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September 9, 2016
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Spiritual Celebration
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Mayfield’s St. John’s marks a milestone by Tucker Hottes STAFF WRITER
St. John’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Mayfield will celebrate 125 years as a part of its community Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 17 and 18. The weekend will feature celebrations of faith as well as a banquet at Fiorelli’s. The parish began as a small group of Carpatho-Russian immigrants in 1878. With a growing community, a dedicated church was erected in 1891. The current rector, V. Rev. Mitred Archpriest John D. Sorochka, but known by almost everyone as “Father John,” said the history of St. John’s is woven into the fabric of Mayfield. “For us here in Mayfield, we’re ecstatic that we can celebrate this momentous occasion,” he said. “Not too many churches in this area have celebrated their 125th anniversary, let alone Orthodox churches. We are among the oldestranking churches in Northeastern Pennsylvania.” The church saw expansion after the turn of the century. “It got to a point where, in the 1920s, the original church that was built became too small for the congregation,” Sorochka said. “And so they decided to literally pick up the church off its foundation, move it to the street next to it, put it on railroad ties, and they used that church until the new building was finally completed. They just sort of slid it over and it sat for a year and a half.” Church founders realized from the beginning that it was important to have a community building in addition to a house of worship. “The reasoning was ‘we can build a church, and that’s great; however, we can only use it as a church because it’s a house of God.’ So first they built a school where they could not only learn and teach but have social events and still pray in there. The spirit of that building is still in existence today as St. John’s Center across the street from the cathedral.” With a community center and cathedral, St. John’s became a cornerstone of the community. “St. John’s was the center point of Mayfield,
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Members of the 125th anniversary committee, from left, front row: John Uram, Randy Horhutz, Sandy Suey, Susan O’Brien, Matushka Alexandra Sorochka, Rose Fendrock and Alexandra Fedorchak. Second row: V. Rev. John D. Sorochka, Matthew Romanchak, Tanya Sorochka, Ellen Barna and Evie Virbitsy. Third row: John Shust, Michael Pavuk, Pat Suey and Nathaniel Sorochka.
and not just for the Orthodox people,” said Sorochka. “They had the graduations from the local high school, dances, social events. They had music in that building. They had everything in that building. The original building stood until 1967, when it was replaced with the building we have now.” St. John’s 125th anniversary celebration will differ from the previous major milestone. “This year we decided to keep this on a spiritual basis,” Sorochka said. “We’ve invited a number of bishops to be here with us along with clergy. We have a vigil service on Saturday evening beginning at 4 p.m. The main celebration of the liturgical light will begin Sunday at 9 a.m.” Food is a heritage woven into the fabric
of St. John’s and the community at large — famous pierogies and other traditional dishes are renowned. “A common denominator among all people is food — everybody likes to eat,” Sorochka said. “We make an average of 100,000 pierogies per year. The tons of pounds of flour we use just for making bread, and all the other things that go along with it. All the opportunities we have to socialize. The Christmas bazaar has been going on for 25 years and is a big draw.” Bringing people together at the table helps emphasize the church’s role in the community. “The table that is fully laden can be enjoyed by everyone,” he said. “That spirit they have wasn’t just the spirit that lasted for the moment. It lasted 125 years.”