Holy Family Ukrainian Catholic Church

Holy Family is a country church and cemetery just seventeen miles north of the Canada/U.S.A. border.  I believe it is the southernmost Ukrainian church in all of Saskatchewan.

Settlers arrived to the area in 1905 and lived in dug outs and hillside shelters in those early days.  Frequent prairie fires added even more hardship to their meagre existence, and, the original chapel built around 1919 was completely destroyed in a storm only a few years later.  They truly had a hard life.  

But perseverance prevailed...

Over two decades later the congregation was finally able to build a new church in 1944 after one of the founding parishioners died and left a quarter section of land to the church.  The profits from this generous donation enabled the congregation to erect the new church, and only four years later, completely renovate and enlarge it.  Now that's a success story if I ever heard one.  

The wooden mission cross that stands midway between the church and cemetery commemorates the Holy Missions of 1956 and 1964.

The church was seventy-nine years old at the time of my visit.  My thanks to all those at Holy Family who still love and care for this little church out in the country.

Information courtesy of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon.

Photographed near Maxim, Saskatchewan on September 13, 2023.

Kaplychka

A favourite place to drop by for a visit...the "little chapel" in the countryside near Rhein, Saskatchewan is now one hundred and twenty-five years old...and that's definitely a cause for celebration.

More about this historical landmark here:

Kaplychka

Photographed on October 13, 2022.

Annie & John

Two oldtimers spending eternity together at Saint Joseph's Parish Cemetery.  Good for them. 

Photographed near Candiac, Saskatchewan on May 19, 2021.

Dnister Memorial Cemetery

Just half a mile down the road from Dnister Church is Dnister Cemetery.

The trees were turning their fall colours and there were carpets of oak leaves all through the grounds.

Photographed near Gimli, Manitoba on September 22, 2023.

Saint Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church at Dnister

This was my first visit to Saint Mary's at Dnister so it was a special occasion of sorts.  The weather was fine, the sky was blue and the grass was green.  Simply a wonderful time to discover some local history.  

Construction on the church began in 1904 and completed in 1906.  Some years later an extension was built onto the eastern end of the church which not only gave more space for parishioners but meant there was now a dedicated spot for the tabernacle.  There was also a lean-to added on to the northeast corner of the church which was most likely where the priest prepared his sermons.  The angular window frames and white/green colour scheme are classic.       

From left to right: the church, a stone cairn memorializing the pioneers who settled the Dnister area prior to 1914, an ornate crucifix and an open-frame timber bell tower. 

Some close-ups of the church and grounds.  Saint Mary's is mostly surrounded by dense bush but, only two miles eastward, is the western shore of Lake Winnipeg. 

The plaque shown above is mounted beside the front door on the west-facing wall of the church and commemorates the one hundredth anniversary of Saint Mary's.  

A few hazy photos of the interior taken from the outside in.  Nothing fancy here...stations of the cross on the walls, banners on poles, simple hand-hewn pews...and lovely all the same.  Seen to the extreme left on the photo directly above is the steep stairway that leads to the choir loft.  Almost every Ukrainian country church I've seen on my travels has a choir loft.  No musical instruments was the rule of the day...only voices.   

This little country church is adorned with a small tin-covered cupola...something I'm sure would have made the early pioneers feel right "at home" in New Iceland.  

The blue and yellow centennial sign that graces the site.  I was happy to see several of these handsome signs designating other historic sites in and around New Iceland.  There is lots of well-documented and preserved history to see in the area.   

Saint Mary's is known by a number of other names, as are many country churches, with "Dnister Church" being the local favourite.

 

Information courtesy of Canada's Historic Places and the Manitoba Historical Society Archives.

Photographed near Gimli, Manitoba on September 22, 2023.

More About the Bell House at Saint Elias

Last fall I revisited Saint Elias near Pakan with the main purpose of exploring the old bell house.  See some history of it here:  "Щасливого Різдва!"

The new wooden siding is already starting to have that weathered look.  I believe the interior is mostly original to when it was built in 1906.

Just inside the door there are a number of interesting objects.

These are some of the shingles from the original bell house roof.

These are some of the old shingle nails.

I wonder how much they cost now?  When the bell house was completed in 1906, Alberta had only been a province for one year.

The bell house served many purposes.

This was the sign attached to the bell house when it was part of the Shandro Museum. 

A couple of montages on the walls.

The stairs are just inside the door and lead up...

...to where the bells are mounted.  The bells were purchased at a cost of $170.00 and installed in 1906.  I'll bet the ladies in the congregation sold a lot of cookies and Christmas cakes to raise all that money.  Good on 'em. 

This is a photo (of an historical photo inside the bell house) of the original church that burned down in 1954.  I would have loved to see the old church but I wasn't even born at the time.

And this is the beautiful church the congregation built after the fire.

As it happens, I was misinformed about how the bell tower came home to Saint Elias.  The truth of the matter is that when the Shandro Museum disbanded, the right of ownership reverted back to Saint Elias.  And I, for one, am glad they brought is back home.  Even though I am in no way connected to Saint Elias, seeing the new church united with the old bell tower left me with a sense of satisfaction.  One of those little things that brings such larger joys.

Over the years I've had the privilege and pleasure to visit dozens upon dozens of churches and cemeteries, bell towers and memorial sites all across the prairie provinces and states.  Every one is special in its own way but Saint Elias is one of a tiny handful that is unforgettable and, dare I say, precious.  Heartfelt thanks to all those who care for this beautiful place out in the country.  

 

Historical information courtesy of the Canadian Orthodox History Project.

Photographed at Saint Elias Russo Greek Orthodox Church and Cemetery near Pakan, Alberta on November 8, 2024.

A Few Days Ago at Zion Lutheran Church

Photographed near Horsham, Saskatchewan on February 13, 2025.

A Few Months Ago at Zion Lutheran Church

Photographed near Horsham, Saskatchewan on October 27, 2024.

A Beautiful Place Out in the Country

Greatly enjoyed my trip to the long abandoned Hurricane Lake Church.  I'd wanted to see it first hand for several years and wasn't even sure if it was still standing when I ventured out.  But, as you can see...   

Photographed north of York, North Dakota on September 16, 2023.

My Tour Guide at Saint Mary's

Do you remember the wet dog photos I posted a couple of years ago?  Click the following link for a refresher:  Wet Dog

She lives just down the road from Saint Mary's and is friendly as friendly can be (and this time she wasn't wet).  After parking the car and a few cuddles she gave me a tour of the grounds.  

I hope to revisit Saint Mary's later this year to see first hand how the new church building is coming along.  Hopefully she'll be there to accompany me on another tour.

This last photo is my favourite of her...majestic and free, handsome and mysterious.  

Photographed at Saint Mary's Romanian Orthodox Church and Cemetery near Boian, Alberta on November 9, 2024.