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known as Holy Ghost Greek Catholic Church and Holy Ghost Uniate Church. When reading the history of this church, please also refer to Susan Mandzak's write up about the Southside and Holy Ghost found in Dedication. The origin of Holy Ghost Greek Catholic Church dates back to 1909, when the west side parishioners, who had grown to a large number, of St. John the Baptist Greek Catholic Church, Scovill Avenue (east of the Cuyahoga River) left the east side church to start a parish of their own. Rev. Emil Burik, with the approval of Bishop Stephen Ortinsky, called the first members of the parish to a meeting on September 14. On October 8, 1909, Holy Ghost Church was granted a charter by the state of Ohio. On February 6, 1910, Rev. Stephen Janitzky dedicated the cornerstone of the church on West 14th and Kenilworth Avenue. Subsequently, twenty-one acres land for a cemetery was purchased on West 54th Street, in Parma, Ohio. (See Dedication) The structure was topped with three (3) of the "onion" domes characteristic of Byzantine churches. From 1918-1962, Rev. Joseph P. Hanulya was assigned to Holy Ghost. During the 1930's, Rev. Hanulya started the Rusin Elite Society in his parish. He wrote the first history in English of Rusin literature in 1941 and later organized the Rusin Cultural Garden at University Circle, Cleveland. By 1938, Holy Ghost Church had grown to nearly 900 families. Approximately 150 of these families were asked by Rev. Hanulya to form a new parish-- St. Mary's Byzantine Catholic Church, State Road, Cleveland. In the 1950's, Holy Ghost carried the distinction of being the largest Rusin parish, with approximately 3,000 members. Under the leadership of Rev. Hanulya, ground breaking ceremonies were held on February 17, 1957, for a school to be built on additional church property located on the adjacent corner of West 14th Street and Kenilworth Avenue. The school, Holy Ghost Elementary School, was opened on October 19, 1958. Hanulya wrote the required grammar books, readers, Bible, history book and catechism, all in the Rusin language. By the mid-1960's, with the exodus of parishioners to the western suburbs, preparations were made to build Holy Spirit Church on the grounds of the cemetery in Parma. Holy Ghost School was sold to provide the funds for the new undertaking. In the late 1960's the rectory was demolished to provide for a parking lot next to the church. The convent then became the rectory, which was attached to the church in the 1980's. In 1978 new stainless steel domes were erected on the church roof because one was blown off its steeple in a wind storm. The parish continues to flourish spiritually in the Tremont area, but its membership has declined to such low levels that there is now a discussion on the possibility of closing the church in the near future. Additional Sources: Byzantine-Ruthenian Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh Directory. Published in Observance of the 75th Anniversary of the establishment of the Byzantine- Ruthenian Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh, October 3, 1999, page 240. The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, edited by David D. Van Tassel and John J. Grabowski, Indianapolis, Indiana University Press, 1987, page 145. |
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| Iconostasis--a screen or partition with doors and tiers of icons that separates the bema from the nave in Eastern churches. |
| Interior of Holy Ghost Byzantine Catholic Church, Cleveland, Ohio |
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Catholic Church
The Rev. Michail Mitro: November 1, 1911 - May 1913 The Rev. Sigismund Brinsky: June 1, 1913 - October 1913 The Rev, Cornelij Zapotocky: October 1913 - September 1916 The Rev. Nikolaj Duda: October 1916 - April 1918. The Rev. Augustin Komporday: June 1918 - August 1918. The Rev. Josif Hanulya: September 15, 1918 - October 1953. Pastor Emeritus: October 1953 - October 8, 1962+ The Rev. George Durisin: December 26, 1953 - January 31, 1961. The Rev. Msgr. John J. Kostival: January 2, 1961 - September 23, 1961 The Rev. Msgr. Alexander Nanko: September 1961 - December 1961. The Rev. Robert Barter: January 1962 - September 1963. The Rev. Msgr. John B. Gernat: September 29, 1963 - 1964. The Rev. Robert Ruglovsky: 1964. The Rev. Lawrence J. Slavik: 1964 - 1969. The Rev. Joseph Fecak: August, 1969 - July 1975. The Rev. Hilarion Benedik, O.F.M.: July 1975 - August 1976. The Rev. Daniel Gurovich: August 1976 - September 1978. The Rev. James Kubajak: October 1978 - 1980. The Rev. Msgr. Nicholas Repko: 1980 - 1982. The Rev. Edmund Jadwisiak: 1982 - March 18, 1984. The Rev. David A. Hannes: March 21, 1985 - July 1, 1985. The Rev. Nicholas Rachford: July 1, 1985 - September 16, 1992. The Rev. David Petras: September 16, 1992 - August 1995. The Rev. Quentin Koplinko: November 11, 1995 - July 1998. The Rev. Jospeh Repko: July 1998 - ? |
| Cantors who served Holy Ghost Greek/Byzantine Catholic Church. |
John Babey Sigismund Barany George Gulanich Vasil Slivka John Bilous John Tylavsky, 1919 |
Michael Vuksta, 1920 George Pauley, 1924 Joseph Penyak Theodore Pochapsky, 1925 - 1939 Nicholas Benyo, 1939 - 1965 |
| Priests who may have served as Assistant Pastors at Holy Ghost Greek/ Byzantine Catholic Church.
The Rev. Msgr. Michael Hrebin: 1949 - 1950. The Rev. Msgr. Stephen Luzetsky: 1950 - 1951 The Rev. Myron Horvath: 1951 - 1952. The Rev. Paul Waselus: 1952 - 1953. The Rev. Raymond Misulich: 1956. The Rev. John Borodach: 1957 - 1958. The Rev. Myron Badinerosky: 1958 - 1959. The Rev. Christopher Petruska: 1959. The Rev. Joseph Borodach: 1960. The Rev. Msgr. Alexander Nanko: 1961. The Rev. Robert Barter: 1962 - 1963. The Rev. Robert Ruglovsky: 1963 - 1964. The Rev. Michael Moran: 1965. |
| Click below for information on and photos of Holy Ghost Elementary School |
| Church Photos -- Under Construction |
by Sigmund T. Brinsky. (March 30, 1909 - July 8, 1988.) Mr. Brinsky was the son of Rev. Zigmund Brinsky who was a Greek Catholic priest, a Cleveland attorney and secretary of the Rusin Elite Society. Rev. Hanulya, in addition to being pastor of Holy Ghost, founded the Rusin Elite Society, was its president and was instrumental in the formation of the Rusin Cultural Garden at University Circle, Cleveland. He was also an authority on Canon (Church) Law, author and historian of the Greek Catholic community in the United States and particularly in Cleveland. More on Father Hanulya will be available at a later date. |
| Vruchanie, in Rusin, Dedication, English, by Alexander Basil Duchnovich. This poem was considered the National Credo of the Rusin people but it is now the Rusin National Anthem. "I was, am, and will be Rusyn. I was born a Rusyn." |
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| Cleveland's Southside |
| Today's Tremont Neighborhood |