Found: Ukrainian church celebrates 100 years
By Jessica Cabe
One hundred years ago, Ukrainian immigrants who had settled on the west side of Syracuse rallied behind an idea that would solidify their community for a century. Despite the poverty these immigrants faced, they raised enough money to build a church for their Catholic parish, which at that time was 13 years old.
St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church, built on the corner of Tompkins St. and Wilbur Ave., was the first Eastern Catholic church in the city, and it is still the largest, according to parishioner Patricia Burak, whose grandparents were among the founding members of the parish.
In celebration of the building’s 100th anniversary, the church hosted a festival on July 26 and 27. The festival featured church tours, live music and dancing, and attendees were able to buy food and other traditional Ukrainian goods.
Burak said the church serves as a means of maintaining Ukrainian community and culture in Syracuse.
“We all help each other, because we all recognize in the new immigrant, in the new member of our community, our grandparents or our great grandparents,” she said.