Description of Historic Place

The Greek Catholic Church of Transfiguration is a Municipal Heritage Property situated on a quarter section of land in the Rural Municipality of Sliding Hills No. 273. Located approximately 12 kilometres north of the Village of Rhein, the property features a wood-frame church and bell tower constructed in 1931, a cemetery and a non-contributing wood-frame parish hall, all partially surrounded by a non-contributing hedgerow.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Greek Catholic Church of Transfiguration lies in its association with the cultural traditions of the settlers of the region. The first Ukrainian immigrants came to the region in 1897 and, after attending to their material needs, focused on building a church. In 1903, residents of the area began a collection for a church and in 1904 they constructed a log church in the nearby Hamlet of Donwell. The 1904 church served the community until it was lost to fire in 1930. In 1931, the present church was constructed on its current location, providing a place for the Catholic Ukrainians of the district to worship, socialize and perpetuate their cultural traditions. The cemetery serves as the final resting place for many early parishioners and is a tangible link between past and present members of the community.

The heritage value of the property also lies in the architecture of the church. The church exhibits the Byzantine Revival influence common to most Greek Catholic churches constructed in Saskatchewan during the early-twentieth century. The distinctive architecture contributes to the property’s status as a landmark in the community.

Source:

Rural Municipality of Sliding Hills No. 273 Bylaw 4-86.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Greek Catholic Church of Transfiguration resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements of the property that reflect its association with the Ukrainian background of many of the area settlers, including the church’s location on its original position, tombstones marking the graves, use of the Cyrillic alphabet on tombstones and in the church, the wooden cross south of the church, and crosses on the central dome and above the front entranceway;
-those elements that reflect the church’s Byzantine Revival-inspired architecture, including the octagonal central dome with cupola, rose windows, rounded windows, symmetrical composition and layout in the shape of a crucifix, separate bell tower, interior columns, arched openings and round-vaulted ceilings.