St. Mary’s was founded as a Ukrainian Catholic Parish in 1900–1 and its first church was erected about two miles east of Chipman seven years later. In 1915, a split developed in the congregation, with several members deciding that they wanted to join the Russo-Orthodox Church. Based on a legal precedent set ten years earlier, the proponents of Orthodoxy were allowed to continue holding their services in the original church. Those who were committed to remaining Ukrainian Catholic constructed the present St. Mary’s, in a three-domed Byzantine style, in 1916. The iconostasis was built in 1922 by Phillip Pawliuk of Lamont, and was painted in 1928 by Peter Lipinski, who also adorned the interior with a wealth of religious pictures and traditional borders.
Highlights of his work include the imitation cut stone on the walls, the decorative borders, the angels on the ceiling of the main dome and the oil paintings with integrated painted frames on canvas glued directly to the walls. Wasyl Eleniak, one of the first Ukrainian settlers to arrive in Canada in 1891, was a founding member of this congregation and is buried in the cemetery beside the church.
See HERE for more information on Peter Lipinski.
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GPS Co-ordinates: 53.696048, -112.639213
Cemetery Co-ordinates: 53.695380, -112.638311
Affiliation: Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton
St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church – Chipman, AB
The church is also known in the community as St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church. The first Ukrainians came to the locality from the district of Yaroslav, Halychyna, in the early 1900’s. The first services were celebrated by Fr. Matthew Hura, OSBM, in 1907. The first church was built in 1912. Later the community grew stronger, so the old church was dismantled. The building material was used to build the new church in 1938 (cost $6,000.00).
The building committee members were A. Pidhirnyi, V. Sereda, B. Manchak and I. Sikora. The new church was built by Nykyfor and Ivan Kozak, supported by the parishioners. On the side of the church, you find a tall brick structure, the bell tower. There were about 30 founding families with 200 children; in 1953 there were 40 families, and in 1968 28 families. The church is approximately 55 km. from Edmonton. The Gregorian calendar has been in use from 1945.
The parish cemetery is 400 m. from the church.
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GPS Co-ordinates: 53.293806, -113.926991
Cemetery Co-ordinates: 53.293947, -113.925510
Affiliation: Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton
Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church – Calmar, AB
Click or tap on the church name below to see a photo or video, short history, cemetery links and more information on each parish.
2. Ukrainian Catholic Churches (UCC) in Alberta, Canada
2.1 Angle Lake – Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (St. Mary's) Ukrainian Catholic Church NEW
2.2 Bonnyville – Descent of the Holy Spirit Ukrainian Catholic Church NEW
2.3 Borschiw – St. John the Baptish Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.4 Buchach – St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church NEW
2.5 Calmar – Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.6 Carvel – St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church NEW
2.7 Cherhill – Holy Eucharist Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.8 Chipman – Nativity of the Mother of God (St. Mary’s) Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.9 Craigend – Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
2.10 Darling – Descent of the Holy Spirit Ukrainian Catholic Church NEW
2.11 Delph – Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.12 Derwent – Descent of the Holy Spirit Ukrainian Catholic Church NEW
2.13 Downing – Exaltation of the Holy Cross Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.14 Eldorena – Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.15 Elk Point – Holy Eucharist Ukrainian Catholic Church NEW
2.16 Fedorah – Ascension of our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.17 Frains – Holy Eucharist Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.18 Holden – Descent of the Holy Spirit Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.19 Holden (Farms) – Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.20 Innisfree – St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church NEW
2.21 Kopernick – Ascension of our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.22 Krakow – Protection of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.23 Leeshore – Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.24 Limestone Lake – St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.25 Manly – St. George Ukrainian Catholic Church NEW
2.27 Myrnam – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.28 New Pine Creek – St. Anthony of Kyiv Ukrainian Catholic Church NEW
2.29 Prosterity – Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.30 Radway – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.31 Skaro – Exaltation of the Holy Cross Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.32 Smoky Lake (North) – St. Paraskevia Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.33 Smoky Lake (Town) – Sts. Volodymyr and Olga Ukrainian Catholic Church NEW
2.34 Spas Moskalyk – Transfiguration of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.35 St. Michael – St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.36 St. Paul – Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church NEW
2.37 Star-Peno – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.38 Stry – Holy Eucharist Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.39 Thorsby – St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.40 Tudor – St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.41 Waskatenau – Descent of the Holy Spirit Ukrainian Catholic Church
2.42 Waugh – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church
CREDITS: We thank and acknowledge the Ukrainian Eparchy of Edmonton for providing us with the descriptions and histories of the Alberta Ukrainian Catholic parishes.
Church affiliations and links
UOC = Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
OCA = Orthodox Church of America
UCC = Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton
RGO = Patriarchial Parishes of Russian Orthodox Church in Canada
ROC = Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada
RCC = Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton
