Preeceville church of the Transfiguration constructed 1940; R.M. 334.

PREECEVILLE — The church of the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ is the first church of the parish.

The church was constructed in 1940 on a one acre site in westerly Preeceville. That year it was blessed by Archbishop Basil Ladyka. The parish was subsequently visited several times by Bishop Andrew Roborecki at which time he also celebrated Divine Liturgy with the parishioners. On June 14, 1964 Bishop Andrew bestowed episcopal blessing on the parish rectory which is the seat of the pastoral district of Preeceville. On August 22, 1965, the parishioners together with Bishop Andrew celebrated the 25th anniversary of the parish.

The wooden church structure is in the form of an elongated cross, 50 x 18 feet, with a blind cupola at the center of the shingled gable roof and two smaller cupolas above the frontal towers. The exterior and interior walls are finished in narrow wood siding. In the interior the church contains an elevated sanctuary with the main altar and two adjoining sacristies, the nave and a choir loft which is reached by a stairway originating in the nave. A low separately roofed adjoining porch serves as the vestibule. Behind the main altar hangs a large oil painting of the Holy Transfiguration; two additional icons depicting the Holy Mother of God with the Christ Child and Christ the Redeemer on a gilded background are found along the lateral walls of the cruciform nave. These icons, measuring 5x6 feet and done in the oil on canvas technique, have gilded frames and are the art work of Theodore Baran. The church has a wooden carpeted floor, wooden pews which seat approx. 120 persons, electrical lighting and central oil heating. Its interior ceiling is high and vaulted. The parishioners constructed the church under the foreman-ship of Mykola Huziak at a total cost of $1426 and countless hours of voluntary labour. The one acre church site was donated by Martha and Ivan (John) Zarazun.

Near the church stands a wooden belfry constructed in 1947; William Prystay purchased the bell in 1959 for $700 and donated it to the parish. A mission cross, also adjacent to the church, was installed in 1948. The parish rectory was constructed on the site in 1963. The first parish hall, which was constructed in 1940, was dismantled and replaced by a new hall in 1958; this hall was subsequently reconstructed and enlarged in 1962. Both the rectory and the parish hall have electricity, central heating and plumbing facilities.

The first Ukrainian settlers arrived in the Preeceville district in 1902 and came from the Buchach county. Their move to Preeceville began in 1920. The parish was established in 1939 by Rev. Gregory Teply and the founding members Iv. and Martha Zarazun, Mykh. Boyko, Ilyariy Nazar, Andriy Kardynal, Ivan Trem-bach, Harasym Dmytriw and Vasyi’ Kravets. The first pastor to visit the parish was Rev. Peter Kryworuchka. In 1941 the parish registered 10 members with 12 children (Prop. Knyha), in 1961 there were 120 souls (Directory), and in 1975 the parish expanded to 57 families and 45 single members. In 1976 the parish was under directorship of the following: Rev. Casimir Kucharek, acting pastor as the Preeceville pastoral district does not have a permanent pastor at this time, William Maksymiw, Paul Prystay, William Panasiwich and Josephine Gulka.

The Ukrainian Catholic parish of the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ at Preeceville is the seat of the pastoral district of Preeceville with satellite parishes at Buchach, Chekhiv, Hazel Dell, Hryhoriv and Stenen. The Ormside and Stove Creek parishes were also under the pastoral charge of Preeceville; these churches are now closed.