THE UKRAINIAN UNITED CHURCH IN WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, 1903-1961: THE HISTORY OF A UNIQUE CANADIAN RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE GERALDINE CAROL RUSSIN A Thesis S ubmitted to the Faculty of Graduate Smdies in Partial Fulfillrnent of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS Department of History University of Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba National Libraiy Bibliothèque nationale of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services seMces bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington OttawaûN K1AW Ottawa ON K1AON4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une Licence non exclusive licence dowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sel1 reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. 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THE UNIVk3RSITY OF MANITOBA FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES ***** COPYRIGHT PERMiSSION PAGE The Ulorinian United Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba, 1903-1961: The Bistory of a Unique Cinadlin Religious Esperience A TheslrlRirticurn submitted to the Facdty of Graduate Stuàies of The University of Manitoba in partial fulflllnrent of the requuements of the dcgree of Master of Arts GERALDINE CAROL RUSSIN01999 Permission bas ken grrnted to the Libnry of Tk University of Manitoba to lend or sell copia of tbis thcdrlpricticum, to the National Libriry of Canada to microfilm tbis thesis and to lend or seil copies of the film, and to Disuerbtiou Abstncts International to publish an rbstract of thir thesidprictieam. The author reserver othcr publkitbi rights, and neither aisthesis/practicum wr extensive estracts from it mybe printed or otherwir repduccd without the author's written permission. ABSTRACT The existence of a Ukrainian United Church in Winnipeg represented the Ukrainian Canadian population's experience with a ükrainian form of Protestantism between 1903 and 1% 1. The geographic focus of the thesis was Winnipeg. There were a number of distinct stages in this church's growth and dissolution. This experience began in 1903 with the founding by Ukrainians of the serni- autonomous Independent Greek Church. The existence of this church was nssisted by the Presbytenan Church in Canada. The founding of the Independent Greek Church in Winnipeg evoked two divergent views as to its purpose. The initiator of this church, John Bodrug, regarded this church as one that was Ukninian, independent of the two ancestral churches, which was to be a bridge from their traditional way of worship to a Ukrainian forrn of a reformed evangelical Protestant Church. This new church was to evolve at the pace necessary for Ukrainians to become adjusted to this non-traditional way of worshipping. The Presbyterian Church regarded the Independent Greek Church as an assirnilatory vehicle to Canadianize and Chnstianize Ukrainians, which meant to An gîici te and Protestantize Ukrainians to the proper Presbyterian mode1 as quickly as possible. The Independent Greek Church was incorporated into the Resbyterian Church of Canada in 19 13. The Winnipeg church became a ükrainian Presbyterian congregation. When the United Church of Canada was forrned in June 1925, the Ukrainian Presbyterian congregation becarne the Ukrainian United Church, but continued to worship at their separate original location. The entire history of the Ukrainian experience with Canadian Protestantism was founded on a long held assumption of the Protestant establishment made throughout this period. The fact that the Presbyterian Church, and later the United Church of Canada. equated their reügious convictions to that of the primary example of an ideal "Canadim" citizen fuelled their assimilatory project throughout. It is this aim which tempered many of the signifiant events in the life of the Ukrainian congregation, such as their physical move to Robertson Mernorial United Church in 1933. The two sides involved in this relationship often had competing ends and gods which ultimately led to the unceremonious dissolution of the Ukrainian United Church in 196 1. This is a unique dl-encompassing piece of Canadian Ukrainian Protestant history outlining the entire life and eliMnation of this new fom of Ukrainian Protestantism. The founding of this church in 1903 set the stage. The growth and eventual disbandment of the Ukrainian United Church in Winnipeg in 1961, by the United Church of Canada. closed this chapter of a distinct and special Canadian institution. iii PREFACE The Ukrainian immigrants arriving in Canada at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century referred to themselves as "Rusyny" in their homeland and this term was uanslated into English as "Ruthenians." The Ruthenian immigrants were also referred to as Galicims and Bukovinians from the names of the provinces from which they came. The modem term "Ukrainian" was becoming more widely used so that after World War 1 Ukrainian became the correct name of these people. The term Ukrainian is used in this thesis except in direct quotation where reference is made to the previous terrns of Ruthenian, Gaiician or Bukovinian. Transliteration of Ukrainian language sources has been done in accordance with the modified Library of Congress system. Al1 translations of Ukrainim language material have been done by the author. Ukrainian language newspaper tides have been shortened in the text as follows: Kanadyisbi Fanner - K. Fumer; Ukrayinskyi Holos - U. Holos; Kanadyiskyi Rusyn - K. Rusyn; Kanadiyskyi Ukrainets - K. Ukrainets; KanadiysQi Ranok - K. Ranok. 1 wish to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to al1 persons who have assisteci me in the process of writing this thesis. First of al], 1 am greatly indebted to my advisor, Dr. Stella Hryniuk. for her constant support and intellectual direction through every phase in the completion of this thesis; and for her knowledgeable assistance regarding administrative regulations. Dr. Hryniuk was most generous with her expertise and time in al1 matters. Secondly, 1 am very grateful for the editorial and other assistance given by Dr. Fred Stambrook; who kindly and graciously offered his valuable expertise and time. Thirdly, 1 am indebted to my sons and husband for their encouragement, patience and kindness sincerely given. To Michael, my indebtedness for his cornputer expertise in helping produce the bibüography, and endnotes. To Ted, rny indebtedness for his advice and suggestions based on his philosophic background; who was generous with his stylistic/editoriai skills. Both Michael and Ted carried out vital tasks conscientiously. To my husband Fred, my indebtedness, who dways iistened to my historical discoveries. and who kept our family life running smoothly. TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface ............................................................. iii Acknowledgements .....................................................iv Tableofcontents ....................................................... v Introduction ....................................................... 1 Chapter 1: Accürnatization to Canada: A Reiigious Vacuum .................. 8 Chapter 2: The Independent Greek Church and the Presbyterians: .............. 39 Divergent Visions Chapter 3: Ukninian Presbyterian Church: .............................. 106 An Unresolved Identi ty Chapter 4: The Ukrainian United Church: ............................... 135 Sowing the Seed of 3 New Canadian Denornination Chapter 5: The Truth Behind Assimilation Through Canadian Christianity ...... 175 Conclusion ........................................................ 231 Appendix 1: Titles of Property .......................................... 259 Appendix 2: Historical Photographs of .................... .. ... .......... 268 The Ukrainian United Church Robertson Memorial United Church Robertson Memorial House INTRODUCTION in the history of Ukrainians in Canada very little has been written about Protestantism amongst Ukrainians. Protestantism was almost foreign to the Ukrainian comrnunity. To this day, the fact that there had been a Ukrainian United Church has not been widely known in the Ukrainian comrnuiiity. Consequently 1 set out to examine in a systernatic way the Ukrainian United Church congregation in Winnipeg, and its forerunner, the Presbyterian Church, because that is where a Ukrainian form of Protestantism was begun by Ukrainian immigrants. The purpose of this thesis is to document the crzation, existence and disbanding of the Ukrainian United Church congregation in Winnipeg through its different forms from 1903 to 196 1, concurrently with the continuous compüant relationship of this congregation to the authority of the Presbyterian Church in Canada and after 1925 the United Church of Canada, Concentrating on the city of Winnipeg, the thesis examines the interaction between the religious proselytizing of the Presbyterian Church in Canada and the United Church of Canada among Ukrainians, and the reactions of Ukrainians thernselves. In 1896 when the large mass of Ukrainian immigrants