On August 17, 2025 the new Boian Church opened its doors for the first time with a blessing performed by Father Gheorghe Petrovan and Father George Bazgan before Devine Literagy. Many items for the interior are still needed, which will be purchased or donated over time, including the iconostasis. Regular services are being held in the new church while we work towards obtaining these items. We look forward to the consecration of the new church by His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian in 2026.
December 22, 2024 The Boian Church building project is progressing well. The building was erected, enclosed and shingled before the first snowfall, which was great timing. Also, all the underground trenching for the tanks, electrical and natural gas were done before freezing. The framing and wiring rough-in is complete, with insulation beginning. The siding on the exterior is also underway. The project is currently on schedule with many milestones to be completed early in the new year.
On August 20, 2024, the cornerstone was placed in the forms by building committee members; David Hauca, David Bezovie and Ervin Esak before the concrete for the foundation was poured.
On August 12, 2024, the ground work began with the excavation and preparation for the foundation.
On August 4, 2024, His Grace Ioan Cassian, along with Western Canada Dean Fr. Calin Marincas from Saskatoon, Fr. Gheorghe Petrovan, parish priest, and Fr. George Bazgan from Edmonton held a special service for laying the foundation stone and placing a cross where the holy table will be in the new church.
June 5, 2024: The Boian Church Building Committee received the completed engineered drawings from Vantage Builders for review and subsequent approval.
Requests for quotation letters were sent to multiple builders on June 10, 2024 with a closing date of July 4, 2024. The successful bidder was Vantage Builders Ltd. of Vegreville Alberta. Construction is expected to begin in early August. Updates and photos will be posted as the project progresses.
Boian Church Rebuild Project
The St. Mary’s Romanian Orthodox Church of Boian is blessed to have a passionate and generous congregation. We are also extremely thankful for all the friends, family and neighbours far and wide for their support during the loss of our church. This generosity, has allowed us to begin the journey of rebuilding the church on the hill.
- Early this year, a building committee was formed to guide the rebuilding process forward.
- A Boian Church members meeting was held on Feb 4, 2024 to give all members the opportunity to have their input into the design of the new church. The consensus of the members was clear. Build a new church that looks as close to the original as possible, and waste no time in getting the project started.
- We are currently in the design phase, having chosen Vantage Builders from Vegreville to do the design and construction documents. This stage will ensure we build what we want all the while following the latest building codes and engineering requirements. It is important we take as much time as we need to get this step as accurate as possible. Any changes after this stage will become expensive.
- Attached below is a PRELIMINARY drawing of the new church. An updated photo will be posted when we are close to finalizing the drawings.
NOTE: Updates will be posted periodically as we progress through the rebuild project.
St. Mary's Romanian Orthodox Church of Boian 