Parma Cathedral Returns To Its Roots In Tremont
Clergy and parishioners of St. Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral, State Road in Parma, gather on Saturday, September 21, 2024 for a visit to their original Church building in Cleveland.
The year 2024 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of St. Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral on State Road in Parma, Ohio. Originally, the parish was located in the Tremont section of Cleveland near the steel mills, where the early Ukrainian immigrants settled at the end of the 19th century.
They built their first church on West 11th Street. In 1924, the basement was built and Liturgies were served there until parishioners were able to complete the upper portion in 1932. Seeing an exodus from Cleveland in 1950s, the parish purchased land in Parma. In 1957, the old Parma City Hall was purchased for $11.00, moved two miles and placed on the new church property at the corner of State Road and Marioncliff Drive. From 1957 until 1967, this building served as a chapel for the 8:30 a.m. Liturgy and the 10:30 a.m. Liturgy continued to be held in the Cleveland church.
In the 1960s, many more Ukrainians began moving to the suburbs – south to Parma. It was then decided that construction should begin on a new, larger church and a cultural center in Parma. The chapel was converted into classrooms for Ukrainian and Sunday school and a new rectory was built.
With the move to the newly completed church building, the original church was then sold to a Spanish Protestant church which later was sold it to Olympic Forest Products to be converted as its corporate headquarters. Since the City of Cleveland considered the building a historical landmark there were stringent requirements for remodeling it to an office building. The offices set up throughout the church, basement and rectory have clear glass dividing the rooms in order to maintain its appearance as a church when it served the spiritual needs of the parishioners. The remodeling cost six million dollars.
As part of the centennial celebration, the parish clergy contacted the new owners to see if a tour of the current facilities could be arranged. They responded very warmly and it was decided that they would host the event. Saturday, September 21st was selected to be the “Solemn Day of Remembrance.” At 10:00 a.m. on a beautiful, sunny day, 150 people gathered in front of the church building for a memorial service for the departed pastors, their wives, founders and all deceased parishioners.
Mr. Daniel Andrews, President of Olympic Forest Products, which hosted Saturday’s “Solemn Day of Remembrance,” addressed the gathering. He invited all the participants to view the interior of the former church, as well as to enjoy the refreshments that they had prepared for everyone. The clergy presented Mr. Andrews with an Icon of Christ, a Certificate of Appreciation and a Ukrainian flag to be hung in the former church. A number of the participants then walked the short distance to visit the Ukrainian Museum-Archive building on Kenilworth Avenue.