Parish: Ascension of Our Lord
Location: New Kiew, Alberta
NEW KIEW – ASCENSION Parish – Парафія Вознесіння Господнього
The first settlers arrived in 1901 and the place was called Warwick. The name Kyiv (Kiev) was used for the school built in 1908. In the early 1920’s a post office was established and thanks to our Member of Parliament Michael Luchkovych the place was called “New Kiew”. The first Divine Liturgy was celebrated on July 7, 1903 by Fr. Platonid Filas in the house of Semen Kits. A month later the same priest started the services in the house of Nykola Yakimec until 1910, when a small chapel of St. Nicholas was built.
Location: NW 22-53-13-W4M and 16 km. from Lavoy or Two Hills. The church (53’ x 40’) with one dome was built in 1918 and blessed on May 16, 1920 by Bishop Nykyta Budka and incorporated in 1918 under the chapter: The RuthenianGreek-Catholic Parish of Holy Ascension of our Lord United with Rome of New Kiev, Alberta. In 1919 Petro Lypynsky did the artistic painting for $2,000.00. The church construction was approximately $5,500.00 and the contractor was H. Osetsky.
The cemetery has 4 acres of land.
For many years the so called “Seraphim plague” was very influential in the community. Some people, without a permanent spiritual care, were joining the sect. Seraphim was an Orthodox cleric, supposedly suspended or excommunicated, who passed himself as an Archbishop of a hitherto non-existent Russian Orthodox Church in Canada. The official Russian Orthodox Church did not recognize him as a bishop. Although the adherents of the new faith were not numerous, the division itself weakened the parish considerably and the building of new Ukrainian Catholic churches was delayed for some years at least. Although the Seraphim movement, subsidized by the Presbyterian Church financially, was doomed to failure in its early beginnings, only a small percentage of its followers came back and were received into the Church again. Thanks to the Basilian missionary Fr. Naucratius Kryzanowsky, who prior to 1910 was a missionary for Manitoba, the hearts of all who cared for the Ukrainian Catholic Church were won again.
National hall in honour of Ivan Franko (Narodnyi Dim Ivana Franka) (60’x24’) was also built in 1929 approximately 200 meters from the church and helped the church, hospital and also institutions in the old country of Ukraine.
Founders of the parish: N. Yakimec, S. Busko, V. Steblyk, S. Cvihun, V. Fydyna, D. Marchak, D. Samoil, H. Cymbaliuk, I. Hryciw, H. Melnyk, K. Duk, O. Zuravel, I. Cymbaliuk, S. Hryciw, S. Kilyk, T. Semeniuk, H. Busko, A. Derleyko, M. Kilyk, T. Yaremko, A. Duk, V. Farion and M. Krysak.
The following Basilian Fathers served the community: Fr. Platonid Filas, Fr. Athanasiius Filipiw (1905-1907), Fr. Naucratius Kryzanowsky, Fr. Matthew Hura, Fr. John Tymochko, Fr. Sophron Dyakowich, Fr. Josaphat Tymochko, Fr. Damascene Popovych, Fr. Paul Hewko, Fr. Benjamin Baranyk, Fr. Innocent Rychkun (1936- ), Fr. Matthew Sianchuk, Fr. Ignatius Lesiuk, Fr. Nicholas Kohut, Fr. Andrew Truch, Fr. Neil Savaryn, Fr. Bernard Dribnenky, Fr. Myron Daciuk, Fr. Sebastian Kurylo, Fr. Dionisius Dzygolyk, Fr. Markian Pasichnyk, Fr. Jerome Chimy (1949), and again from 1993: Fr. Josaphat Tyrkalo and others. Between 1950 and 1992 the Eparchial clergy provided the spiritual care: Fr. Volodymyr Tarnawsky (1950-1955), Fr. Bohdan Hanushewsky (1956- ), Fr. Peter Lytwyn (1964-1985), Fr. Ivan Makuch (1986-1992).
