The first Ukrainian Orthodox liturgy in Redwater was celebrated by Rev. Ivan Kusey in 1923, after which Rev. Dmytro Seneta tended to the spiritual needs of the fledgling community on an irregular basis. The early services took place in the Narodnyi Dim, or occasionally in the home of Mr. Mykhailo Popil, and helped to stimulate the founding of a congregation.
In March 1925 the Ukrainian Orthodox faithful in the community decided to purchase two acres of land from William Skolney for $25, for a church and cemetery. Then, at a meeting held on December 26, 1926, sixteen members of the congregation committed themselves to financing the construction of a place of worship by signing individual promissory notes for $25. Subsequently, John Lemisko dug a basement for the sanctuary, and logs were dragged from the North Saskatchewan River to a sawmill operated by Mr. Serink to be cut into lumber and taken to the church property. There, volunteers working under the supervision of a Polish carpenter, Frank Sega, who was assisted by John Danko from Ukraine, built a modest cruciform structure with a large central dome. Nick Bodnarchuk was responsible for carving the cross that eventually adorned the church. The exterior of the sanctuary was completed in 1927, after which Rev. Seneta officiated at the first service. A propane furnace originally installed to heat the building was later converted to natural gas.
In 1932 the congregation commissioned the cabinetmaker, Philip Pawliuk, to build a two-tiered iconostasis, tetrapod, main altar and tabernacle. Icons for the church were obtained from Volodmyr Zaluski and the renowned church painter, Peter Lipinski. Among the highlights of the church’s artwork are the depictions over the deacon’s doors, one of which features St. George slaying the dragon, the other, an image of the Archangel Michael casting down a devil with the aid of his fiery sword. A beautiful candle chandelier, donated by Mr. and Mrs. Fred Myroon, illuminated the interior of the brightly painted sanctuary.
In 1936, Redwater became part of the Radway Central Parish along with Egremont and Fedorah, and two years later a manse was built in Radway. Holy Trinity was finally formally blessed during a hierarchal visitation by Archbishop Ioan Theodorich in 1944. Another memorable occasion was the first visit by Metropolitan Ilarion on August 23, 1953, which was advertised as commemorating the thirtieth year of the congregation’s history, obviously in reference to Fr. Kusey’s groundbreaking 1923 liturgy in the community.
In the course of its history, the church has been remodeled several times. Pews and rugs were eventually installed, the windows repaired, and a tiled ceiling covered over the interior of dome (obscuring its icons) so as to conserve energy and reduce heating costs. When the candle chandelier was replaced by an electric one, the former was donated to the Redwater Museum.
The congregation acquired a movie theatre for use as a parish hall, but it burned down one January in the late 1960s or early 1970s. The congregation then built a replacement facility at 4719-48 Avenue (in town on the south side of Highway 38), which they named Deric Hall.
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The Cemetery
Situated adjacent to the church, the first burial was that of William Sadlak in the fall of 1925. Rev. and Dobrodiika Kulish, as well as their son, Rusticovich, are buried in the graveyard.
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GPS Co-ordinates: 53.946575, -113.100594
Affiliation: Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
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