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Special to the WCR, CanadaWestern Catholic Reporter, June 21, 2003
Mundare, Alberta, Canada, June 21, 2003
Mundare...The last weekend of June will mark a milestone in the history of
Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in Mundare as parishioners and
faithful come together during the annual pilgrimage (vidpust) to celebrate
the 100th anniversary of the founding of the parish.
Under the direction of Father Platonid Filas, pioneer missionary and first
superior of the Basilian Fathers Missions in Canada, a home was built 13 km
southeast of Mundare, then known as Beaver Lake.
On Sts. Peter and Paul Day, 1903 (July 12 on the Julian calendar), the first
liturgy was celebrated there. That date is the reason the Mundare mission
was put under the protection and patronage of these two great apostles.
From those pioneer times the annual pilgrimage on Sts. Peter and Paul Day
has attracted a vast number of faithful.
There was a desire on the part of the clergy to have a church constructed;
the projected cost of $17,000 in 1904 was too much, so a small chapel was
constructed and served for the next six years.
In 1909 Father Chrysostom Tymochko called meetings to discuss the building
of a church and in July of that year, a decision to proceed was made. Each
farmer in attendance pledged $20 and the bishop promised $500. The plans
proceeded in 1910 under Father Naucratiy Kryzanowsky.
Originally, the church was to be built next to the monastery - on the farm,
but the townspeople wanted the honour of having the church built in Mundare.
They threatened to build their own church and get their own priest if they
could not get the one planned, thus forcing the decision to locate on the
outskirts of the town, on a one-acre parcel of land donated by M. Shewchuk.
The church was to be completed in three months at a cost of $4,500. On Aug.
8, a cornerstone of the church was blessed by the prime minister of Canada,
Wilfred Laurier, who at the time was visiting some "more important places"
in Alberta. Premier Sifton of Alberta assisted. The prime minister took the
silver trowel he used to dab cement on the cornerstone as a souvenir.
On Oct. 23 Metropolitan Andrew Sheptycky, blessed the new building. On Dec.
20 the church was completed, the Sisters Servants decorated it and on
Christmas Day (Jan.7, 1911 - Julian calendar) Mundare celebrated the holy
day in a new, beautiful and stylish church.
The church saw some expansion and changes to its structure and served the
faithful for many decades. In 1950, Father Vital Pidskalny officially
proclaimed the campaign for the building fund of a new church. Donations
slowly filtered in and the plan was to keep the cost of the church to
$325,000. Construction was delayed because of the lack of funds and the need
to negotiate with the town for water and sewer hook-up.
The lowest submitted tender in 1966 was $489,143 was an impossible target
for Mundare. A meeting in 1968 agreed to plans for a church costing $225,000
($115,000 was already in the building fund) and Forest Construction was
granted the tender to commence building. Architect was Eugene Olekshy.
On May 19, Bishop Neil Savaryn participated in the blessing and sod-turning
ceremony.
Total cost of the new church was $178,000.
On a bright frosty night, Dec. 24, Christmas Eve, Mundare bid farewell to
its old, wooden church. For the last time carols were sung during the
midnight services in the old church, and amid the joyful pealings of the
bells, the holy sacraments were transferred to the new church. The superior
Father Pidskalny, pastor and organizer of the new church, celebrated
midnight Mass.
Today the octagonal church serves as the centre of worship for Ukrainian
Catholics of Mundare and area. As many rural churches reduce the number of
liturgies celebrated or close down completely, many of their parishioners
journey to Mundare's Sts. Peter and Paul Church.
Over the years, the events of the church were closely intertwined with the
activities of the Basilian Fathers and the Sister Servants of Mary
Immaculate.
This is an exciting year for the Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Mundare. In
recognition of the centenary of the parish, a planning committee has been
diligently preparing a host of activities to be held during the annual
vidpust weekend, June 26 to 29.
The solemn Divine Liturgy celebrated on Sunday, June 29 will be the
culmination of the centennial activities for the Basilian Fathers, the
Sisters Servants and the parish, as all three have observed their 100th
anniversaries within the past year.
All readers are asked to look for further information in posters, brochures
and ads placed in communities throughout the area. A cordial invitation is
extended to everyone to join any or all of the activities.
FOR PERSONAL AND ACADEMIC USE ONLY
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