Right Reverend Sawa Kovalchuk
In Memoriam
Life and Service
Archpriest Sawa Ivanovich Kovalchuk was born of a humble family in the village Mirkov, Vladimir-Volynsky uezd [uyezd], Volyn Gubernia [Guberniya], Russia. Seeking a better way of life, Father Sawa emigrated to America and arrived in New York City March 10, 1913. Penniless, but full of enthusiasm for future opportunities, he went to Bridgeport, Connecticut, to earn his livelihood and later to Cohoes, New York. In 1916 he entered the North American Orthodox Theological Seminary, successfully completing the full 6-year course of prescribed studies. He was graduated June 16, 1922. On November 21, 1922, he was married to Rose Boryk in Ansonia, Connecticut, and on November 27 was ordained to the Diaconate. On the Feast of the Presentation of the Theotokos, December 4, 1922, Father Deacon Sawa was ordained to the Sacred Priesthood by the Most Reverend Metropolitan Platon (Rozhdestvensky) in St. Nicholas Cathedral (New York) and was assigned to Saint Michael's Church (Romanian) in Boyan, Alberta, Canada. Father Sawa and Matushka left New York City January 19, 1923, for Canada, having been assigned to the Canadian Missionary District. After arriving in Boyan and finding that a priest was already in charge of the parish, Father Sawa did missionary work throughout the vast areas of Alberta province until May of that year. In May, 1923, he was assigned to Saint Michael's Church in Wakaw, Sasketchewan, Canada, and later was transferred to Gardenton, Manitoba.
On August 26, 1926, Father Sawa and his family returned to the United States and he was asked to go to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. During his stay in Milwaukee at an independent Ukrainian parish, Fr. Kovalchuk was instrumental in laying the organizational groundwork for a new Russian church which today is a flourishing parish. In June, 1927, Fr. Sawa was assigned to a tiny rural parish near Holdingford, Minnesota. Here, at Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos Church, Father Sawa labored in Christ's vineyard for fourteen years and two months. In 1941 he was transferred to the Holy Assumption Church in Elkhorn, West Virginia, which he served for seven years. In 1948 he was given charge of St. John the Baptist Church in Arnold, Pennsylvania, which he served for four and one-half years. From December 1952 to 1960, Father Sawa, was pastor of our church here in Benld. Fr. Sawa was given the honors and rank up to and including the wearing of the Epigonation (Palitsa), and the wearing of the mitre (Mitrophoric Archpriest). Father and Matushka Kovalchuk had a son, Archpriest Feodor Kovalchuk, who was pastor of Nativity of Christ Church in Youngstown, Ohio, and a daughter, Nadia Sowa, who was employed by the airlines in Chicago, Illinois in the past and later moved to Masury.
Father Sawa retired from All Saints parish in Amsterdam, Ohio, in 1970 and from that time assisted his son at the Youngstown church. On his 50th anniversary as a priest, he received the Order of St. Vladimir from Patriarchal Vicar, Bishop Makary of Uman, during services at the Youngstown church. He also was a member of a three-priest delegation to the shrines of the church in the Soviet Union, and during the 1966 trip was granted an audience with Patriarch Alexis at Odessa.
Fr. Sawa died on Monday, July 26, 1976 at the Sharon (PA) General Hospital after a short illness. A Pontifical Divine Liturgy and burial service (for a priest) were held on Friday, July 30, 1976, presided over by Bishop Theodosius of Pittsburgh, assisted by clergy of the Central States Deanery of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Besides his son (Fr. Feodor) and his wife, the former Rose Boryk, he was survived by a daughter, Mrs. Nadia Sowa of Masury; a brother, Feodor of Edmonton, Canada; and four grandchildren.
Much of the above text was excerpted from the 1957 Golden Jubilee Holy Assumption Russian Orthodox Church publication by parish members for the celebration of July 26, 27, 28, 1957. Only minimal adjustments have been made to the original text (such as correcting typographical errors and adding clarification in brackets of alternate transliterated spellings).
Memory Eternal — вѣ́чнаѧ па́мѧть
Notes
- Later sources list Fr. Sawa's name as Sawa J. Kovalchuk. This use of the middle initial "J" likely results from a translation of his patronymic Ivanovich to "John." People from pre-Revolutionary Russia typically were not given a middle name, but instead used a patronymic.
- Some other sources list his birth year as 1889 or 1888, but the December 16 date of birth is consistent through the records we have seen. Here we are listing his birth year as 1891, which is what is listed on his grave stone and in his published obituary (Youngstown Vindicator July 28, 1976).
Basic Information
| Full Name: | Kovalchuk, Sawa |
| Birth Date: | 16 December 1891 |
| Death Date: | 26 July 1976 |
| Notes: | Mitred Archpriest |
| Place of Death: | Sharon, PA |
| Service Place: | Nativity of Christ Russian Orthodox Church, Youngstown, OH |
| Service Date In this Orthodox context, most commonly the Service listed here would be a funeral service, which typically occurs in church, and is followed on the same day by the burial service that occurs at the grave site. In some cases, this term 'Service' might refer more generally to a memorial service. | 30 July 1976 |
| Officiating Clergy: | Bishop Theodosius of Pittsburgh, et al. |
| Burial Place: | Lake Park Cemetery in Youngstown, OH |
| Burial Date: | 30 July 1976 |
The above information originates from historical/archival content, and is published for memorial and preservation purposes.
Photos of cemetery stones can be found here, or specifically in the Holy Dormition cemetery here.