Yellow Creek – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary 

[Decommissioned – No Church; Cemetery only]

UPDATE:

2017 – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church was Decommissioned in January 2017. The last Divine Liturgy was celebrated in 2002.

 Church of the Assumption of the B.V.M. constructed 1937 in Yellow Creek; R.M. 430.

YELLOW CREEK — The church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the first church of the parish.

The church was constructed in 1937 on a single lot in Yellow Creek. It was expanded and renovated in 1951 and 1972. Bishop Andrew Roborecki blessed the church in 1952 and visited the parish on several occasions.

The rectangular wooden structure measures 53 x 28 feet, which includes the attached porch-vestibule and two adjoining sacristies, has imitation brick asphalt siding and small cupolas above the front apex of the shingled gable roof and two frontal towers. The church interior contains a sanctuary with an elevated main altar, a nave with wooden pews seating approx. 75 persons and a choir loft extending above the west end of the nave. The church has electricity and a central oil heating system which is found in the north extension of the church.

Construction of this church was realized through countless hours of voluntary labour and generous financial contributions. Chief foreman of the construction was Havrylo Hnativ (Prop. Knyha lists Havrylo Hnatiuk). Nykola Zary directed the parishioners during the expansion and renovation period. A memorial cross near the church commemorates the Holy Mission of 1952. The two acre parish cemetery site, purchased in 1933, is three miles west of the church.

Ukrainian settlers arrived in this area in 1912 from various counties of Halychyna (Galicia). Rev. Paul Reshetylo celebrated the first Divine Liturgy for the settlers in 1931 at the home of Toma Popil. This was followed by the second meeting regarding construction of a church; the first such meeting was also held in 1931 at the home of Oleksa Volkovych. However, at neither of these meetings was a decision made as to where the church should be constructed. This decision was made later while the two acre site, purchased through collective funds from Alexander Popil (Prop. Knyha registers the name T. Popil), was retained as the parish cemetery.

The parish was organized by the following: Rev. S. Semczuk, Oleksa Volkovych, Wasyi Stefaniuk, Nykola Stefaniuk, Havrylo Hnatiw (prop. Knyha registers Hnatiuk) and Mykhaylo Sheptytsky. In 1941 there were 15 members with 30 children (Prop. Knyha), in 1961, 100 souls (Directory), and in 1975 the parish registered 22 families. In 1976 the parish was under the directorship of: Rev. John Kobelak, MSF, pastor, Victor Dull, Edward Dutka, Carl Wolitski, Dmytro Chubak, Frank Zablotski and Harry Dasiuk.

The Ukrainian Catholic parish of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Yellow Creek is under the pastoral charge of Melfort.

Updated March 2021

The Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery of of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Yellow Creek, 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.