Photographs | Churches
The origins of congregational activity in the Thorhild area can be traced as far back as 1931 to missionary activity in the Tudor district. However, as was increasingly the case in much of rural Alberta, the focus of church activity gradually shifted over time from the countryside to the nearest town. This was Thorhild, the county seat and the leading commercial centre in the region.
Eventually, a meeting involving sixteen representatives of local families was held at the home of Anna and Evsey Kovalenko on 18 March 1945 to discuss establishing a full-fledged congregation. Until that time, the Ukrainian Orthodox faithful in the Thorhild community would worship at St. John’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church near Egremont, or occasionally hosted services in family homes, the Tudor Narodnyi Dim north of Thorhild, or in the Thorhild School.
Early pastoral care was provided by Reverends T. Horbay and E. Olendy. They would arrive in Thorhild by train and would then be transported to the place of worship by horse and buggy, sleigh, or a Model T. Ford. In this way, the seeds were sown for the initiation of congregational life in Thorhild.
Although the Ukrainian Orthodox residents of the Tudor district had previously obtained land for a cemetery and constructed a Narodnyi Dim, they decided to forgo building a church in the countryside. Instead, they joined forces with the inhabitants of Thorhild to erect a sanctuary in the village.
In April 1945, a lot was bought in the village for a church from Evsey Kovalenko for $338. Construction began in 1947. Work was completed and the church was formally blessed on 22 August of the following year. Blessing occurred during a memorable visit by Archbishop Mstyslaw Skrypnyk—who in 1991 became the first Patriarch of Kyiv.
To raise money for the project, a wide variety of fundraising events were held to supplement individual donations, including dances, bazaars, box socials, winter carnivals, masquerades and whist drives. Besides catering banquets and weddings, the members of the church also raised money by Christmas carolling.
In 1963 the church basement was developed to create a facility suitable for holding dinners, meetings, and cultural events. The following year, the sanctuary itself was refurbished. The investment in the church basement proved to be auspicious. In the 1966-1967 school year it was used to conduct an elementary class due to overcrowding in Thorhild schools. Church school and Ukrainian school classes were also held in the church basement, In 1976 Thorhild congregation held its first Harvest Ball that subsequently became a very popular annual social event in the community.
Sadly, Sts. Peter and Paul church burnt down in an electrical fire on 28 February 2015. It was being cleaned for Sunday service the following day. Although six members of the congregation were inside when the fire started, it was impossible save anything from the interior, including the iconostas by Vera Senchuk, or any chalices, banners, or interior furnishings. At the time of the sanctuary’s destruction, the congregation had 24 members.
(In 2016, the church was rebuilt on its original location in Thorhild. The photograph above was taken in 2007. The photographs in the Photo Gallery were taken of the new church in 2024).
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GPS Co-ordinates: 54.160934, -113.125147
Cemetery GPS: 54.15877, -113.13566
Affiliation: Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
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