The much smaller, simpler, and more humble St. Ivan Zhukovsky Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral is just 2-3 blocks away from the large and very grand Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox cathedral.
Unfortunately, it was closed and no one was at the cathedral the day we stopped by for a visit (2 Aug 2013).
From Google sites, a brief history of the cathedral: (
visit link)
A Brief History of the Cathedral
The history of the parish of St. Ivan Suchavsky Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral is filled with stories of the efforts of the forefathers who, in settling in a new land, tried to make a reality of their vision of freedom of worship, preservation of their culture, and the practice of their traditions, in a style which was their own. It is a history which arouses admiration for a people whose strength lay in their faith, their unity, and their convictions, in spite of limited resources. Most of these pioneers emigrated from the Territory of Bukovyna in Western Ukraine in the early part of the 20th century. Apart from the beginnings they sought here, they brought with them a strong desire to maintain their links with the original Church as they had known it. Disenchanted with the direction that the local Orthodox Churches were taking at that time, they set themselves on a course towards the establishment of their own Temple, with the same initiative and spirit of survival which brought them to this land.
On March 1, 1931, in the home of one of its pioneer members -- Stephen Piseski -- a group of 29 persons gathered to formally establish the Brotherhood of St. Ivan Suchavsky, which was to provide the foundation for this parish. This Brotherhood adapted a set of goals which would allow them to:
preserve their customs and to carry out their Christian traditions,
provide charitable assistance to their fellow members, and to Ukrainian Orthodox persons in their community,
work toward bringing together Ukrainian Bukovinians into one organization,
assist the families of their deceased members through a Mortuary Endowment Fund.
Remembering their heritage and their ties with the old country, this group of Bukovinians chose as their patron Saint, St. Ivan Suchavsky. In a matter of months, the purchase of the McDougall Memorial Methodist Church building was negotiated. This is the current location of St. Ivan Suchavsky Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral.
Through voluntary contributions, the Brotherhood initially was able to raise $1000 as a partial down payment on the building. Loans totalling $1000 were obtained from members of the parish. A mortgage of $3000 covered the balance. In an effort to make the Church functional, an organizational structure was immediately necessary. Once again, the Brotherhood was instrumental in convening a meeting on October 25, 1931, at which they established a Committee to begin to formalize the structure of the parish. A seven member Committee was then struck to develop a constitution for the Church. A draft constitution was presented for approval on November 14, 1931, at a continuation of their first general meeting. The final Constitution was adopted one year later, and there was membership agreement to incorporate the Church under the name of Ukrainian Bukovinian Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St. Ivan Suchavsky. With the parish committee established, two of the immediate matters requiring attention were: the confirmation of the Diocesan links, and the engagement of a priest to serve in the Cathedral, and the renovation of the Church building to conform with the Ukrainian Byzantic style of architecture. As to the matter of the Diocese and priest, the parish decided to join the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in America under the jurisdiction of Bishop Dr. Joseph Zuk. Rev. Fr. A. Khrustavka was engaged as the first permanent priest of the parish, and took up duties in the Church in December, 1931. With regard to the physical facility, work on the Church building began almost immediately. The roof had to be replaced and a sanctuary constructed. The Iconostas was built by George Bilas, and the first Icons on the Iconostas were painted by Mr. J. Sych. In 1966, that same Iconostas was repainted, and the Icons were replaced. These new Icons, painted by Mrs. E. Stachursky, reflect the influence of Western realism. The Altar table and the Tabernacle were constructed by Nicholas Zemliuk, assisted by Wasyl Hordy. These original items are still standing in the Church today.
In 1933, through the efforts of Rev. Fr. John Zazulak and Wasyl Hordy, bells for the belfry were donated by the Canadian Pacific Railway and installed. These same bells remain in the belfry today, and are used on special occasions. Electronic bells donated by Mr. and Mrs. Safriuk had been installed in the seventies. These have since been replaced by a more sophisticated unit donated to the Parish by Sir Thomas Cropo. The hardships of the thirties affected everyone, including the Churches. In spite of this, the early pioneers found ways to give of themselves through their work, time, and money in order to beautify their Holy Temple. Donations in kind, of hand-embroidered linens, and hand-crafted artifacts, were placed in the Church. Some of these were made of crude materials, but with much reverence and care. As mortgage payments on the Church building had to be made, door-to-door campaigning was undertaken in order to raise funds to meet these payments. In 1934, shares were sold to members at $1.00 a share, as another method of raising funds.
In order to reduce expenses, measures curtailing the vesper services during the winter months were taken, to save on fuel. However, in spite of the lack of funds, the Ukrainian School and Sunday School programs were maintained, as vital to the spiritual and cultural education of the children. To become self-sufficient, the members soon realized that they needed a place that could accomodate their meetings and fund-raising activities. In 1938, excavation began for the addition of a hall, rectory and residence, to become part of the church complex. Many of the young men of the parish gave of their time and muscle to make this a reality. In 1944, the membership, having paid off their mortgage, received clear title to the building. In 1945, work then began on the addition of the domes. While energies were being directed toward the organizational and physical structures, the spiritual life of the Church also began to grow. It was not long before the Church vibrated with the beauty of the sound of a 50 voice choir. This group had the privilege of singing under the direction of some well known choral directors in Ukrainian musical circles at that time. Altar boys, in the service of our Lord, initially came from some of the first families in the parish. Today, the sons and grandsons of these families are following in their footsteps.
In addition to attending religious services in the Church, young people were enrolled in Sunday School classes, which were considered an important part of their religious orientation. The Cultural heritage of the parishoners was transmitted to the children of the parishoners through an active Ukrainian school program and a mandolin orchestra. The Young Peoples Club swelled in numbers in the early forties. The membership began to decline in the postwar years. The Young Peoples Club tried to revitalize itself in the early fifties. There were many difficulties as the war had dispersed many members, families were separated by distance, and there were losses due to intermarriage and movement. Because of the times, the Church was no longer the focal point of people's lives. The young were not visible. In 1959, the Young People's Club was reconstituted as the St. John's Social Club, in order to augment its role as a supporting organization of the Church.
Following restructuring of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in America in 1995, St. Ivan Suchavsky Cathedral joined the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, which had been accepted into Eucharistic Communion by the Ecumenical Patriarch in Constantinople in 1990. Enhanced links with local Orthodox parishes and development of an active support and educational program for new immigrants have guided the parish's efforts through the dawn of the 21st century.
As we look at our Church history and the accomplishments of our forefathers, we are awe-struck by the dedication and commitment of a group of people who had faith and a cause. They persevered in spite of the many obstacles that had to be overcome. Their struggle for survival was difficult, but their faith in God and their cause -- the Church -- gave them the strength to survive and courage to succeed." [end]