From the Our Legacy History book. Used with permission of the historic society.

Holy Ascension Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church

This historical review was written with future generations in mind. We hope that it provides those who read it with some understanding of the difficulties faced and the progress made by the early pioneers and their successors. Their love for the church and their need for spiritual fulfillment enabled them to succeed beyond reasonable expectations. It is the wish of those who prepared this history that these pioneer efforts will serve as an example for those who follow.

The first Ukrainian pioneers in the district of Smoky Lake arrived between 1899 and 1902, most of them from the village of Toporiwtzi in the district of Bukovina, Austria, at that time part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Life in the new country was not easy. It took great courage, faith and perseverance for these people to leave their native land forever and to settle in an unknown wilderness to face and endure all the trials and hardships of the tough pioneering venture, in order to establish a new life.

Once these settlers had built their homes, they immediately set about to organize their cultural and religious life. Ukrainians of the Orthodox faith did not have a Ukrainian Orthodox church in Smoky Lake. They were served by the missionaries of the Russian Orthodox faith. The first church built by the Ukrainian people in Smoky Lake about 1905 was the Russo Greek Orthodox Church. Because services in this church were not in Ukrainian, this presented a language barrier for the Ukrainian worshippers. Many of the Ukrainian Orthodox faith were unhappy with what they thought was a foreign mission. It was this dissatisfaction that inspired the leading members of the Ukrainian Orthodox faith in Smoky Lake to consider seriously the possibility of organizing their own church here. The goal they sought to achieve was spiritual fulfillment. There had grown a feeling that they must be served by a Canadian-based Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

A Ukrainian Brotherhood of Canada was established in 1918 whose objectives were to organize and support a Ukrainian (autocephalous) Orthodox Church of Canada which would be independent of all foreign missions and overseas control. Smoky Lake members were aware of the movement. Having faith in God and wishing to pray and to work together for spiritual fulfillment, these pioneers united to form a nucleus of individuals whose purpose was to found a new church in this area.

The first pressing problem the local people had to resolve was that of finding their own priest. The first Ukrainian missionary priest who came to Smoky Lake in 1924 was Reverend John Kussey. He celebrated Divine Liturgy at the home of Joseph Danelowich. HE preached in Ukrainian which made a great impression on the Ukrainian people present. After Father John's sermon there was even greater enthusiasm to continue the work already begun - that of organizing a Ukrainian Greek Orthodox church in this area. Father John did not forget the parish. He visited the Smoky Lake district again on April 21, 1925, which ws Palm Sunday. After the Divine Liturgy, he gave a lecture to the youth in the congregation encouraging them to better themselves in the new world through education. The advice to the young bore fruit because they crowded into the schools, and now many of these individuals hold prominent positions in our society. Father John also encouraged his parishioners to plan their religious and cultural activities and the future parish profited from this encouragement. Their efforts at seeking a more permanent arrangement for religious services in the community were rewarded with the arrival of Reverend Father Seneta who became the first regular priest to serve the Ukrainian Orthodox congregation in Smoky Lake. Father Dmytrow held his first church service in the area in 1925. He was an intelligent and energetic man. He sensed the need among the parishioners for spiritual fulfillment and also for guidance with their cultural and organizational activities.

With his boundless energy he soon established a Ukrainian School, a children's orchestra, and a church choir. Church services were held in the parishioners' homes, in the local school and also in the Ukrainian National Hall. The visitation of his Grace the Most Reverend Archbishop Ivan Theodorowich in 1925 stimulated the congregation even more and the membership rose to 32 families. It was inevitable that a church would soon be built. Because of hardships encountered at that time it wasn't until 1926 that the congregation voted to start building the church. Heading the building committee was Wm. A. Czumer. Many parishioners helped in building the church, giving their time and energy and were guided most ably by Nykoly Woycenko, Stefan Tkach and Kykolay Romaniuk. The church was finally read for use in 1928 and the first Holy Lithurgy was celebrated on November 25th, 1928. The church was filled to capacity and the ecstasy of the congregation was overwhelming.

Read about the creation of the stain glass windows, or about Father Loren.

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