Kovalivka church of the Transfiguration constructed 1933, 3’/2 miles north of Tiny; R.M. 304.

KOVALIVKA — The church of the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ is the third church of the parish.

The first chapel church was constructed jointly by the Ukrainian Catholic and the Latin rite communities in 1907 on a site one-half mile north-east of the Tiny railway station. In 1912 our community left this church, formed a separate parish and in 1913 constructed a church near the site of the first church. Holy services were served by the pastors of the Canora pastoral district. In 1932 this church was destroyed by fire; in 1933 the parishioners constructed the third church on a two acre site three and one-half miles north of the Tiny railway station, ten miles north-west of Canora. The first Divine Liturgy in this church was celebrated on August 20, 1933, by Rev. Andrew Sarmatiuk. In 1935 Archbishop Basil Ladyka blessed the church; Bishop Andrew Roborecki first celebrated Divine Liturgy in the church on August 19, 1952.

The church stands on a low concrete basement and is a wood constructed cruciform structure, 48 x 26 feet, with an architecturally complementing shingled gable roof and a small blind cupola at the axis of the intersecting arms. Its exterior and interior walls are finished in narrow wood siding and contain rectangular windows with arched summits. The main entrance into the church is sheltered by a small roof supported by columns with a railing.

In the interior the church contains an angulated sanctuary forming a broken semicircle with an adjoining sacristy. The structure has a choir loft, a wooden floor and a vaulted ceiling. Wooden pews provide seating for approx. 70 persons. Lighting is by candles, heating is by a wood burning heater. In 1933 the church was artistically decorated; the interior decoration, icons and murals, are the art work of Stepan Meush.

Construction of this church, total costs $1,600, was accomplished through the generous donations and voluntary labour of the parishioners under the fore-manship of W. Huziak. The two acre church site was purchased by the parishioners for $27.

Near the church stands a wooden memorial cross commemorating the Holy Mission of 1962; adjacent to it is the post constructed bell tower. The parish has two cemetery sites: one is at the present church site, the second is at the site of the second church of the parish.

The first Ukrainian settlers arrived in this area in 1906 from the Buchach and Borshchiv counties. The founding members of the parish were: Rev. Achille Delaere, CSSR, Ivan Shebets (Shabbits, Shabits), Ivan Husak, Marko Pura, Ivan Rudnytsky, Spyrydon Wolos, Tymotey Shabbits, Andriy Shabbits, Vasyi’ Natoniv, Mykhaylo Shvets, Pavlo Pura, Danylo Zaplitney, Ivan Wolos, Nykola Kuzek, Safat Hrynkiw, Semen Hnativ, Ivan Charuk, Victor Hanushevsky and Stefan Bodnarchuk.

In 1941 the parish consisted of 20 members with 40 children (Prop. Knyha). In 1961 there were 30 souls (Directory), in 1967, 27 individual members and in 1975, 8 families were accounted for. In 1976 the parish was under the directorship of: Rev. Peter Hardybala, pastor, William Shabbits, Mike Nicolichuk and Mike Kosar.

The Ukrainian Catholic parish of the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Kovalivka, is under the pastoral charge of Buchanan.

“Kovalivka” was most probably brought from the Motherland where there are several settlements with this name, for example, in the Stanyslaviv and Ternopil counties as well as others. The old world Kovalivka originates from the word (name) Koval’. J. B. Rudnyc-kyj, Canadian Place Names of Ukrainian Origin.

KOVALIVKA Transfiguration of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church

The church of the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ is the third church of the parish. The first chapel church was constructed jointly by the Ukrainian Catholic and Latin rite communities in 1907 on a site one-half mile north-east of the Tiny railway station. In 1912 a separate parish was formed and in 1913 a church was constructed near the site of the first church. In 1932 this church was destroyed by fire; in 1933 the parishioners constructed the third church on a two acre site three and one-half miles north of the Tiny railway station. Construction of the church, total costs $1,600 was accomplished through the generous donations and voluntary labour of the parishioners under the foremanship ofW. Huziak. The two acre church site was purchased by the parishioners for $27. Near the church stands a mission cross and the post constructed bell tower. The first Divine Liturgy was celebrated on August 20, 1933 by Rev. Andrew Sarmatiuk. In 1935 Archbishop Basil Ladyka blessed the church; Bishop Andrew Roborccki celebrated Divine Liturgy in the church on August 19, 1952.

The parish has two cemetery sites: one is at the present church site, the second is at the site of the second church.

The first Ukrainian settlers arrived in this area in 1906 from the Buchach and Borshchiv counties. In 1976 the parish was under the directorship of Fr. Peter Hardybala, William Shabbits, Mike Nicolichuk and Make Kosar. Today there is just one service a year on August 19, and the members belong to the Buchanan or Canora parish.