HOLY TRINITY Parish – Парафія Пресвятої Трійці
Location: half a km. from the CPR and CNR in the northern part of the town of Vegreville. In the beginning there were only 8 families, commuting for the church services between Vegreville and Mundare. The first settlers were very poor. The Presbyterian Church of Canada, interested in the Ukrainian settlers, built a church in Vegreville in 1907 to attract the people. The Presbyterians did not get many families and in a short time closed their mission. Fr. Naucratius Kryzanowsky suggested to buy the vacant church (22’ x 36’) for our faithful. The cost was $1,000.00 – $200.00 were collected among the faithful, $300.00 were a gift from the Basilian Fathers in Mundare, and $500.00 were taken as a loan, secured by individual members. The church was relocated in 1925 and an addition was built in 1935.
In those years some pro-communist elements and also the Ukrainian Orthodox were trying to destabilize the highly patriotic community of the Ukrainian Catholics in Vegreville. The parishioners were always thankful to God for not having to fight for their church in civil courts.
The founders of the Parish were: M. Zaseybida, who looked after the church for many years and who died in 1926. Among other we find P. Kulmatytskyi, V. Kyryliuk, I. Petetskyi, F. Lemishka, S. Gulievych, P. Tymchuk and N. Nykyforuk.
Bishop Nykyta Budka visited the church twice and Bishop Ladyka in 1930 and 1937 and later the Eparchs of Edmonton paid many visits. In 1921 Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky of Lviv, Ukraine, was visiting the Parish.
The church property was incorporated in 1939. A Parish hall was blessed on May 14, 1939 by Fathers Naucratius Kryzanowsky and Mark Romanovych. The cemetery is owned by the town of Vegreville.
The Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate who were serving the community for many years decided in 1943 to establish a convent in Vegreville. Their hard work with children and the needy was highly appreciated by all the faithful. The Sisters were also teaching in the Separate School. Between 1947 and 1948 the parishioners decided to build a new church and the old church was sold to the Parish in Warwick. 40 dedicated families started to build the church supporting the construction with labour and money. Artist T. Baran did the artistic work in the church. It did not take long to have the number of the faithful increase to 480 families and the Basilian Fathers also decided to establish their monastery in Vegreville.
A Ladies Auxiliary group of St. Anne was very supportive of the parish activities and in 1948 joined the newly established Ukrainian Catholic Womens’ League of Canada, creating one of the strongest ladies organizations in the Eparchy.
Basilian Fathers who served the church community from the beginnings: Fr. Naucratius Kryzanowsky, Fr. Sozont Dydyk, Fr. Porphyrius Bodnar, Fr. Nicon Horechko, Fr. Basil Kaminetsky, Fr. Mark Romanowych, Fr. George Zydan, Fr. Epiphanius Teodorowich, Fr. Neil Savaryn, Fr. Andrew Truch, Fr. Theodozy Dobko, Fr. Benedict Hrynyshyn, Fr. Modest Gnesko, Fr. Vital Pidskalny, Fr. Jerome Chimy, Fr. Bernard Dribnenky, Fr. Ambrose Wynnyk, Fr. Eugene Bilyk, Fr. Victor Soroka, Fr. Matthew Sianchuk, Fr. Myron Daciuk, Fr. Soter Pidskalny, Fr. Juvenalis Slota, Fr. Damien Weleschuk, Fr. Volodymyr Shewchuk, Fr. Methodius Nychka, Fr. Soter Junyk, Fr. Josaphat Konchak, Fr. Ignatius Holowaychuk, Fr. Vincent Prychidko, Fr. Roman Kravec, Fr. Josaphat Tyrkalo, Fr. Daniel Wach, Fr. Justin Ewaschyshyn.