It is difficult to overestimate just how important having a place to congregate and worship would have been for early Saskatchewan immigrants.
In 1916, Ukrainian Catholic farmers in the area southwest of Sheho founded the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish. An inaugural divine liturgy was celebrated by Reverand Father Louis Van den Bosch in the home of founding member Anton Gulka.
That same year, parishioners put together $1,000 and, led by Kikolaj Gulka built a small church on forested three-acre parcel of land donated by Petro Shewchuk.
The very next year, the church was expanded and redecorated, including construction of an iconostasis to separate the sanctuary from the nave.
in 1918, the parish had a very special visit from Bishop Nykyta Budka, who is legendary for having toured the western Canadian Ukrainian block settlements by train, horse and on foot during the harsh winter of 1912-1913. During his 1918 visit he blessed the fledgling church and its parishioners.
Over the years, the parish has grown. In 1934 the building was again expanded and a second building, a belfry was added. In 1938, they got the bell for the belfry.
A wooden mission cross was added in 1941. It was replaced by a metal one in 2009.
Since 1990 many renovations have been undertaken including extension of the entryway and choir loft, refurbishment of the belfry, vinyl siding on both buildings and an overhaul of the adjacent cemetery.
The parish added a banquet hall to the site in 2000, primarily for celebrating Prasnyk, the annual Ukrainian feast day.
One century on, the church is still a focal point of the community. To mark 100 years, the Most Reverand Bishop Bryan Joseph Bayda, head of the Eparchy of Saskatoon, along with local priest Father Bohdan Lukie celebrated the Divine Liturgy.
The church itself was filled to overflowing, while many more parishioners congregated at picnic tables and on the grass outside.
Following the service, Bishop Bayda blessed the graves in the cemetery.
That was followed by a catered lunch in the hall and on the adjacent lawn.
Good fortune and the sun shone on the celebrations with very comfortable temperatures and the high winds and rain holding off until later in the afternoon after the festivities concluded.
