Samburg –  St. John the Baptist 

Samburg church of St. John the Baptist constructed 1917, 20 miles east of Prince Albert; R.M. 490.

SAMBURG — The church of St. John the Baptist is the first church of the parish.

The church was constructed in 1917 on a three acre site twenty miles east of Prince Albert. In 1948 the church was enlarged and renovated. The first Divine Liturgy in this church was celebrated by Rev. R. Cherepaniak. Bishop Andrew Roborecki honoured this parish with a visit in 1958.

The rectangular church, 48 x 26 feet, is constructed of hewed logs and finished in stucco. It has two adjoining, north and south, porch sacristies and a high, shingled gable roof apexed by a small central blind cupola. In the interior the walls and ceiling are finished with narrow wood siding; the sanctuary and main altar are elevated. A choir loft extends over the west end of the nave and is reached by a stairway from the nave. The church contains wooden pews which seat approx. 40 persons; it also has a vaulted ceiling, a west main entrance, electricity and central gas heating. Construction of the church was accomplished through the voluntary efforts and financial donations of the founding members who began construction by transporting the timber and transforming it into construction lumber. The three acre church site was donated by Wasyi Sobchyshyn.

The church site contains a cross commemorating the first Holy Mission of the parish in 1935 directed by Rev. G. Shyshkowych, CSSR, a wooden bell tower with two bells and a parish hall which was constructed in 1948. The parish cemetery is also on this site.

Ukrainian settlers arrived in this area in 1906 from the Temopil and Horodenka counties. The first to arrive were Hryhoriy Zeienetsky, the Sklar brothers, Iv. Adamko, Danylo Franchuk, Dmytro Hadada, Milko Trach and Teodor Trach. The first parish executive was formed with: Ivan Romanchuk, Petro Rachynsky and Wasyi Werchola. During the period of construction the parish consisted of 25 members. In 1941 there were 30 members (Prop. Knyha), m 1961, 60 souls (Directory) and in 1975 the parish registered 50 souls (questionnaire). In 1976 the parish was under the directorship of Rev. John Worona, pastor, Peter Trach, Edward Adamko and Thomas Lubyk.

The Ukrainian Catholic parish of St. John the Baptist, Samburg, is under the pastoral charge of Prince Albert.

Updated December 2020

The Ukrainian Catholic Church of St. John the Baptist, Samburg, falls under the Deanery of Saskatoon, under the pastoral charge of the Ukrainian Catholic Church of St. George-Prince Albert, which is included in the Prince Albert District, with Reverend Andrei Kachur as Parish Administrator, and served by Deacon Harrold Salahub.