by Peter Hnat
Published October 6, 2025
In October, 2022, I became a permanent resident of The Villages in Florida and began attending services at The Byzantine Catholic Community. It was then I became aware that the Community was working on rebuilding and refurbishing an altar that was originally designed for SS Peter and Paul Byzantine Catholic Church in Elizabeth, New Jersey in 1924.
Approximately 225,000 Rusyns immigrated to the United States between the 1880’s and 1914. They built about 300 churches in America, one of which was SS. Peter and Paul Byzantine Catholic Church in Elizabeth, New Jersey. One of the founders of SS. Peter and Paul were my grandparents Michael Hnat and Anna (Sember) Hnat. The church was founded in 1916 and the building was completed in 1919. In 1924 the parishioners commissioned Paul Dauber, a specialist in Byzantine art to design, build and install a new altar for their church.
In 1955-1956, SS Peter and Paul’s interior was remodeled by Walter Boettcher Studios of New York. It is believed that at this time “The Altar” installed in 1924 was disassembled and transported to St. Thomas the Apostle Byzantine Catholic Church in Rahway, New Jersey and put in one of their storage rooms. It remained there until 2019 when Father Oleksiy Nebesnyk, pastor of St. Anne’s Byzantine Catholic Church in New Port Richey, Florida and Administrator of The Byzantine Catholic Community in The Villages, Florida became aware of its existence. Father Nebesnyk asked Right Reverend Archpriest James G. Hayer, the pastor of St. Thomas if “The Altar” might be available for use at The Byzantine Catholic Community in The Villages.
Father Hayer said yes. The first task was how to transport “The Altar” the 1,110 miles from New Jersey to Florida. This was undertaken by The Knights of Columbus at St. Anne`s under the guidance of Grand Knight Larry Belligiere. The Knights arranged for “The Altar ”, currently in sections, to be shipped to Father Nebesnyk at St Anne’s. Rául Fernández, a member of The Byzantine Community in The Villages obtained “The Altar” from Father and spent the months from August, 2022 to December, 2022 reconstructing and refurbishing it.
As a former altar boy, choir member, CCD teacher and Trustee of SS Peter and Paul Byzantine Catholic Church in Elizabeth, New Jersey, I find it providential that one hundred and six years after my grandparents founded SS Peter and Paul and ninety nine years after “The Altar” was installed, I am worshiping at the same altar at The Byzantine Catholic Community in The Villages, Florida. In addition to being an almost unbelievable set of circumstances, it demonstrates the resilience, tenacity and fortitude of our people. If you think about the dedication of the people who made this happen you have to admire them and believe S’Nami Boh.
