Merry Christmas from Saint Margaret's

All the best to everyone in the holiday season.

Photographed near Eagle Butte, Alberta on November 29, 2023.

Bodnari Church and Bell House

No snow here yet...just a reminder of how brilliant winter can appear.

A beautiful old church and bell house, a fresh layer of snow, a bright blue sky.  Can't beat that!

Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church (also known as Bodnari Church) and bell house were photographed near Alvena, Saskatchewan on January 16, 2021.

Long Shot near Caribou

Saint Nicholas Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Cemetery...

...a beautiful place out in the middle of nowhere.

Photographed near Caribou, Minnesota on September 20, 2023.

What a Shame

Another one gone.

I just learned that the beautiful Saint Mary's Romanian Orthodox Church at Boian, Alberta burned down this past summer.  What a shame...and what a great loss to the community.  Saint Mary's will forever be missed.

The church had been blessed in 1905 making it one hundred and eighteen years old at the time of the fire.  It was an electrical problem that caused the fire.    

There are plans to rebuild.

I was fortunate to have met Father Panciuk on a visit to the church a couple of summers ago at which time he invited me in to see the interior of this lovely country church.   The links below show Saint Mary's as it was at the time of my visit:

Saint Mary's of Boian - Part One

Saint Mary's of Boian - Part Two

Saint Mary's of Boian - Part Three

Saint Mary's in the snow was photographed on February 26, 2022.

"З Днем Святого Миколая!"

"Happy Saint Nicholas Day!" from Saint Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church.

Photographed near Keld, Manitoba on August 23, 2022.

Kingsley Church, Cemetery and School

An early-afternoon stop at Kingsley, Manitoba where I discovered a red brick school next door to a small country church and cemetery.

Brick schoolhouses are always a little special here in the prairie provinces...there aren't many of them.  This one was built in 1907 and operated until 1968.

And as luck would have it, the school is being renovated to its former glory.

Near the school is the unassuming Kingsley United Church which dates back to 1882.

The interior is frugal...

...but the pews are rich in colour (and history).

One must have to stoop pretty low to "remove" a bible from a church.

Just a little north of the wood-frame church is the cemetery that is bordered with a post and chain fence.

There are well over one hundred burials here.

Information courtesy of the Manitoba Historical Society and Find A Grave.

Photographed on August 17, 2022.

The Mystery Bell

Saint Andrew's-Trinity Anglican Lutheran Church.

The plaque reads:

'After a fire destroyed the original St. Andrews Anglican Church in 1918, a new church was built at 402 Main Street.  This bell was installed in the steeple in 1923 and was replaced in 1929 due to a crack.  This bell had no value and was used as a flower pot in the yard across the street from the church then disappeared.  In 1959, a mysterious bell was found during the excavation for the Rosetown Co-op store at the corner of Main Street and 3rd Avenue West.  The Mystery Bell was moved to the town storage yard.

'In 1978, the history of the bell came to light but there was no use for the cracked bell so it remained in storage.  St. Andrews Trinity Anglican Lutheran Church celebrated 100 years in 2009.  To commemorate this anniversary, the original bell, also known as the Mystery Bell, returned to the church yard and acts as a monument to both St. Andrews Church and the Town of Rosetown.

'"May the inspiration fostered by our pioneers be continued with God's guidance"'

Above is a photo of the long lost Mystery Bell which now holds a place of historical distinction on the deck beside the church.

At the time of my visit the church was in excellent condition and used regularly.

Photographed in Rosetown, Saskatchewan on October 23, 2018.

All Souls' Day

Here is a small collection of favourites from the past year in celebration of All Souls' Day, or as it is known to many, Day of the Dead.  It's a day to welcome back the souls of adult family members who have passed on and to celebrate that reunion with food and drink...take time to have a beer with your brother, lunch with your uncle or fresh cinnamon buns with your mom.  It's all good.

The following photos are in chronological order, and in most cases, each photo shows only a small part of each cemetery which makes for a more intimate view of the whole.  Happy All Souls' Day! 

Saint Cunigundis Roman Catholic Cemetery near Marienthal, Saskatchewan.

June 19, 2023

The cemetery was established by Russian immigrants in the early 1900's and is tucked into what is now a dense planting of trees and shrubs a few hundred feet off the main road.  I've enjoyed stopping here over the years but this visit was special in that it was the first time I'd seen it when the grass was green.

                                                 

Emmanual Lutheran German Cemetery near Ray, North Dakota.

June 21, 2023

The German Cemetery, as it is known locally, is a quarter mile down a well-used prairie trail surrounded by pasture and farmland.  It was my first visit here and was graciously welcomed by a herd of cattle just across the fence...curious creatures they are, and skittish too.  

Rudser Lutheran Cemetery near Zahl, North Dakota.

June 22, 2023

I love the setting created by the interspersed trees and shrubs in and around the cemetery.  Each time one walks around another planting a new visual is revealed...very much like a comfortable country garden.  I would imagine the residents are more than pleased with their accommodations.

Saint Anthony's Roman Catholic Cemetery at Grosswerder, Saskatchewan. 

July 15, 2023

Even though the air was filled with heavy smoke during my visit I was determined to make the best of it.  The old-fashioned wrought iron crosses marking the graves of pioneers are mixed in with the granite headstones of, in many cases, their infant and adult children.  Across the road Saint Anthony's Church can be seen through the gray smoky haze.  During my short time here I was lucky to have met a local couple who invited me in to see the interior of their lovely historical church.    

      

The Nativity of the Holy Virgin Orthodox Cemetery of Kysylew near Andrew, Alberta.

July 19, 2023

To reach the cemetery one takes the trail past the church, down a slope to a narrow bridge that crosses a creek, then up the other side to the top of the hill that is the cemetery.  I've stopped here half a dozen times and no matter the season, the exquisitely maintained cemetery always looks beautiful.  There are over four hundred graves in this country cemetery. 

         

Holy Family Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery near Maxim, Saskatchewan.

September 13, 2023

A little cemetery in remote southern Saskatchewan.  I'd stopped here five or six years ago and everything looked almost exactly the same this time around (and that's a good thing).  The only difference I noticed was there had been a few recent burials.  The cemetery dates back to the early 1900's and is one of the southernmost Ukrainian cemeteries I've found in Saskatchewan.  

Swedish Zion Lutheran Cemetery near Souris, North Dakota.

September 15, 2023

The sky had been thick with smoke for most of the day but was beginning to clear when I arrived.  Last time I was here there was snow on the ground so I enjoyed seeing it in an early fall setting.  The church and cemetery are less than a mile south of the border in a very isolated area of North Dakota.  And, as far as I know, this is the only surviving stone church for miles in any direction.  It's well worth a detour if ever in the area.

In the overcast morning light...

...and again later that same afternoon.  

Hurricane Lake Cemetery near Baker, North Dakota.

September 16, 2023

The cemetery is nestled nicely into the surrounding farmland and someone still comes by to mow the lawn.  The church has been ravaged by the weather and people stripping off the siding but it's still standing...it's a survivor.  

Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic and Polish Roman Catholic Cemetery near Saint Claude, Manitoba.

September 19, 2023

At one time there was a fence dividing the Ukrainians and Poles but that fence is now long gone.  The Ukrainian names are at the southern end of the cemetery (as shown in the photo) and the Polish names reside on the northern end.  Both cemeteries are well cared for and still in use...and everyone seems to get along just fine.  

             

Saint Michael's Ukrainian Orthodox Cemetery near Gardenton, Manitoba.

September 19, 2023

I love these historical Ukrainian cemeteries where all the headstones stand tall like proud little soldiers.  It's a sight that never seems to get old, if you know what I mean.  The church here has the distinction of being the oldest permanent Ukrainian church in all of Canada.

Saint Michael's and All Angels Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery near Tyndall, Manitoba.

September 21, 2023

A large sprawling cemetery with dozens and dozens of trees and shrubs spread throughout...as much a park as a cemetery.  Many of the bushes were boasting their fall colours which certainly enhanced the view.  The large metal cross is an unusual but attractive design.  

 

Holy Ghost Ukrainian Orthodox Cemetery of Sandhill near Ladywood, Manitoba.

September 21, 2023

A shot from the extreme far end of the cemetery where a couple of benches await those who wish to pause and reflect.  The grounds are nicely kept and the overall feeling is simple, homey and comfortable.  The small country church on the grounds is just visible beyond the grave markers. 

An early evening visit to a most memorable spot...the grounds were green and lush with a touch of fall colour, the blue shadows of the setting sun added a spectral element to the scene.  This is a place where the past remains ever so present...

...and again on the following morning.  All is well and good.

Holy Ascension Ukrainian Orthodox Cemetery near Maryville, Saskatchewan.

September 25, 2023

Looks like a sunny day ahead. 

"Церква Святої Трійці"

"Church of the Holy Trinity"

The church was built in the early 1900's.  

But after years of rural depopulation the church was eventually closed and then forgotten.  

Sadly, no one mows the lawn here anymore.

If you look closely you'll see that a hawk has made a nest in the open lantern above the dome.

Information courtesy of the Canadian Orthodox History Project.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity was photographed in Arran, Saskatchewan on September 24, 2023.

Another View of Saint Elias

First look inside the country church.  Breathtakingly beautiful!

Heaven up above the chandelier.  The inner dome is painted sky blue and filled with gold stars.

The choir loft.

Something about blue and white is so comforting. 

A side view of the iconostasis and royal doors.

Each window is glazed with a blue and gold cross.    

The view from the choir loft.

Behind the royal doors.

This is Saint Michael the Archangel.  The face is hand-painted onto a wooden sculpture that hangs between the royal doors and chandelier.  He is attached to a pully that can be lowered in order to light the candles then raised again to "shine the light."  

The chandelier has now been turned on.

When the church was built the parishioners would have been standing all the way through a service.  Now that everyone is a little older there are chairs with a soft back and seat.

The outside view of Saint Elias.

Each of the three domes is topped with a simple wrought iron Orthodox cross.

Historical grave markers in the cemetery. 

During a short walk through the Prayer Garden I found these delphiniums in full bloom.  Beautiful way to end my visit.

Saint Elias truly is a treasure on the Alberta landscape.  

A special thanks to Sylvia and all the ladies who made my visit to Saint Elias so memorable and a heartfelt "thank you" to all those who keep things looking beautiful.

Photographed near Pakan, Alberta on July 19, 2023.