Homesteaders who settled in the vicinity of Chipman in the late 19th century began organizing their religious life in 1901–1902. Seven years later a church was built two miles east of the present-day village and dedicated to the Nativity of The Virgin Mary. However, a division subsequently developed within the congregation, with some of the faithful wanting to be affiliated with the Ukrainian Catholic Church, and others wanting to be under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1915, reinforced by support from ten Orthodox families living closer to Chipman, the latter group obtained legal title to St. Mary’s. The Catholic followers withdrew and constructed their own place of worship.
The Orthodox believers continued using the original sanctuary until it was destroyed by fire in 1923. Steps were then immediately taken to erect a new church in the village itself, a task that was completed two years later. This sanctuary was an impressive structure, with a particularly beautiful interior, and was consecrated under the patronage of St. John the Baptist to honour the three members of the building committee who shared the name John.
Tragically, this imposing three-domed edifice was also consumed by fire in 1963. The parishioners commissioned a design for another sanctuary, and the present church was constructed in 1965. This rectangular structure is crowned with a large central dome that is open to the interior and four cupolas that are mounted over the corners. An iconostasis of carved wood, imported from Greece, was installed and blessed in 1976.
See HERE for more information and a detailed history of this parish.
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GPS Co-ordinates: 53.696124, -112.633236
Affiliation: Patriarchial Parishes of Russian Orthodox Church in Canada
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