Municipal Heritage Property
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Ascension
St. Philips RM 301, Saskatchewan
Also known as Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of the Ascension
View of Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Ascension, featuring the west facade, 2005.
Photo: Government of Saskatchewan, Michael Thome, 2005.
- Built
- 1934–1937
- Recognized
- 1997
- By
- Local government
The register’s text, word for word
Description
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Ascension is a Municipal Heritage Property comprising a four thousand square-meter parcel located approximately 9.5 kilometres southeast of the Village of Arran within the Rural Municipality of St. Philips No. 301. The property features an Orthodox Church, a cemetery, hall and cairn.
Heritage value
The heritage value of The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Ascension lies in its association with the congregants who built this church. Wishing to practise their faith in their adopted homeland, the fourteen Ukrainian families who homestead this area founded a Orthodox congregation. Built between 1934 and 1937, this representative example of Byzantine architecture was built from donated materials and volunteer labour. Many of the founding congregants are buried in the cemetery located a few dozen metres from the church. A hall was later added and the church became both a place of worship and an important cultural centre.
The heritage value of The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Ascension also resides in the artwork and iconography. Elaborate frescos adorn the walls and ceiling of the nave. The icons which adorn the iconostasis are excellent examples of the Orthodox artistic tradition.
Source:
Rural Municipality of St. Philips No. 301 Bylaw No. 1/97.
Character‑defining elements
The heritage value of The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Ascension resides in the following character-defining elements:
-the painted artwork on the ceiling and interior walls, such as the Ukrainian Orthodox motifs and the iconography;
-the iconostasis;
-those elements reflecting an association with the original congregants, such as the squared logs, the hall and the form and placement of the headstones in the cemetery;
-those elements reflecting the Byzantine architecture, such as the dome, the cruciform footprint, the church’s east-west orientation.
End of the register’s text
Location
St. Philips RM 301, Saskatchewan, S0A, Canada
51.80254° N, 101.67207° W
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Nearby
Similar places
Places whose register descriptions are closest to this one.
Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of the AscensionSilver Creek, Manitoba
Holy Assumption St. Mary’s Ukrainian Orthodox ChurchSliding Hills RM 273, Saskatchewan
Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption of the Virgin MaryRedberry RM 435, Saskatchewan
Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church of the AscensionPark (South), Manitoba
Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of St. Michael's ParishRama, Saskatchewan
Greek Catholic Church of TransfigurationSliding Hills RM 273, Saskatchewan
From the Canadian Register of Historic Places, as last updated on December 12, 2025. The register’s text is shown word for word.