,000.00 and are growing each year. This year, in particular, we have agressively made many needed repairs: repairs to the front steps, the renovation and painting of the interior of the church, renovation of the hall kitchen, and many other areas as well. We face the difficult task of trying to pay for all those repairs. We thank our volunteers for the enormous work done to date. Please help by volunteering your time or by making a donation.  Thank You!

Kindly send your donation, no matter the amount, to:

St Mary Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 3176 St. Paul Blvd, Rochester  NY 14617-3433

**  VOLUNTEERS NEEDED  **

  Don't have time every week or month?  Just an hour or two whenever would help.

Our Sisterhood needs "crimpers" to make varenyky and if you don't know how... WE'LL TEACH YOU.  Or you can make potato or cheese balls, cut out circles of dough, or help with other fun tasks.   We'll provide a meal and great conversations with a terrific group of ladies.  We get together monthly starting at 5:00 pm.  Join us whenever you can and be ready to have fun - no appointment necessary.  If you'd rather sell, serve or wash a few pots and pans, why not pop in at our monthly Food Sale - lunch will be provided. 

The Brotherhood can also use volunteers for repairs, cleaning and general property maintenance around the church property.  Yes, the Brotherhood also provide meals and something to whet your whistle too.  Contact Walter (585) 748-4202 to sign up and to get the work schedule.

Do You Want to Live Longer?  Here's how...

Attending weekly religious services can add seven (7) years to your life, concluded Christopher Ellison in a study of 22,000 Americans at University of San Antonio last year.

More than 100 studies suggest that regular prayer, meditation and connection with a faith community can lower blood pressure, boost immune functions, improve sleep, enhance recovery from illness and lower the chance of heart disease and cancer.  Spiritual practices can thicken the brain cortext to defend against depression as well, a 2013 Columbia University study found.

Now that you know the secret, please join us Sunday.

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Home Office:  Rochester, NY  ~  Nine offices available in the U.S.

UFCU has the friendliest bilingual personnel and provides the best  products, most-competitive rates and quality services. 

What more could you ask for?!?