St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church

Yes. This is a Catholic Church. It recognizes the Pope and is recognized by the Pope. They mention him during the Mass for about 4 times.

Yes. We do

Yes, Latin-rite Catholics are free to worship in Ukrainian Catholic Churches, and they fulfill their Sunday obligation by doing so.

Yes. Having said that we are “Catholics”, we must now state we are not Roman Catholics, but Catholics who are identified as being Eastern Catholics. As Catholics, we Eastern and Roman Catholics share the same faith and have the same seven sacraments. The difference is that we Eastern Catholics have a different way or rite of expressing our faith in regards to Liturgy and customs.

Hi Michael! Yes, we do. You can donate money through: - https://helpua.bank.gov.ua/ - https://www.facebook.com/donate/684773339212066/4874325132620848/ - https://ukrarcheparchy.us/donate - writing a check to the “Ukrainian Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia” and sending it to the office at 810 North Franklin Street, Philadelphia PA 19123. Please write on the check “Humanitarian Aid Fund for Ukraine”. Also, Ukrainian Cultural Center (700 North Cedar Road, Jenkintown PA 19046) and “Good Samaritan Pantry” (833 N Franklin St., Phila) are collecting medicine (pain relief, insulin, ethanol, etc.), personal care, diapers, pads, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, flashlights, food, energy bars, personal hygiene, baby bottles, baby food, bandages, being accepted. You may buy through https://amzn.to/3CuQgpt No clothing needed. Medicine is in priority. Events through Ukrainian League of Philadelphia - https://www.facebook.com/ukrainianleagueofphiladelphia/

The Church – both East and West - has ordained married men from the beginning. Remember that the Apostle Peter was married. In the Christian East, this custom continued without interruption and is normative today. The Christian West (Roman Catholic) also had married priests, even as it held that priests living in ‘perpetual continence’ was the better way. It was not until the Middle Ages, at a Synod held in Rome in 1074 when Pope Gregory VII mandated clerical celibacy. This was later legislated into canon law at the Second Lateran Council in 1139.

Hello, Melvin. Yes, your son can fully participate in the Divine Liturgy and receive the Communion at Ukrainian Catholic Church.

To recieve Holy Communion one must be a Baptized Catholic/Orthodox believer. Regular Holy Confession is expected, although not before every reception of Holy Communion. A Christian way of life is a pre-condition as is the adherance to to The Ten Commandments. Grave sin bars one from Holy Communion.

Short answer: Catholic Long answer: We are Ukrainin Catholic (sometimes known as Byzantine or Eastern Catholic). We are a Christian Community whose origins are found in Kyivan Ukraine. Our religious tradition is Orthodox, having recieved Christianity from the Greeks in 988. In 1595 the majority of Ukrainian Bishops returned to full communion with the Church of Rome. Those in Western Ukraine came to be called Greco- Catholics. For Ukrainians under Russian rule the reunion was short and the majority are Orthodox. However, the ritual, Liturgy and spirituality are almost identical.

You can follow the service in the books and handouts participate as you wish

YES! please. If you need help or have questions just ask.

No. In fact, even though many of our parishioners are Ukrainian many are not or are in mixed marriages.

To attend a Byzantine Catholic Church on a regular basis, you don’t have to do anything special if you are already a Catholic. Simply go. Some people find that they are spiritually fulfilled at a Byzantine Church and in order to bring closure to their spiritual journey they would like to be officially recognized as a Byzantine Catholic. The process is known as changing rites. After discussing this with your priest, you write a letter to your Roman Catholic Bishop and the Byzantine Catholic Bishop. In the letter you state your spiritual reasons why you want to change rites. At that point they will begin to process the paperwork. You are not converting. You are simply changing rites. If you are not currently Roman Catholic, you can become a Byzantine Catholic. Please contact the priest and he will help you through the process.

It has been the tradition of the Byzantine Church to always give communion to infants. The reasoning behind this is that the children are innocent and therefore should be able to receive Jesus in the Eucharist. It is a practice that goes back to the early church.

Yes, any Catholic can receive communion in any Catholic Church, whether she or he is Eastern or Western.

No, we use the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, which dates back to the 4th century and its modern rite is back to the 12th century and hasn't been changed since that.