Sisters of St. Basil the Great
500 West Main Street
Box 878
Uniontown, PA 15401-0878
Tel.: (724) 439 4940, (724) 439 2522
Fax: (724) 438 8660
osbmolph@verizon.net
www.sistersofstbasil.org
History
The history of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Province in Uniontown, PA, USA began on January 19,
1921 the feast of Theophany also known as the Baptism
of Christ in the Jordan (Julian calendar). That day,
Mother Macrina Melnychuk, Mother Macrina Marie Hardi
and Sister Euphemia Kurylas arrived in Cleveland, Ohio
from Philadelphia, PA. They answered the call of the
Apostolic Administrator, Very Rev. Gabriel Martyak,
to begin a branch of the Basilian Order that would serve
the Ruthenian people. The Lord blessed them within a
few months with five candidates.
Before reaching its present location
at Uniontown, PA in 1931, the community made two other
moves. First they moved to Elmhurst and then to Factoryville,
both in Pennsylvania. The search for a permanent monastery,
necessitated by growth in membership, was found in Uniontown.
Initially Sisters cared for orphans, and
later engaged in teaching, especially in parochial schools.
In 1933, Sisters began the annual Pilgrimage in honor
of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Up to the present day,
this event brings thousands of people to Uniontown each
year. They seek spiritual refreshment, reconciliation,
new life and healing in the Lord.
Ministries
The Sisters of St. Basil respond in
sensitivity and service to the needs of the Church and
of the people of the times, particularly those of the
Byzantine Church. Their apostolates encompass prayer
ministry, education, communications, cultural and heritage
studies, translation and publication of liturgical books,
religious education and organizational work, iconography
and fine arts, health related services, retreat work,
social and pastoral ministry, paralegal services, and
ecclesiastical arts and sewing. Sisters also serve in
the Byzantine Catholic Chanceries of the Archeparchy
of Pittsburgh, Eparchy of Parma and Van Nuys.
Mt.
Macrina House of Prayer
Since many people realize the need
to withdraw from their hectic everyday schedules, the
House of Prayer offers the ideal place to relax and
rest quietly with themselves and the Lord. Persons seeking
to open themselves to God through prayer, reflection
and solitude are invited to experience this in the quiet
and beauty of the House and the spacious grounds. The
staff conducts retreats and provides hospitality and
opportunity for personal spiritual guidance. Programs
are designed to meet the needs of an individual or group.
Groups may also provide their own program and director.
Another Way
Another Way is a recovery home, designed
to meet the special needs of women in recovery, particularly
from chemical dependency. The peaceful and nurturing
atmosphere of the home at Mount Macrina, 530 W. Main
Street in Uniontown, serves as the home for this new
collaborative outreach ministry.
Ecclesiastical
Arts and Vestment Sewing
Sisters create beautiful, ornate garments and liturgical
linens, which enhance the beauty of Byzantine Catholic
Church services.
Education
Sisters of the Province are on staff
at two parish schools. They also serve parishes in pastoral
and catechetical ministries. Sisters also teach Adult
Literacy and English as a Second Language classes at
the Motherhouse.
Iconography
and Fine Arts
In addition to writing icons as a
ministry and by commission, Sister iconographers also
give presentations and conduct demonstrations and workshops
on this ancient and prayerful art form. Visitors are
welcome at the Icon Shop, located on the grounds of
Mt. Macrina, Uniontown.
Mt.
Macrina Cemetery and Holy resurrection Mausoleum
Calvary Cemetery at Mt. Macrina was
established in 1939. This ministry to the bereaved continues
to develop and grow with the addition of the Holy Resurrection
Mausoleum, blessed and dedicated in the spring of 2000.
Mt.
Macrina Manor
Mt. Macrina Manor provides skilled
and intermediate levels of nursing care for the elderly
and infirm in a newly renovated facility that features
a national award winning, state-of-the-art Alzheimer
Unit and Hospice Care Unit. This holistic approach to
caring includes clinic, rehabilitation and support services
such as respite care, physical, occupational and speech
therapies, and pastoral care.
Pilgrimage
The annual Pilgrimage in Honor
of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a special ministry
of the Province providing for the diverse spiritual
needs of the many pilgrims who frequent this major
event in the life of the Byzantine Catholic Church.
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Religious
Gift and Card Shop
The Sisters offer a number of
religious articles, booklets, prayer books, religious
greeting and remembrance enrollment card, and
other items with a particular focus on the tradition
of Byzantine spirituality, available also in different
languages. |
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