Parish: Sts. Volodymyr and Olga

Location: Two Hills, Alberta

Sts. VOLODYMYR and OLGA Parish – Парафія свв. Володимира і Ольги

The beginnings of the Two Hills parish go back to 1937. The first Divine Liturgy was celebrated in 1932 by Fr. Basil Kamenecky, OSBM, in a private home. The first Parish council was elected in 1943 in the presence of Fr. Volodymyr Shewchuk, OSBM, from Derwent: Petro Hryciw (president), Petro Samuil (secretary) and Ivan Tomyn (treasurer). For $400.00 a school was purchased from the United Church that served for many years as the parish church in honor of Sts. Volodymyr and Olga. In 1954 a one-and-a-half acre of land was purchased for the cemetery.

A decision was made to build a new church on April 20, 1959. The ground was blessed by Bishop Neil Savaryn on May 14, 1960. The parish president at that time was Mykola Myskiw. The corner stone was blessed by Fr. Bohdan Hanushewsky, Fr. John Cherkawsky from Derwent and Fr. Dmytro Hnat from Glendon. On June 4, 1972 Bishop Neil Savaryn blessed the new (second) church (75’ x 34’), worth approximately $90,000.00.

The Eparchial clergy serving the Parish were: Fr. Volodymyr Tarnawsky (1950-1955), Fr. Bohdan Hanushewsky (1956-1963), Fr. Peter Lytwyn (1964-1985), Fr. Ivan Makuch (1986-1997), Fr. Richard Zuback (1998), Eparchial clergy and Basilian Fathers (1999-2004), Fr. Ivan Nykyforuk (2004-2005), Fr. Stanislav Bjeli (2005-2008), Fr. John Sembrat, OSBM (2008- ), Fr. Bohdan Nahachewsky (2012-2013).