The Very Rev. Father Gerasim Power has been appointed priest-in-charge at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, taking over from Archpriest Father John Bingham, who retired after 11 years leading the parish.
Archbishop Irénée Rochon, Archbishop of Canada of the Orthodox Church of America, appointed Power as parish priest on Dec. 1, 2021.
The parish announced the new appointment recently.
“Since I have come to Moose Jaw, I have found the people of the parish and the city most welcoming, and I look forward to serving the parish and the community and to welcoming people to the church and Christ,” said Power.
Power was born in Fredericton, N.B., and became a priest in 1986 before being tonsured — his head was shaved — as a monk in 2011. He served parishes in British Columbia and Alberta, with his most recent position as priest serving eight small parishes in northern Alberta.
While there, Power became a volunteer firefighter and later served as the department’s chaplain. He is now a member of the Federation of Fire Chaplains — an international organization — and was a member of the Alberta Critical Incident Stress Management Team.
“I am most happy to be here in Moose Jaw and look forward to being a lifelong Saskatchewanian,” he added.
Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, located at 725 Ninth Avenue Southwest, has served the community of Moose Jaw for more than 100 years.
In 1913, a group of Orthodox people purchased land from a homesteader near the top of a hill in the south end of Moose Jaw and built the first Orthodox Church in the city. The group later named the church in honour of the Holy Trinity, composed of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
According to the parish, the first written records originate in 1914, with financial reports recorded in the Cyrillic alphabet. Records of baptisms, marriages and funerals — also written in Cyrillic — also exist from 1918 to 1967. However, the records have been written in English since 1967.
The church has maintained a list of all parish priests over the past century. Many priests served the church before Archpriest Svetislav Balevich arrived in 1967; he served until 2002.
Father Bingham arrived in 2010 and became the fourth-longest serving priest, serving until Dec. 1, 2021.
A fire destroyed the original building in 1930, but the parishioners rebuilt the church. In the late 1950s, a generous parishioner, Fyodor Kubiak, donated two adjacent lots to the church, and a priest’s residence and hall were built.
The hall still bears Kubiak’s name. Meanwhile, the hall has held many events over the years, as it became a popular venue to rent and a place for special parish activities.
In 2012 the parish sold the hall and the church basement was renovated to provide space for fellowship and meals. A vertical lift was also added, and with an existing outdoor ramp, the church became accessible to all.
The church celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2013 with a visit from Archbishop Irénée, a celebratory liturgy, and a dinner at the Cosmo Senior Citizens Centre that many present and past parishioners attended. Many artifacts collected over the years were also put on display.
“The church is blessed with people of every generation and numerous ethnic roots,” the parish added, “and opens its doors to anyone seeking Christ.”
