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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
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