Bruno Farms – Holy Trinity (closed)

Church of the Holy Trinity constructed 1925, 4.5 miles east of the town of Bruno; R.M. 370.

BRUNO (farms) — The church of the Holy Trinity is the second church of the parish.

The first church was constructed by the founding members in 1909 on a three acre site four and a half miles east of the town of Bruno. The land that the church  was bulit on was donated by Wasyl Thoms.

Construction was carried out by all members of the parish; the men prepared the logs and constructed the structure; the women plastered the interior and exterior with clay. The church was a small structure which soon became too small for the needs of the growing parish. In 1925 a larger structure was constructed which was blessed by Archbishop Basil Ladyka in 1933. Bishop Andrew Roborecki visited the parish on several occasions; with Bishop Andrew in attendance, the parish paid special tribute to the pioneers by celebrating Pioneer Day on May 23, 1963.

Originally the church was a rectangular structure with an iconostas. In 1955, under the direction of Rev. Peter Kryworuchka and the parish executive consisting of Gregory Kisil, Steve Gresko and Tony Zmud, the church was enlarged and the deteriorated iconostas was removed. Presently the church is in the form of an extended cross (cruciform) measuring 66 x 42 feet; the width of each intersecting arm is 28 feet.

The church is constructed of wood; it stands on a high concrete basement and has an architecturally complementing shingled gable roof. A small blind cupola extends above the axis of the intersecting arms; three additional cupolas are found above the frontal summit of the roof and the two front towers. The walls are finished with narrow wood siding and contain rectangular windows with semi-circular tops. The church is east-westoriented. It contains an elevated sanctuary, with north and south adjoining sacristies which also exit to the church grounds, the nave and a vestibule. The choir loft extending above the vestibule is entered by a stairway at the south wall of the nave.

In the sanctuary directly behind the main altar hangs a large church patron icon; on corresponding sides of the sanctuary, along the lateral walls of the church, are icons of the Holy Mother of God and Christ the Redeemer. All three icons are done in the oil on canvas technique and are the artwork of Theodore Baran.

The upper wall areas and vaulted ceiling are finished in donnacona, the lower wall areas have imitation wood panelling. The church has a wooden floor, which is carpeted at the center aisle of the nave and before the main altar, wooden pews seating approx. 100 persons, electrical lighting and central oil heating. The church basement contains a small hall area which serves the various needs of the parish; entry into the basement is from the south side of the church and the church grounds.

This church was also constructed through the generous financial donations and voluntary labour of the parishioners under the foremanship of Sloboda. Construction costs totalled $3,500, the church site was donated by Wasyl (Bill) Thorns.

Found near the church are a large wooden church cross and a belfry dating to approx. 1920-1925; the bell was purchased through collective funds. The parish hall, which was constructed in 1945, was destroyed by fire in 1973. The parish cemetery is north of the church in continuation of the church property.

Ukrainian settlement in this area began in 1903 predominantly from the Borshchiv county. The founding members of the parish were: Ignats Solar, Kasper Borysko, Mikhaylo Smood, Bartko Remenda, Wasyi Stadnyk, Yurko Chomoway, Pylyp Ewanishen, Hrynko Hryciw, Ivan Tarnowski, Nykola Mykytiuk, Dmytro Mykytiuk, Yurko Hrytsak, Ivan Borysko, Petro Indzeoski, Ivan Bunko, Danylo Polanik, Ivan Sierma-chewski, Fedir and Antin Siermachewski, Ivan Pryvalny, Wasyl Thorns, Oleksa Yaroshko, Mykhaylo Sawicki and Petro Stadnyk (History of Bruno, Rev E. Tremblay, CSSR). The first pastors to visit the settlers were: Rev. Emilian Andruchowicz and Rev. Nestor Drohomerecki.

In 1941 the parish registered 70 members with 252 youth (Prop. Knyha), in 1961 there were 290 souls (Director), in 1975, 38 member families were accounted for. In 1976 the parish was under the directorship of:

Rev. Andrew Choronzy, pastor, Math. Bunko, Tom Ewanishen, Roman Stadnyk, Tony Indzeoski, Harry Stadnyk and Mike Fay.

The Ukrainian Catholic parish of the Holy Trinity, Bruno (farms), is under the pastoral charge of Humboldt.