Church of the Holy Eucharist constructed 1965-1966 in Cudworth; R.M.401.

CUDWORTH — The church of the Holy Eucharist was the second church of the parish.

The first church was constructed in 1928 on a three acre site in southerly Cudworth. It was a rectangular wooden structure with two towers apexed by cupolas;

the interior was artistically decorated by Paul Zabolotny and contained the main altar and two small traditionally dedicated side altars. Construction totalled $8,000 in costs and was carried out by parish volunteers under the foremanship ofHrynko (Harry) Borys. In 1964, as a result of old electrical wiring, the church interior was completely destroyed by fire. Construction of the present church began in 1965 and was completed in 1966, Bishop Andrew Roborecki blessed the corner-stone on June 11, 1967 and the church on July 20, 1969.

The present church, on the site of the original church, is a wood constructed rectangular structure which stands on a high concrete basement and measures 90 x 40 feet. Its gable roof is shingled and contains a large decorative cross at its frontal summit; the exterior walls are finished in wood siding and contain rectangular windows. The church is north-south oriented with a south main entrance which is sheltered by a roof and has decorative wrought iron railings.

In the interior the church is finished in a combination of donnacona and wood panelling; the ceiling follows the exterior contour of the roof and is reinforced by supportive wooden beams at the side walls of the structure. The north rectangular sanctuary contains the main altar and has a U-shaped adjoining sacristy which continues completely around the sanctuary and has additional exits to the nave and the church grounds.

The base of the sanctuary walls is finished in donnacona, the upper wall areas are finished in red cedar panelling. Mounted on this panelling, directly behind the main altar, is the church patron painting of the Holy Eucharist; above it hangs a large metal cross with an image of the Crucified Christ painted in oils on metal; on corresponding sides of the cross are two silhouette figures of the Mother of God and St. John which were also done in oils on donnacona. These representations as well as the two framed nave paintings of the Holy Mother of God with the Christ Child and Christ the Teacher, which are found on corresponding sides of the sanctuary, are the artwork of Myron Levytsky.

Opposite the main altar, a choir loft extends above the vestibule and can be reached by a stairway at its east wall; a stairway to the church basement is also found here. At the west side of the vestibule is a special room for parents with small children and adjoining it are built-in confessionals which are entered from the nave. The church has a linoleum covered floor which is carpeted with a red carpet at the central aisle, the sanctuary area and in the sacristy; it contains wooden pews seating approx. 250 persons and has electricity, central gas heating and plumbing facilities. The church basement is finished and serves as a parish hall with kitchen facilities.

The church was constructed by a construction firm from Prince Albert at a total cost of $84,000; these costs were covered by private pledges, fire insurance funds received for the first church, and various fund raising projects organized by the local branch of the Ukrainian Catholic Women’s League of Canada. The selection of an appropriate architectural plan for the church as well as all finances and construction details were under the directorship of Rev. Jerome Lashkewich and the auspices of the parish executive and construction committee which consisted of: Bill Bodnarchuk, Steve Sabadash, Peter Stefaniuk, Nick Kindrachuk, Steve Pidskalny, Bill Diakiw and Nick Chelack. The church site was donated by Wasyi Sventak; the cemetery site, which is 300 feet from the church, was donated by Onufriy Shawaga.

The church site contains a wooden belfry constructed in 1928, a mission cross installed in 1937 and a memorial dating to 1955; the memorial is dedicated to the pioneers in the Cudworth district and was placed in commemoration of the 1000th anniversary of Christianity in Ukraine and Saskatchewan’s Golden Jubilee. A short distance from the church stands the parish rectory which was constructed in 1944 and is the seat of the Cudworth pastoral district.

Ukrainian settlers arrived in this area in 1900 from the Borschchiv and Horodenka counties. Initially they founded the Transfiguration parish which was four and one-half miles south-west of Cudworth. Their move into Cudworth occurred somewhat later and the town parish was formed for practical reasons. The organizers of the parish, who were also members of the parish executive and thus responsible for the construction of the first church, were the following: Rev. Nestor Drohomyrecki, A. Kindrachuk, S. Werbicki, K. Yuzmenka, M. Stefan. iuk, H, Borys, W. Sventak, S. Mantyka and 1. Bendyga. Steve Kuzma served for many years as the cantor and choir director of the parish. Originating from this parish are Sr. Cornelia K. Mantyka, SMI and Sr. Monica M. Mantyka, SMI.

In the year of the construction of the first church the parish registered 32 families. During the construction of the present church the parish united 210 individual members while in 1975, 133 persons were accounted for. In 1976 the parish was under the directorship of: Rev. Lubomyr Ramach, pastor, Steve Pidskalny, Joseph Baraneski, Michael Slobodian, Bill Diakiw, Bill Komarnicki, Nellie Stefaniuk, Pauline Komarnicki, Mary Halabura, Anastasia Werbicki, Alice Symak and Michalene Zosiuk.

The Ukrainian Catholic parish of the Holy Eucharist at Cudworth is the seat of the Cudworth pastoral district with satellite parishes at Dana, Alvena, Alvena farms, Prud’homme, Prud’homme Borshchiv, the Shrine of Sorrow pilgrimage site with the chapel of St. Demetrius and, during their tenure, the parishes of the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ and Carpenter Hory. Pastor for the district is Rev. Lubomyr Ramach.

Updated December 2020

The Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Holy Eucharist, Cudworth, falls under the Deanery of Saskatoon, under the pastoral charge of the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Holy Eucharist-Cudworth, which is included in the Cudworth District, with Very Reverend Janko Kolosnjaji as Administrator, and served by Reverend Mykola Romanets.

Updated 2022/2023

The Parish with the approval of Metropolitan Lawrence Huculak, OSBM, Apostolic Administrator and the College of Consultors agreed to the sale of the Church property.

The Ukrainian Catholic Parish of the Holy Eucharist, Cudworth now meet at the chapel of St. Michael’s Haven.  Very Reverend Ivan Nahachewsky serves as Administrator for the Cudworth District.