Parish:St. Paraskevia

Location: Smoky Lake (Farms), Alberta

St . PARASKEVIA Parish – Парафія св. Параскевії

Location: SW 4-61-17-4. The church is located 13 km. north and 1.6 km. west from the town of Smoky Lake. The wooden church (38’x22’) with one dome was built in 1913 by M. Rachuk and painted by Matiyash. A bell tower was also built. 4 acres were purchased in 1912: 2 for the church and 2 for the cemetery. Members of the first Parish council were: N. Kashuba, M. Holowaychuk, J. Netsyk, L. Vitiuk, N. Bereziuk, I. Yakymchuk, F. Lottoskyi, S. Boyarchuk and P. Boyarchuk. In 1930 a concrete foundation was added to the structure. In 1914 Bishop Nykyta Budka visited the community; in 1937 Bishop Basil Ladyka; in 1952 Bishop Neil Savaryn. Lately the services were held every two months.

The first priest was a French missionary, an Oblate, who became a member of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, Fr. Philip Ruh, a well known architect of the Ukrainian churches across Canada.

Basilian Fathers, who served the Parish: Fr. Ksenofont Rozdolsky, Fr. Josaphat Tymochko, Fr. Basil Kamenetsky, Fr. Sophron Diakowich, Fr. George Zydan, Fr. Damascene Popovych, Fr. Dionisius Dzygolyk, Fr. Athanasius Chimy, Fr. Bessarion Andreychuk, Fr. Isidore Kohut and Fr. Martyrius Vincentaylo.

Eparchial clergy looked after the Parish from 1949: Fr. Yaroslaw Fedunyk (1949-1953), Fr. Volodymyr Slaby (1964-1956), Fr. Michael Gural (1956-1963), Fr. Theophile Hurko (1963-1976), Fr. Michael Kowalchyk (1976-1978), Fr. Philip Shinduke (1979-1984), Fr. Anton Tarasenko (1984-1995), Fr. Serhij Harahuc (1996-1998), Fr. William Hupalo (1999-2000), Fr. Janko Herbut as a deacon 2000-2001, and as a priest from 2001-2008, Fr. Don Bodnar (2008- ).