Dobrowody church of the Nativity of the B.V.M. constructed 1912 near Rama; R.M. 395.

DOBROWODY — The church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the first church of the parish. The church is eight and one-half miles north-east of Rama on a twenty acre site acquired for the parish by Rev. A. Delaere, CSSR. Construction began on August 13, 1911 following the blessing of the church site. The Roman Catholic Bishop Langeven donated $200 while the parishioners assumed the remainder of the $2,500 total costs and worked voluntarily under the foremanship of F. Nowakowski of Rama and the directorship of Rev. A. Delaere, CSSR.

Bishop Nykyta Budka visited the church in 1913 and 1926; Archbishop Basil Ladyka blessed it on August 24, 1930, and made a second visit in 1940. Bishop Andrew Roborecki visited the parish in 1957 and 1965.

Icons for the iconostas and the artistic decoration of the entire church were done by the artist Paul Zabolotny in 1936. The structure has a slightly vaulted ceiling which extends into the large central dome, a wooden floor and pews which seat approx. 80 persons.

A mission cross near the church commemorates the Holy Mission of 1927 which was directed by the Redemptorist Fathers headed by Rev. S. Bachtalowsky and attended by approx. two thousand faithful from the Canora district. Also adjacent to the church is a wooden belfry; the bell was purchased in 1926 for $240. The parish hall nearby was constructed in 1917.

Ukrainian settlers arrived in this area in 1904 from the village of Dobrowody in the Pidhaitsi county. Initially holy services were held in the Roman Catholic church and later at the home of K. Serhan. The organizers of the parish were: Rev. A. Delaere, CSSR, Illya Tretiak, Stepan Tretiak, Ivan Krawetz, Petro Slobodzian and Ilyariy Koturbash. The first organiza­tional meeting, resultant of which was the decision to construct a church, took place in March 1908 (booklet “Jubilee 25 years . . .”). The founding members of the parish were: II. Koturbash, I. Tretiak, S. Tretiak, P. Slobodzian, P. Michayliuk, B. Diakow, Iv. Diakow, M. Yawney, T. Yawney, K. Serhan, S. Malovany, S. Kresak, I. Diakow, F. Diakow, 0. Diakow, I. Kotsulyma, H. Hrynkiw, H. Puliak, M. Maksimow, 0. Yochyshen and others.

At the time of construction the parish registered 40 families. In 1941 there were 30 members with 40 children (Prop. Knyha), in 1961, 130 souls (Directory) and in 1975, 10 families remained. These, for the practical reasons of distance, have joined the parish at Rama.

In 1987 power was brought into the Parish for the first time.  June 26 1987 the bell tower was dismantled and a new bell tower was built by the parishioners on the same spot. This was the parish Millennium project.

1987 was also the parish’s 75th anniversary.  A commemorative plaque was made with a picture of the church.

July 16, 1989. Bishop Basil Filevich visited the parish and in 1991 a monument (Cairn) was built at the parish cemetery. Fr. John Melnyk blessed the Cairn on September 22, 1991 at the annual Praznik.  May 1994 the church was reshingled and the dome was painted.  In 1999 during the summer, new siding was installed and the windows were all replaced on the church.  On August 3, 2001 a new metal Mission Cross was installed, as the original wooden cross has deteriorated beyond repair. The new cross was blessed September 23, 2001 by Fr. Ivan Nachachewsky.

In 2002, Fr. Andrij Wasylinko became our Pastor. Our parish is still alive and well, the membership is very dedicated. Our neighboring parishes support us, and we them.

The Ukrainian Catholic parish of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Dobrowody in 2003 belongs to the Wadena Pastoral District.The name “Dobrowody” of Ukrainian origin comes from a village in the Pidhaitsi county. (some information from the publication Ukrainian Catholic Churches of Saskatchewan by Anna Marie Baran)