District Parishes
There are four active parishes in our Moose Jaw Pastoral District, within the Regina Deanery of the Eparchy of Saskatoon.
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Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary -Moose Jaw
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St. Peter and Paul-Thunder Creek (Chaplin)
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Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary- Glentworth
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St. Peter and Paul-Hodgeville
For more information, please visit our bulletin on Moose Jaw & District website: Moose Jaw Pastoral District
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ukrainiancatholic
MOOSE JAW — The church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the second church of the parish. The Church of the Assumption of the B.V.M. constructed 1964-1965 in Moose Jaw; R.M. 161.
The Official Directory, published 1961, describes the first parish church as follows: “The church stands on a three lot site in south-westerly Moose Jaw and measures 60 x 26 feet. It was remodelled from an army chapel and moved from the Mossbank airport in 1948. The church has a basement hall.” Sixteen years later the parishioners constructed the present church in commemoration of Canada’s Centennial Year. In 1967 Bishop Andrew Roborecki blessed the commemorative plaque which was then installed in the church wall.
The church is a wood constructed rectangular structure, 80 x 46 feet, with a high concrete basement, an exterior brick finish and a shingled gable roof. Its windows, rectangular in form with semicircular summits, contain blue panes decorated with gold crosses corresponding to the full size of the window. The two front towers and the square support between them are apexed by cupolas with ogee-type domes finished with fireproof material and painted white. The church is east-west oriented; its west main entrance has a small roof shelter and is reached by high concrete steps with wrought iron safety railings. In addition to the main entrance the church has two south entries leading to the church and church basement with parish hall and kitchen facilities. The church interior is dominated by a vaulted ceiling, contains an east sanctuary with the main altar and north and south adjoining sacristies also exiting to the church grounds, the nave containing wooden pews seating approx. 250 persons, a vestibule and choir loft extending above the vestibule. Stairways at the vestibule’s south wall lead to the choir loft and church basement; the north side of the vestibule contains a room for parents with small children.
In 1971 the church was artistically decorated by Theodore Baran. The large wall behind the main altar contains a mural composition based on three events from the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary; the events represented are: the Annunciation, the Assumption and the Nativity of Christ the Redeemer. On the right and left of the sanctuary along the walls facing the nave are the standing pose representations of The Holy Mother of God — Queen of Ukraine, and Christ the Teacher. Decorating the walls of the nave are the four Evangelists, Eucharistical symbols and stylistic ornamentation.
The church floor is constructed of oak. carpeting extends down the center aisle and before the main altar. The church has electrical lighting, central gas heating and plumbing facilities. The parishioners constructed the church through their private financial contributions and voluntary labour assisting in the construction and site landscaping. The architectural plans and the construction were executed by a Regina architectural firm. All construction details were under the auspices of the church executive and construction committee headed by the pastor Rev. Canon Myron Pylypchuk; the church executive consisted of: Theodore Huska, Harry Zywer, Stefan Chekurlian, Eugene Popowich, Michael Horbay and Ernest Fedorowich; the construction committee included: John Zwyer, Eugen Popowich, Kost Kukhniy (Kuchny) and William Pavlishak. Total construction costs exceeded $110,000.
Near the church stands the priest’s residence; it was purchased and moved to the site in 1951, in 1956 it was enlarged and renovated.
Ukrainian settlers began settling in Moose Jaw in 1910 and were predominantly from the Rava Rus’ka county. Initially holy services were held in private homes or in the local Roman Catholic chapel; the Redemptorist Fathers who served this community were:
Rev. Stephen Bachtalowsky, Rev. Gregory Shysh-kowych and Rev. John Bala. Impetus to the establishment of a permanent parish was given by Rev. Anthony Fyk of Regina with whose assistance the community purchased their first parish church and adapted it to the requirements of the Ukrainian Rite. The first permanent pastor of the parish was Rev. Alexander Schesniuk who served the parish from 1948 to 1956. From 1956 to the present date the permanent pastor of the parish is the Rev. Canon Myron Pylypchuk; it was during his pastorate that the parishioners constructed the present church and commissioned its artistic decoration.
The parish was founded in 1948 by 12 families. In 1961 there were 229 souls (Directory); in 1964, during the period of construction of the second church, the parish numbers increased to 64 families and 11 single members or a total of 246 persons. In 1975 the parish registered 95 families or approx. 270 persons. In 1976 the parish was under directorship of: Rev. Canon Myron Pylypchuk, pastor, Lawrence William Gelleta, Michael Lys, William Berezny, Joseph Yablonski, Walter Korol and Peter Kondra.
The Ukrainian Catholic parish of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Moose Jaw is under the pastoral charge of Regina.
THUNDER CREEK (Chaplin)— The church of the Holy Apostles SS. Peter and Paul is the first church of the parish.
The church stands on a two acre prairie surrounded site and was constructed 1943-1944 and renovated in 1968. Bishop Andrew Roborecki celebrated Divine Liturgy in the church m 1956 and last served a Pontifical Moleben there August 17, 1969.
The church is a small rectangular wooden structure, 32 x 24 feet, apexed by a cupola and cross at the frontal summit of its shingled gable roof. It stands on a low concrete basement and is finished with narrow wood siding. The orientation of the church is east-west;
the main entrance is at the south longitudinal wall while the sanctuary with the main altar is in the eastern end of the structure. In the interior the church contains glass mounted oil prints of the church patron and the two traditional nave icons of the Holy Mother of God and Christ Who Loves Mankind. Wooden pews in the nave seat approx. 40 persons. The church has candle lighting and is heated by a wood burning heater. Near the church stands a wooden mission cross; adjoining the church property is the parish cemetery.
Ukrainian settlement in this area began in 1911. In 1937, through the efforts of Oleksa (Alex) Patrick, the parishioners purchased a two acre church and cemetery site. Soon after this purchase, the site was blessed by Rev. John Tyiawski. In 1961 the parish consisted of 60 souls (Directory), in 1967, 34 souls (questionnaire) and in 1975, approx. 20 individual members. In 1976 the parish was under directorship of: Rev. Canon Myron Pylypchuk, acting pastor, Fred Mackow, Harry Mack-ow and John Zakaluzny.
The Ukrainian Catholic parish of SS. Peter and Paul, Thunder Creek, is under the pastoral charge of Regina.
GLENTWORTH — The church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the first church of the parish.
The church was constructed in 1926 on a one and a half acre prairie site four and one half miles south of Glentworth. Bishop Nicetas Budka celebrated the first Divine Liturgy in the church June 16, 1926, and visited the parish again in 1927. Divine Liturgy was also celebrated in this church by Archbishop Basil Ladyka in 1934 and Bishop Andrew Roborecki in 1957 and 1970.
The church is a small wood constructed rectangular structure, 30 x 16 feet, which stands on a low concrete basement and has two adjoining structures. The walls are finished in painted wood siding, the gable roof is shingled; two crosses project above its east and west summits. The main entrance is through the west adjoining porch-vestibule. The adjoining east structure houses the sanctuary with the main altar. In the interior the church patron painting and the traditional nave icons are glass mounted oil prints. Several rows of chairs in the nave provide seating for the faithful. Lighting is by gas lamps and candles. An oil burning heater provides the heating facilities. The church was constructed by the parishioners through their voluntary labour and financial donations. The work was carried out under the foremanship of Teodor Huska. Land for the combined church and cemetery site was dontated by Yakym Klym.
Ukrainian settlers arrived in this area in 1908 predominantly from the Borshchiv county. Founding members of the parish were: Teodor Huska, Maria Huska, Ivan Sirman (Sherman), Anna Sirman, Yustyna Klym, Yakym Klym, Maksym Sawchuk, Petro Har-dabura, Nastya Karlash, Mykhaylo Wasylyshyn and Vasyi’ (Wasyi) Karlash. Initially the community was served by Rev. John Kolcun, Rev. Emilian Andru-chowicz and Rev. Michael Ircha. Later, successive pastors of the pastoral district administered to the spiritual needs of the parish.
In 1941, 7 members with 6 children were registered to the parish (Prop. Knyha), in 1961 there were 50 souls (Directory). In 1975, 8 families or a total of 32 persons were accounted for. In 1976 the parish was under directorship of: Rev. Canon Myron Pylypchuk, acting pastor, Michael Huska, Roman Okraincee, Peter Okraincee, Michael Zak, Dennis Wasylyshyn, Bronie Huska, Diane Okraincee, Kathy Okraincee and Peter Sherman.
The Ukrainian Catholic parish of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Glentworth, is under the pastoral of Regina.
HODGEVILLE — The church of SS. Peter and Paul is the second church of the parish. Church of SS. Peter and Paul constructed 1964-1969, 12 miles south-east of Hodgeville; R.M. 105.
The first church was constructed by the parishioners in 1916. It was a small rectangular structure with a complementing central cupola. Its interior contained the main altar; chairs provided seating in the nave. Total construction costs were $1,000. Bishop Nicetas Budka blessed the church in 1917 and visited the parish again in 1927. In 1964 the church was dismantled and on its site the parishioners began construction of the present church which was blessed by Bishop Andrew Roborecki on June 15, 1969.
The level and treeless one acre church site is twelve miles south-west of Hodgeville, six miles north of Glen Bain. The wood constructed rectangular structure, 60 x 24 feet, has a shingled gable roof, two frontal towers apexed by cupolas and a small attached lean-to porch with a bell beneath its eaves. The exterior is finished with wood siding, the interior has wood panelling; the interior ceiling and upper portion of the walls are painted a light color, the natural color of the wood having been retained in the lower half of the walls. The wooden floor is carpeted along the central aisle and in the sanctuary area. At the center of the high angulated ceiling hangs a large chandelier.
The church contains an elevated sanctuary with the main altar, two sacristies with entries from both the sanctuary and church grounds, the nave, the choir loft, and a vestibule; stairs from the vestibule lead to the church basement which serves as a parish hall with kitchen facilities. The wall behind the main altar contains a glass mounted oil print of the church patrons:
additional glass mounted oil prints of the Holy Mother of God Christ Who Loves Mankind and the Stations of the Cross are found along the walls of the nave. Small votive altars are found beneath the two traditionally dedicated holy images. At the center of the nave stands a tetrapod; on corresponding sides of it are rows of wooden pews seating approx. 100 persons. The church is lighted with electricity and has central oil heating.
Parishioners constructed the church under the directorship of Rev. Peter Lisowsky and the parish executive which consisted of: Joseph Krenosky, president: Fred Semesock, treasurer; John Smuk, secretary. The construction costs, $24,000, were covered by the generous donations and voluntary labour of the parishioners. The church site was donated by Antin Krawczyk.
In 1937 a mission cross was installed near the church commemorating the first Holy Mission of the parish. In 1964 a wooden belfry was constructed nearby;
the bell was donated by Aksendiy Mashtalir. Earlier the site contained a hall named “The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Parish Hall of SS. Peter and Paul at Gooding, Saskatchewan”; it was constructed in 1928 during the pastorate of Rev. John Kolcun and was sold in 1945. The church site also includes the parish cemetery where the pioneer builders of the first church now rest in peace: Antin Krawczyk, Mykhaylo Hawrysh, Antin Smuk, Mykhaylo Smuk, Ivan Hoshovsky (Hoshawski), Pavlo Barabash, Ivan Barabash, Mykhaylo Zakaluzny.
Ukrainian settlers arrived in this area in 1909. In 1914, Rev. Nicholas Shumsky celebrated the first Divine Liturgy with the parishioners at the home of Mykhaylo Zakaluzny and organized the construction of the first church. Originally the parish registered under Gooding, which was a nearby Post Office viable between 1911 and 1930; later the parish registered under Hodgeville, the nearest settlement in the vicinity (datum, John Zakaluzny).
In 1941 the parish consisted of 15 members with 25 children (Prop. Knyha), in 1961, 150 souls (Directory), and in 1975, 18 members with 40 children were accounted for. In 1976 the parish was under the directorship of: Rev. Myron Pylypchuk, acting pastor (due to the shortage of priests the district does not have its own pastor), John Zakaluzny, Peter Smuk, John Smuk, Joseph Smuk, Stephen Semesock and Eugene Hoshawski.
The Ukrainian Catholic parish of SS. Peter and Paul, Hodgeville, is under the pastoral charge of Regina.