When Debbie Melnychuk was up throughout the night between Thursday and Friday, she didn’t suspect that the lightning storm would result in devastation for her small community.
“I have never seen a storm like that,” says Melnychuk, a long-time resident of the Spedden area. Early that morning, she would receive a phone call, and by 7:30 a.m., she was standing in front of the pile of burnt rubble that once was the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church in Spedden.
Melnychuk says she heard it was a call to 9-1-1- shortly after 4 a.m. that alerted the Vilna Fire Department to the blaze. It is suspected that the building was struck by lightning during the storm, which caused the fire.
Aside from a white wooden cross that stands nearby, the entire church and its contents were destroyed in the fire. “The tapestries, the beautiful crosses, the mantel, everything is gone,” says Melnychuk. Many of the items were handmade and are irreplaceable.
She is one of about 40 members who are still active in the church community in Spedden. She, along with about four or five other families had been taking care of the church and cemetery, and a monthly service was still being held at the church.
Plans had even been put in place to do some renovations to the building, which was built in 1934. According to records at the Land Titles Office, the land was purchased for $100 and transferred to the Ruthenian Catholic Mission of St. Basil the Great in Canada, May 26, 1930, says the Spedden history book.
The church was given its name, Holy Trinity, when the bishop of Canada, Basil Ladaka, visited in 1937.
“All my kids were baptized there,” says Melnychuk, as she recalls the memories she has of the church that she called her own for 42 years. “That was my church.”
Last week, when Melnychuk made her way to St. Paul after finding out about the church burning, she found herself getting some groceries in the Co-op. While there, she ran into an older gentleman who was also from the area, and he too had tears in his eyes.
“It’s just not going to be the same,” says Melnychuk. She says the church was well known and was seen as a landmark in the area. The large, distinct domes were noticeable from a distance.
At the moment, the church community is unsure of what the future holds. The group will be having a meeting this week, and will be meeting with its insurance company also.
“It’s hard to saw what’s going to happen,” says Melnychuk.
The Journal was unable to reach the Vilna Fire Department’s deputy fire chief by press deadline.
