Sundays: Divine Liturgy at 9:30 AM

His Holiness Patriarch Philaret

The Most Holy Patriarch of Kyiv and All Rus-Ukraine Philaret Denysenko was born on January 23, 1929 in the village of Blagodatnyi of the Amvrosiy district of Donetsk.  In 1946, after graduating from high school, he entered the 3rd class of the Odessa Theological Seminary and graduated with honors.  In the same year he entered the Moscow Theological Academy. On January 1, 1950, he received monastic vows with the name of Philaret.

On May 14, 1966, Bishop Philaret was promoted to the rank of Archbishop and appointed Exarch of Ukraine, Archbishop of Kiev and Halytsky, a permanent member of the Holy Synod.

In October 1995, at the All-Ukrainian Local Council, Metropolitan Philaret was elected Patriarch of Kyiv and All Rus-Ukraine. He is working to build local Orthodox churches in Ukraine and unite Ukrainian Orthodox believers within the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kyiv Patriarchate.

Father Oleksii

Very Reverend Father Oleksii Kacharai was blessed by His Holiness Patriarch Philaret in September 2024 as the new Rector of St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral.

It was a smooth transition for both parishioners and Father Oleksii because he actually served his first Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral five years ago.  Parishioners had welcomed the Kacharai family to Philadelphia in August 2019, and since then Father Oleksii, well-respected by the congregation, became part of the Cathedral family – faithfully serving at worship services, officiating at Sacraments and volunteering in the Cathedral kitchen during our Festivals!

Oleksii Yaroslavovych Kacharai, was born on March 14, 1967, to a family of farmers in the village of Kalne, Kozivskyi District, Ternopil Oblast.  His father, Yaroslav Danylovych Kacharay, born in 1942, worked as a driver on a collective farm.  His mother, Hanna Oleksiivna Kacharay, born in 1947, worked as a cleaner in the local school.  Father Oleksii has two  brothers: Mykhailo, born in 1968, and Andriy, born in 1971.

From 1989-1993, Father Oleksii studied at the Moscow Theological Seminary.  In 1990, he married Oksana Vasylivna Buchko, born in 1969, a primary school teacher.  In 1997, their son, Yarsolav, was born.  He is currently an Altar Server in the Cathedral.

From 1993-2019, Father Oleksii served as Rector of the Holy Protection Church in the village of Kolodenka, Tomashpilskyi District, Vinnytsia Oblast.  In early 2019, he enrolled in the clergy of the Vinnytsia-Bar Eparchy of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and was appointed Rector of the Holy Protection Church in the village of Kolodenka and Dean of the Tomashpilskyi Deanery.

In August 2019, Father Oleksii and his family emigrated to the United States.

Church Leadership

The members of our current church committee include:

President: Thomas Hanney

Vice President: Susan Guz

Treasurer: Ellen Hanavin

Secretary: Diane Kavchok

Assistant Secretary: Nicholas Borriello