Ukrainian Orthodox community in Chicago, across U.S. to mark church’s centennial

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the United States of America is celebrating its centennial this year, and Chicago is one of the spots where there will be ceremonies.

There’s long been a sizable Ukrainian population in the Chicago region, with Ukrainian Americans belonging to various Eastern Orthodox and Catholic congregations, some in Ukrainian Village on the Near West Side.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the United States has a cathedral in that area called St. Volodymyr, and Archbishop Daniel Zelinsky — who is based in New Jersey and lived in Chicago for years — is expected to visit this fall for a “centennial celebration.”

Zelinsky said there’s been “an influx” of Ukrainians coming to the United States since armed conflict erupted in 2014 between Russia and Ukraine over the Crimea region.

During an Easter service this year in Chicago, Zelinsky estimated that a quarter or so of those in the pews were relatively recent immigrants.

There are an estimated 5,000 members of the church in the Chicago region.

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