St . JOHN BAPTIST Parish – Парафія св. Івана Хрестителя
Borschiw Parish is located in Haight, the County of Beaver Hill (S/E Sec 10 Twp. 51 Rge 16 4 M). The parish was established in 1903 and in 1905 the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Fr. Platonid Filas, OSBM. Forty acres of land were acquired for a church, a National Hall (Narodnyi Dim) and a cemetery (4 acres). The cemetery was purchased first, for $10.00, collected by parishioners and given to Fr. Filas. The parishioners managed to have the property registered under: Greek-Catholic Parish in Borschiw. The first settlers who arrived from Borshchiv District in Western Ukraine were: J. Bartman, P. Deputan, I. Kalynchuk, I. Petryga, M. Kyryliuk, I. Slyvka, V. Pochynok, S. Osadchuk, I. Rurka, T. Pidoborozhnyi, M. Korpan and V. Pavliy. From the beginning the cantors were: Baraniuk, J. Bartman, V. Shyba and I. Hrabec. In 1934 a choir was organized with the following conductors: H. Terebenets, S. Rurka, I. Semeniuk and Y. Matviyiv.
The parishioners built the first church for $1,500.00. The new church with five domes was built for $9,000.00 by S. Hayduk and S. Gara in 1939 (80’ x 30’) in a shape of a cross and was completely finished and painted. On the church property there is a monument commemorating the 75 th anniversary of the Ukrainian settlement. Two bells are built-in into the gates of the property.
The first bishop who visited the parish was Bishop Nykyta Budka in 1916 followed by Bishop Basil Ladyka in 1934. Later Bishops Neil Savaryn, Demetrius Greschuk, Myron Daciuk and Lawrence Huculak visited the community. The Parish was for many years a very dynamic congregation with many children attending the services.
The following vocations came from the parish: future Bishop of Saskatoon Most Rev. Basil Filevich, Fr. Peter Hrabec, OSBM, Fr. Evtimy Wolinski, a Studite monk, and Sister Cassianna Slywka, SSMI.
The Basilian Fathers have served the parish from the beginning: Fr. Platonid Filas, Fr. Matthew Hura, Fr. Josaphat Tymochko, Fr. Naucratius Kryzanowsky, Fr. Sozont Dydyk, Fr. Athanasius Filipiw, Fr. Alexander Krochmalny, Fr. Basil Ladyka, Fr. Porphyrius Bodnar, Fr. George Zydan, Fr. Sophron Diakowich, Fr. Basil Kamenetsky, Fr. Josaphat Jean, Fr. Damascene Popovych, Fr. Andrew Truch, Fr. Benjamin Baranyk, Fr. Ireneus Procenty, Fr. Victor Soroka, Fr. Eugene Bilyk, Fr. Irenej Nazarko (1946-1948), Fr. Vital Pidskalny (1948-1949), Fr. Athanasius Chimy and Fr. Jerome Chimy (1949-1951), Fr. Epiphany Paschak and Fr. Nicon Swirsky (1952), Fr. Modest Gnesko (1953-1957), Fr. Myron Daciuk (1957-1959), Fr. Cornelius Pasichny (1959-1963), Fr. Eugene Bilyk (1963-1964), Fr. Joseph Krupp (1964-1965), Fr. Severian Yakymyshyn (1964-1965), Fr. Flavian Kalba (1965-1966), Fr. Orest Slobodian (1967- ), Fr. Ignatius Holowaychuk (1970-1977), Fr. Stephen Chmilar (1972-1973), Fr. Harry Borecky (1973-1976), Fr. Anthony Holowaychuk (1976-1978), Fr. Vincent Prychidko (1978-1980), Fr. Myron Chimy (1988), Fr. Josaphat Konchak (1983-1987, 1989-2003), Fr. John Sembrat (2003-).