The monastery was finished by 1913, built before St. Mary’s Church, which was constructed in 1914. The building was made of white bricks, which were manufactured from the sandy clay near the site. It was the first Ukrainian Catholic Church in Western Canada to be built of brick. In 1920, a west wing was added to the monastery along with the whole third floor. The additions served as a minor seminary, a major seminary, and an elementary parish school.
The building served as a residence for the Redemptorist Fathers and brothers, often hosting guests from across the country. The 30-room residence is now only home to three fathers and a few offices. During our walkthrough with the Father, he explained the costs of keeping the building from heating to maintenance. The building would require significant upgrades to bring it up to code. Although everyone would like to save it, the money is not available.
The site originally included the church, the monastery, St. Joseph's College (1920-2004), a press building for the Redeemer's Voice newspaper, and the Sacred Heart Academy, which is now the Gladstone Seniors Residence.
The rectory was torn down in 2022, just weeks after our visit. We are thankful to the Father who gave us a tour of the building. Even though it was mostly empty as the items were auctioned off, we enjoyed hearing his stories and the history of the building. The personal stories he shared about his time in the building made it clear this was more than a house, it was a home. It was an emotional walkthrough and a piece of history that will be missed. It is nice that they were able to auction off many parts of this historic building for others to enjoy.
Fact: In 1935, a disgruntled former parishioner, Stefan Ilaszm went after Father John Bala, whom Ilasz blamed for his son's death five years earlier. Ilasz shot Bala three times with a pistol, but the priest eventually made a full recovery. Father A.N. Delforge, who had come to his fellow priest's defence, died instantly from a bullet to his head.
Photographs from 2022 in no particular order.
