Thunder Bay-Fort William ON Saint Volodymyr Ukrainian Orthodox Church 1935

Thunder Bay-Fort William, Ontario, Saint Volodymyr Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 1935

Volodymyr may be spelt Vladimir, Waldemar.

Prehistory

In [Fort William] and [Port Arthur], 2 neighbouring cities in Northwestern Ontario, Canada (later known as Thunder Bay), there were already 2 Orthodox Christian communities from before and just after World War I. The first was the Parish of the Dormition (Assumption) of the Mother of God (1910) in Fort William). The second was the Holy Trintiy Parish (1918) in Port Arthur.

The people who made up these 2 communities were from the regions of what is now known as Ukraine (at that time, part of the Russian Empire, and part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) ; and from Greece, and from regions of the Ottoman Empire.

The first group came to Canada as a mixture of Orthodox Christians and Ukrainian Catholics from Eastern Europe. They generally spoke some form of Ukrainian, or Russian. Ukrainian Catholics were the more numerous, but amongst them was a movement that had begun in Europe, which enticed people to return to the Orthodox Christian Faith. This group established the first Orthodox Christian parish in the region.

The second group, Greek-speakers, arrived in Canada from both Greece ; and also from various territories of the former Ottoman Empire (such as Anatolia, also known as Asia minor).

Both groups, in their communities, faced difficulties arising from economic difficulties, but they persevered.

Establishment of the parish, 1935

In 1935, the parish of Saint Volodymyr was formed by 200 former members of the Ukrainian Catholic parish of the Ascension.

In 1936, the community joined the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada.

Construction of the Temple

By 1944, the congregation of Saint Volodymyr had accumulated enough resources, and purchased a site, which enabled them to begin the construction of a new Temple in Fort William.

Interior, iconostas, of the Temple

Dedication plaque

Double dedication

In the course of time, the parish received a double dedication, with a second feast-day : the Feast of All Saints (the Sunday after the Feast of Pentecost).

Millennium monument'

In 1998, the parish erected a monument on the property, near the entrance to the Temple, to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus' under Saint-Prince Volodymyr in 988.

Millennium monument

Change in status 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.

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.

On 25 January, 2010, the parish was added to the Heritage Register.

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. He allowed that for a brief period of time, a parish might remain on the Old (Julian) Calendar.

It seems that subsequently, John's Cathedral in Edmonton, Alberta, was the first to adopt the New (Revised Julian) Calendar.

However, a previously-existing group of persons began to encourage resistance to the immediacy of this change. It was their understanding that the process would be determined ultimately and finally at the next general sobor of the UOCC. 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 (Retired Metropolitan Yurij (Kalistchuk)). He called the resisters to repentance.

Despite the 89-year history of the parish, and the substantial Temple in which many faithful Orthodox Christians worshipped, the closure of the parish (because of a steady decrease in the number of parishioners) because of economic unviability, there is no more history of this parish currently available on the internet.

Congregation of parishioners

Closure

In 2024, as a consequence of depopulation, the parish was closed.

Particular parish information

This parish was part of the Eastern Eparchy, Thunder Bay Region (Deanery), of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada. The dean of the region is the Mitred Archpriest Jaroslaw D. Buciora. The bishop is Bishop Andrij (Peshko).

This parish follows the New (Revised Julian) Calendar.

The Altar Feast-day of the parish is the Feast of Saint Volodymyr of Kyiv, 15 July. In 2024, the pastor of the parish was Mitred Archpriest Jaroslaw D. Buciora.

Address :

Saint Volodymyr Ukrainian Orthodox Church

1502 Mountdale Avenue

Thunder Bay, Ontario

P7E 3A5

Directions :

By car :

From the west : From Highway #1 (Trans-Canada), take the exit for Highway #130/Arthur Street West, and drive eastwards until James Street. Turn right (south), and drive until Frederica Street West. Turn right (west), and drive until Mountdale Avenue. The Temple is on the southeast corner, on the left.

From the east : From Highway (Trans-Canada) #1, take the exit for Highway #61. Keep to the left, and continue south on Highway #61. Take the exit for Neebing Avenue to the left. Drive south on Neebing Avenue until Frederica Street West. Turn left (east) on Frederica Street, and drive until Mountdayle Avenue. The Temple is on the southeast corner, on the right.

By Bus :

Consult the Thunder Bay Transit System.

By railway :

There is VIA Rail railway service to Thunder Bay.

By air :

The Thunder Bay International Airport (YQT) is served by various airlines.

References

A brief History of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada

Yereniuk, Professor Roman, “Short Historical Outline of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada” (UOCC)

UOCC parish listing

Additional information :

“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).

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.

“Ukrainians in Canada” pdf article

Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada web-site

Wikipedia article about the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada

Orthodoxwiki article about the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada

Church of Constantinople web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about the Church of Constantinople

Patriarch Bartholomew (Archontonis)

Metropolitan John (Theodorovych)

Bishop Mstyslav (Skrypnyk)

Metropolitan Ilarion I (Ohienko)

Metropolitan Michael (Khoroshy)