Oselia Baturyn
A short history of the chapel of Saints Volodymyr and Oljha at Plast Camp Baturyn
The Montreal chapter of Plast (Ukrainian scouts) purchased Camp Baturyn in the fall of 1959. The site included more than 160 acres of forests and fields, had its own spring, and was ideally suited for scouting activities. Since then, Baturyn has hosted many camps, festivals and other activities.
At the end of the 1970s, the property did not have a permanent place for church services. During the early years, there were no rooms in which to hold liturgies, so services were held outdoors; small shelters were constructed for the priests, and the faithful gathered around them. One stood on the eastern side of the sports field, and later the second was erected in a small wooded area towards the back of the property. Over time, these shelters did not withstand the weather and they were dismantled. In recent years, liturgies were held in a pine grove behind the “Motria” dining hall.
In 1977 the first plan to build a permanent chapel on Baturyn was drawn up. The initiator of this project was Juriy Lewyckyj, a former director of Plast Montreal and a long-time resident of Baturyn. The very next year, Mr. Lewyckyj gathered several people and created the Chapel Committee, which asked Mr. Myron Monczak to design the building. Plans for a Hutsul-style wooden chapel covered with cedar shingles, a shelter-roof for the faithful and a bell tower were made the following year and approved by the leadership of Plast Montreal.
The site for the construction of the chapel was chosen on land near the infirmary, and work began in earnest in the fall of 1978. The first stages of construction began: two ditches were dug along the square to dry the ground and direct stagnant water to the stream, the ground was cleared and a thick layer of rubble was poured, on which the chapel, the structure for the worshippers and the bell tower were to be erected. The actual construction of the chapel began on April 29, 1979.
The architect was Myron Monczak, and the director of the building itself was Clément Dagenais. During the spring and early summer, the volunteer workers building the chapel included: Markian Pylat, Wasyl Mereniuk, Wolodymyr Mota, Kornylo Kohutiak, Jaroslav Pankiw, Roman Boyko, Petro Wasyliuk, as well as many young plastuny. Our Plastunky and friends of Plast, older and younger, made sure that everyone was well fed.
Jurij Lewycky took it upon himself to raise construction funds, because the budget only provided for funding in the amount of $10,000. Thanks to his efforts, more than $14,000 was raised that same year. The construction progressed at a fast pace, because the builders lived on the property itself, either in their own private homes or in the bedrooms of the Motria and infirmary buildings.
Consecration of the chapel of St. Volodymyr and St. Oljha was celebrated on July 29, 1979, with the participation of Bishop Isidor Boretsky of the UGCC, and more than 800 people participated in the event. Since then, every Sunday throughout the summer, services have been held in the chapel, and the structure for the faithful has also served as a place for activities for campers during inclement weather.
However, nothing lasts forever and, after 40 years, the Canadian winter and harsh weather had taken their toll: the chapel had aged, the shingles on the roof began to rot, and it was necessary to think about the future. After the death of Jurij Lewyckyj, Martha Mayer became the head of the Chapel Committee Under her leadership, Luba Pankiw and Yury Monczak also joined the committee, and began planning the repair of the chapel, mainly the replacement of shingles on the chapel, the bell tower, and the roof of the faithful. In May 2023, synthetic shingles were purchased and the roof of the chapel was covered, and in the spring of 2024 it is planned to replace the shingles on the roof of the faithful and the bell tower.
The chapel at Baturyn stands as a witness of the spirit and solidarity of our community, and attracts visitors from near and far. In September 2023, the chapel hosted the second Plast wedding (the first took place in the summer of 1981). Thanks to the good will of Plastuny and supporters of Plast, we managed to build a wonderful Hutsul chapel at Baturyn, and we believe that with the support of those who care, we will be able to pass on this wonderful treasure to the next generation of plastuny.