St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic School was established in 1921, and today, the tightly interwoven relations between the church, the parish school and youth organizations are still strong. According to records, “the very, very of Ukrainian immigrants, those that first mass for this parish,” she said, “was arrived after 1991 following the colheld in Clifton, on Lakeview Avenue, in lapse of the Soviet Union. Today, more 1910.” After that, events moved quickly than 400 families are registered at St. and the first church building on Van Nicholas, mostly post-war immigrants, Buren St., which is off Hope Ave. in their children and grandchildren, and Passaic was completed in 1911. with each year, the new wave of immiThe parish began to expand in the grants is steadily increasing parish late 1940s with the influx of post-war numbers. Rev. Andriy estimates that immigrants and under the dedicated more than 50 percent of the parishleadership of Rev. Walter Bilynsky. He ioners are Clifton residents. is remembered as a strong leader who Over two generations ago, the served the parish for 34 years. During parish council saw the future of its that time, St. Nick’s acquired several community among its children. Back properties and in 1972, the present in 1921, with more than 500 families church on President St. was completed. registered with the parish, among them Nearly four decades later, a mix of close to 250 school-age children, the The Van Buren St. Church, circa 1950. old and new generation of parishparish council voted to establish St. ioners are investing in their landmark church again. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic School. “Now,” said the pastor, Rev. Andriy Dudkevych, with The tightly interwoven relations between the church, a smile, “the restoration and expansion of the iconograthe parish school, and Ukrainian youth organizations phy throughout the church, is to prepare the church to could be seen on a recent evening at a meeting of parserve the parish for the next 100 years.” Arriving from ents at the Richfield home of Clifton residents Daria continued on page 54 Ukraine in 2003, Rev. Andriy is among the latest wave and Orest Temnycky.
Founder Joseph T. Bizub who in 1923 established Bizub's Funeral Home at 205 Third St. in Passaic. For three generations, our family has proudly served our community. Tim and Toby with their dad Tom.
“As we reflect on the past & consider the future, we hope you find peace & health in the New Year.”
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December 2009 • Clifton Merchant
1313 Van Houten Avenue Clifton, NJ 07013 Phone 973 546-2000 Timothy J. Bizub, Mgr.
515 Lexington Avenue Clifton, NJ 07011 Phone 973 777-4332 Thomas J. Bizub, Mgr.
NJ Lic. No. 4022
NJ Lic. No. 2732