-by Steve, Olga, Ronald and Janice Pilipow; 

Leon and Loretta Machula 

St. Elias is a rural church situated west of Goodeve, Sask. It was often referred to as the Pilipow Church. It was built on the SE 30-24-9-2 in the R.M. of Stanley No.215.

 In 1898, people from Halychyna in western Ukraine began immigrating to Canada. Some of them settled in this area which was then known as Hirzel, in the NWT. Tymko Pillipow arrived that year at Grenfell and acquired a homestead in this vicinity on the SE 21-24-9-2. In March of 1903, George and Evdokia Pillipow, their son Nichola, his wife Maria and their family arrived at Lemberg and also settled in this area. George and Evdokia homesteaded on NE 30-24-9-2. Nykola, Maria and family homesteaded on SE 30-24-9-2.

With the influx of Ukrainian immigrants came many hardships. The immigrants had a strong faith in God necessitating a place of worship and with sickness and death the need for a cemetery grew imminent. Nykola Pilipow donated a five-acre portion of land for a churchyard and cemetery on the SE 30-24-9-2.Thus began the parish of St. Elias.

Building of the church initially began in 1905 and completed in 1908. Logs, cut and hauled, were put together and plastered with a clay preparation both inside and outside. The roof was covered with shingles. In later years, the church was finished with boards on the inside and on the outside. A choir loft was also added.

This was the first church in the area serving distant settlements. The original trustees of the church were Nykola Pilipow, Fedor Hawryliw, Michael Slywka, Stefan Duch, and Tymko Pillipow.

The first priests to serve St. Elias parish were Rev. Zaitseff and Rev. Cherniawski from the Presbyterian mission. In 1913, after the death of Rev. Cherniawski the church was closed until priests from the Russian Orthodox Church arrived. Two of their first priests to serve the parish were Rev. Dutka followed by Rev. Showheniuk who served the parish to 1918 when the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada was formed. Then Ukrainian priests served the parish: Rev. Stratychuk, Rev. Sametz, and Rev. Hrebeniuk.

The passing of time saw the parish grow smaller. Older members died, some joined other parishes, and many moved out of the parish area. In 1960 the last regular Liturgy in the parish was celebrated by Rev. Panchenko. A potluck lunch and picnic followed the service.

Over the years some of the family members of the St. Elias congregation were: Maxim and Maria Wawruck, Stefan Duch, Stefan and Annie Dumalski, William and Annie Dumalski, Fedor Hawryliw, Nick and Nettie Filko, Fedorko and Antonio Filko, John and Tekla Krysowaty, John Kowaliw, Andrew and Nettie Kowaliw, John and Katherine Pillipow, Stephen and Olga Pillipow, Tymko and Pearl Pillipow, Andrew and Natalka Pillipow, Harry and Rose Sawchyn, Michael Slywka, Tanac and Annie Chaban, George and Katherine Pawlyshyn, John and Annie Andrusyk, William and Pearl Kozey, Fred and Pearl Melnyk, Michael and Anastasia (Nellie) Machula, Fedor and Rosie Machula, Harry and Maria Oryschak, John and Nettie Oryschak, Nick and Eyevka Oryshchak, Nichola and Maria Pilipow, S. B. Mykytiuk, Petro Banias, Oleksa Banias, Harry Banias, Fedor Skorobohach, John Halak, Ilko Chonko, George and Evdokia Pillipow.

From 1917 to 1919 Rev. Showheniuk organized a church choir consisting of some young children of the parish. Choir practices were held in the homes of  Nikola Pilipow, Maxim Wawruk, Nykola Filko, and John Kresowaty. The choir members were Evhenia Wawruk, Caroline Wawruk, Walter Wawruk, Tomko Kresowaty, Jean Kresowaty, Maria Filko, Rosie Filko, Michael Filko, Adolko Kresowaty, Anastasia Pilipow, and Stephen Pilipow who was taught to read the Gospel and the Creed. The choir with Rev Showheniuk, his horse and sleigh driven by Nich Oryschak, travelled to Fenwood, Birmingham and to Foam Lake to sing at church services.

St. Elias Church services were a time for prayer and a time to meet friends and neighbors in a cordial atmosphere. After each church service Nykola and Maria Pilipow would invite everyone to dinner at their place. Maria always had enough food on the table  for all. 

In 1910, the Book of Gospels was donated to the church by Nykola Pilipow. In 1914, the tabernacle or “little church” which shelters the chalice was built and donated by Nick Filko of Hubbard, Sask. Tymko Pilipow donated the banners, Harry Oryschak the burial shroud and Nykola Pilipow donated the processional icon. Presently the tabernacle and other arifacts from St. Elias are displayed in the Ukrainian Museum of Canada in Saskatoon, Sask.

In 1917, Nykola Pilipow donated a large bell to St. Elias and a belfry was erected for it near the church where it stood to 1980. Even though the congregation was inactive from 1960, every Easter Sunday, every St. Elias Feastday or on the death of one of the descendants of the area the tolling of the bell could be heard for miles around.

Some of the church cantors were John Krysowaty, Maxim Wawruk, Nykola Pilipow and John Kozey. The priest’s residence was at first located at Goodeve but after 1919 the place of residence was located at Ituna, a more central location.

In 1979, some of the descendants of the early pioneers of the area erected a fieldstone cairn to commemorate their ancestry. The bell was lowered and removed from the belfry then place on the cairn. Only the cedar shingles and siding boards were restored while the rest is of original construction.

The Government of Saskatchewan recognized this as an historic site and donated a plaque for the cairn. On August 3, 1980 an open-air church service was held on this site. The Liturgy was conducted by Rev. Peter Bodnar. A ceremony of the cairn and a homecoming reunion of all descendants of the local pioneers were held. 

Following the Divine Liturgy everyone enjoyed an old fashioned, open-air picnic dinner during which time they were entertained with Ukrainian music, song and dance provided by some of the talented descendants of St. Elias Parish.

The master of ceremonies of the formal program and dedicatory ceremony at the cairn was Larry Machula, a fifth generation descendant of George and Evdokia Pilipow. The program was opened with the singing of “O Canada”. The opening remarks were given by Stephen Pilipow, chairman of the St. Elias Historic Committee. The plaque was unveiled by Penny Samoleski and Boris Machula, also fifth generation descendants of George and Evdokia Pilipow. The history of St. Elias was presented by Ronald J. Pilipow followed by a message from the clergyman, Rev. Peter Bodnar. Greetings were also extended by John Kowalchuk M.L.A. The guest speaker for the occasion was a representative from the Department of Tourism and Renewable Resources, Barry Tethers. The closing remarks were given by Mike Burianyk, a representative of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Central Committee, Ituna, Sask.

The St. Elias Homecoming Reunion Committee thanked everyone for coming to share this special occasion in honour of its pioneers. According to the guest book  approximately 300 descendants and guests from across Canada and the United States attended this memorable event with Olga Pilipow and Loretta Machula organizing the research, finances, and food services. The highlight quotation of the cairn unveiling portion of the program read “Today’s man will be tomorrow’s pioneer; yesterday’s pioneer is today’s history. Today we see this historical site as our roots-roots of those courageous people who fled their country, homes and belongings. They were victims of Czars who sent them as servants to local and foreign landlords, to poverty and persecution, to invasions by bordering countries of Western Europe. These desperate people looked outward towards a new life in a new land, to Canada, where they would find freedom of opportunity, political thought and religion. In the future when we visit this site let us meditate with the words of the great Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko in his poem titled Legacy: “Do not forget to mention with kind and gentle words.”

In 1985, Saskatchewan celebrated its heritage with special events scheduled throughout the province. On August 2, 1985, an open-air church service was held at the cairn site with Rev. Volodymyr Makarenko as the celebrant. A picnic lunch, ball game and sing-song followed the service.