MacNutt SK Saint Nicholas Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Cemetery 1902

MacNutt, Saskatchewan, Saint Nicholas Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Cemetery, 1902

Prehistory

The parish of Saint Nicholas is the third of the 3 Orthodox Christian communities to have been established in the region of MacNutt, Saskatchewan, Canada, which are currently identified with that town. However, each of them is geographically somewhat closer to Calder than to MacNutt.

The early settlers arrived in the MacNutt district in the 1890s. They arrived principally from the Galicia and Bucovina regions of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. They brought along with them their meagre possessions, their Orthodox Christian Faith, and their prayer books.

Until they were able to organise the construction of a place of communal worship, they worshipped in homes by reading from their prayer books. They continued their home-worship, but they also began to gather on Sundays, Feast-days and other occasions in order to worship together.

Prior to 1909 (as with others who settled in that area), these pioneers could attend the Saints Peter and Paul Russo Greek Orthodox Church which had already been constructed in Calder, Saskatchewan.

There had also been established in 1902 the Holy Trinity Romanian-speaking community, south of Calder and 9.5 km (6 mi) west of MacNutt.

In the past, the association was for a time with Calder, Saskatchewan, which is farther to the north.

The establishment of this community at this time and place is a reflection of the continuing immigration of Orthodox Christian Faithful from Galicia and from the Romanian province of Bucovina. As was the case with the parish of the Dormition of the Theotokos, somewhat farther north, this community was made up more of Ukrainian-speakers than of Romanian-speakers.

In the same manner as everywhere, the newly-arrived settlers organised themselves so as to provide a Temple for the proper focus of their daily life, just as had been the case in their homeland. The land which they received (as elsewhere a portion of a founder’s farm) allowed both for the construction of a Temple (dedicated to Saint Nicholas of Myra), and for the establishment of a cemetery.

Donation of land, 1900

In 1900, Fred Werstuik donated 4 acres of land on the southwest corner of the land-site description SW 32-24-30.

In the wake of this donation, the nickname of this community might be "Werstuik's".

Nevertheless, under the difficult circumstances of homesteading, it was not possible to develop further in any formal way until some time later. Moreover, the official and legal donation of the land had to wait until the regulations of the Government of Canada and of the North-West Territories could be fulfilled. No doubt the Faithful would occasionally gather on the property to worship and pray together informally.

Establishment of the parish, 1902

The first members of this community included :

 Mr. & Mrs. Peter T. Kalchuk ; Mr. & Mrs. Onofrey Antony ; Mr. & Mrs. Wasyl Shewchuk ; Mr. & Mrs. Metro Roska ; 
 Mr. & Mrs. Eli Awran ; Mr. & Mrs. Mykeeper Werstuik ; Mr. & Mrs. Tokar Werstuik ; Mr. & Mrs. Toder Werstuik ; 
 Mr. & Mrs. George Calanchie ; Mr. & Mrs. Mofatay Wereschuk ; Mr. & Mrs. Kost Werstuik ; Mr. & Mrs. George Prokopetz ; 
 Mr. & Mrs. Gregory Pitz ; Mr. & Mrs. John Pitz ; Mr. & Mrs. Meylon Pitz ; Mr. & Mrs. Wasyl Petrochuk ; 
 Mr. & Mrs. Paulo Sawchuk ; Mr. & Mrs. Alex Sawchuk ; Mr. & Mrs. Mogcey Screpnek ; Mr. & Mrs. Kost Screpnek ; 
 Mr. & Mrs. Kost Sawa ; Mr. & Mrs. Eli Pitz ; Mr. & Mrs. Nick Boychuk

Once the Faithful were able to organise themselves further, they formed a first parish council.

First Temple, 1902

By 1902, after the necessary planning and the gathering of the needed resources, the first log Temple was constructed, complete with a cedar-shingled roof, beautified by a high dome (cupola) and a belfry.

This was the first Orthodox Christian Temple built by Ukrainian immigrants in Saskatchewan.

Before the congregation could receive the ministrations of a priest on a regular basis, knowledgeable cantors led worship services in the form of a reader's service. These cantors also assisted the priest who would arrive on occasion for baptisms, marriages, and funerals.

As was the case with most other communities of this period, this parish was cared for by the clergy of the “Russian Mission”.

At the present time, there is no further information available about this community on the internet than what is found here.

Further developments, 1909, 1917

On 18 December, 1909, Metro Roska, Paulo Sawchuk, and George Calanchie signed as witnesses at the official transfer of land to the properly registered and constituted parish of Saint Nicholas.

In 1917, it was decided that it was necessary to reconstruct and to reconfigure the Temple. In order to do this, in 1917, the log Temple was taken apart, and reconstruction began.

Second Temple, 1920

By 1920, a new Temple had been constructed of sawn lumber.

The bell-house that was erected was built from logs of the first Temple.

Transfer to the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada

In 1918, the foundation was laid legally for the establishment of the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada UGOCC).

This began the process not only of opening new Ukrainian Orthodox communities, but also the departure of many existing communities from the former Russian Mission in Canada into the new entity. At a date at present not published, this community left the successor to the Russian Mission, the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in North America (ROGCCNA), and entered the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada (UGOCC).

Rural depopulation

From the 1930s onward, with the Great Depression and the Great Drought in central Canada, many people began to move either to other places in the country, or into some urban area. Thus, along with other parishes in the country, this rural community began a time of decline which came with the depopulation of the rural areas as a consequence of changes in agricultural policies which were developing.

Two of the causes of these adjustments were the rapid mechanisation of farming equipment, and the move towards operating farms as businesses.

Re-naming of the UGOCC, 1990

In 1990, the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada was officially renamed “The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada” (UOCC) by an Act of the Parliament of Canada.

The UOCC entered into Eucharistic union with the Patriarchate of Constantinople, 1990

In 1990, the 18th Sobor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada in Winnipeg, Manitoba, decided to enter into Eucharistic Union with the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople (Istanbul). This decision also changed the relationship with the other Orthodox dioceses and parishes in Canada in a positive way.

100 years, 2002

In July, 2002, the parish marked its first 100 years of presence, activity, and witness in the MacNutt area.

100th anniversary cairn memorial

Temple and snow-ploughed yard in winter

Exterior prayer-table in winter

The Temple with the cemetery memorial and the exterior prayer-table (to the right)

Centennial of the UOCC, 2018

In 2018, the 100th anniversary of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada and also of Holy Trinity Cathedral were marked at an extraordinary sobor (assembly) at the cathedral in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

The purpose of the sobor was to celebrate 100 years of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada. The celebrations were attended by Ukrainian Orthodox faithful from across Canada and beyond.

The Sobor began on Thursday, 9 August, 2018, with a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in the Chapel of Saint Petro Mohyla Institute, presided by Bishop Andriy (Peshko) of the Eastern Eparchy, with the responses sung by the Clergy led by Father Michael Lomaszkiewicz. This was followed by an All-Canada Clergy Conference.

Centennial Clergy Conference

All gathered for Vespers at the Mohyla Institute Chapel and this was followed by a wine and cheese reception as the delegates and guests registered for the Extraordinary National Council.

The celebrations continued for a year.

2020-2021 Coronavirus-19 virus restrictions on parishes

In early 2020, the Covid-19 virus made its appearance in Canada, and it quickly became a world-wide pandemic. Because of the rules governing gatherings that were laid down by the provincial and city governments, the parish stopped any further services after 8 March, 2020. Including the rules regarding social distancing, the decreasing numbers permitted for any gathering, and the considerations regarding the health of all concerned, this and other parishes were required to close for a time.

As elsewhere, there was some controversy about the legal requirements.

Election of Metropolitan Ilarion (Rudnyk), 2022

Election of a nominee by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada

On 15-19 June, 2022, the 24th Sobor of the Ukrainian Orthodox of Canada was convened "on-line". This conference-meeting was convened thus instead of convening physically (as customarily) in Winnipeg, Manitoba. There were 6 cathedrals in Canada where this meeting took place simultaneously through a computer-network : in Winnipeg, Manitoba (Holy Trinity Metropolitan Cathedral) ; Vancouver, British Columbia (Holy Trinity Cathedral) ; in Edmonton, Alberta (Saint John's Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral) ; in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Holy Trinity Cathedral) ; in Toronto, Ontario (Saints Vladimir and Olga Cathedral) ; in Montréal, Québec (Saint Sophie Cathedral).

There was a total of 205 delegates, which was near the average attendance for such sobors.

In the course of the work of the Sobor, there was the necessary election in order to nominate to the Holy Synod of the Church of Constantinople a candidate for election as Archbishop of Winnipeg and Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, who would succeed the Retired Metropolitan Yurij (Kalistchuk).

There were 3 candidates who were considered : Archbishop Job (Getcha), Bishop Ilarion (Rudnyk), and Bishop Andriy (Peshko). The final choice of the members of the sobor was Archbishop Job (Getcha). He had received more than the minimum required 51% of the votes, and there was no subsequent voting required.

The election by the Sobor (Assembly) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada then had to be confirmed by the Holy Synod of Bishops of Constantinople (as is described in the Consistory By-laws).

Upon having received the nomination (with accompanying documents) from the Sobor of the UOCC, the Holy Synod of the Church of Constantinople elected Vladyka Ilarion (Rudnyk) to become Archbishop of Winnipeg and Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada.

The Holy Synod of the Church of Constantinople elected Archbishop Job (Getcha) to become Metropolitan of Pisidia, in west-central Türkiye (Turkey), north of Lycia, and east of Ephesus.

Confirmation of election in Constantinople/Istanbul, 2022

On 29 August, 2022, Vladyka Ilarion (Rudnyk) was at the Phanar in Constantinople for the purpose of the first confirmation of the election in June, 2022. He co-served the Divine Liturgy with Patriarch Bartholomew (Archontonis) in the Cathedral of Saint George at the Phanar.

Enthronement as Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, 2022

On Saturday, 19 November, 2022, at 9:30 a.m., in Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the Enthronement Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was served. Metropolitan Ilarion (Rudnyk) presided at the Divine Liturgy. He was assisted by Bishop Andriy (Peshko), many priests, several deacons, subdeacons and Altar-servers. Present also were Metropolitan Archbishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas), Exarch of Canada for the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and Retired Metropolitan Yurij (Kalistchuk), Former Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada.

Metropolitan Ilarion (Rudnyk) at the Phanar, Istanbul, 2023

On Sunday, 2 July, 2023, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew (Archontonis) was present and praying during the Divine Liturgy at Saint George's Cathedral in the Patriarchate compound. He gave the blessing that Metropolitan Ilarion (Rudnyk) preside ("horostasia") over the Divine Liturgy. Metropolitan Job (Getcha) of Pisidia, Bishop Athenagoras (Ziliaskopoulos) of Nazianzos, and the Honourable Roman Nedilskyi, General Consul of Ukraine in Constantinople were also present and praying with the congregation of the Faithful.

Change of calendar for the UOCC, 2023

On 1 December, 2023, in accordance with the resolutions of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, Metropolitan Ilarion II (Rudnyk) announced that, effective that day, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada moved to use the New (Revised Julian) Calendar.

However, a previously-existing group of persons (who seem to have been resisting episcopal authority in favour of so-called democracy) began to encourage resistance to this change. Therefore, on 16 December, 2023, Metropolitan Ilarion issued a formal letter concerning the situation, together with a letter of support sent to him by his predecessor. He called the resisters to repentance.

Saint Nicholas Ukrainian Orthodox Cemetery, 1909

The earliest interment in the Saint Nicholas cemetery at MacNutt was in 1909.

In 2024, there were 92 recorded interments.

The names of those interred represent a mix of Ukrainian and Romanian origin, although the majority of the names are of Slavic rather than Romanian nature.

Land site description : SE31-24-30-W1

GPS co-ordinates : 51.114077 -101.665725

MacNutt, Melville Census Division

Saskatchewan

S0A 2K0

Cemetery gate

The Hall and Temple with the cemetery

Cemetery memorial in winter

Cemetery in winter

Particular parish information

This parish is a part of the Roblin Region of the Central Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada. The bishop of the eparchy is Metropolitan Ilarion II (Rudnyk).

This parish follows the Old (Julian) Calendar.

The Altar Feast-day of this parish is the Feast of Saint Nicholas, 6/19 December, or 9/22 May.

In 2024, the pastor is Priest Roman Stefanyshyn.

Address :

Saint Nicholas Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Cemetery

MacNutt is situated in the Rural Municipality of Churchbridge No. 211, and Division No. 5.

Land site description : SE31-24-30-W1

GPS co-ordinates : 51.114077 -101.665725

MacNutt, Melville Census Division

Saskatchewan

S0A 2K0

Directions :

From Yorkton :

Drive eastwards from Yorkton on Highway #10 (past Wroxton and past signs for Calder) until Highway #8.

Turn right (south), and drive until the 8th intersection. Turn right (Saint Nicholas Road). Drive 3.6 km (2.3 mi) to the west. Pass 2 roads on the left.

Soon afterwards, the Temple and cemetery are on the right (this is before the 1st possible right turn).

The distance from Yorkton is approximately 70 km (44 mi).

From MacNutt :

From MacNutt, drive north about 2.7 km (1.7 mi) on Highway #8.

Turn left (west) at the 1st intersection on the left (Saint Nicholas Road).

Drive 3.6 km (2.3 mi) to the west.

Pass 2 roads on the left.

Soon afterwards, the Temple and cemetery are on the right (this is before the 1st possible right turn).

Priest Roman Stefaryshyn

Telephone : (204) 417-5908

E-mail : stefanyshyn_r@mail.ru

Hall-and-bell-house from the road

References

A Brief History of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada

“Collection of Material Relating to the 50th Anniversary of the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada, 1918-1968” (Winnipeg : Consistory of the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada, 1968).

“The Russian Mission in North America”

Additional information

Anderson, Alan, “Ethnic Block Settlements in Saskatchewan”.

Archer, Dr. John H, “Saskatchewan, a History” (Western Producer Prairie Provinces, 1980). ISBN-10 : ‎0888330642 ; ISBN-13 : 978-0888330642.

Martynowych, Orest T. “Ukrainians in Canada : The Formative Period, 1891-1924” (Edmonton : Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, University of Alberta, 1991. ISBN10 : 0920862764 ; ISBN13 : 978-0920862766.

Sametz, William, “My father the priest : the life and times of the Very Reverend Dr. Peter Sametz : founding missionary priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada" (Toronto : Hypertex Plus, 2008). ISBN : 9780969670056.

Tarasar, Constance J, ed., “Orthodox America 1794-1976 : Development of The Orthodox Church in America” (Syosset, NY : The Orthodox Church in America Department of History and Archives, 1975). ASIN : B000ZLZAUE.

Zuk, Michael, “The Ukrainian Protestant Missions in Canada” (Montreal : Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, Faculty of Divinity, McGill University, 1957).

Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Saint Nicholas the Wonder-worker, MacNutt, Saskatchewan parish listing

Orthodox World listing for Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church, MacNutt, Saskatchewan

Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada

Wikipedia article about the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada

Central Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada web-site

Wikipedia article about the Central Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada

UOCC Central Eparchy, Roblin Region

Orthodox Church in America web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about the Orthodox Church in America

Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople web-site

Wikipedia article about the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople