Erie church looks for larger home as Ukrainian refugees fill pews on Sundays

This article is part of a recurring series that updates the status of properties of interest in the Erie area. Have a suggestion? Email jmartin@timesnews.com.

Grace Slavic Pentecostal Church has been growing along with the number of Ukrainian refugees now making their home in Erie.

A year ago, that growth prompted the Slavic-speaking congregation to move worship services into The Summit, a space owned by Erie First Assembly at 8160 Oliver Road in Summit Township.

Now, the growing crowds at Slavic Pentecostal worship are prompting another move.

Church plans to expand

The church, based at 5865 Carriage Hill Drive, has agreed to buy 13.7 acres from Penn State Behrend that had been part of the former St. John Kanty Preparatory School property on East 38th Street.

The parties have agreed to a sale price of $320,000, according to a statement from Penn State Behrend, which bought the land in 2009 with a plan to build athletic and intramural fields there.

Behrend spokesman Robb Frederick said the sale of the property, contained in two parcels, was approved recently by the Penn State Board of Trustees. The church has agreed to raze two vacant buildings that are on those properties, he said.

"These parcels are being sold because the properties no longer align with Behrend’s strategic plan," Frederick said in an email. "The Slavic Pentecostal Church has a vision for the property that will put the land to good use."

That plan calls for renovating an existing building on the site for use as a new church for a congregation that's seen a substantial increase in attendance as the Ukrainian population in Erie continues to grow.

More than 6 million Ukrainians have sought refuge worldwide since Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022.

"The plan is to move to a larger facility," said Gennadiy Bogdanets, head pastor of the church. "It will be a lot of work, but that is our goal. That is our plan to rebuild the entire structure and make it a church."

The need has been growing, he said, explaining that a growing number of Ukrainian refugees prompted his congregation to move its worship service a year ago.

His church hopes sometime soon to have a larger building of its own.

"Our plan is to have a place that we can gather and suits our needs a lot better," he said. "Our current location is not enough on Sunday."

Kanty Prep's past

Meanwhile, Behrend, which acquired land in the area around the former Kanty Prep, will continue to own about 100 acres in that area.

More: Penn State plans 14.1% funding cuts for campuses. What will that mean to Behrend?

Kanty Prep, a Catholic school for boys, was founded in 1912 and graduated its last class in 1980. Over the years, a total of 2,234 students were enrolled at the school, according to the website Kantyalumni.com.

In the years after it closed, the building, owned by an independent company, was used for student housing. For a time after that, the former school building housed Gateway Rehabilitation Center, which treated drug- and alcohol-addicted prisoners.

More: Some of the 100,000 Ukrainian evacuees expected to settle in Erie. Here's what we know

According to Kantyalumni.com, the main three-story building was bulldozed in 2010.

Contact Jim Martin at jmartin@timesnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Slavic Pentecostal Church to buy property from Penn State Behrend