Diocese: Diocese of New York and New Jersey
Deanery: New York City Deanery
Address
70-29 45th Ave
Woodside, New York 11377
Mailing address:
69-52 44th Ave
Woodside, NY 11377
Website: stjohnwoodside.org
Parish Contacts
Lay Leadership
Directions
From Brooklyn
Take Brooklyn Queens Expressway (Rt 278) EAST across the Kosciusko Bridge. DO NOT get on Long Island Expressway. Get off at Exit 36B (65th Pl). Turn left at the traffic light, on to 65th Pl, stay in the right hand lane. Turn right onto Queens Blvd, making sure to go into the center express lane. Go down Queens Blvd, across 69th St. Turn left onto 45th Ave. Church will be on the left.
From Manhattan
Take the Queensborough/59th St Bridge to Queens Blvd. Proceed down Queens Blvd; when the road expands to a center express lane, get on it. Keep going until you cross 69th St, then turn left onto 45th Ave. Church will be on the left.
From George Washington Bridge / Cross Bronx Expressway
Take the Cross Bronx Expressway (Rt 95 north) and go right on Exit 6A (Rt 678 - Whitestone Bridge). Follow signs to the Whitestone Bridge and cross it. Stay on Rt 678 (Whitestone Expressway) and as you approach Citi Field, exit right to the Grand Central Parkway. Go on the GCP past LaGuardia airport and exit right to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (Rt 278). Take the BQE to exit 40 (Broadway-Roosevelt Ave). DO NOT TURN at the exit—go straight across Broadway on to 69th St. Cross Roosevelt Ave (you will see the elevated subway) and go across 41st Ave and Woodside Ave. Turn left on 44th Ave (just before Queens Blvd) and go up to 72nd St. Turn rght on to 72nd St, go one block, and turn right on 45th Ave. Church will be one block down hill, on the right.
From Long Island
Take 495 (Long Island Expressway) west to exit 19 (Queens Blvd). Turn right onto Queens Blvd, stay in the right-hand, local traffic lanes. Take Queens Blvd to 70th St (1st traffic light after going under overpass), make a VERY SHARP right hand turn onto 45th Ave. Church will be on the left.
By #7 Subway
Take #7 train to 69th St/Fisk Station. Walk down 69th St past 41st Ave and Woodside Ave. As you walk down hill turn left at Queens Blvd and go up 45th Ave.
By E, F, or R Subway lines
Take Jamaica-bound trains to Roosevelt Ave Station. Cross Roosevelt Ave and go up 73rd St to Woodside Ave. Walk over one block to 72nd St, and turn left. Take 72nd St to 45th Ave and turn right. Church will be one block down hill, on the right.
By Long Island Railroad
Get off at 61st St Station. Walk up Woodside Ave to 69th St, turn right. As you walk down hill on 69th St, turn left on to Queens Blvd. Go up 45th Ave.
by Q 60 Bus
Stops at 70th St going both directions, on both sides of Queens Blvd.
Schedule of Services
All are welcome to join us in worship and prayer, which are conducted in English.
Sunday Morning:
10:00 AM Divine Liturgy
Confessions are heard on the first Sunday of the month, a half hour before Divine Liturgy, or by appointment.
Mornings of Great Feasts:
10:00 AM Divine Liturgy
For a complete list of upcoming services, please visit the Monthly Bulletin on the parish website.
Parish Background
The parish of St John Chrysostom Orthodox Church began in September 1958, rather informally by necessity, to fulfill the needs of a community of Orthodox families who wished to hear the Divine Services served in the principal language of the country in which they lived and to teach their children about the Orthodox Faith.
For the first four years, the parish’s first priest, Fr Joseph Kreta, celebrated services in the homes of parishioners, in a rented storefront on Roosevelt Ave and in the old church builing belonging to St Paul’s Episcopal Church in Woodside, through the kindness of their pastor, the Rev. Daniel C Brown.
During this period there was a long and painful search, both for a site on which to build a permanent church building and for the funding to purchase property, once a suitable location was found, for the parish was not firmly enough established to be eligible for a mortgage. God smiled, however, and two bankers from Maspeth Savings and Loan Association approved a mortgage, and construction began at the present site, a generous piece of property extending from 45th Ave back to 44th Ave and easily visible from Queens Blvd.
The Ground-breaking ceremony was held outdoors on May 15, 1960, officiated by His Eminence Metropolitan Andrei of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, and the present church building was blessed by His Eminence Archbishop Ireney on May 20, 1962. Buildings adjoining the church property were purchased, one to serve as the present church hall and the others to be demolished, making room for the present parking lot. A home was purchased across 69th St to become the rectory. In 1980, to mark the parish’s 25th Anniversary, renovations were begun on the interior of the church. In the 1990s the old rectory was sold and the proceeds were used to construct a three-story rectory on 44th Ave. In 1996, a new Altar table was consecrated by Archbishop Peter of New York and New Jersey.
In 1972, after serving the parish with love for forteen years, Fr Joseph Kreta was called to serve the Diocese of Alaska, and Fr Gregory Havrilak was installed, right out of St Tikhon’s Seminary, as Acting Rector on July 30, 1972 and as Rector in 1975. Fr Gregory served for twenty years, but was called in 1993 to be Director of Communications at the Chancery in Syosset, NY. After this point, the parish was blessed with a succession of very fine spiritual guides—Fr Raymond Courtney, Fr George Konyev, Fr Jacob Piruta and Fr Michael Zahirsky—until our present Rector, Fr Daniel Degyansky, came to us from St Nicholas Church in Whitestone, NY in September, 1997.
