The New Church is Under Construction! 

Visit the St. John UCC site for more information.

Parish and Ukrainian Community Continues Growth 
Today, nearly 480 persons worship at St. John; 300 have joined the Parish since 1996. Growth continues to be constrained as the present 50 year-old Church is too small to accommodate all those who wish to participate in the Divine Liturgy.

The surrounding Ukrainian Community continues to grow and expand, as evidenced by the fact that an additional 600 persons participate in other Ukrainian organizations based in Morris County. The new cultural center is urgently needed to support multiple Ukrainian organizations and groups such as the Saturday language and heritage school, youth and adult religious educational programs, scouting and other youth organizations, dance and music education, senior citizen activities, sports programs, and in general to offer a meeting space for all Ukrainian groups and organizations.

Land Purchase Complete 
In May of 2002, the Parish purchased a 7-plus acre parcel of land on North Jefferson Road, approximately 1/2 mile from our present Parish location. The land was purchased with a combination of Parish savings and a $250,000 mortgage from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. In October of 2003, Metropolitan Archbishop Stefan Soroka graciously forgave the remaining mortgage debt as a sign of his support for the project, and as a validation of our vision for the community.

Present Church Property "For Sale" 
Our present Church property has been placed on the market with an asking price of $1,800,000. Multiple offers have been received for the property. The Building Committee is negotiating with multiple buyers, and is expected to announce the sale of the property shortly.

Site Design Complete and Township Approvals Obtained 
A knowledgeable team of experts was assembled by the Building Committee to prepare Site Design Plans. These Plans are needed to obtain Local, County and State agency permits and approvals. The completed Site Plans were submitted to Hanover Township in the summer of 2003, and in November of the same year, the project received "FINAL" site plan approval from Hanover Township. This approval was a major step forward for our project as it paved the way for Construction Package development.

Construction Packages Near Completion
Our project Architect, along with our team of experts, continue to forge ahead with completion of all design construction drawings and permit applications. The Building Committee has targeted construction package release in May of 2004 for construction bid, and expects a construction contract to be awarded by the summer of 2004.

Construction Scheduled Announced 
The construction phase of the project is expected to take approximately one year. Assuming that project fundraising and mortgage financing targets are met, and all required permits and approvals are received, construction will begin in the summer of 2004. The project completion date, along with certificate of occupancy approval, has been targeted for August 2005.

Project Description 
Our project may be new to some of you, so allow us this opportunity to introduce you to our plans, and to what we truly believe will become the focal point of the Ukrainian Community in northern New Jersey and surrounding areas.

Mr. Taras Dobusz of Bridgewater, New Jersey was selected as the Project Architect. He has designed and built a number of Ukrainian Churches and brings an understanding of our culture and tradition to the project design.

The Church and Bell Tower Design 


Mr. Dobusz has created a unique and original design for our Church, which is intended to be the focal point on the property. Many who have seen the proposed Church design have expressed their admiration of the creative design. His Excellency, Metropolitan Archbishop Stefan Soroka, called the Church design "stunning".

The design is a contemporary representation of a traditional style of Ukrainian Church. But unlike most that are of wood construction, our plans call for a stucco/stone exterior facade, with more conventional roofing materials. Almost every aspect of the design holds a symbolic religious significance. Five gold domes, or "bani" as they are called in Ukrainian, will ornament the roof of the Church. The center, larger and taller "banya" is symbolic of Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior. The four surrounding bani are symbolic of the four evangelists who recorded the life and teachings of Jesus Christ (St. John, St. Luke, St. Mark and St. Mathew).

The Church design includes many windows that will flood the interior with natural light from all directions. Four triangular windows, one on each side of the Church, along with a row of windows below the main dome or "banya" are key visual architectural features. As you enter the Church, you will experience a sense of spiritual uplifting as your eyes follow the vaulted ceiling to the under side of the main banya, where heaven and earth meet, and where there will be an icon of God, the Ruler of the Universe, the "Pantocrator".

To one side of the Church we plan to construct a Bell Tower. Mr. Dobusz has presented a unique Bell Tower design concept that includes a gazebo and many significant elements from our existing Church. The stained glass windows donated by founding families of our Parish will be included in the Bell Tower design, along with our existing Church banya and bell which will be mounted above the gazebo structure. By including these elements in the design, we have a visual and spiritual link with our founding families as well as with our present Parish.

Church Interior Design

Mr. Dobusz, relying on his experience in designing Churches as well as the suggestions of our Pastor and Building Committee, has created a Church interior that will be traditional in spiritual presentation, while practical and functional at the same time.

Site Plan 



The new property on North Jefferson Road is just over seven aces in size. Much planning and consideration has gone into the location and positioning of the new buildings and parking. Our goal has been, and will continue to be, to incorporate the design of the new facilities in a way that will minimize the impact to the property's natural landscape. We want the design to blend comfortably into our neighboring environment and community.

As you enter the property off North Jefferson Road, the Church will be the most prominent visual structure. The Church has been positioned to satisfy two critical requirements. The first is to conform to liturgical traditions that require the Altar to face true East. The second is to allow the most pleasing and impressive visual architectural presentation of the Church from the street to our neighbors and community.

Cultural Center 



The Cultural Center is the most challenging undertaking of the entire project. It is an opportunity for our Ukrainian Community to establish a true home for continuing education as well as for the preservation and manifestation of our Ukrainian culture and heritage.

The facility is needed to support many Ukrainian organizations, groups and activities including Saturday morning language and heritage classes, youth and adult religious education, youth organizations and scouting groups, dancing groups and music programs, senior citizen programs, youth sports club activities, etc. The center is intended to provide a meeting place for all Ukrainian groups and organizations in the community.

Our goal is to create a facility that will be inclusive and available to all who share in our vision for the Ukrainian community. We plan to create a nurturing, open environment for the continuation of our spiritual and cultural heritage, a place to which you and your family will be drawn and return regularly.

Cultural Center Charter Established 
It became clear early in the project development that no single entity within the Ukrainian Community would be able to sponsor and construct a major Cultural Center. In order for the Cultural Center to become a reality, a new and unprecedented approach was required. The Parish, with the blessing of his Excellency Metropolitan Archbishop Stefan Soroka, agreed to act as the catalyst in establishing a partnership with the Ukrainian Community. In June of 2003, the Building Committee formally issued the Ukrainian Cultural Center "Charter". The Charter established a mechanism to unite the Ukrainian community in this cause, allow participation while protecting the rights of all who join, and to share equally the benefits and responsibilities that such a major undertaking presents.