St. John the Baptist Parish – Rochfort Bridge

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Parish and Cemetery of St. John the Baptist in Rochfort Bridge, Alberta, traces its beginnings to 1932, when Anton Shivak donated two acres of land for a church and cemetery. The cemetery was established first, and the church was later built in 1937 from hand-hewn logs by early Ukrainian pioneers, with the first Divine Liturgy celebrated on July 7, 1939.

The parish grew as a close-knit rural community, supported by the Basilian Fathers of Mundare, who provided windows and other materials and visited several times a year. The annual feast of St. John the Baptist on July 7 was once a major community celebration, bringing together parishioners, families from nearby churches, and those who had moved away.

Through the decades, parishioners continued to care for both the church and cemetery. The grounds were cleared, the fence was renewed, the church interior was painted, the roof was replaced, the building was stuccoed, and markers were placed on unmarked graves. Even as the congregation became smaller and regular services became less frequent, the cemetery remained an important place of prayer and remembrance.

Today, the parish continues to hold graveside services each spring, preserving its spiritual presence and honouring the generations who helped build and sustain it.