Professor compiles Ukrainian memoir

Serge Cipko's book on St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Parish tells the people's story too

- WCR photo by Ramon Gonzalez Director of the Ukrainian Diaspora Studies Initiative at the University of Alberta, Serge Cipko stands in front of St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church, the main focus of his upcoming book.

By RAMON GONZALEZ
WCR Staff Writer
Edmonton

Legendary Oblate missionary Father Albert Lacombe and Archbishop Émile Legal both played a crucial role in establishment of St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Parish.

They not only took care of the spiritual needs of the early settlers, but also pressed Rome and Galicia for Ukrainian Catholic priests when the settlers began crossing to other churches.

Catholic caring

"I would say Bishop Legal and Father Lacombe genuinely cared about Ukrainian Catholics," says Serge Cipko, who is currently completing a book on the history of St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Parish. "I would say they played an important role in the establishment of St. Josaphat Parish."

Cipko, a history professor and currently director of the Ukrainian Diaspora Studies Initiative at the University of Alberta, wrote the book on the occasion of the parish centennial, which was officially marked in 2002.

But Cipko's book, which he expects to be released "hopefully before November," isn't just about St. Josaphat. It is also about Ukrainian settlement in Alberta and Canada and about Roman-Eastern-rite relations.

"This historical book is our sincere gratitude to the memory of those who deeply believed and were devoted to our Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church," writes Father Mihajlo Planchak, the pastor of the 600-family St. Josaphat Parish. "While reading this book, you will learn about the pain and suffering of several generations of our Ukrainian parishioners, about their everyday heroism, generosity, devotion, and likewise, about our achievements and accomplishments."

The first Ukrainian settlers were peasants who came to the Prairies in the 1890s to work the land.

"Constant appeals for priests, as well as for a bishop, were in vain," writes Cipko.

One difficulty in obtaining permanent Eastern-rite priests at the time was that most Ukrainian Catholic priests were married and the Vatican didn't allow married clergy to serve in the Americas. Finally a group of eight missionaries were sent to Edmonton, including three Basilian priests, a monk and four Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate. Among them were Fathers Platonid Filas and Sozont Dydyk, the parish founders.

Soon after the missionaries' arrival, Legal allocated land for use by the Ukrainian community.

Borrowed money

In 1904, with borrowed money, Dydyk decided to build a church, which, despite opposition, he dedicated to St. Josaphat. The 40x60 feet church was located at Namayo Avenue (97th Street) near Rat Creek, near the current St. Josaphat Cathedral.

Although the blessing of St. Josaphat Church on Nov. 27, 1904 was a breakthrough for Ukrainian Catholics of Edmonton, the church was finished only on the outside. And there was no money available to buy a furnace or coal.

"To remedy this problem, one of the parishioners, Theodore Chichka, mined coal in the banks of the North Saskatchewan River and paid 25 cents to a Frenchman with a team of horses to haul the fuel to the church," relates Cipko.

To finish the interior of the church Dydyk approached a local building supplier who decided to give the materials on credit, charging no interest.

In 1913, as the Ukrainian population increased, the church building was enlarged. In that year too, a monastery-residence was constructed beside the church to house the parish priests and a significant fundraising drive was underway to build a community hall for Ukrainian Catholics.

Picturesque figure

A landmark event for the single Ukrainian Catholic parish in Edmonton was the visit of Metropolitan Sheptytsky in 1910, who the Edmonton Journal described as "one of the most picturesque figures that has visited Edmonton for a long time."

Another was the appointment of Father Basil Ladyka, pastor of St. Josaphat, as the second Canadian Ukrainian bishop in May 1929, replacing Bishop Nykyta Budka.

By the 1940s, more than 6,000 Ukrainians were living in Edmonton. As many families had moved close to St. Josaphat, parish activity increased.

This called for a new, larger church. That's how the current St. Josaphat Cathedral came into being.

Melding of styles

Built between 1939 and 1947, the Byzantine cathedral combines Roman, American Colonial and Renaissance stylings. Seven elaborate domes, a grand entrance and rare, magnificent interior religious murals distinguish the church. Cipko says the cathedral was built by volunteer labour with the excavation of the footings and the basement virtually "dug by the hands of parishioners."

Father Phillip Ruh, an Oblate priest who had studied architecture in Germany and served in Ukraine, designed St. Josaphat, which was designated a cathedral March 3, 1948.

In the book's conclusion, Cipko quotes Planchak saying that up to 2002, the year of St. Josaphat's centennial, priests at the cathedral parish conducted 11,052 baptisms, 5,430 marriages, 4,548 burials and about 50,000 Divine Liturgies.

Copyright © 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 -- Western Catholic Reporter