Woking AB Holy Trinity Russo Greek Orthodox Church 1951

Woking, Alberta, Russian Greek Orthodox Holy Trinity Church, 1951

"Woking" is pronounced as "woe-king".

Prehistory, 1920s-1940s

The region of what is now Saddle Hills County, Alberta, Canada, is situated in the Peace River region of north-western Alberta. It is located 56 km north of Grande Prairie, and 154 km south-west of Peace River. This fertile area was originally the territory of the Dane-zaa people. It was not until 1899 that a treaty was signed and the land became available for European immigrants. The majority of these newcomers were at first from Great Britain.

Woking, Alberta, Canada, was beginning to form as a service-centre for farmers only sometime later. The hamlet was named for the town of Woking in Surrey, England.

The first Orthodox Christian settlers in the Peace River region of Alberta were actually Old Believers who settled at Hines Creek, in the Clear Hills County of Alberta in the 1920s. This is about 565 km (351 mi) northwest from Edmonton. They arrived after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 in Russia.

Later, other Orthodox Christian settlers were generally from Western Ukraine, and they arrived in the 1930s and 1940s. Thus, many of the settlers east of Woking (86 km (54 mi) south of Hines Creek) were of Ukrainian origin and of the Orthodox Christian Faith, but they did not have a Temple of their own in the pioneer days. Consequently, many of the young children born in the early years were not baptised (or were baptised only later). Moreover, when a priest would be available, many baptisms would occur at the same time. This would also be the case with the blessing of marriages.

There was no priest to care for this particular area. People who wished to pray in the usual manner of Orthodox Christians began to have services in their homes. They simply read what they could of the services of the First, Third, Sixth, Ninth Hours, Vespers, Matins. These can be done without a priest, and be led by a reader.

Early pastoral service

The first priest to serve in this region was the Archpriest Evtimi Pashchenko (†1944), of the Canadian diocese of the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in North America (ROGCCNA). In time, he was invited to go to Woking. He would therefore periodically travel south to Woking from Rycroft. He used to manage travelling the 24 km (15 mi) to Woking by using a horse and buggy. In the same way, he also served Spirit River, 10 km (6 mi) to the west of Rycroft (all these distances take many hours by horse). In winter, when the temperature was -20 or -30 degrees Celsius, these were not pleasant trips. When it was too cold, there would simply be no services. However, when there were services offered, these would be undertaken in private homes.

Building the Temple, 1950-1951

As the years passed, the people at Woking decided that they would like to have a Temple of their own.

They organised themselves and formed a parish council. The first officers were :

 Archie Student, president ; Nick Shura, secretary-treasurer

The first parishioners included :

 Victor and Nettie Bombier ; George and Anna Bozko ; Tom and Eva Diatel ; George and Motra Deley ; 
 Steve and Mary Konopelko ; Feodosia Lucuk ; Andrew and Polly Shura ; Sawa and Fiedora Shura ; 
 Nick and Fedora Wierelychuk ; Dan and Paulashka Wolynec, and their families

The land for the Temple was donated by John Mylumuk. He was a merchant in Woking, and he owned some land in the village. This donation in 1949 enabled the beginning of construction.

Logs were hauled from the bush and sawed into lumber. It was all volunteer labour, done by the men of the parish. The remainder of money was raised by donations and raffles. Some parishioners went carolling during the Christmas festive season.

The Woking Holy Trinity Temple was completed in 1951, and it was registered under the name “Holy Trinity Canadian Russian Greek Orthodox Church of Woking”. During that year, Priest Bushmakim sanctified the Temple (with the blessing of the bishop). This was Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevich), who was Locum-tenens of the Archdiocese of Canada at that time.

The first couple to be married in this Temple were David and Esther Shura, in 1952.

In the earlier years, there were good and competent singers, and the singing during the worship services was very pleasing to those who were present.

Soon after the construction of the Temple, the parishioners built a small house. The main occupant during that decade was Priest-monk Mefody (Osadchuk), who served the Divine Liturgy every Sunday, and also on Feast-days.

Transfer to the “Russian Exarchate”

It was not long after this that that the parish began to be served by the Exarchate of the Moscow Patriarchate under Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk). This transfer occurred because Archbishop Panteleimon lived only a 6-hour drive away, whereas the bishop of the Archdiocese of Canada was at that time in Toronto, Ontario. In addition, there was a great shortage of clergy at that time in the Archdiocese of Canada.

Archimandrite Seraphim (Filimonoff) was one of the priests who served the community during the 1980s.

Paschal services with Father Seraphim (Filimonoff)

In recent years, as the older people fell asleep in the Lord, and more local people began to move to the big cities, the number of members of the parish has declined steadily. Services were then offered only irregularly.

One of the priests who served this parish for many years was the Archpriest Michael Fourik, who lived in Lamont, Alberta.

Holy Trinity iconostas

It is worth noting that this is the only Temple in this region (and the only one of the parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in Alberta and Saskatchewan) which does not have its own parish cemetery on or near the property.

Dinner after the Pentecost services, 1992

As with other rural parishes, this community suffered seriously from rural depopulation. As a consequence, services became very infrequent. Ultimately, the remaining Faithful could afford only annual grave-blessings after Pascha.

Priests who have served in this parish include :

 Archpriest Evtimi Pashchenko ; Priest Bushmakim ; Priest-monk Mefody (Osadchuk) ; Archimandrite Seraphim (Filimonov) ; 
 Archpriest Wasyl Hochachka ; Archpriest Michael Fourik ; Archpriest John Shandra ; 
 Archpriest Alexey Surayev.

The more recent clergy have travelled for the most part from the region near Edmonton, Alberta.

Transfer of the Temple to a museum, 2017

According to the following article, the Temple of Holy Trinity, Woking, was moved to a museum in Sexsmith, Alberta, in 2017 :

 The Holy Trinity Russian Greek Orthodox Church was relocated in 2017 from Woking to Sexsmith 
 and now stands next to the historic Paszkowski Family Farm Home.  In the early days, Woking 
 did not have a church and on occasion a priest from the Spirit River area would visit Woking 
 by horse and buggy.  Finally in 1950 Woking had its own church, when the Holy Trinity Russian 
 Greek Orthodox Church was built by the early Ukrainian settlers of the area.  It was located 
 a short distance to the east of Woking.  More recent people have referred to it as the Woking 
 Ukrainian Church and served the community until 2017.

Sexsmith, Alberta, is located 35.41 km (22 miles) south from Woking (following Highway #2), and 22.53 km (14 miles) north of Grande Prairie (following Highway #2).

Holy Trinity Cemetery

The cemetery area of Holy Trinity Parish is not on the same site as is the Temple ; however, a place had to be found in which the Faithful departed of the parish might be interred.

Annual provody (blessing of graves), 1996, with Archpriest Michael Fourik

With the move of the Temple to Sexsmith, the cemetery remained in its place, and the memorial prayers are offered on the site.

Particular parish information

This parish is part of the Moscow Patriarchate Parishes in Canada. The bishop is Bishop Matthew (Andreev).

This parish follows the Old (Julian) Calendar.

The Altar Feast-day of this parish is the Feast of Pentecost (Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Most Holy Trinity).

In 2023, the priest who serves the parish is the Priest Alexey Surayev.

Address :

Russian Greek Orthodox Holy Trinity Church

SW-19-76-5-W6

Woking,

Saddle Hills County, Alberta

T0H 3V0

Directions :

The Temple is located on the outskirts of the village Woking. It is about 501 km (311 mi) northwest of Edmonton.

This Temple is about 40 km (25 mi) south of the Holy Trinity Temple in Spirit River, and 70 km (44 mi) north of the city of Grand Prairie.

Grande Prairie is accessible by road, or by air through the Grande Prairie Airport.

From Edmonton, the distance by road to Grande Prairie is about 460 km (286 mi). The travel time is about 6 hours.

From Edmonton, drive westwards on Highway #16 (Yellowhead) until Exit #340 to the right for Highway #43 North. Follow Highway #43 all the way to Grande Prairie. Approaching Grande Prairie, follow the directional signs at Highway #2 South for Grande Prairie (unless one wishes to continue onwards, in which case one turns right, that is north, at Highway #2).

From Grand Prairie, drive north on Highway #2 to the Woking corner. Turn left (west) and drive 4 km (3 mi). The Temple is on the right.

Priest Alexey Surayev, Pastor of the parish

5003-46 Street, PO Box 483

Lamont, Alberta

T0B 2R0

Telephone : (780) 895-2149

Mobile : (780) 991-4981

E-mail : aleksurus@gmail.comv

Bishop Matthew (Andreev) of Sourozh,

Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in Canada

Addresses :

10812-108 Street

Edmonton, Alberta

Canada

Telephone : (780) 420-9945

OR :

67, Ennismore Gardens

London, SW7 1NH

United Kingdom

Telephone : 011-44-207-584-0096

E-mail : sourozhdiocese@me.com

References

“Patriarchal Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in Canada, 100 Years of Orthodoxy in Canada 1897-1997 : Pictorial Memories” (Edmonton, Alberta : Patriarchal Parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in Canada, 1997).

Russian Orthodox Church History Book Committee, “Patriarchal Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in Canada, Millennium of the Baptism of Rus’” (Edmonton : Russian Orthodox Church History Book Committee, 1988). ISBN : 0-88925-830-9.

Russian Mission in North America

Tarasar, Constance J, ed., “Orthodox America 1794-1976 : Development of The Orthodox Church in America” (Syosset, NY : The Orthodox Church in America Department of History and Archives, 1975). ASIN : B000ZLZAUE.

Additional information :

Orthodoxwiki article about the Archdiocese of Canada

MP parishes listing (in Russian)

MP parishes listing (in English)

Moscow Patriarchate Parishes web-site

Wikipedia article about the Patriarchal Parishes in Canada

Orthodoxwiki article about the Patriarchal Parishes in Canada

Archdiocese of Canada web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about the Archdiocese of Canada

Orthodox Church in America web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about The Orthodox Church in America

Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevich)