Ukrainians first settled in the areas around Lake Winnipegosis in 1899. Services were then at the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 5.6 km (3.5 m) northeast of town. The first Divine Liturgy of Winnipegosis was in 1910, celebrated by Rev. A. Sabourin in the home of Stefan Smerychanski. The parish was formally established in 1926 by 28 founding members.
Due to challenges facing them the settlers’ first churches were usually small and often of modest size with little adornment. By the 1920s, however, with greater prosperity many congregations were able to build larger. And so it was with the Ukrainian Catholics in the Winnipegosis area who found services in the small church near Cork Cliff becoming very crowded.
This is the first church of the parish. It was built on a 0.44-hectare site by the settlers themselves assisted by Rev. Peter Kameneckyi. It was designed by Rev. Philip Ruh, whose churches reflect the ornate 18th century Baroque ones of Kiev. This is one of his finest. Many of his churches for Ukrainian Catholic parishes across western Canada have come to be known as Prairie Cathedrals.
The church is a large cruciform wooden structure with three domes, each topped with an iron cross. Two small domes are part of the front towers. The dome-cupolas are finished with sheet metal, the domes and roof with brick-coloured asphalt shingles. The walls are stuccoed.
The church has six entrances. Stairs to the basement are to the right of the main entrance, with stairs to the choir loft on either side. The sanctuary and altar are elevated. The wall behind the altar has five panels. The five triangular sections of the vaulted ceiling have paintings: of the Ascension in the centre panel, and of the four Evangelists, John, Matthew, Mark and Luke, and their symbols, on either side. These, and the other paintings of “Our Mother of Perpetual Help” and of “St. Nicholas” are by Yakiw Majdanyk.
Nearby stands the enclosed single-bell belfry, and beyond that the parish cemetery.
• Photographed in 1987.
• Published in Senior Scope, December 2019.
• Included in Testaments of Faith, Manitoba’s Pioneer Churches.