St. Nicholas Parish

The congregation of St. Nicholas was founded 1919 in Nanty Glo, under the leadership of Father John Dorohovich. Members were very happy to officially receive their charter on April 26, 1921. Services were held in a wooden structure located at the site of the present church hall. In 1943 the church was damaged by fire just one year after an interior renovation had been completed. It took almost twelve years to satisfy the financial demands resulting from the damage. St. Nicholas parish family was ready to break ground for a new church building. It was a very happy year for the parishioners in 1956 - the laying of the cornerstone occurred on June 24, and finally, the church was dedicated on October 28. The parish family flourished under the guidance of the young clergy assigned. In 1970 they responded to the Second Vatican Council's call to strengthen the spiritual heritage and identity of the Eastern Church with a renovation project. A hand-carved icon screen and new icons were installed. The large stainless steel cross atop the belfry was replaced by a 28-foot dome of gold anodized aluminum and a new cross in March 1972. In 1974 a new social hall was constructed at the site of the first church and was dedicated at a feast day dinner-dance on December 8. Completion of the new hall did not end the construction work at St. Nicholas. In 1976 the pastor and a group of parishioners formed their own construction crew and remodeled the basement of the church into three classrooms to use in the religious education program. An Altar and Rosary Society, organized in the 1940s, continues to this day. The Society provides additional financial aid to the parish by conducting various fundraising activities. Final payment of the mortgage for renovation to the church and construction of the new social hall was marked by a mortgage-burning ceremony on June 12, 1983. In 1989 the church's 70th Anniversary was marked with the blessing of two new major icons behind the altar.