The congregations of two Orthodox churches in the Panther Valley have welcomed a new priest.

And after less than a month serving St. John the Baptist Church in Nesquehoning and St. Nicholas Church in Lansford, the Rev. William Rupp already feels at home.

“I’ve been so thankful,” he said. “Everyone here has been so, so welcoming. It’s been overwhelming.”

Rupp, a native of Erie, arrived a few weeks ago, having last served several Byzantine Catholic parishes and a campus ministry in central Pennsylvania.

He is taking over for the Rev. Joseph Fester, who came out of retirement to help St. John’s and St. Nicholas until a full-time priest was assigned. Fester served as interim pastor for 26 months.

“He will now be ‘retired’ once more,” said Nancy Kerestus, president of the St. John’s board.

Rupp grew up in a family where religion was important.

“My parents have always had a lot of faith,” he said.

And when they would pray, he said, he was always greatly affected.

“It made from a young age that God was very real to me,” he said.

Rupp graduated from Erie Cathedral Preparatory School, and studied environmental science at Gannon University in Erie.

“I was always interested in the outdoors and environmental stuff,” he explained.

But as he was nearing the end of his college career he began to question, “What should I really be doing for the rest of my life?”

“I realized my heart was more in the church,” Rupp said. “At that time I was getting more involved as a Byzantine Catholic and I knew we needed priests at that time — and I wanted to give myself to God.”

Ordained in 2010

He entered the Byzantine Catholic Seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Pittsburgh in 2006 and was ordained in 2010. He would serve his first parishes near Hawk Run in central Pennsylvania, along with a Penn State campus ministry for about six years before returning to the seminary as director of spiritual formation. He assisted with several churches and chapels in the Pittsburgh region.

“After COVID, I decided to go back into parish ministry,” Rupp said.

He led churches in Duquesne; Warren, Ohio, and then returned to the Hawk Run area.

It was around that time that he knew he wanted to serve as an Orthodox priest.

“I have been drawn to the Orthodox church for a while and I finally made the decision to become Orthodox,” he said. “I always felt like Orthodoxy was home.”

The two faiths have a shared history and are very similar, he noted.

“I’ve always been drawn to the spiritual teachers in Orthodoxy,” Rupp said. “They really teach the depths of the spiritual life.”

The Panther Valley assignment is his first as an Orthodox priest.

“Everyone has been very happy that we have been blessed with Father Will,” Kerestus said. “And all have been very welcoming to him and excited for a new chapter in our church.

“(It) was bittersweet saying goodbye to Father Joe (Fester), who was truly a gift we needed at the time. But we are truly excited to see where Father Will can take us as we continue to grow in our faith and in continuing to grow our parish, which has seen new members, families and those returning to Orthodoxy.”

Looking ahead

Christine Priggins, president of the board at St. Nicholas, said the congregation is thankful for Rupp’s arrival.

“We at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church are so very grateful, excited and feel so blessed to have Father Will serving us as a full-time priest,” she said. “We look forward to his ministry in NEPA with us and our sister church in Nesquehoning.”

Rupp is hoping to meet members and see new faces at Sunday services at both churches.

“We’re here for the salvation of others and to bring others to Christ,” he said. “I see that as us sharing the goodness that we have here in the church, which is Christ, and being able to share that with the community.”

He’s hoping his assignment will keep him in the area for as long as it is God’s will.

When he’s not preparing for services or ministering, Rupp enjoys fishing, hiking and walking his rescue dog, Lassie.

On their walks, he’s met neighbors, discovered the Nesquehoning Creek, trekked up a nearby mountain and spotted a senior personal care facility where he plans to share God’s word.

“Everything is right here,” he said. “This is new territory. I love it, though.”