Verigin – St. Nicholas (closed)

Church of St. Nicholas constructed 1948, 10 miles north of Verigen; R.M. 273.

VERIGIN — The church of St. Nicholas is the second church of the parish.

The founding members of the parish constructed the first church in 1932 on a four acre site ten miles north of Verigin. The church was a small log structure covered with boards; in the interior it contained but the main altar. The second church was constructed on the same site in 1948; it was visited by Bishop Andrew Roborecki in 1956.

The church, situated on a hill of the forested site, is a wood constructed rectangular structure with two small domes above the open arcades of the front towers. Its roof is gable in form and shingled, its walls have imitation brick asphalt siding and contain rectangular windows with semicircular summits. The orientation of the church is west-east with an east main entrance leading through an open porch shelter. In the interior the church contains an elevated sanctuary with the main altar, the nave, and a choir loft which extends above the vestibule; entry into the choir loft is from the vestibule. An adjoining south structure houses the sacristy. The church has a vaulted ceiling, glass mounted oil prints of traditional representations, candle lighting, a wood burning heater, and wooden pews in the nave seating approx. 40 persons. The parishioners constructed the church through private donations and voluntary labour.

Ukrainian settlement in this area began in 1906. In 1912, together with other residents of the community, they purchased a cemetery site. The first parish church was constructed in 1932. Founding members of this parish were: Vasyi’ Reminyk, Mykhaylo Sakundiak, Mykhaylo (Mike) Hudye, Vasyi’ Zhuravel (Bill Zur-wel), Havryliv Andrusiak and Pavlo Tsyhansky. The community was spiritually served by the pastors of Canora and the Redemptorist Fathers from Yorkton.

In 1941 the parish membership consisted of 5 members with 10 children (Prop. Knyha) and in 1961 there were 19 souls (Directory). Within the past ten years the parish has faced a high rate of attrition as the older members have gone to eternal rest and the younger members have left for job opportunities elsewhere. The remaining parishioners now register at the Kamsack parish while the church in Vcrigin stands closed.

The Ukrainian Catholic parish of St. Nicholas, Verigin, still remains under the pastoral charge of Kamsack.