Two Parishes, One Pastor in Erie County
On a quiet block in Erie and along a residential street in Girard, two Byzantine Catholic parishes share a single pastor and a single Sunday rhythm. Sts Peter & Paul Byzantine Catholic Church stands at 3415 Wallace Street in Erie, and Sts Cyril & Methodius Byzantine Catholic Church is just a short drive west at 1022 Tilden Avenue in Girard. Together they form one faith community serving the Byzantine Catholic faithful of Erie County, Pennsylvania, under the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh.
The Liturgical Week
The two churches alternate as the gathering place for the Sunday Divine Liturgy. On Saturday evening, Sts Peter & Paul in Erie hosts the Liturgy at 5:30 pm, with confessions heard beforehand from 4:45 to 5:15 pm. Sunday morning begins at Sts Cyril & Methodius in Girard at 8:30 am, with confessions from 7:45 to 8:15 am. The Sunday cycle closes with a third Liturgy at 11:00 am back in Erie at Sts Peter & Paul. Each week a bulletin is prepared for the Erie parish and a separate one for the Girard parish, both shared with the wider community.
Byzantine Catholic Worship
The Byzantine Catholic tradition uses the liturgical rite of the Eastern Christian churches while remaining in full communion with Rome. The Divine Liturgy is celebrated with sung responses, iconography, incense, and the use of leavened bread for Holy Communion. The two parishes keep the Eastern Christian calendar, observing the Great Fast, Pascha, the Feast of Sts. Peter & Paul, the Dormition of the Theotokos, and the other great feasts of the Byzantine year. Visitors will find a worship style that is at once ancient, deeply liturgical, and warmly congregational.
Christian Formation and Religious Education
Religious education is offered for the children of both parishes through an Eastern Christian Formation (ECF) program. The shared curriculum draws on the Byzantine Catholic catechism and connects young people to the wider life of the Church. Adults can explore the faith through parish teaching on the Byzantine Catholic tradition, which walks through the six distinct rites in communion with Rome, the 23 Eastern Catholic churches worldwide, the Holy Mysteries, and the prayers of the Byzantine tradition.
Christian Cupboard and Fellowship
Outreach to the wider community is a regular part of parish life. Each month the parishes collect a specific item for the Christian Cupboard food pantry. Parishioners also gather for a Sunday Fellowship Dinner, and announcements are shared in the bulletins. A Parish Cookbook gathers favorite recipes from the two communities, while photo galleries and a virtual tour of Sts Cyril & Methodius keep the memories of baptisms, feast days, and visits from Metropolitan clergy within reach.
Staying Connected
For those who cannot attend in person, the parish livestreams its liturgies and keeps an archive of past streams online. The community is also part of a wider network of Byzantine Catholic parishes whose own liturgies are streamed, including the Byzantine Cathedral of St. Johns, St. Michael's in Hermitage, St. John Chrysostom in Pittsburgh, and St. Elias in Munhall. Eastern Catholic Radio and the God With Us Online publication extend Byzantine Catholic programming beyond northwestern Pennsylvania.
Parishioners and friends can reach the parish office at eriecountybyzantines@verizon.net, follow updates on Facebook at facebook.com/eriebyzantines, and call Sts Peter & Paul at (814) 825-8140 or Sts Cyril & Methodius at (814) 774-3281.