Landmark Building
ST. ONUFRY UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
SE 6-60-17-W4, Barich
Designed By: Phillip Ruh
Built in 1915
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Situated high on a hill, St. Onufry Ukrainian Catholic Church has not been used for almost a quarter of a century. However, it is not abandoned. Although its former parishioners attend Mass in the town of Smoky Lake, they still occasionally gather at St.
Onufry's to clean and maintain it.
This church is one of the earliest designs of the priest-architect, Reverend Phillip Ruh. Except for the ever-present dome, the church's exterior features suggest much more of a classical influence than most Ukrainian churches in the region exhibit. The shaped window heads, for instance, and the height of the building relative to its area are characteristic of the Classical style. The pediment-shaped lintels and the tall dimensions of the building relative to its width and length are reminiscent of a small classical temple. In addition, it has return eaves and a shaped lintel over the entry door, which, although not strictly classical features, are rarely found on Ukrainian churches.
St. Onufry's has an abbreviated tripartite plan shape and a blind dome. It was built through the joint efforts of the parishioners and eventually painted in 1928. The parish incorporated itself and built a small chapel on site in 1907. Although the present church was built in 1915, it is possible that the structure incorporates the original 1907 chapel.
Inside, there is an elaborately decorated single-tiered iconostasis. The walls are adorned with both hung icons and images which have been painted directly onto the clapboard wall surface.
A belltower and cemetery are situated on the site.
The Landmark Buildings and Places Database draws on the series of walking and/or driving tour booklets produced by Alberta Culture (now Alberta Culture and Community Spirit). The Heritage Community Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support of the Ministry through permission to reprint these materials online. Extracted from Historical Driving Tour: Ukrainian Churches in East Central Alberta. Alberta Culture and Multiculturalism, n.d., with permission from Alberta Culture and Community Spirit. Visit the Alberta Culture and Community Spirit for more information.