When Rev. Dmytro Stratychuk began his missionary work in late March 1920 on behalf of the newly established Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada, Sich-Kolomea became the second Alberta congregation to invite him to celebrate a liturgy in their community. This happy event took place in the modest church that had originally been built as an Independent sanctuary, Rev. Stratychuk having earlier commemorated Palm Sunday at Suchava, south of Andrew.
The re-organization of the Sich-Kolomea congregation Ukrainian Orthodoxy was initiated around the same time at a meeting that drew thirty-two members and which again was held in the home of Timofei Worobets. Significantly, Michael Cherniawsky, a son of Wasyl and Anna's, became a staunch promoter of the UGOC in Sich-Kolomea, as did almost all of the other founders of the Independent congregation years earlier. Although the change in affiliation does not seem to have provoked a major rift within the community, the fact that the original church was destroyed by fire around 1924-1925 may have been attributable to an act of arson by someone who wanted the church to remain in the Independent fold.
Regardless, the first Hierarchical liturgy was celebrated at Sich-Kolomea by Archbishop Ioan Theodorovich on 19 February 1925, after which a meeting was held at the home of Tymofei Worobec to discuss how the congregation could be enlarged. Another service was held in the district on the feast day of Sts. Peter and Paul, at which Rev. Dmytro Seneta officiated.
On 20 January 1926, at the congregation’s annual meeting held in the Worobec home, it was resolved to proceed with the construction of a new church under a building committee comprised of N. Charuk, N. Semotiuk, A. Zaparniuk, S. Gregory and M. Cherniawsky. The latter and F. Kostash were delegated to visit The Nativity of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church in nearby Chipman, which had been built in 1916 by Joseph (Jarema) Janishewski of Edmonton, as the congregation was thinking of hiring him as their contractor.
In the meantime, a suitable site was to be chosen for the new sanctuary by 31 January, when the next meeting was scheduled to take place, and everyone was urged to participate in the building of the church. At the gathering held on the last day of January, the 32 members in attendance adopted a formal constitution for their now officially Orthodox congregation, “Pursuant to the Religious Societies Lands Act.” Of particular note in the document is the following implied reference to the Autocephalous Church in Soviet Ukraine: “The said Congregation belongs to the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of and is in communion with [the] Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of or in Canada which is under the supervision of the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Bishop or who may hereafter or from time to time be appointed by the Kiev-Ukrainian Archbishop Metropolitan or Patriarch for the Territory in which the said Congregation is situated and shall be under the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Bishop appointed as aforesaid.” Obviously, Sich-Kolomea members were anticipating the possibility that one day their church might become a constituent part of the Mother Church in an independent Ukraine. The constitution also indicated that the church was to be registered in the name of “The Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of the Vozneseniia at Royal Park in the Province of Alberta, Canada.”
Next, on 1 February 1926, the congregation signed a contract with Joseph Janishewski (who in 1915 had also attended the “First Ruthenian Presbyterian Convention” in Vegreville) to construct a church a mile east and half a mile south of the original Cherniawsky homestead. The sanctuary was to cost $7,500, and it was to be completed by 31 July of that year.
This new sanctuary was then blessed by Archbishop Ioan Theodorovich at a service held on Saturday 4 September 1926, the feast day of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. Also participating were Fr. Dmytro Seneta, assisted by Reverends Ivan. Kusey and Timothy Horbay. According to a brief account of the event in the newspaper, Nash postup, the dedication of the church was attended by approximately one thousand people from the surrounding countryside. Afterwards there was a lunch provided at the large parish hall beside the church, where guests were addressed by speakers and entertained by singing. Archbishop Theodorovich subsequently visited the church again on 7 July the following year.
It is worth noting that until 1928, when a congregation was organized in Vegreville, supporters of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church living in town belonged to the Sich-Kolomea congregation. However, even after St. Vladimir’s Church was constructed in Vegreville in the early thirties, some of its members continued to frequently attend services at St. Mary’s because of family connections to the Kolomea district or because they simply enjoyed the experience of worshipping in a country church. An integral part of the Vegreville parish district, Sich-Kolomea has nevertheless retained a distinct identity that is rooted in the congregation’s unique beginnings.
In 1937, the executive of St. Mary’s church reported having a total of twelve registered members, undoubtedly comprised of families. Two years later the figure given had grown to 22, after which the numbers remained fairly stable throughout the 1940s into the early 1950s – reaching a high of 38 members in 1951 before deaths, assimilation and rural depopulation gradually began to take their toll. During the same period, 12 to 15 services were celebrated annually at Sich-Kolomea. In 1954 the congregation was comprised of 24 members, and an apologetic note to the Consistory in response to a fundraising drive revealed: “We cannot send a larger sum. The issue is that the older people are going to town, the young people are indifferent. Very few are going to church; those who give for caroling for the Consistory then don’t want to give to the church, saying they have already given. And so what are we to do? I am writing the absolute truth to you so that you don’t think that I am attacking the Consistory. With respect, sec[retary] T. Todoriv.” (Letter dated 20 November 1954.)
Despite difficulties and dwindling numbers, a dedicated core of Orthodox believers continued to regularly worship at St. Mary’s Church. By 1968 the congregation had been reduced to 18 members, but the following year they were able to rejoice when one of their own, Stephan Semotiuk, completed theological studies at St. Andrew’s College. At the request of the congregation, his consecration into the priesthood took place in his home church on 13 July 1969 with Archbishop Andrew (Metiuk) officiating and his proud family looking on.
With the passing of time, and because of the congregation’s limited financial and volunteer resources, the Dormition of the Virgin Mary church inevitably began to show its age. A new generation of committed members then took it upon themselves to ensure the preservation of the sanctuary, first by getting it officially designated as a Registered Historic Resource of the Province of Alberta in 2001. A major, cross-Canada fundraising campaign followed, after which A.W. Slemko Builders of Edmonton began restoration work on St. Mary’s in the fall of 2002. Not only was the church re-shingled and repainted in its original colour scheme, but many windows also needed to be rebuilt or replaced and each of the five crosses on the domes had to be removed to be properly restored. Today, the church is both a functional place of worship, and a monument to the dedication and hard work of the pioneers of Sich-Kolomea congregation as well as their descendants.
One of the unusual features of St. Mary’s Church is that the congregation never got around to installing an iconostasis, undoubtedly because of the great expense that such an undertaking would involve. Now that the sanctuary has been recognized as a landmark of historical significance, this distinctive “quirk” for an Orthodox church will henceforth have to remain unchanged.
Play Memory Eternal Chant
GPS Co-ordinates: 53.629311, -112.188451
Cemetery Co-ordinates: 53.634326, -112.212720
Affiliation: Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
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