Photographs | Churches
T
he origins of St. Demetrious congregation can be traced back to the early years of the Great Depression. On 11 May 1931, some 35 Ukrainians (originally from Galicia and Bukovyna) who had pioneered the area in 1928 assembled at the home of John and Jennie Palamaruk to discuss the need to establish a cemetery. Every time an Orthodox Ukrainian died in the community it was necessary to obtain permission from local French Catholic residents to use their graveyard for the interment.
At this inaugural meeting, John Palarmaruk Fred Warawa and John Salahub were chosen to obtain land for a cemetery. Some $45 was collected in donations for this purpose. Afterwards, a two-acre property was (adjacent to the French cemetery) was acquired from Narcisse L. Mouille for use as a burial ground. However, in the process of registering the cemetery with the provincial government, the organizers realized that they wanted to have it affiliated with the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada. Thus, they turned to the Consistory to obtain the necessary documentation, that in turn led to their formal establishment as a congregation.
At a gathering held on 15 January 1933, it was decided to form a congregation named the “Ukrainian Greek Orthodox of Craigend, Alberta,” with the original purchasers of the land being designated as the trustees for the cemetery and the congregation. So as to arrange for the legal transfer of the property from the three individual purchasers to the trustees, in April 1933 a letter was written to the Consistory in Winnipeg asking for admission into the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada. Following an exchange of correspondence explaining the requirements for acceptance, a meeting finally took place at the Craigend home of John Salahub on 4 February 1934. The twelve members in attendance voted to accept all of the Statutes of the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada. Eight days later, on 12 February, the new congregation was formally admitted into the UGOC.
Meanwhile, on occasion the Ukrainian Orthodox faithful of Craigend had to turn for pastoral care to other priests who were available to them in their isolated settlement. Thus, on 10 May 1933, a number of families travelled by horse and wagon to the Venice district, southwest of Lac La Biche, to have their children baptized by the nearest cleric, Fr. Ivan Wachiuk of the Russian Orthodox Church. This situation led to some concerns about the threat of Russian influence in the community. In April 1934 this prompted a member to write the Consistory requesting that a priest be sent to Craigend for services several times a year even if the congregation found it hard to pay for them.
It appears that Fr. Ivan Mayba subsequently came to celebrate a Divine Liturgy at Craigend school on the Sunday following Pentecost. Afterwards he blessed the land that had been acquired for the cemetery. He held another service at the same school on 24 February of the following year. It was around this time that supporters of the congregation apparently decided to build a small chapel on their property, so that it could be utilized in the event of a funeral.
However, just as they were about to embark on this project, they determined that it made more sense to direct their energies toward erecting a modest church. Since money were hard to come by in these difficult first years, volunteers cleared the land and prepared the site. Efforts were made to raise funds by means of bazaars, dances, picnics, teas and other activities – the women often playing a critical role in organizing and hosting these events.
In the spring of 1936, the congregation requested a timber permit from the Provincial Department of Lands and Mines. After harvesting 6,000 ft. of wood on crown land at SW 2-65-13 W4, they immediately set about building a church. Volunteers cleared the site and provided most of the labour, assisted by carpenters who were hired with the available finances. By the fall of 1936 the sanctuary was finally ready to blessed. Fr. H. Wasyliw celebrated the first service in the simple country church in early November. It was dedicated in honour of St. Demetrious.
Because of Craigend’s remote location and limited means, it was often difficult for the congregation to bring in clergy to serve in their community. Thus, in 1937, responsibility for the church was passed from Fr. Wasyliw in Smoky Lake, to Fr. Hykawy, who was based in Willingdon. After coming to a financial understanding with the latter, the parish arranged for a Divine Liturgy on 4 July. They sent a member with horses to the train station in Lac La Biche to fetch him in time for the service. When Fr. Hykawy failed to appear as expected, the faithful of St. Demetrious were understandably upset. It was a 16-mile trip into town and some worshippers had even come to Craigend from as far away as Noral, 25 miles distant.
It was later explained that Fr. Hykawy had to attend a clergy conference in Saskatoon around the same time (and that other personal factors might also have been involved). Poor communications obviously played a role in contributing to the misunderstanding. Interestingly, an analogous situation occurred just two years later, when Fr. Sawchenko paid a visit to the parish as the head of the Consistory. When he showed up in Lac La Biche, he discovered that no one had come to meet him. The letter giving the details of his travelling plans was only received following his arrival.
Regardless, after being conveyed by wagon to Craigend, he celebrated a Divine Liturgy at St. Demetrious Church on 2 August, the Feast Day of the Prophet Illia. He then held a second service the following day at the home of Ivan Salahub. In notes that he made during this trip, Fr. Sawchenko reported that he found the congregation in somewhat fractious state. He attributed this to a low level of enlightenment on the part of some its members. He also noted that the church was small and finished only on the exterior, though the property and cemetery were well kept and enclosed with a fence.
The challenges of providing services to Craigend were illustrated by yet another incident that happened in 1940. When Fr. Wasyliw didn’t make it to a liturgy that he had agreed to perform and thereby again disappointed the expectant congregation. This time, it was heavy rains that proved to be the culprit. The roads were still being quite primitive and therefore unreliable in bad weather. Needless to say, the remoteness of Craigend, along with some of the other settlements in the Athabasca and Lac La Biche regions, continued to complicate efforts to deliver regular pastoral care not only during the 1930s, but well into the 1940s.
Nonetheless, the situation of the parish slowly improved. St. Demetrious congregation gradually worked to furnish and adorn their place of worship. They also built a community hall in 1946. In 1950, the parish reported having 12 members. Only two liturgies were celebrated in the community during the course of the year due to a critical shortage of priests.
In 1954 the congregation excitedly prepared for a visitation by Metropolitian Ilarion. He was going to consecrate the church and bless the cemetery at a hierarchical Divine Liturgy to be celebrated on 15 August. Unfortunately, Metropolitan Ilarion fell ill and was unable to attend, but a service was held with Frs. Kowalishen and Hrycyna concelebrating with Fr. Zubrytsky, accompanied by the church choir from Richmond Park. During the course of this year, a total of 11 services were held at Craigend.
Despite many hardships, the members of St. Demetrious persevered in their efforts. In 1959 they enlarged their church with the addition of a sanctuary. A major renovation of the interior took place in 1959, when new flooring and panelling were installed by volunteers. In 1964 Craigend reported having 8 members. They obviously remained committed to maintaining their place of worship despite their small numbers.
In 1986, the church structure and exterior were the primary focus of improvements. This saw a new foundation, new windows, cedar shingling and fresh siding that significantly upgraded the sanctuary’s weatherproofing and appearance. A monumental cross was built beside the church in 1991. The porch was renovated in 1997, and in 1998 a new altar was crafted for St. Demetrious—all of this work being performed by members. Clearly, the self-reliant spirit of the pioneers continues to live on with today’s generation of Craigend church members.
Play Memory Eternal Chant
GPS Co-ordinates: 54.594211, -111.921945
Affiliation: Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
Financial support generously provided by: 