St. Constantine Ukrainian Catholic Church in 62nd Year of Pyrohy Sales
Tuesday, March 15, 2022 at 4:43AMArticle by Becky Fillinger
Have you been looking for some delicious Pyrohy? You can preorder potato or sauerkraut Pyrohy for pick-up on Fridays at the St. Constantine Ukrainian Catholic Church. I had both versions this week and they are amazingly tasty – don’t forget to order the sauteed onions too! We talked to Taras Pidhayny, Parish Treasurer, about the history of this beautiful church and their activities that support the church and the Ukrainian war relief efforts.
Q: Tell us about the history of St. Constantine Ukrainian Catholic Church. What should we know about your church?
A: Ukrainians first settled in Minnesota in 1878. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is the second largest of 24 particular churches which make up the worldwide Catholic Church, with the largest being the Roman Catholic Church. St. Constantine Ukrainian Catholic Church was formed in 1913 by a group of 20 families who had belonged to St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church, who wanted to further identify themselves as Ukrainian and follow the traditions of their homeland. Since 1946, we have only had four pastors.
The current church was erected in 1972 after the original church fell into disrepair, and to allow for the growth of the parish. Currently, St. Constantine’s is home to 167 families, with approximately 345 members in total. Forty one percent of current parishioners were born in Ukraine, with another 25% of parishioners being the first generation born in the United States.
We offer 8:30am daily morning Liturgies in either Ukrainian or English, with occasional evening services. We offer Saturday Vespers and Liturgy in English at 3:30pm. We offer two Liturgies on Sunday (8am – English, 10am – Ukrainian and sung by our choir). St. Constantine’s is home to several church groups, including the League of Mary, the St. Constantine Parish Choir, the Dyvosvit Ukrainian Studies Program for children aged 3-14, and the Pyrohy Volunteers.
Q: How many years has the church made delicious Pryohy for sale? What are the details for ordering this year?
A: St. Constantine’s has been making Pyrohy (Pierogi) as a church fundraiser since October 1960. Now, in our 62nd year, we calculated that we have, conservatively, made over 1.3 million Pyrohy. We sell Pyrohy every Friday from 11am-1pm in our Parish Hall, from late September through mid-May each year. To produce our Pyrohy on Friday, we have to prepare on Wednesday and Thursday of each week. This is a completely volunteer effort and requires approximately 20-30 volunteers to accomplish.
We offer Pyrohy with either potato or sauerkraut fillings. Price per dozen is $11.00. Sides of caramelized onions are $.75 each. We also have frozen borscht available (either beef or vegetarian, selection varies) for $5/12oz. or $6/16oz. Orders can be placed each week by leaving a phone message at 612-378-9833, emailing stconstantineucc@gmail.com, or by ordering on our website at www.stconstantine.org and clicking on the Pyrohy Sale button, or going directly to the online store. Orders should be placed by 5pm Thursday to assure availability.
Pyrohy dough production
Dough ready for filling
Pyrohy production line
Close up of the filling process
Pyrohy sales wouldn't be possible without dedicated volunteers!
Freshly made Pyrohy go into the boiling water
The finished product awaits caramelized onions- yum!
Q: Is the church coordinating relief efforts for the Ukrainian refugees or war effort?
A: In response to the war in Ukraine, St. Constantine’s is accepting financial donations from the public, holding small fundraisers at our Pyrohy Sales and Church Coffee Hours (decorated baskets, headbands, buttons, keychains, etc.), and holding a Ukrainian Easter Bread (Paska) sale on Friday April 8 and Sunday April 10. Proceeds from our fundraisers and donations are being sent to Ukraine for humanitarian efforts via our network of priests in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine and our Archeparchy in Philadelphia. Donations can be made out to St. Constantine Ukrainian Catholic Church and mailed in to 515 University Ave. NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413. We have currently raised approximately $7,500 as a parish and expect to raise more in the weeks to come. For more community information about the war in Ukraine and for other ways to donate, visit www.standwithukrainemn.com.
Q: How may we follow your news?
A: For parish news and updates, the best source is to follow us on Facebook, or request to be put on our e-mail list by sending a message to stconstantineucc@gmail.com.
