Nativity of Virgin Mary (St Mary’s)

Today we’re visiting Nativity of the Virgin Mary Romanian Orthodox Church (or simply St Mary’s), built in the 1910s and last used many years ago. The Parish kept it intact even after the last services were held, but since our visit a couple years back, we’re told its been emptied of artifacts.

The grounds and attached cemetery is kept up, but the church now stands empty. We didn’t visit the former this time, on account of a time crunch.

The St Mary’s congregation dates back to 1908, with the arrival of settlers from the old country and soon after plans put in place to build the church seen here. Land was donated, funds raised and the wheels put in motion. One must address the spiritual needs of newcomers, so they feel at home, and this a high priority.

It took a few years to arrange everything and a couple more to actually construct the building. Work started in 1911, it was finished in 1913 and the blessing of Biserica Ortodoxa Romana Nasterea Fecioarei Maria (alternatelty Romana Ortodxa Nasterea Fecioarei Maria in some texts) took place a year or three later. Reports differ slightly.*

Nativity of Virgin Mary Church.

While awaiting completion services were held in the home of a local. Early on there were difficulties in finding and keeping Romanian speaking clergy and this became a problem that went on for some time. In the meantime, Russian language priests would fill in. Sometimes St Mary’s had no priest at all or they shared one with other area churches.

An ongoing struggle with low membership is noted, especially as the years passed, and while it stood at healthy levels early on (some 50-60 is suggested), by the 1930s it hovered around fifteen. It seemed to rebound a bit around the time of World War Two but by 1960 all that’s left were a hand full (literally – so five members). At this time the decision made to amalgamate with a second Romanian Church in the area.

Still, St Mary’s remained kept up and used for the special services for many years to come (into the 2000s is suggested). In more recent times, it was deemed unsafe and by our visit in 2020 had been closed up for an extended period. More recently, so after our stopover, all the contents were removed for safe storage. On our visit the church was completely intact and an amazing time capsule. It seemed ready for services, but the call would never come. Many of the furnishings and artifacts inside were clearly quite old.

The interior was totally silent and every footfall or camera click deafening.

As would be expected for a structure of this age, it’s settled and sagged. There’s not a level surface or square corner anywhere, and many odd angles, and from this comes much character. It’s weathered by time, worn by the elements and looking as though it’s been through more than a few wars, but somehow it still stands proud.

Those Northern Alberta winters, for one, are brutal and seemingly endless. Kudos to those who built it, on a strict budget no doubt, and put all that love into seeing a dream completed here in their new country.

Now the job is done and when something falls from use like this, it seems the end is never far off. I wonder what we’ll see should we pay it a revisit in a few years?

St Mary’s measures 36 feet by 24 feet (or roughly 11m x 7.3m), plus there’s a small entry room. Old photos from the early years, show it looking not all that different from what you see now. The trees and brush on the property have grown up considerably and crowd the building and nearly engulf the belltower off to the side.

A monument reading “donated 1943”, is seen out front. The date 1954 shows on the steeple (hard to see in our photos), but its significance has seemingly been lost to time. No one we spoke with seemed to know for certain and no history write ups made mention of what it could mean. Interesting. Perhaps an old timer connected with the church can fill in the blanks. Oh, how we hate blanks.

By the 1950s, membership was in decline, so it’s a curious mystery. We cross-referenced every date in papers and documents and there’s nothing obvious. It’s a few years off from being the fiftieth anniversary of the Parish, so who knows? That it’s there means it must have marked something important at the time, however.

There’s close to sixty burials in the attached cemetery (not seen), and the first dates back to the early years and the most recent from about fourteen years ago.

Also known simply as St Mary’s.

It bothers us to be under a deadline, as happened here, but sometimes there’s no choice, and so our visit to St Mary’s turned out to be quite brief. We were in and out in ten minutes and what we would have given to spend the day. We were due to attend some time specific commitments in the area (museum work) and the road calls. Still, we’re happy we got to see inside before emptied and thankful for the opportunity to soak up a little of its history.

*Slightly contradictory data is an ongoing issue when compiling history and happens all the time.

St Mary, Virgin Mary, Mary the Blessed Virgin, or Mary, mother of Jesus, is highly venerated in Eastern Orthodox religions and of higher status than say in churches with Protestant affiliations.

Know more (new tab): Who is Saint Mary

They’re saying…

”Fantastic photos, really intriguing subjects. I’ve learned so much about Calgary and Alberta that I never knew even though I’ve lived here all my life!” Tom Junkin (we also venture into other provinces too).

More country churches, some in use and some abandoned…
Sacred Heart (circa 1890s).
St George’s Turner Valley.
St Norbert’s.
Zion Lutheran Church.

If you wish more information on what’s seen here, don’t hesitate to: contact us!

Date of Adventure: September, 2020.
Location(s): Northern Alberta.
Article references and thanks: P Panciuk of St Mary’s and Canadian Orthodox History Project.

The building is from the 1910s and has settled a lot since.

In the silence every footfall and camera click was deafening.

As we found it…

It’s been a while since regular services were held at St Mary’s.

A soft glow fills the interior.

These windows look out to the (still in use) cemetery.

We’re told everything has since been removed.

In this corner.

Weathered and tired, but still beautiful in every way.

The Belltower is almost lost in the bush.