View source for Abbotsford BC †Russian Orthodox Church of Saints Peter and Paul 1934-1975


[[File:Saints Peter and Paul Church Abbotsford BC 1.jpg]] 

'''Abbotsford, British Columbia, †Saints Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox Church, 1934-1975'''


==Founding the parish, 1934==

In July, 1934, the idea arose (amongst parishioners of [[Vancouver BC Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Sobor 1924 |Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Church]] in [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/vancouver Vancouver]), [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/british-columbia British Columbia], [https://www.britannica.com/place/Canada Canada], to build a [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Chapel chapel] for the spiritual needs of the small group of [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Introduction_to_Orthodox_Christianity Orthodox Christian] people in the [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/abbotsford Abbotsford] area of the [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/fraser-river-lowland Fraser River Valley]. 

A [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brotherhood brotherhood] [https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/15018_01 society] was created, which included :
  Victor Kuritsin ; Maria Kuznetsov ; Sergei Laskavy ; Andrei and Nadezhda Mitrofanov ; 
  [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/117127295/joseph_kanstantin_okulitch Joseph, Alexandra, and Nadezhda Okulitch] ; [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/107500165/konstantin-pichugin Konstantin, Faina, and Peter Pichugin].

Konstantin Trofimovich Pichugin donated a plot, 40 by 30 feet, for free use. 

[https://orthodoxcanada.ca/Archpriest_Alexander_Kiziun Father Alexander Kiziun] blessed the plot, laid the cornerstone and helped energetically in the construction.  The society members worked hard, and the [https://oca.org/reflections/fr.-steven-kostoff/ss.-peter-and-paul-the-greatest-and-most-righteous-pillars-of-the-church Saints Peter and Paul] Church was [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Consecration_of_a_church sanctified] on 30 December, 1934.  [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Iconography Icons] and decorations were donated by the members.  

This chapel served the people who lived in the Fraser River Valley region for many years thereafter.

==Closure of the parish, 1975==

In 1964, because of a lack of parishioners, the chapel was handed over to the [http://www.holyres.org/en/?p=216 Russian Orthodox Society of Vancouver], and services continued to be offered there by priests who travelled from Vancouver.  This continued until 1975, when the chapel was sold.

'''Last clergy to serve in the community'''

The last clergy to serve in this Temple included :

  [[Bishop Joasaph (Antoniuk)]] 
  [http://www.holyres.org/en/?page_id=68 Mitred Archpriest Peter Kurzemnek], 
  [[Mitred Archpriest Oleg and Matushka Natalia Boldireff |Archpriest Oleg Boldireff]] 
  [[Archimandrite Cyril (Bulashevitch)]]

==Parish particular information ==

This chapel was part of the [http://orthodoxcanada.ca/Category:British_Columbia_%26_Yukon British Columbia & Yukon Deanery] of the [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Archdiocese_of_Canada Archdiocese of Canada], of [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Orthodox_Church_in_America The Orthodox Church in America].  

This chapel followed the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_calendar Old (Julian) Calendar].

The Altar [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Feast_day Feast-day] of this chapel was the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_Saints_Peter_and_Paul Feast of Saints Peter and Paul], 29 June/12 July.

==References==

[http://www.holyres.org/en/?page_id=324 Original article about the Russian Orthodox Church of Saints Peter and Paul, Abbotsford, British Columbia]


'''Additional information : 

[https://www.archdiocese.ca Archdiocese of Canada web-site]     

[https://orthodoxwiki.org/Archdiocese_of_Canada Orthodoxwiki article about the Archdiocese of Canada]   

[https://orthodoxwiki.org/Orthodox_Church_in_America Orthodoxwiki article about The Orthodox Church in America]   

[http://www.holyres.org/en/?p=210 Holy Resurrection Church, Vancouver, history article with a paragraph about the Archpriest Alexander Kizyun].

[[Bishop Joasaph (Antoniuk)]]

[[Mitred Archpriest Oleg and Matushka Natalia Boldireff |Archpriest Oleg Boldireff]]

[[Archimandrite Cyril (Bulashevitch)]]

[https://orthodoxcanada.ca/Archpriest_Alexander_Kiziun Archpriest Alexander Kiziun]  

[http://orthodoxcanada.ca/Vancouver_BC_Holy_Resurrection_Russian_Orthodox_Sobor_1924#Archpriest_Peter_Kurzemnek,_1952 Mitred Archpriest Peter Kurzemnek]      

[[Vancouver BC Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Sobor 1924 |Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Sobor, Vancouver, British Columbia]]

[https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/fraser-river-lowland/ Canadian Encyclopaedia article about the Fraser River Valley]

[https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/abbotsford/ Canadian Encyclopaedia article about Abbotsford, British Columbia]   





[[Category:Old Communities]]  [[Category:British Columbia & Yukon]]  [[Category:ROGCCNA]] [[Category:OCA]]