High Tor church of the Sacred Heart constructed 1936, 18 miles south ot Porcupine Plain; R.M. 366.

HIGH TOR — The church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is the first church of the parish.

It was constructed in 1936 on a site eighteen miles south of Porcupine Plain. Rev. P. Kryworuchka celebrated the first Divine Liturgy in the church; Bishop Andrew Roborecki celebrated Divine Liturgy on July 21, 1957.

The church stands on a hill of the three and one-half acre site and is surrounded by a dense forest which extends far to the north. The log constructed rectangular structure, 28 x 20 feet, stands on a low concrete foundation, has interior and exterior narrow tongue and groove wood siding, a high shingled gable roof and two cupolas above the front towers. Entry into the church is from the north through a small attached porch with a separate roof. A similar adjoining porch at the south serves as a sacristy. The main altar and elevated sanctuary in the south are separated from the nave by a large wooden arch decorated with greenery and flowers. On corresponding sides of the sanctuary and facing the nave are two small altars dedicated to the Mother of Perpetual Help and Christ, Who Loves Mankind; these traditionally portrayed images are oil prints. The choir loft extends over the north end of the nave and is reached by a stairway at the west wall of the nave. A high angulated ceiling dominates the church interior in which lighting is by candles and heating is by a wood burning heater.

Construction of this church was realized through the private donations of the founding members and their voluntary work under the direction of Semen(Samuel) Shewchuk. Near the church a small wooden cross marks the site of various holy services. In the parish cemetery, also nearby, now rest in peace the first members and builders of this church. The combined church and cemetery site was donated by Theodore Perepeluk.    -;

Ukrainian settlers arrived in the High Tor district between 1928 and 1933 predominantly from the Bu-chach county of Ukraine and from other less fertile areas of Saskatchewan. The parish was founded by Petro Chaykowski, Petro Zuber, Yakiv Strutynsky, Ivan Gandzala, Oleksa Gandzala, Theodore Perepeluk, Ny-kola Boysan, Semen Shewchuk, Nykola Shpak, Antin Pawlowski, Ivan Shuflyada and others. The first priest to visit this community was Rev. Peter Kryworuchka;

from his first visit in 1933 until the construction of the church, holy services were served in private homes of the settlers. In 1941 the parish registered 15 members with 28 children (Prop. Knyha). In 1961 there were 60 souls (Directory) and in 1975, 10 individual members were accounted for. In 1976 the parish was under the directorship of Rev. Walter Kostiuk, pastor, Michael Yanciw and Oleksa Pawlowski.

The Ukrainian Catholic parish of the Sacred Heart, High Tor, is under the pastoral charge of Hudson Bay.