Skaro AB Holy Ascension Russo Orthodox Church and Cemetery 1898

Skaro, Alberta, Church and Cemetery in the Name of the Holy Ascension, 1898

Prehistory

The parish of the Russo Orthodox Church at Skaro, Alberta, Canada, was organised in the years 1897-1898.

Skaro is situated in Lamont County, which is a part of the large region presently known as “Kalyna Country”, and it was part of the Edna-Star Colony of the Ukrainian Block Settlement. It is at some distance to the northeast from Skaro Lake, which is found north of Township Road #572. At the time of the arrival of the newcomers, this region was still (until 1905) the North-West Territories of Canada.

Many of the settlers of the region around Skaro arrived in the early part of the "first wave" of immigration. They came primarily from the region of Galicia (Halychyna) of the former Kingdom of Galicia and Ludomeria in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Many of the newcomers arrived as a consequence of the enticements of the Government of Canada in Galicia and Bucovina, as conveyed by Dr. Josef Oleskow. The Ukrainian, Polish, and German languages were all known and used by people both in Europe, and in this part of Alberta.

As was the custom at the time, an application was made to the government for a grant of 16 hectares (40 acres) of land for the purpose of establishing a place of worship. This was the standard amount of land allotted at the time. The allotment was made in 1898. However, in this case, the distinction between Orthodox Christians and Ukrainian Catholic Christians produced the unusual subdivision of these 16 hectares (40 acres) into 2 parcels of 8 hectares (20 acres) each, one for the Ukrainian Catholics, the other for the Orthodox believers. It was in 1900 that the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was constructed just to the south of the Orthodox Temple.

The location of the Holy Ascension Russo-Greek Catholic Orthodox Church of Skaro is unique, as it shares a common cemetery with the Skaro Greek Catholic Church of the Holy Cross. This fact is an expression of the early history of the district in which it is situated. From the earliest days, there was an inter-mixture of both Orthodox and Greek-Catholic people who had immigrated and settled near one another.

Founding the parish, 1898

The founders and builders of the first Temple and congregation in 1897-1898 were Ivan Sachman and Wasyl Lopushinsky, 2 Russian patriots who had recently arrived. The founding parishioners were :

 Pavlo and Palahna Gudzan ; Wasyl and Anna Hunka ; Feodor and Katryna Kinash ; Petro Kinash ; 
 Anton and Hazel Krys ; Wasyl and Hafia Krys ; Nikolai and Domka Lakusta ; Hrihori and Rosalia Lopushinsky ; 
 John and Katerina Lopushinsky ; Matvi and Katerina Lopushinsky ; Safat and Matronka Lopushinsky ; 
 Theodore and Euphemia Lopushinsky ; Wasyl and Eva Lopushinsky ; John and Katarina Makowesky ; 
 Makita and Pearl Moschansky ; Ivan and Elena Sachman ; Wasyl and Fimka Zarcharko ; and their families.

First Temple, 1899

The first log Temple was sanctified in the name of the Protection of the Mother of God during the time when Bishop Tikhon (Belavin) was the diocesan bishop in North America.

This Temple was used until 1920. Then, because it was decided to rebuild the Temple, it was dismantled, and the logs were hauled to a nearby sawmill.

Second Temple, 1927

The logs were sawn into lumber, and the present-day structure was immediately constructed from that lumber.

The reconstruction in progress

The Temple is a tripartite structure with a large central dome and 2 small cupolas over the nave and sanctuary.

This second Temple was formally sanctified during a 1927 episcopal visitation by Bishop Adam (Philipovsky), and the name was changed to the Holy Ascension.

The Temple in winter

Time of historical disturbances

After World War I and after the Bolshevik Revolution against the Russian Empire, there came to Canada and to Alberta a period of considerable disturbance in Church life.

At the end of the war, the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada had been established, and many parishes throughout the prairie provinces determined to join this entity because of the use of the Ukrainian language instead of Church Slavonic in the services. During the 1920s and 1930s also, there were divisions of sorts amongst the western Canadian parishes of the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in North America.

Bishop Adam (Philipovsky) had previously been the administrator of the Canadian parishes of the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in North America (ROGCCNA) when it was yet the North American Diocese of the Russian Mission. However, he became a bishop of an early form of the Carpatho-Rusyn Diocese in the USA in 1922, and during the following decades he made visits to the Canadian parishes he once served. These visits were welcomed by the people, since they knew and loved him from before ; however, he did not do so with the blessing of the ruling bishop at that time, Bishop Arseny (Chahovtsov). This caused confusion and some controversy as a result. Some of the effects of those incorrect visits remained for a long time afterwards.

The choir

In 1934-1935, a choir of young singers was founded, and trained in the singing of 4-part harmony. There were already 50 members of this choir at the beginning, and good liturgical singing remained thereafter an important element in parish worship, and also in the social life of the parish. During this particular year, John T Lopushinsky (who lived and studied in New York) had returned to spend a year with his parents. A talented musician and choir-director, he spent a great amount of time and energy in forming the eager singers at Skaro (most notably, Daniel T Lopushinsky who led the singing for 47 years after this). He organised several rehearsals per week, and before he returned to his studies, he had prepared about 50 young men, women, and children to sing the services correctly in four-part harmony, in Church Slavonic. That one winter of intense focus bore fruit in the local singing for many decades afterwards.

Rural depopulation

As have all other rural parishes across Western Canada, this parish community suffered from rural depopulation, which began in the 1930s. This accelerated after World War II with the increase in mechanisation and the consolidation of small farms into larger ones. The consequence of this was the move of many people into various urban areas.

By the 1990s, the number of farms had decreased even more greatly because a great many had been bought by larger and larger farming operations.

Further development

In 1942, the parish realised another great achievement by purchasing a beautifully-toned church bell. The bell was then mounted on a 20-foot high bell-house made from local field-stones. At the sound of the bell, emotional joys and memories are aroused in the hearts of the living parishioners who continue to remember and appreciate the faith and sacrifices of their forefathers and founders of the parish.

The new bell-house

The Temple is beautifully decorated inside, in traditional Orthodox style. Inside, there is a 4-tier iconostas. It includes a framed icon on the right side, which depicts the Ascension of Christ. This icon was commissioned in 1947 from the artist Peter Lipinski, a famous church painter from Edmonton, Alberta. The Temple is lit by an impressive chandelier suspended from the central dome.

This parish is well-known for the high quality of the congregational singing, as well as the choral singing.

Throughout its history, the parish of the Holy Ascension has served as a focus of worship and a source of spiritual strength for all those who have lived in this region.

In 1980, the parish received an Alberta government grant in order to establish a monument to memorialise the founders of the parish.

Monument to pioneers and founders

Annual memorial services continued throughout the parish history

The annual post-Pascha memorial services at the graves in the cemetery continued to be offered every year from the beginning.

On 23 May, 1985, Daniel T Lopushinsky, the long-time self-taught, capable and devoted choir-leader was formally thanked for his 50 years of service as the choir director and cantor of the parish.

In 1988, the millennium year of the Baptism of Rus’, the parish undertook 2 projects. One was the beautification of the grounds, and the second was the provision of a small social centre for the parish. A dedicated workforce of parishioners completed both projects and the resulting centre became used for various parish functions.

Millennium commemorative cairn

100 years

1998 marked the centennial year of the founding of the parish and of the construction of the first Temple.

In 2001, at the conclusion of the regular Archdiocesan Assembly Meeting of the Archdiocese of Canada of The Orthodox Church in America in Edmonton, Alberta, buses of representatives and clergy visited various historical rural parishes, including the Holy Ascension Church at Skaro. The parishioners warmly greeted their guests, who had been quite delayed in their journey as they visited many Temples. At each stop, the visitors learnt a considerable amount about the history of the Orthodox Church in Canada, and the visit to this Temple was no exception.

Although the parish is relatively small, it is active and functions very well to provide its parishioners with an Orthodox Christian life. The Temple and cemetery are maintained by fourth and fifth generation descendants of the early pioneers.

Aerial view of the Temple and belfry (left) ; Aerial view of the Temple and hall (right)

The Holy Ascension Cemetery at Skaro, 1898

Holy Ascension Cemetery is located near Holy Ascension Temple at Skaro, Alberta.

The Land description site is : SE 01-57-20 W4, Range Road #200

The GPS co-ordinates are : Coordinates: 53.90960, -112.82910

Lamont County, Alberta

Holy Ascension Cemetery

Particular parish details

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 the parish is the Feast of the Ascension of Christ, 40 days after the Feast of Pascha.

In 2023, the pastor of this parish is the Priest Alexey Surayev.

Gate sign : Holy Ascension Russo Orthodox Temple and Cemetery

Address :

Holy Ascension Russo Orthodox Church at Skaro

Land description site SE01-57-20-W4

Range Road #200

Lamont County, Alberta

Directions :

From nearby places :

The Temple is located approximately 70 km (44 mi) northeast of Edmonton, Alberta.

On Highway #45, drive 16 km (10 mi) north and east from Bruderheim to Skaro Road (Range Road #200). Turn left on Range Road #200 and drive 1 km (½ mi) north. The Temple is on the left.

From the intersection of Highway #45 and Secondary Highway #831, drive west to Skaro Road (Range Road #200). Turn right and drive 1 km (½ mi) north. The Temple is on the left.

From Edmonton :

Skaro is approximately 65 minutes by car from Edmonton.

From the city of Edmonton, drive on Manning Drive until Highway #28A north. Turn left on Highway #28A. At Gibbons, turn right on Highway #643, eastwards, then northwards. At Highway #38, turn right. Drive eastwards on Highway #38, which becomes Highway #45. Drive to Skaro Road (Range Road #200). Turn left and drive 1 km (½ mi) northwards. The Temple is on the left.

Address sign

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

Archdiocese of Canada — Orthodox Church in America, “The Orthodox Church in Canada : A Chronology” (Ottawa : Archdiocese of Canada, 1988).

A Chronological History of the Archdiocese of Canada, Part I

Dictionary of Ukrainian Canadian Biography of Pioneer Settlers of Alberta (Edmonton : Ukrainian Pioneer Association of Alberta, 1984), pp. 160-162.

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

“Pride in Progress : Chipman - St. Michael - Star Districts” (Chipman, Alberta : Alberta Rose Historical Society, 1982), pp. 575-576. ISBN : 0-88925-369-2.

“The Russian Mission in North America”

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.

St. Barbara's Russian Orthodox Cathedral, “A century of faith : St. Barbara's Russian Orthodox Cathedral, Edmonton, Alberta, 1902-2002” (Edmonton : St. Barbara's Russian Orthodox Cathedral, 2002). ISBN-10 : 0973117400 ; ISBN-13 : 978-0973117400.

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 :

MP listing

Moscow Patriarchate Parishes web-site

Wikipedia article about the Patriarchal Parishes in Canada

Orthodoxwiki article about the Russian Orthodox Church 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 of America

Archdiocese of Canada web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about the Archdiocese of Canada

Orthodox Church in America web-site