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St. Mary Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Punnichy “The Blue Church” RM of Emerald No.277 NE 32-28-16-W2 -by Fred Muzichuk and Nina Smith
In the new land of freedom the Ukrainian pioneers missed most of
all a place of worship. In
To go to church one had to be up at 5AM. A picnic lunch was
prepared the previous night for the fellowship and visitation of other
Ukrainians following the Liturgy. Everyone returned home to the evening
chores with a feeling of community and contentment.
In 1936 a general meeting was called when it was decided to buy a
two acre plot for church site and plans were drawn up for the erection of
a church building. With great pioneering enthusiasm each member agreed to
provide a specified number of squared logs and to donate the necessary
labour. The construction began in the spring of 1937 and completed before
fieldwork began.
Each man was an expert of sorts with the axe, hammer and saw. John
Wikulich, a skilled blacksmith, made the cupolas and the crosses. Poplars
obtained locally provided the basic building material. Older men built the
framework while the younger sawed the lumber
for the roof, rafters and the floor. Shingles, doors and windows
were purchased. In June of that year the ladies assisted by the men held a
bee to cover the interior and exterior walls with plaster made of a clay,
water and straw mixture. The clay was hauled in from Prairie Chicken Hill.
Preparations for the
dedicatory service in June of 1938 included interior and exterior
whitewashing. Ivan Muzichuk carved the altar and the Royal Doors, candle
holders and frames for the icons. These were decorated with crepe paper
flowers and embroidered scarves made during the winter. He also crafted
the tables, benches and the choir loft.
The congregation was large and active. Choir practices and social
functions such as dances to raise money were held at the Muzichuk home. By
1940 enough money was raised for the cost of siding for the exterior and
beaver board for the interior. The church was painted blue, the Ukrainian
national color. An addition to support a bell purchased by Ivan Muzichuk
at Semans was built on the west side of the church building. The site was
broken,
seeded to grass and fenced. Trees were planted on two sides.
The first sad event was the passing of John Kondratuik, a boy of
six. Members of the congregation gathered at the home to comfort and to
aid the bereaved family. It was a Ukrainian custom to have someone stay
with the family while the body lay in state. The ladies supplied the food-holubtsi,
vareniky, homemade sausage and bread. During the night they made wreaths
and crepe paper flowers for the funeral sprays. The men took turns reading
the Psalms and Epistles. Ivan Muzichuk made the casket of planks. He lined
it with white cloth on the inside and with black cloth on the outside. He
also made a wooden cross to mark the grave.
The funeral was held on the third day. The coffin was conveyed by a
team of horses with people following the wagon on foot to the cemetery
three miles distant. In the absence of a priest Ivan Muzichuk conducted
the brief funeral service with a passage from the Bible, a prayer and the
hymn Vichnaya Pamyat
(Memory Eternal). Everyone returned to the Kondratuik’s for a meal and
to be with the family for the rest of the day.
The first wedding in the church was that of Alice Lucuik and
William Kachur. The building had to be heated for two days before the
wedding, another task devotedly provided by Ivan Muzichuk and the forty
below zero weather did not dampen the spirits of the wedding party.
The Liturgy lasted about one and one-half hours before the marriage
ceremony commenced with its ritual and symbolism. The bride and groom held
candles throughout the service, symbolic of the spiritual willingness of
the couple to receive Christ who will bless them throughout this
Sacrament; the joining of their right hands symbolized the union into
“oneness” of the couple; the climax of the ceremony was the couple’s
crowning as the king and queen of their kingdom, their own home which they
will enter and establish. The priest then led the couple about the table
upon which was placed the Gospel and the Cross. This represented the first
steps of the couple as husband and wife, the Church and Gospel
representing their centre of life.
The Second World War called many families away-to Hamilton,
Toronto, St. Catherine’s while others moved to Vancouver and other
points west leaving behind only a few of the original members. These few
still hold annual bees to maintain the cemetery and to upkeep the church
building. Of late, the roof was repaired, its exterior painted and the
interior cleaned.
A memorial service for Ivan and Oksenia Muzichuk was held at the
church on August 23, 1970. This was the last service after thirty-two
years of worship. Many of the artifacts were removed for safe keeping,
particularly after the chandelier, donated by the late Ivan Muzichuk, and
one icon, “The Last Supper” disappeared. Some articles were donated to
the Wynyard Orthodox Church.
For many years the Church had not been locked. Many travelers and
passers-by dropped in for a moment of quiet meditation and to admire this
monument to the pioneers of the thirties. The “Blue Church”, the St.
Mary Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Punnichy still stands at the crossroads
as a tribute to the pioneers who with dedication, determination and
perseverance brought the Ukrainian religion and tradition to a new land. Update: On July 27,1995 a new gate and fence were designed and constructed by Fred Yewsuk with materials provided by Fred Muzichuk. Submitted by Russell C. Sawchyn |
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