Fr. Joseph Shary 1956-1982rnrnA native of New Jersey, Fr. Joseph Shary, the founder of St. Joseph the Betrothed parish was born in 1927, a descendent of first-wave Ukrainian immigrants. Immediately after being ordained to the Holy Priesthood in 1950 at the cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Philladelphia, Fr. Shary came to Chicago to help build the rapidly expanding Ukrainian Catholic community. Following his establishment of St. Joseph parish, Fr. Shary went on to found at least three more parishes, that of St. Josaphat in Munster, Indiana, the Immaculate Conception in Palatine, Illinois, and St. John in Detroit. Fr. Shary spent a majority of his priestly life at St. Joseph, however, and was the primary catalyst for the building of the new church building. Fr. Shary fell asleep in the Lord in September of 1989 while pastor of St. John’s parish in Detroit. He was buried at his family’s cemetery plot in Elizabeth, New Jersey.