Staff photo / Bob Coupland St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church, 356 S. Belle Vista Ave., welcomed its new pastor, the Rev. John Welch, left, earlier this month while saying goodbye to longtime pastor, the Very Rev. Richard Lambert, who served the church for 23 years. Lambert was recognized at a banquet May 18.

YOUNGSTOWN — Members of St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church, 356 S. Belle Vista Ave., welcomed its new pastor, the Rev. John Welch, earlier this month while saying goodbye to longtime pastor, the Very Rev. Richard Lambert.

Lambert’s last day and Welch’s first day was May 18.

“I was assigned here as a seminarian in 2021. I served here as a deacon in September 2023 until I was ordained to the priesthood on April 7. I was assigned here a few weeks after that,” Welch said.

Welch was ordained by His Eminence William Skurla, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Pittsburgh

The two said it was unique that Welch started on the same day Lambert was retiring.

“I look forward to sharing the word of God with the people of the parish and spreading the gospel message. I look forward to building up the parish,” Welch said.

Welch, whose background is in the business field, said he received a calling to the priesthood late in life in October 2013.

He received a bachelor’s degree in religious studies from Youngstown State University, and then went to St. Cyril and Methodius Byzantine Catholic Seminary in Pittsburgh, earning a master’s degree in theology.

Lambert said he was baptized at the church, and then later returned for 23 years as the pastor, replacing the Rev. John Ycoback. He received his bachelor’s degree from Don Bosco College in Newton, New Jersey, and then to Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He was ordained in 1975.

Lambert said it was a difficult time when Byzantine Catholic Central, the parish school, closed 11 years ago while he was serving as dean of the Byzantine churches of Youngstown. He attended BCC starting in the first grade.

Lambert said he will always have good memories of the people.

He said his advice to Welch is “to carry on but in your own way with the special knowledge that you have.”

The congregation has 300 members.

Lambert said in his 23 years as pastor, the church did some renovations.

He said a big change he has seen in the Byzantine church is there is now married clergy. He said clergy were allowed to be married starting in 2014, but for the 40 years prior, they were not. Welch said in Europe the clergy were always married and the tradition was restored to the Byzantine Catholic Church in Ameica.

“My prayer was always to see married clergy before I retired,” Lambert said.

Welch said he hopes that his business and finance background, which many priests do not have, will help the church when needed.

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