Manitoba Provincial Heritage Site No. 20
St. Elijah Romanian
Orthodox Church
SW 24-23-24W, Lennard District,
R.M. of Shellmouth
Designation Authority: Honourable Eugene Kostyra,
Minister of Culture, Heritage and Recreation
Present Owner: St. Elijah Pioneer Church Museum
This is the oldest standing Romanian Church in Manitoba. Built in 1908 by Romanian pioneers from Bukovyna, then a province of the Austrian Empire, St. Elijah replaced a sod and log structure dating from 1903. Alexie Slusarchuk, a farmer, designed the church which was built on farmland donated by Elie Burla. The church was used for worship until 1952. Restored in 1979, the church was dedicated to community pioneers on the 80th anniversary of the founding of the parish.
The form of St. Elijah—a simple rectangular shape distinguished by rounded ends—is derived from traditional church designs common in Bukovyna and Romania. Interior features include sculptured rafters, processional crosses, and icons reflecting the vernacular decorative style of Bukovyna.
