Dana church of St. John the Baptist constructed 1945; R.M. 371.
DANA — The church of St. John the Baptist is the second church of the parish.
The first church was constructed in 1915 two miles west of Dana. The church was a rectangular structure which during the pastorate of Rev. Michael Olenchuck was reconstructed into a cruciform church. The first Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Rev. Mathew Myron Hura, OSBM. Bishop Nicetas Budka blessed the church in 1918; Archbishop Basil Ladyka visited the church in 1936. In 1945 the parishioners constructed a larger church which was blessed by Archbishop Basil Ladyka in 1947. Bishop Andrew Roborecki visited the parish on several occasions and celebrated Divine Liturgy in the church on September 24, 1967.
The second church was constructed on the original church site; in 1946, due to the inaccessible road, it was moved to a four lot site in westerly Dana. The church is a wood constructed rectangular structure, 52 x 30 feet, with a shingled gable roof and three small frontal cupolas. Its exterior and interior walls have wood siding and are painted. The main entrance into the church is through a separately roofed adjoining porch-vestibule.
In the interior the church has an elevated sanctuary and two adjoining sacristies on corresponding sides of the main altar while opposite the sanctuary, extending above the nave, is a choir loft which is reached by a stairway originating in the nave. The church patron painting and two additional paintings behind the main altar, the traditional images in the nave on corresponding sides of the sanctuary, and the Holy Mother with the Christ Child and St. Joseph painting on the west wall were all done in the oil on canvas technique by unknown artists. The church contains wooden pews seating approx. 85 persons; it has electrical lighting and central gas heating.
The church site was purchased by the parishioners for a nominal fee. Construction of the church was accomplished through the collectiv e funds, total costs $12,000, and voluntary labour of the parishioners and was carried out under the auspices of the church executive consisting of Nick Misouri, John Popovitch and Mike Burak.
Near the church stands a wooden mission cross commemorating the Holy Mission of 1946. The belfry nearby, also dating to 1946, contains the bell donated by Fred Fartushynsky and Steve Sluchinski. The 10 acre parish cemetery site, one mile west of the church, is jointly owned by the Ukrainian Catholic and Roman Catholic communities and was purchased in 1911 as a $1 an acre homestead from the Canadian Government.
Ukrainian settlers arrived in this area as early as 1902 from the Horodenka and Borshchiv counties. The parish was founded in 1915 by the following founding members: Mykhaylo Missura, Mykhaylo Perdiuha, Teodore Sluchinski, Ivan (John) Sluchinski, Pavlo Missura, Maksym Zacharuk, Mykhaylo Sosnowski, Ivan Lesyshyn, Dmytro Missura, Nykola Missura, Ivan Komarnicki, Nykola Gniazdowski, Yurko Matieshin, Mykhaylo Sharonowsky, Fedir (Fred) Fartushynsky, Les Manila, Prokip Lesko, Steve Sluchinski and Ivan Harasym. Rev. Mathew Myron Hura, OSBM, was the first pastor to serve the settlers. In 1941 the parish registered 7 members with 12 children (Prop. Knyha), in 1961, 45 souls (Directory); in 1967 there were 17 families and in 1975, 12 families were accounted for. In 1976 the parish was under the directorship of Rev. Lubomyr Ramach, pastor, Mike Slochinski, John Wandzura, Albina Sorokski, Jean Popovitch and Helen Sluchinski.
The Ukrainian Catholic parish of St. John the Baptist at Dana is under the pastoral charge of Cudworth.
Dana St. John the Baptist Church
52°17’19.6″N 105°42’26.8″W
52.288769, -105.707456
Dana St. John the Baptist Cemetery
52°17’14.7″N 105°43’52.4″W
52.287422, -105.731225
List of Parishes
Albertown - Ss. Peter and Paul
Alticane - St.John the Baptist
Alvena Farms - Assumption of the BVM (closed)
Antonivka - Assumption of the BVM (closed)
Arran-Vesna -Ss. Peter and Paul
Balcarres - Holy Eucharist (closed)
Bankend - Ascension of Our Lord (closed)
Beaver Dale - Assumption of the BVM
Beckenham -Transfiguration of Our Lord (closed)
Bedfordville - St. Nicholas (closed)
Biggar - Sacred Heart (closed)
Birmingham - St. Paraskevia (closed)
Blaine Lake - Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Bobulynci - Transfiguration of Our Lord (closed)
Borshchiv - Ss. Peter and Paul
Broadview - Assumption of the BVM
Brooksby - St. Nicholas (closed)
Bruno - Assumption of the BVM (closed)
Bruno Farms - Holy Trinity (closed)
Buchach - Patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary (closed)
Buchanan - Holy Ghost (closed)
Calder - Assumption of the BVM
Carpenter - Ascension of Our Lord (closed)
Chaplin-Thunder Creek - Ss. Peter and Paul
Chekhiv - Descent of the Holy Spirit (closed)
Cudworth Farms -Transfiguration of Our Lord (closed)
Cudworth - Our Lady of Sorrows Shrine
Cudworth Town - Holy Eucharist
Dana - St. John the Baptist (closed)
Dobrowody - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Dnipro (Dnieper) - Transfiguration of Our Lord (closed)
Dysart - Holy Eucharist (closed)
Erwood - Blessed Virgin Mary of Succour (closed)
Estevan - Assumption of the BVM
Fosston - St. John the Baptist (closed)
Glen Elder - Danbury - Holy Eucharist (closed)
Glentworth - Assumption of the BVM
Goodeve Farms - Holy Trinity (closed)
Gronlid - St. Michael (closed)
Guernsey - Holy Eucharist (closed)
Havryliuke (Prud'homme) - Sacred Heart
Hazel Dell - Ss. Peter and Paul (closed)
High Tor - Sacred Heart (closed)
Hodgeville - Ss. Peter and Paul
Hryhoriv - St. Demetrius (closed)
Hubbard - Holy Spirit (closed)
Hubbard - Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Hudson Bay - Holy Eucharis t (closed & sold)
Hyas Village - Descent of the Holy Spirit
Insinger Farms - Ss. Peter and Paul (closed)
Invermay - Ss. Vladimir and Olga
Jaroslaw - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (closed)
Jasmin-Doroshi - Immaculate Conception (closed)
Jasmin - Ss. Peter and Paul (closed)
Jedburgh Village - Ss. Peter and Paul (closed)
Kelliher - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (closed)
Kindersley - St.John the Baptist (closed)
Kipling - Presentation of the BVM (closed)
Kovalivka-Tiny - Transfigurartion of our Lord (closed)
Kulykiv - Holy Eucharist (closed)
Kyziv-Tiaziv - St. Demetrius (closed)
Laniwci - Ascension of our Lord
Lipton-Herzel - Dormition of BVM (closed)
Macdowall - Descent of the Holy Spirit (closed)
Major - Patronage of the BVM (closed)
Mamornitz - Virgin of Sorrows Ruthenian Church (closed)
Maybridge - St. Nicholas (closed)
Meadow Lake - St. Catherine (closed & sold)
Meath Park-Janow Corners - Assumption of the BVM (closed)
Model Farm - Patronage of the BVM
Montmartre - Ss. Peter and Paul
Moose Jaw - Assumption of the BVM
Nipawin farms - Ascension (closed)
Nora - Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ (closed)
Norquay Farms - Holy Trinity (closed)
Nora - Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ (closed)
Olesha - Sacred Heart of Jesus (closed)
Ormside-Ss. Vladimir and Olga (closed)
Orolow - Descent of the Holy Spirit
Parkerview - St. Nicholas (closed)
Peterson - Descent of the Holy Spirit (closed)
Plain View - Descent of the Holy Spirit (closed)
Podillia - Ss. Peter and Paul Cemetery - (No Church-closed)
Ponass Lake - St. Michael the Archangel (closed)
Porcupine Plain - Ss. Peter and Pau (closed & sold)
Preeceville - Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Prud'homme - St. John the Theologian
Radisson - Patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Rose Valley - Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (closed)
Rosthern - Holy Apostles SS. Peter and Paul
Rosthern Farms - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (closed)
Rosthern Farms-Adamivka - Descent of the Holy Spirit (closed)
Runnymede - Ss. Vladimir and Olga (closed)
Samburg - St. John the Baptist (closed)
Saskatoon - Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God
Saskatoon - St. George's Cathedral
Saskatoon - St. Volodymyr Villa Chapel
Sheho Farms - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (closed)
Sheho Village - Christ the King
Shipman Rural - Ss. Peter and Paul (closed)
St. Julien - Patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Pokrov) (closed)
St. Philip's - Assumption of the B.V.M. (closed)
Stenen - St. Nicholas (closed)
Stornoway Cemetery (closed-no church)
Stove Creek - St. Elias (closed)
Swift Current - St. John the Baptist
Tadmore - St. John the Baptist (closed)
Thunder Creek - Ss. Peter and Paul
Tuffnell Village - Holy Trinity (closed)
Tway Farms - St. Paraskevia (closed)
Tway Town - Ss. Peter and Paul
Uhryniv - St. Nicholas (closed)
Ukrainian Park - Pike Lake - St. Volodymyr
Vasyliw - Ss. Constantine and Helena (closed)
Verigin - St. Nicholas (closed)
Wadena - Descent of the Holy Spirt
Weekes - St. Nicholas (closed)
Welechko - Presenation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (closed)
Whitebeech - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (closed)
Whitesand - Patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Whitkow - Ascension of Our Lord (closed)
Willowbrook - Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary (closed)
Wishart Farms - St. Michael the Archangel (closed)
Wishart Town - Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Wolverine - Patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary (closed)
Wroxton-Farms - Ss. Vladimir and Olga (closed)
Wroxton-Village - Ss. Peter and Paul (closed)
Yellow Creek - Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (closed)