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The first Ukrainians settled in the Athabasca area beginning in 1912. However, organizational activity only started after World War One, when the major influx of Ukrainian settlers took place. Fr. W. Seneshen started visiting the community in at the end of the 1940s, giving impetus to the founding of a congregation. His liturgies were celebrated in a log chapel that had served as the first place of worship for Athabasca’s Anglican faithful. Finally, on 24 June 1951 an inaugural meeting was held after a church service. Members present contributed six dollars each toward an honorarium for the priest and the rental of the chapel.

An executive was then elected to provide leadership to the fledgling congregation (meeting at the homes of various supporters). A $1.50 fee was established for membership. On 1 November 1951 the new parish resolved at a special meeting to look for land on which to construct a church. The following month a building fund was initiated. A volunteer donation of $5.00 was requested from each family member. It was at a meeting in February 1952 that the members of the congregation unanimously agreed to adopt the name “Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of St. Peter and Paul.”

At a similar gathering in July 1952 a motion was passed that the congregation purchase three adjoining lots from the Town of Athabasca. These were subsequently leveled in preparation for construction. At this time, the parish was comprised of 23 families and 17 individual members. In February 1953 the executive started acquiring construction materials for the project. Henry Koffler was contracted to build a basement for a labor cost of $609.50. That same year, the congregation formally requested affiliation with the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada, whose statutes were accepted and passed unanimously by the membership.

Work on finishing the basement progressed in 1954, and by 1 August it was used for the first wedding, that of Olia Kowalchuk and Peter Marchuk. Congregational activity developed slowly over these years. The basement was utilized as a place of worship for more than a decade. In January 1957 it was requested of the Consistory that St. Peter and Paul church be served by the priest at Lac La Biche, since such an arrangement would be far more convenient. However, as this was denied, Athabasca continued to receive its pastoral care from clergy assigned from Westlock. Consequently, the congregation pledged $1200 towards the construction of a manse in Westlock in 1957, raising this sum through installment payments over the next two years. At this time, membership consisted of fifteen families, with 35 paid members.

Twelve liturgies were celebrated by the Athabasca faithful in 1958. That same year they donated $125 toward the building fund of Holy Trinity Church in nearby Richmond Park. Two years later, it was reported that 16 families (or 53 people in total, counting adults and children) were formal members of the church, with another seven families being described as sympathizers.

At the urging of Fr. H. Udod, the congregation started to move toward completing the upper part of the church. In February 1961 Walter Gasiorek won the tender to frame a proper Orthodox sanctuary for $900. Work began in the spring, and upon completing the exterior, Gasiorek was awarded an additional contract worth $400 for labour toward the construction of the church domes and preliminary work on the interior. In all, three domes were placed over the sanctuary, two small ones over towers flanking the main façade, and a larger one above the entryway. To save money, volunteers assisted with the process of finishing the church. Gradually over the next five years the sanctuary was completed in stages.

Meanwhile, at the 20 December 1961 annual general meeting the members once again petitioned the Consistory to include Athabasca in the Lac La Biche parish district. This time their request was eventually granted after extensive discussions concerning the fulfillment of the congregation’s outstanding financial obligations to the Westlock district. Subsequently, in June 1962, Walter Gasiorek completed construction of the front stairs, after which the first coat of stucco was applied to the outside walls. The final coat was applied two years later.

In 1969 the Athabasca congregation was incorporated under the Societies Act. In October 1971 they received their documentation under the Religious Societies Lands Act. At the 12 July 1975 Khram, St. Peter and Paul Church was formally consecrated during a visitation by Archbishop Andrew and Fr. A. Shcherban. The well-attended occasion also marked Fr. Kubin’s last Athabasca service before being reassigned to the Smoky Lake Parish District.

Together with Athabasca’s Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church, the St. Peter and Paul congregation also marked the Ukrainian Canadian Centennial by helping to finance a memorial cairn at the site of the Immigration Hall. The marker was unveiled and blessed on 14 June 1992 by Fr. S. Soroka and Fr. D. Bodnar from the Ukrainian Catholic Church, after which an ecumenical prayer service was held at the community centre. Over 500 people attended these celebrations, the highlights of the day’s program including a dinner and concert. Continuing with their flurry of activity, in September 1992 the members of the church commissioned Marvin Dzenkiw for the sum of $800 to write icons of the twelve apostles for the ikonostas, a job that he successfully completed in March 1993. New front doors were installed in the church the same year, and Nina Rys donated a beautiful new chalice. Other improvements were also made at this time, as part of the on-going process of maintaining the sanctuary and hall. The total number of paid members in 1994 was 38, consisting of 13 families and 12 individuals.

In 1995 the congregation joined forces with Ukrainian Catholic Church and other local denominations to erect a cairn and cross at the Town of Athabasca Cemetery—an undertaking that was spearheaded by St. Peter and Paul member, Alex Krawec. The monument was formally dedicated at a ceremony on 11 June 1995. At the same time, the tetrapod was painted and trimmed with gold, and a mortared brick sign was put up to identify the church.

By 1996 the paid membership had declined to 27, a figure that subsequently shrank further to 22 by 1999. As was happening in most other rural communities, families were getting smaller and long-time supporters were either dying or moving to other communities in retirement. However, this did not prevent the congregation from continuing with their efforts to fully furnish and finish their church. Thus as the nineties drew to a close more money was raised in donations and grants toward various smaller projects. These included the acquisition of processional icon stands, the construction of an Oblation table, and the addition of four extra pews in the sanctuary. 

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GPS Co-ordinates: 54.721180, -113.273174
Affiliation: Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada

  

Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Athabasca, AB

 
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The Noral area began to be settled by Ukrainians in 1933-1934. Soon the community realized that it needed to have a graveyard. In December 1937, a meeting was held of area residents. A Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Cemetery Corporation was established with 18 members. Each contributed 5 cents towards the acquisition of a suitable parcel of land. Nick Koshman was elected president, and George Gordey, secretary. In July 1938, a 1.6-acre parcel of land (264’ x 264’) was donated by Mrs. Annie Krumpic for this purpose. An amount of $39.15 was raised to start the cemetery from among 35 farming families in the district. Most of these families subsequently became founding members of what was officially designated as Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Mission of St. Mary the Protectress.

The following year, this congregation applied to register their cemetery with the Department of Lands and Mines. It was discovered that it needed to be affiliated with a legally recognized church. Finally, at a meeting held on 5 December 1938, the congregation voted to adopt the charter and bylaws of the UGOC. The parish was officially granted admission in March of the following year. Legal title to the cemetery property was then issued by the government.

On 4-5 August 1939 the community was visited by the head of the Consistory, Fr. Semen Sawchuk, along with Ivan Danylchuk of the Ukrainian Self-Reliance League. A Divine Liturgy was held on Saturday morning (probably celebrated at the local school), after which there was a lunch with Mr. Danylchuk as the guest speaker. On the previous evening, Fr. Sawchuk had addressed the members of the congregation on Ukrainian community matters. Before leaving, he conducted a catechism class and baptized a child.

In notes taken during this visit, Fr. Sawchuk observed that the countryside was wooded and hilly but cheerful looking. He also described the congregation as being comprised of just ten families. He commented that in the district there were a couple of people with communist views. He likewise noted that the cemetery was almost entirely covered by bush. The congregation lacked money and time it would be cleared in the winter. Fr. H. Wasyliw was to come to Noral on the Feast Day of the Elevation of the Holy Cross (14 September), when the burial ground would be blessed by him. It is likely that occasional services were held in the Noral area even before this time at the Noral school, which had been built in 1934.

In October 1939 the congregation discovered that the first burials had been mistakenly made outside the legal cemetery. They consequently took steps to acquire an additional 0.40 acres next to the designated property. Their request was granted in August 1940, bringing the total area of the congregation’s holdings to two acres. At the 26 June 1941 annual meeting, the congregation had $2.45 in cash on hand. It was decided to charge $5 for the burial of non-members and to deposit the money in a Treasury Branch once it reached $10. It was also resolved to build a small place of worship on the cemetery property. This was to be made of logs, measure 14’ x 18’, and have a mudded and whitewashed interior. The grounds around the church were at same time to be ploughed and seeded with grass.

Following a Divine Liturgy celebrated in Noral on 11 September 1944, Fr. H. Wasyliw baptized a total of 9 children. The service was once again held at the local school, as the log church was still under construction. At a meeting on 20 January of the following year, 11 members donated the lumber for the church ceiling. It was resolved to pay 50 cents an hour for the labour to install it. Those who could not afford to pay the $5 annual membership fee, could work off this amount by helping with the construction or cemetery maintenance. The completed sanctuary, which had the appearance of a pioneer cabin, was then blessed at a Divine Liturgy on 19 August 1945, followed by a congregational dinner.

By 1955 it was becoming obvious that the congregation was outgrowing their little church, prompting discussions as to whether it should be enlarged or replaced with a new one. Reflecting the changing times, a new constitution was developed, a membership fees were increased to $2 per family.

Finally, at a meeting held in March 1957, it was decided to build a new sanctuary. At this time the congregation consisted of seventeen members, but only four of these were reported to have paid their dues in full. That same year, 6 services were celebrated at St. Mary’s, a number that increased to 8 in 1958. In preparation for the erection of a new church, building materials began to be assembled and the women of the parish took on the challenge of raising money to pay for construction costs. Interestingly, in November 1958 the congregation also wrote to the Consistory asking if it was possible to change the patron of the church from St. Mary the Protectress to St. John the Baptist, whose feast day is commemorated on 7 July. Henceforth, throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, the correspondence was addressed to the church as St. John’s, though around 1992 the name seems to have reverted back again to St. Mary’s.

Be that as it may, because of the centralization of rural school districts that was taking place in the 1950s, the Noral school building—which had been used by congregation for services in the early years—suddenly became available. Rather than build a new church, it was instead decided to acquire the school and adapt it for use as a place of worship. Moved in 1959 onto the church property, the first service held in the new sanctuary was the funeral of Eli Cherniwchan.

By 1990 the services at the church had been reduced to the Khram and Provody. Non-members were being charged $300 for burial plots. Around the time, the congregation once again revived the use of St. Mary the Protectress as the official name of their church.

In 1994 Noral reported having 2 families and 2 individuals as members, and the following year memberships were raised to $20 per family. Escalating insurance rates and maintenance costs were becoming a major factor to contend with, placing an even greater burden on the very limited pool of volunteer labour. Despite the many daunting challenges facing them, the small but loyal membership of St. Mary the Protectress has remained committed to keeping up its church, its cemetery, and Ukrainian Orthodox traditions. 

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GPS Co-ordinates: 54.617176, -112.424069
Cemetery Co-ordinates: 54.617192, -112.424790
Affiliation: Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada

  

St. Mary Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Norel, AB

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The Lac La Biche area was originally visited by Ukrainian Orthodox priests in the early 1930s, among them Fr. Semen Sawchuk in August of 1939. A few services were also held in Lac La Biche itself during the 1940s at the local Anglican Church. It was rented for the sum of $8 to host a Divine Liturgy celebrated by Fr. H. Wasyliw on 2 September 1951. It was then that the idea of building a church in town probably first took root.

A major role in mobilizing the Lac La Biche Orthodox community was played by the establishment of a branch of the Ukrainian Women’s Association on the initiative of Alice Gordichuk (who was originally from Willingdon) on 13 October 1951. On 2 March of the following year, the loosely constituted congregation elected a founding executive comprised of William Gordichuk, Fred Warawa, and Eli Tkachuk. Subsequently they began recruiting additional members to join the fledgling parish, formed originally by ten families.

These early efforts received a significant boost with the assignment of Fr. Petro Zubrytsky to serve north central Alberta in the 1952. It was decided that he would make his home in Lac La Biche, while also tending the parishes of Craigend, Boyle, Noral, Sarrail and Wandering River. Although initially it was planned to make Boyle the pastoral base for the region, at a meeting held in Lac La Biche on 3 August 1952, a resolution was passed in favour of the latter because it was better situated and unlike Boyle had a water system. A house on two acres of land was then acquired for use as a manse for $1900. Three years later it was decided to sell the house because it was poorly insulated and expensive to maintain. A second, more appropriate house was purchased afterwards by the Lac La Biche Parish District that had been created in 1952. It was used as the manse until 1986.

In 1954 Fr. Zubrytsky celebrated 11 services at the Lac La Biche Anglican Church. The congregation did not yet have its own place of worship, even though a committee had been struck in March of the previous year to find a suitable and affordable lot for a sanctuary. A piece of land was finally purchased in early 1955 for $1,200 from a man named T. Cummings. A sod-turning ceremony took place at the site on 9 June. Construction work began soon after with the excavation of a full basement. Meanwhile, at a meeting held on 7 April the congregation voted to become incorporated under the charter of the UGOC. It was officially granted admission three weeks later. The congregation registered itself as being dedicated to St. Andrew, whose feast day is commemorated on 13 December.          

Fr. Zubrytsky was able to celebrate the first liturgy in the partially built church in late November of 1955. It was used again for a funeral on 2 December. Fir veneer, poplar plywood, and sky-blue paint for the ceiling were then purchased in February 1957 to finish the interior and choir loft. By the following year St. Andrew’s church was essentially completed inside and out. By this time, the congregation was celebrating monthly liturgies and consisted of some 20 families, but only a dozen of these actually paid memberships.         

The furnished and decorated church was then consecrated by Archbishop Andrew at a hierarchical Divine Liturgy celebrated on 9 June 1963. This was exactly eight years from the day of the sod-turning ceremony. Four priests took part in the service, along with St. John’s Cathedral choir from Edmonton. Lunch and a program followed at the old Town Hall. By then, the church had adopted a new name, as earlier that year, on 2 January, the congregation voted to ask that Metropolitan Ilarion allow the church to be rededicated as All Saints.       

Over time All Saints, along with most other rural congregations, were beginning to experience the effects of an aging and declining membership. Also, there was a concomitant reduction in those who were fluent in the Ukrainian language. In 1994, All Saints reported having a total of 27 members, comprised of 11 families and 5 individuals. By this time, only the Women’s Association maintained an active existence, though the faithful members of the congregation continued to support and look after their place of worship.

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GPS Co-ordinates: 54.771215,-111.981675
Affiliation: Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada

  

All Saints Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Lac La Biche, AB