The first Ukrainian Orthodox Liturgy was celebrated in Boyle by Fr. M. Fyk at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in 1940. Afterwards, there was a meal followed by a meeting, where twelve families paid memberships to initiate the process of establishing a congregation under the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada. Records indicate that on 5 August 1942, five-dollar fees were collected from six members, and that another service was held at St. Paul’s on 11 October of the same year.
The next documented liturgy in Boyle was officiated by Fr. H. Wasyliw, taking place at the Anglican Church on 4 March 1945. The stronger than expected turnout was an encouraging sign for the executive, which had remained unchanged from 1940. According to minutes from the special meeting following the service, annual dues were collected from nine members. Carl Shevoley was asked to talk to parishioners at the Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Church, four miles north of Boyle, about joining together to create a single church for the community.
Organized in 1934–1935 by Ukrainian settlers from Volhynia, the congregation had built a modest place of worship by 1936, but its membership had started to decline during the 1940s. However, the overture was apparently rebuffed. The fortunes of the Holy Resurrection church revived somewhat after the war, though some of its adherents eventually joined the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada. Regardless, three more UGOC services were held in Boyle in the course of 1945.
At a meeting held on 8 July of that year the fledgling congregation resolved to acquire Lots 18, 19 and 20 on Block 7 for a church and parish hall. It was around this time that the new parish was officially admitted into the UGOC and received Certificate of Incorporation from the Province of Alberta, thereby formalizing its existence for legal purposes. At the annual meeting after the Divine Liturgy on 30 December, a motion was passed to adopt the Transfiguration of as the Feast Day of the congregation, celebrated on 19 August.
Early in the New Year, a decision was made to revise the name on the ownership of Lot 20, the site chosen for the hall, from the Ukrainian Club of Boyle to the Ukrainian Association—Taras Shevchenko. At another gathering two weeks later, a discussion was held as to whether to use the funds that had already been collected for either a hall or church. It was decided to proceed immediately with the construction of a church. $255 worth of lumber was then purchased in 1946. That summer the two lots were cleared and broken for a cost of $207.50.
A request to harvest some timber from crown land was also submitted to the Government of Alberta. The request was rejected as the quarter section cited had been designated School Land where cutting allowances were not permitted. A foundation was eventually poured after the ground thawed in the spring of 1948. Work on the sanctuary began in earnest under the direction of a building committee. It was noted in the November 1948 minutes that each member was asked to donate six days’ labour to the project. John Humeny made the cross on the dome. Fred Yaremko made the windows. Even Fr. Wasyl Melnychuk helped out, assisting the members in laying the floor.
At a meeting on 27 March 1949. a motion was passed to change the name of the church from that of the Transfiguration to the Holy Trinity. A decision was also made to finish the exterior of the structure, that was surmounted by a single dome over the narthex. On the Feast of the Pentecost (Trinity Sunday), 12 June 1949, the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the partially finished sanctuary. The occasion was made even more joyous as it was followed by the wedding of Joe Radmanovich and Joan Douglas.
That fall, after consultations with their sister congregation in Sarrail, the congregation rented a house in town from S. Nakonechny to provide a temporary accommodation for Fr. W. Melnychuk. Then, at a parish district meeting held in Grassland on 19 February 1950, it was resolved to build a proper manse on the Holy Trinity property in Boyle.
However, at the very same time discussion began about the possibility of locating the parish manse in Lac La Biche instead of Boyle. The issue was subsequently resolved at a district meeting held in Lac La Biche one year later, on 31 August 1952. There, the newly appointed priest, Fr. Peter Zubrytsky, indicated that his feeling was that Lac La Biche was best situated to serve as the base for the parish priest. The fact that water and sewer services were unavailable in Boyle at the time was another factor taken into consideration. A motion was passed to build the parish manse in Lac La Biche.
To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the UGOC, a celebration was held in Boyle on 28 July 1968 with the participation of Archbishop Andrew and visiting priests Reverends Y. Turzansky (Smoky Lake) and A. Chomiak (Edmonton). The Hierarchical Divine Liturgy drew so many worshippers from communities throughout the Lac La Biche district that the church was unable to accommodate everyone. Many people had to listen to the service outside on loudspeakers, but fortunately it was beautiful day, making for a memorable experience.
The service featured the singing of a well-rehearsed choir from Richmond Park under the direction of Fedir Khrusch, who also performed at a concert presented at the anniversary lunch held in a community hall. In addition to speeches by Dr. Steve Yaremchuk and Kost Telechko of Edmonton, and a keynote address by Archbishop Andrew (who gave part of his talk in English), the program also included recitations of poetry and a performance by a dance group led by teacher Eugene Harasymiw of Lac La Biche.
Of course, throughout the history of Holy Trinity, members have donated all of the accessories and furnishings that are customary in an Orthodox church, including icons and banners, candle holders and votive stands. Thus, the plashchantysia, or burial shroud, was purchased by money collected at the funeral of John Humeny. Alice Hutzal donated the chandelier, Jack Swityk, the censer, Jacob Poleshchuk, the church banners, and Peter and Anne Nikipelo the processional cross, candle holders and cross on the service table. It is thanks to generosity of members and supporters of the church over the years, that Holy Trinity continues to be a beacon of Orthodox faith and a testament to the vision and dedication of its founders.
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GPS Co-ordinates: 54.588347, -112.804970
Cemetery GPS: 54.58745, -112.86575
Affiliation: Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
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