The origin of St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church can be traced to St. Mary's (Assumption) Byzantine Catholic Church which is at Beach and Cedar streets in Hazleton, PA.

    Founded in 1889, St. Mary's served the spiritual needs of those who began migrating in 1880 from the Carpathian Mountains of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After World War 1, the area became part of Czechoslovakia. 

    St. Mary's was offically incorporated on May 6, 1891. An increase in the number of immigrants and families from other areas swelled the church's ranks. Church officals realized that a second parish was needed. During a special meeting in July 1893, officals agreed to undertake a new churchunder the patronage of St. John the Baptist.

    Property was purchased at 553 Arthur Street and the church was constructed and opened later that year. In July of 1894, the church purchased three bells and cemetery lots from the Diamond Coal & Land Company.

    The Rev. Cyril Gulovich was the church's first administrator and its first resident pastor, the Rev. Victor Martyak, arrived in 1894.

    Parish records indicate that the first baptism was in January 1894 and the first marriage happened a month later.

    In 1897, the church was destroyed by fire. A Russian icon screen that spanned from floor to ceiling was destroyed.

    A rebuilt church, which cost $4,500 was blessed in 1898.

    The Rev. Victor Martyak returned to Hungry in August of 1900 and was succeeded by the Rev. John Halyko. Under Rev. Halyko's tenure, the church built a rectory.

    The Rev. Nicholas Martyak served next. Due to an increase in attendance, the church was lengthened 25 feet. Stained glass windows were installed soon thereafter. The church purchased more cemetery lots in 1915.

    The church built a school and auditorium on North Wyoming Street between Spring and Fern Streets. The cost of the project was $120,00 and was completed in 1932. The Sisters of St. Basil the Great were assigned to teaching duties. A convent was constructed on additional Wyoming Street land in 1933.

    Due to continuous growth, assistant pastors were sent to assisted Rev. Martyak. The church also established a Rosary Society, Solality of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Holy Name Society, League of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Alter Society.

    The Rev. Martyak died in 1954 after 47 years of service.

    The Rev. Joseph Jackanich assumed pastoral duties in March 1954. Born in Beaver Meadows, Father Jackanich received his seminary training in Presov, Austria Hungary. There he met and married his wife before his ordination to the priesthood. He spent several years in Youngstown, Ohio before his assignment to St. John’s.

    He initiated several renovations that were needed to the rectory, church and school. Having an eye to the future, he began to raise and save funds for a new church and rectory.  The wooden church was by then more than 60 years old and was crowded with the large flock he needed to tend. After many years a new location was found as purchased in 1971 at the present location of the church on East 20th Street. Plans and specifications for the new church were drawn up in April of 1973. The following year, on July 7, 1974 the new church and rectory were dedicated by the Most Reverend Michael Dudick.

    During his tenure, Father Jackanich celebrated his fiftieth jubilee in God’s service and in 1971 was elevated to the rank of Monsignor. He retired from active ministry on June 17, 1981 after 27 years as pastor and administrator. In order to honor Monsignor Jackanich for may years of dedicated ministry, he received the title of “Pastor Emeritus” from Bishop Dudick.

    The great immigration of our people began in the 1880’s from the area of the Carpathian Mountains in Eastern Europe. Over the centuries the domination of this land had changes many times due to the fortunes of war so that the native people could never claim to be of any one particular nationality. In the 1880’s Ausria-Hungary held claim to the land, so many of our people coming to America came bearing Austro-Hungarian passports. Today the term Carpatho-Ruthenian signifies both the geographic location of our ancestors homeland (the Carpathian Mountain region) as well as their national tie to Medevial Kievian Rus’, an association which lasted until the mid-eleventh century. It is from the Kievian Rus’ that they adopted their name: Rusiny (“Rusi Syny -The sons of Rus’).

    Since the turn of the last century, with the ending of the first world war in 1919, the jurisdiction over the region has changed many times. After World War 1, many areas were incorporated into the country of Czechoslovakia. Following World War II, boundaries shifted and the ancestoral lands were divided again between the Czechoslovak Republic, the Ukraine and parts of Poland. So it is understandable why our people find it so difficult to identify with any one country in particular as their ancestoral homeland.

    Depending on who the dominate country held sway over the lands, the people were identified by various names. Rusins was their original Slavic name, Rusnakes, Uhro-Rusins (indicating they were subjects of the Hungarian crown), Carpatho-Russians (while under Russian domination) and Carpatho-Ukraianians (designating those areas located in the Ukraine).

    No matter their origin, the ancestors of our founding fathers came from a people who, through the centuries, had been oppressed by various conquerers. Originally, they were a simple people who were farmers who lived in a land of plenty. They were not warlike, and only migrated only when conditions became crowded or impractical. The Slavs were founded as a distinctive group within the great Moravian empire in the seventh century.

    In the year 846, the first neighboring peoples to conquer the Slavs were the Franks (Germans). After the Slavs freed themselves from their oppressors, they turned to Constantinople, not only as an ally to protect them from the Franks, but also to send them missionaries to enlighten them and bring them Christianity.

    In response to their quest, the emperor sent the brothers, Cyril and Methodius to the Slavs. Cyril gave the Slavs an alphabet to express the Slavonic sounds and translated the Holy Scripture and the services into the native tongue. Through the translation of the Greek liturgy, the mystery and awe of the Greek culture captured their hearts. In the year 863, the Slavic people embraced this Byzantine rite as well as the Cyrillic alphabet, which is known today as “Old Slavonic” the traditional language of the Slavic people.

    After their conversion to Christianity, our Rusin forefathers continued farming the land and growing in faith and love of God. Eventually the area of Podkarpatska Rus came to be called Sub-Carpathian Ruthenia, and became part of the Hungarian empire. In the nineteenth century, this became part of the Austria-Hungary empire. It was during this time that our forefathers were considered serfs by the fuedalistic lords and baron of the ruling class, and were illtreated and subjected to many indignities. Famine as well as much unrest within the government made the Slavs more anxious to seek freedom and self-determination.

    And so it was from the background and oppression that our forefathers put their faith and hope in God’s protection and set forth for this new land
– America.