LOCATION:
Rural: South of Holden
HOURS OF OPERATION:
Service: Sunday - For exact times/dates call 780-688-2331
Directions:
From Holden take Secondary Highway 855 south
Travel 6 3/4 miles
Turn right (go west) on Township Road 482
Travel one mile
Turn left (go south) on Range Road 163
Travel 1/2 mile to the church, hall, and cemetery
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Phone: 780-688-2331
DESCRIPTION:
Ukrainian Catholic Church of The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, better known as "St. Mary's South Holden" became a Registered Historic Site in 1994 under the Province of Alberta's heritage program. See detail here.... (link is external)
This church and bell tower was constructed in 1916 to serve a growing congregation in the Holden area. The church structure and Byzantine design are typical of the area and the period. The greatest historical interest in this church lies in its richly decorated interior and furnishings. Many of the icons in the church are painted by the noted religious artist Peter Lipinski. Lipinski also painted and stencilled the interior of the building. The iconostas, which separates the sanctuary from the congregation, is a particularly fine example of the woodworker and painter's craft.
The church served as a religious and community centre for Ukrainian settlers south of Holden from 1916 on, and it remains one of the oldest surviving structures in the area. It is still used as a church reflecting the strength of its community associations, and providing a direct link to the early homesteading period in this part of east central Alberta.