St. Mary of the Nativity Ukrainian Orthodox Parish in New Britain (Connecticut)

St. Mary of the Nativity Ukrainian Orthodox Parish (formally the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God) in New Britain, Connecticut, is an esteemed historic sanctuary in Hartford County and one of the oldest foundational parishes of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA (Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople) in New England. Situated at 54 Winter Street in New Britain’s historic industrial heartland, the parish has provided continuous pastoral care, cultural preservation, and civic leadership for more than 115 years (1910–present).

Immigrant Roots in the “Hardware City” (1910–Present)

Known nationwide during the Industrial Revolution as the “Hardware City” due to its bustling manufacturing plants (including Stanley Works and Corbin Locks), New Britain attracted large waves of European immigrant laborers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Ukrainian immigrants—primarily from the western regions of Galicia, Bukovyna, and Transcarpathia—settled in New Britain through chain migration, seeking to rebuild their religious culture amidst grueling manufacturing shifts.

Initially, Western Ukrainian settlers worshiped alongside Polish neighbors at Sacred Heart Church, and later with Hungarian co-religionists at Holy Trinity Church on Beaver Street. In 1910, the community united to establish an independent house of worship, purchasing property and building their permanent temple at 54 Winter Street under the heavenly patronage of the Nativity of the Mother of God.

Over the course of more than eleven decades, St. Mary Parish served as the spiritual sanctuary for multiple generations of Ukrainian Americans, guiding them through the Great Depression, celebrating the service of dozens of young parishioners in the armed forces during World War II, and integrating post-war political refugees who arrived after 1945.

Sacred Architecture and Stained-Glass Heritage

The parish temple on Winter Street features classic early-twentieth-century American-Ukrainian ecclesiastical architecture:

• The Parish Portal and Tryzub: The formal entrance to the church complex is framed by classic white portico columns supporting a pediment emblazoned with a hand-carved, gilded and painted Ukrainian national Trident (Tryzub) against a field of sky blue.
• Monumental Sanctuary Stained Glass: The apse and high side walls are illuminated by historic arched stained-glass windows, most notably the colossal pictorial window of the Resurrected Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, casting rich amber and emerald light across the altar.
• The Traditional Iconostas: The sanctuary is separated from the nave by a multi-tiered wooden iconostas adorned with hand-painted icons of the Festal Cycle, the Twelve Apostles, and the Mother of God.
• Pew Embroideries and Processional Khoruhvy: Hand-stitched Ukrainian ritual cloths (rushnyky) and hand-painted silk processional banners (khoruhvy) flank the center aisle, honoring generations of parish craftswomen.

The Centennial Jubilee: 100 Years of Grace

In September 2010, the parish celebrated its historic Centennial Jubilee (1910–2010) under the biblical theme: “He who trusts in the Lord will prosper.” His Beatitude Metropolitan Constantine and His Grace Bishop Daniel presided over the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, joined by priests of the New England Deanery and hundreds of parishioners and civic leaders.

Organized by pastor Very Reverend Father Andrii Pokotylo and Protodeacon Anthony Szwez, the centennial was celebrated with liturgical services, memorial panakhydas honoring deceased founders, and a banquet celebrating 100 years of unbroken spiritual presence in Connecticut.

Parish Life, Cultural Fellowship, and Support for Ukraine

St. Mary Parish maintains an active social calendar, hosting parish picnics, church school catechism, and traditional Ukrainian Easter bread (paska) and pierogi sales. Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Father Andrii Pokotylo and the parish family mobilized comprehensive humanitarian drives, collecting and forwarding medical supplies, surgical tools, and financial contributions to aid wounded Ukrainian soldiers and displaced families.

Chronological Milestones of St. Mary Parish

Parish Information & Contacts