When the 19th-century Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky said “Beauty will save the world,” he was referring to the beauty of God, the beauty which is the saving Truth of Jesus Christ. In Orthodox worship, we believe that this divine beauty is given tangible form in many ways. We rightly speak of the beauty of our Divine Liturgy and other church services. We speak of the beauty of our hymnography, and of the melodies to which these hymns are set. We speak of the beauty of the icons, which provide a focus to our prayer and worship. We strive to make these elements of our worship as beautiful as possible, in order to give glory to God.

It goes without saying that the church building itself must be beautiful. It is, after all, the vessel within which the Liturgy takes place—it contains the sound of our sacred music and reverberates with it. And indeed, the building itself is an icon, an image of the heavenly kingdom, the assembly of the People of God—we ourselves, together with the glorified saints—gathered before the Throne of God.

The church-building of Holy Trinity Parish in Moose Jaw is in need of much refurbishment to make it a worthy icon of the Lord’s Kingdom. The church interior was last painted in 1963. The wall paintings from this time are done in a modernistic style that was popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and while having a certain charm, have become very dated. Also, they have suffered from water damage, and several cracks have appeared in the painted wall surface. In recent decades, most Orthodox churches have moved toward images that are of a much more traditional Byzantine style, which more clearly reflect the spiritual nature of the subjects. It is clearly time for a change.

We plan to paint the walls a matte-surfaced ivory, providing a warm and neutral ground for icon panels. We will also be removing the 30-year-old carpets and refurbishing the hardwood floors that lie underneath. These wood floors would be accented with oriental carpets, a traditional mode for covering the floors of Orthodox churches. We are replacing the Royal Doors of the iconostasis, and Matushka Nancy Smith is preparing new icons for them. After the initial refurbishment is completed, a new iconographic program for the rest of the iconostasis and for the church walls will be installed.


We are a small parish with a missionary outlook. We are continually seeking ways to increase community awareness of the Orthodox Church. We truly believe that at the very least, this entire project will arouse local curiosity at the burst of activity at this previously quiet and unassuming church, and will encourage visitors to come in. But more than this, the beautified interior will help to deepen newcomers’ experience of Orthodox worship and could play a real role in their becoming more deeply involved with Orthodoxy. This is one of the ways we believe that “Beauty will save the world.” The whole project is not simply about beautification for its own sake, but rather, beautification as a means of proclaiming the saving beauty of the Orthodox Faith.

These extensive—and in a very real way, necessary—renovations will require the raising of $50,000. We will begin the work as soon as possible, even before the close of 2007. And so we are asking you to send us, at your earliest earliest opportunity, as generous a check as you are able. We ourselves are engaged in various types of fundraising (primarily the sale of homemade Ukrainian foods), in order to make this project a reality. We are a very small parish, however, and our manpower is limited. We are emboldened to make this request of our Christian brothers and sisters by the words of the holy Apostle Paul: “Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. They were pleased to do it … ” (Romans 15.25-27). Our prayer is that you will be pleased to assist us in any way that you can. We also look forward to the day when you can come and worship with us, either before or after the project is completed.

Of course, a tax receipt will be provided for all donations, and we will be creating a special plaque with the names of all donors for this project. We are suggesting the following levels of giving:

Grand Benefactor                        $5,000 or more
Benefactor                                  $3,000 to $4,999
Patron                                        $1,000 to $2,999
Sponsor                                     $500 to $999
Donor                                        $100 to $499
Supporter                                   $1 to $99

Please indicate that the donation is for “Beautification Project.” Please note also if the donation is in honour of a living person, or in commemoration of a departed loved one.

If you are unable to contribute at this time, please remember us in your prayers, and please pray continually for the Orthodox Church, and that those looking for the Truth of Christ will come to find it, by coming face to face within our churches with the Beauty that will save the world.

In Christ,



Father Walter Smith
Pastor




To give you an idea of what we are trying to do; one photo shows a detail of one of the images in our church. The other photo is a recently painted icon in the Byzantine tradition; the style in which our new icons will be painted.  For more "before and after" photos, please see the photo section of the website.