St. Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Alvena, Saskatchewan
The Ukrainian Catholic Church of St. Michael the Archangel, located in Alvena, Saskatchewan, is the first church established by the local parish. Built by parishioners between 1939 and 1943, the church reflects the dedication, donations, and volunteer labour of early Ukrainian settlers who arrived in the area in 1899 from the Borshchiv and Sokal regions.
St. Michael’s is a wood-frame, rectangular church distinguished by its three small front cupolas and light-painted wood siding. The sanctuary sits elevated with a main altar and two sacristies, while the nave features a vaulted ceiling, wooden floors, and a choir loft. Seating accommodates approximately 120 people, with electrical lighting and oil heating. A small porch-vestibule forms the entrance.
The finished basement serves as a parish hall with kitchen facilities, supporting ongoing community gatherings. A mission cross near the church commemorates the Holy Mission of 1950, and the nearby rectory, built in 1944, remains part of the historic site. The parish continues to use the local community cemetery.
St. Michael’s falls under the Ukrainian Catholic Deanery of Saskatoon and remains an important cultural and spiritual landmark on the Saskatchewan prairie.
