Key Number:	HS 41493
Site Name:	Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Transfiguration of Our Lord (Spasa Moskalyk)
Other Names:
Site Type:	1603 - Religious: Church, Cathedral or Chapel

Location

ATS Legal Description:

			Twp	Rge	Mer
			53	16	4

Address:	N/A
Number:	N/A
Street:	N/A
Avenue:	N/A
Other:
Town:
Near Town:	Mundare

Media

Type	Number	Date	View
Digital scan of Negative Digital scan of Negative Digital scan of Negative Digital scan of Negative Digital scan of Negative Digital scan of Negative Digital scan of Negative Digital scan of Negative	84-R0712-03 84-R0712-05 84-R0712-09 84-R0712-11 84-R0712-13 84-R0712-15 84-R0712-33 84-R0712-35	1984/09/04 1984/09/04 1984/09/04 1984/09/04 1984/09/04 1984/09/04 1984/09/04 1984/09/04	North side. Northeast. East elevation. South. South elevation. South side. Northeast. Southeast corner.

Architectural

Style:	Ukrainian-Canadian Church Style
Plan Shape:	Cruciform with Apse
Storeys:	Storeys: 1
Foundation:	Basement/Foundation Wall Material: Concrete
Superstructure:	Nailed Frame
Superstructure Cover:	Wood: Clapboard (Bevel or Drop Siding)
Roof Structure:	Medium Gable
Roof Cover:	Wood
Exterior Codes:	Exterior Chimney Wings: Other Wall Design and Detail: Corner Board Roof Trim - Eaves: Flush Eaves Roof Trim - Eaves: Rafters Exposed Roof Trim - Verges: Projecting Verges Chimney Stack Material: Brick Window - Structural Opening Shape: Semi-Circular Window - Special Types: Round Window - Special Types: Half-Round Window - Special Types: Semi-Circular Window - Special Types: Stained Glass Main Entrance - Location: Centre (Facade) Main Entrance - Number of Leaves: 2 Main Porch - Type: Closed Porch
Exterior:	Stained glass window, rose window east end, red brick chimney on north side, central dome at crossing, 6 sided onion shaped, tin covering, cross on top, similar pair at nave corners. Projecting verges, returned eaves, plain soffit, exterior brick chimney, semi-circular windows, 2 on each side of both nave & narthex, 2 on apse, 8 on dome, half-round over door, plain flat door trim, round window on east facade. Twin sacristies, two towers capped by domes either side of entrance. Cross gabled roof truncated by dome.
Interior:	N/A
Environment:	Large white cross to north of entrance, cemetery to the south priest's house to north. Adjacent cemetery and clapboard belltower (b 1938), rural setting, situated on essentially flat land, surrounded by deciduous trees, exclusively agricultural infrastructure.
Condition:	Good. 4 SEP 1984. Fair. 2 NOV 1987.
Alterations:	N/A

Historical

Construction:	Construction Date:
Constructed	1924/01/01
Usage:	Usage Date:
Church	1924/01/01
Owner:	Owner Date:
N/A

Architect:	N/A
Builder:	Charles Gordon.
Craftsman:	N/A
History:	Land for church was donated by Mr. Harry Moskalyk (40 acres) hence local name of Church. Chapel 36 x 20 ft built on present site in 1904 by Joseph Tmychshyn helped by Alex Lesiuk and Peter Siracky. When the new present church was being built in 1924 the chapel was accidently burnt down. 1926 official blessing of the church. Ivan Zaklynsky first parish priest, two of the first organizers of the parish were John Svarich and A. Zaozirney. Second church on site, first built in 1904, burned as a result of an accident caused by the workers building the new church. Congregation faces west instead of the usual east. Charles Gordon from Vegreville, cost $8,800, painted inside and out in 1935 by Mr. Mrs. Nick Lysakowski. RESOURCE Ukrainian Catholic Church of Spasa (Muskalik) ADDRESS NE 36-53-16-W4M, near Mundare BUILT 1924 DESIGNATION STATUS Registered Historic Resource HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE Transfiguration Church is located seven miles northeast of Mundare, Alberta, on land donated by Harry Moskalyk (hence the nickname “Moskalyk’s”). The first parish priest (and one of the first three Ukrainian Catholic priests to come to Alberta) was Father Ivan Zaklynsky, a secular priest who helped organize a number of early Ukrainian Catholic parishes in east central Alberta, including the very first one near Star, Alberta. After Father Zaklynsky left, the Basilian Fathers, a Ukrainian Catholic monastic order centred in Mundare began to serve at Transfiguration Church. This effectively made it on of the monastery’s satellite parishes. Aside from a minor factional dispute with some adherents to the schismatic Seraphimite Church in the parish’s early years, there are no extraordinary events associated with this church’s history. The founding of the parish dates from 1900-1902. The cemetery, although not of broad regional significance (this role was played by St. John Ukrainian Catholic cemetery north of Hilliard, Alberta) dates from 1903. The church under consideration here (the parish’s second) dates from 1924. It was built by the Charles Gordon Lumber Company in Vegreville. The belltower is original, built from 1938. It is interesting to note that a group of nuns who came to the parish to teach religion and Ukrainian school one year found themselves living upstairs in the belltower for two weeks. This necessitated the installation of beds and a wood stove. Although the church is but one of several of this vintage in the general area and is a typical rural community church, its impressive architecture clearly recalls the days when local parish life had a much higher profile than it does today.

Internal

Designation Status:	Designation Date:

Register:	N/A

Links

Internet:
Alberta Register of Historic Places: