Under construction. Not all pages are here at Byzantines.net.
The Immaculate Conception Church and Grotto of our Lady of Lourdes
of Cooks Creek, Manitoba, Canada
Visitors come from all over the world to view the church and grotto in Cooks Creek. Surrounded by open prairie, the great structures express the devotion and inspiration of the parishioners who volunteered their labour to build them. How did the church and grotto come to be ? Ukrainian settlers began to arrive in the Cooks Creek area before the turn of the century. They were a hard working and devoted people eager to establish themselves in the new country. As the Ukrainian parish began to grow, first one small wooden church was built about a half mile north of the present site. A second was built, about 2 mile north east of the present church. In building these churches the settlers expressed their strong religious faith, and they created a focal point, a meeting place within their community. The parish continued to grow, by 1929 it numbered 350 families and one central, bigger church was needed. The Ukrainian Catholic Bishop, Wasilij Ladyka O.S.B.M. appointed Father Philip Ruh O.M.I. as parish priest, to build the new church in Cooks Creek. When he was assigned to Cooks Creek in 1929 he found dedicated parishioners who were ready to work, but had little funds. Once the depression struck, times became even harder. Despite this the determination remained strong and the people volunteered their labour. In 1930 they began to dig the basement using picks, shovels, and teams of horses. Gravel and crushed rock were hauled from Tyndall and hand mixed with cement. The women carried stones in their aprons to fill forms. By the end of 1930 the basement structure was completed. Slowly, step by step, the great structure was completed. It took 22 years to complete. Today the church stands as a symbol of the courage and dedication of the people who built it and a reflection of the faith and inspiration of the priest who led them. More history? Click here!