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A Chronology of our Pastors

A List of the Priests at Holy Dormition Church from 1907 until 1987

In the eighty years that the Holy Dormition of the Theotokos Orthodox parish has existed [from 1907 to 1987], thirty pastors have served the congregation.

In the years before the parish was organized, visiting priests came several times a year, as they did when pastors were absent, to attend to the spiritual needs of the people of this community.

Following is a list of the pastors who served the parish:

  • The Rev. Fr. Michael Pazdry — 1907–1909
  • The Rev. Fr. Alexy Michalovsky — 1909–1910
  • The Rev. Fr. Michael Potochny — 1910–1911
  • The Rev. Fr. Alexander Antoniev — 1911–1912
  • The Rev. Fr. Alexy Bohuslavsky — 1912–1913
  • The Rev. Fr. John Gratson — 1914
  • The Rev. Fr. Nikita Cherniavsky — 1915–1916
  • The Rev. Fr. Ilia Barna — 1917–1923
  • The Rev. Fr. John Handzuk — 1924–1926
  • The Rev. Fr. Nicholas Belavin — 1927–1928
  • The Rev. Fr. John Tertichny — 1928–1932
  • The Rev. Fr. Peter Dubrovsky — 1933–1934
  • The Rev. Fr. Nikita Gress — 1936–1943
  • The Rev. Fr. Theodor Vaniga — –1945
  • The Rev. Fr. Gregory Stroyan — 1945–1946
  • The Rev. Fr. John Lopushinsky — –1950
  • The Rev. Fr. Gregory Surrency — 1951
  • The Rev. Fr. Gregory Cucura — 1951
  • The Rev. Fr. Koma Gorbachev — 1951–1952
  • The Rev. Fr. John Lopushinsky — 1952
  • The Rev. Fr. Sawa Kovalchuk — 1952–1960
  • The Rev. Fr. Basil Butchko — 1960–1966
  • The Rev. Fr. Stephan Lyashevsky — 1966–1967
  • The Rev. Fr. Fedor Timpko — 1967–1968
  • The Rev. Fr. Anthony Chilkowich — 1969–1971
  • The Rev. Fr. James Lolokas — 1971
  • The Rev. Fr. Michael Coleman — 1971–1973
  • The Rev. Fr. Vladimir Demshuk — 1973–1974
  • The Rev. Fr. James Valasek — 1974–1981
  • The Rev. Fr. Paul Waters — 1982–1984 (served monthly), then 1984 on

 

The above text was excerpted from the 1987 Eightieth Anniversary publication by the Holy Dormition of the Theotokos Orthodox Parish, Benld Illinos. Only minimal adjustments have been made to the original text (such as correcting typographical errors and adding clarification in brackets of alternate transliterated spellings).