Star-Edna - Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Church
15 km. northeast of Star-Edna
Star-Edna County (SE-27-56-19-W4)
This parish is known for two (2) significant events in the history of Ukrainian settlement in Western Canada
Ivan Pylypiw (1859 - 1936) was the first Ukrainian immigrant in Canada to settle in this area. Also, he was a founding member of the parish. Both Ivan and his wife Maria are buried in the church cemetery. (1)
The second event was the legal and religious dispute that took place at the parish in the early 1900s. The legal outcome provided precedence and guidance for other congregations who faced similar circumstances with regard to parish trusteeship. Description of this incidence can be found here.
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The present church was constructed in 1913. (2) Logs from the original 1898 church were used in its construction. Oriented on the east-west axis, the church is designed on a central longitudinal cruciform plan following Byzantine traditions. The church has one dome covered with a metal roof. The site is surrounded by flat arable land, second or third-generation trees.
One enters the narthex through a small vestibule under the choir loft. The narthex leads into the nave with north and south transepts and a chancel on a raised floor. Within the chancel there is the sanctuary that surrounds the altar. In addition, there is one sacristy located on the north side with no entrance from the exterior. There is a three-tier iconostasis.
A large drum fixture rises from the intersection of the roofs over the nave. The structure then supports a high octagonal (onion-shaped) dome. A large wrought iron cross sits on top of the dome. In addition, there are vaulted-ceilings in the open dome and nave. There are rectangular windows on each side of the church walls.
The interior is not heavily decorated - the top is covered with horizontal plank walls painted with a very light blue colour. The bottom part are covered with vertical planks that are heavily stained.
Peter Lipinski did all the artistic paintings for the iconostasis. The author was not able to determine when this work was done or who constructed the iconostasis. In addition, the author was not able to identify the artists who created the various other religious depictions on the walls.
A wooden bell tower is located by the church.
This parish is a member of the Canadian Diocese - The Orthodox Church of America.