Rabbit Hill - Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church
13 km northwest from Leduc; 5 km west of Edmonton International Airport
Leduc County (SW-19-50-25-W4)
The first Ukrainians settlers to this area came in 1900-1912 from the Yaroslav District (Poland).
There is little information about its early beginnings. Supposedly, the first church was built in 1900. The first services were held in 1902 by Fr. Sozont Dydyk, OSBM, who resided in Rabbit Hill and took care of the surrounding area, including Edmonton, until 1906.
The second church was built by Fr. Philip Ruh, OMI, in 1917-1918. In 1919, Bishop Nykyta Budka visited the church and blessed it. In 1936, Bishop Basil Ladyka visited the parish. Being close to Edmonton, the parish has been served by the Basilian Fathers since 1917.(1)
Oriented on the east-west axis, the church is designed on a central longitudinal cruciform plan following Byzantine traditions. The church has one large dome plus 2 smaller domes. The site is surrounded by farm land.
One enters the narthex through a small vestibule under the choir loft. The narthex leads into the nave and a chancel on a raised floor. Within the chancel there is the sanctuary that surrounds the altar. In addition, there are two identical sacristies located north and south of the crossing with individual entrances from the exterior. There is no iconostasis.
A large drum fixture rises from the intersection of the roofs over the nave. The structure then supports a high octagonal (onion-shaped) dome. A large wrought iron cross sits on top of the dome. There are two (2) smaller domes by the entrance door.
The interior is decorated with a variety of stenciling and icons. Peter Lipinski did all the artistic paintings and decorations for the Church around 1921. Note - Peter Lipinski's wife Mary Lipinski (Sereda), was the daughter of one of the early Ukrainian settlers in the area. In 1928, P. Turetski built various religious wooden structures in the church.
The total area of the church grounds is 22 acres. A bell-tower stands in the church yard. A church cemetery is located next to the church.