The National Carpatho-Rusyn Society is bringing new life to an old cathedral and invigorating its heritage in the process.
The society is transforming the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist on 10th Avenue in Munhall into the first National Carpatho-Rusyn Cultural Center in the United States.
"It was the first Rusyn cathedral for all United States Rusyns," said John Righetti, national president of the Carpatho-Rusyn Society based in Downtown Pittsburgh.
The building was erected in 1903, but abandoned when St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic parish moved from it in 1993. It was designated a historic landmark by the Pittsburgh History and Landmark Foundation in 1988.
Hanson Design Group, a Pittsburgh based restoration architect, is designing the work. Righetti said the society is studying the scope of the work and estimating costs.
A plan should be in place by the end of this month, said Henry Hanson, president of Hanson Design. "The society is seeking funding to move forward with the design."
Hanson said some of the major work will include restoration of the exterior, installation of a full kitchen and elevator and the addition of an exterior festive terrace for outdoor activities.
"We have been doing smaller modifications ourselves," Righetti said. "Initially, the renovation was estimated at about $300,000, but it will probably be more." He said money for the project will come from a capital campaign, grants and fundraising events. The work will take about two years.
Righetti said the new center will serve as a place where people can learn about Carpatho-Rusyn culture. The small eastern Slavic group never had their own nation but lived in Austria-Hungary until it was divided in 1946. According to Righetti, Carpatho-Rusyns then were scattered throughout southern Poland, western Ukraine, northern Romania, northern Hungary and eastern Slovakia.
There are about 1 million Carpatho-Rusyns living in Europe and about 600,000 in the United States. Righetti said Western Pennsylvania is home to the largest Carpatho-Rusyn settlement in the country, numbering about 60,000.
The cultural center will offer a performance hall, the National Carpatho-Rusyn museum, a gift shop and a cafe serving Carpatho-Rusyn cuisine. It will house a genealogy research center.
"We will also make the space available to other ethnic communities for performances at little cost," Righetti said, adding that space can be rented for small weddings, dinners and conferences.
Righetti said the cultural center will help generate revenue for Munhall and the surrounding areas.
"Aside from the retail development, history of the region and ethnic groups draw tourists who want to learn about steel and the people who make it," Righetti said.
He said Carpatho-Rusyn culture is alive and well in Pittsburgh, noting that the late artist Andy Warhol is one of the most noted Carpatho-Rusyns.
"People in Europe call Pittsburgh the 'other homeland,' " he said.
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