Ryan KiedrowskiLocal Journalism Initiative ReporterThe World-Spectator
To some passers-by, it might seem like any other rural church in the neo-Gothic style, but to the rest of the inhabitants of Esterhazy and the surrounding area, the historic site of Kaposvar means much more. It is a tribute to the determination and religion of the local settlers. , a symbol of community and a connection with deep roots.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the annual pilgrimage to Kaposvar on August 18, and many volunteers have been working long hours to prepare for it.
“It’s a little special because of the recovery task we’re undertaking,” said Eola Stevenson of the Kaposvar Historical Society. “We have a little more planned for the dinner of the day with some of our sponsors and some dignitaries (including Candace Barta-Bonk, the Hungarian consul in Saskatchewan) who will be attending.
The pilgrimage is open to all and Stevenson expects above-average figures for this anniversary.
“It’s anything that appeals to everyone and that everyone is proud of,” he said. “Of course, our pilgrimage is a Catholic occasion: there is a full day of confession, recitation of the rosary and the Stations of the Cross, followed by a procession from the church to the grotto, and then a Catholic Mass takes place. In the cave, however, there we find all kinds of beliefs and non-believers.
“Then we had dinner with poultry and homemade cakes, and that’s our conclusion,” Stevenson continued. “So this year we’re going to make speeches to celebrate the 70th anniversary. “
Over the years, an average of about two hundred more people attend the celebration, which was also able to continue with the Covid pandemic, thanks to a certain relaxation of restrictions on public gatherings.
The restoration of paintings continues.
Major restoration paintings on the stone church began last summer, focusing on the masonry paintings to ensure the beautiful design endures for many decades.
“For the last two decades, we’ve been repairing masonry that was falling or the stones were moving a little bit,” Stevenson said. “So we confirmed it with just Portland cement, but the original is a limestone mortar that was originally there. “
Last summer, the Kaposvar Historical Society approached world-famous Saskatchewan-born heritage mason Robert Assié to provide him with only an on-the-ground assessment, but also to kick off the extensive recovery effort.
“We dug down to the bases, because he was skeptical that the base needed a lot of work,” Stevenson said, adding that if the foundation wasn’t solid, the $1 million allocation could easily turn into a $10 million task. “He was pleased with the base, so they did a very clever job in 1906 when they built it!”
There are four bays in the church, which were excavated by a large number of volunteers, and the Society has estimated the fixed cost at approximately $125,000 per bay.
“We have to reposition ‘like with like’. We get our limestone from France, that’s the only position we can get now,” Stevenson said, adding that Assié’s connections proved very useful in unloading the material. “He worked in Europe, so he knew he had all the contacts. Robert began his recovery at the beginning of May and is looking forward to this first day of our pilgrimage.
Through a grant search, the Society turned to the Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation, which yielded impressive results. In a rare move, the Foundation provided the entire amount in the form of a matching grant to the Society.
“This is the first time they’ve given the full $50,000 to a group,” Stevenson said.
Heritage architect Patricia Glanville of Calgary also hired for the task and also played a key role in securing the grant.
“She wrote the application because when she was reviewing it, she mentioned a lot of conservation points that I don’t know about, and no one on the committee was familiar with this type of work,” Stevenson said. Array added that Glanville has been “amazing. ”
Another investment source Glanville is tapping is the Federal Heritage Fund, a legacy grant that can be worth more than $500,000.
Stevenson also highlighted the overwhelming network in making the expensive renovations a success.
“The Esterhazy Lions are amazing,” he said. It’s an organization of young people, it’s an incredible organization, they do a lot of paintings and give a lot of money to the community. It’s unreal.
The Lions Club donated $10,000 for the restoration, which amounts to a healthy gift from Mosaic, several local businesses, and many generous personal donations. The organization has also effectively organized fundraising activities, adding the operation of a concession to the newly created Hazy Dayz, all committed to the preservation of this historic landmark.
Original fabrics “come from the countryside”
The domain’s history dates back to 1885, when Count Esterhazy, a Hungarian expatriate, organized teams from the United States to identify houses in Canada. The Qu’Appelle Valley is still as hot as it is today, which is why families settled there. There are even some graves in the Kaposvár cemetery dating back to 1886 and which, some 140 years later, are still meticulously preserved.
The magnificent church that stands is not the first to be built on the site, as Stevenson explains.
“When they arrived, at first they only had a wooden church,” he said. “But the congregation grew very quickly, and that’s what encouraged them to build the church that stands there today. “
The church and rectory were built with field stone brought by the population from the lands on which they worked.
“Every Sunday for months, the farmers would bring a pile of stones to the church when they got here,” Stevenson explained. “It’s amazing how they built it. “
The chancel was built in 1901 and the church structure was completed six years later. Other structures at the site feature a cairn to commemorate the community’s 50th anniversary in 1936 and a stone shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes in 1942.
“There was a time, maybe in the early ’40s and ’50s, when all churches were building caves,” Stevenson said. “They intended to honor the Lady of the Assumption, they are all sanctuaries of Our Lady of Lourdes, which is what is constituted. They also constitute a vital heritage price for each church.
It is remarkable that the buildings have remained unscathed over the years. However, many of the original stained glass windows were destroyed decades ago by non-human means.
“The stained glass windows were destroyed by a series of hail storms in the 1950s,” Stevenson said. “We had won a grant from the Hungarian government to carry out some work, so we decided to update the stained glass windows. »
Recently another window was built, but not by human hands.
“Last year, a bear broke a stained glass window,” Stevenson said. “We knew it was a bear by the hair. He must have held on to the window when it broke and there was hair and blood on it. He probably saw himself in his reflection; I don’t know, who knows what the bears are thinking! But that would be the worst.
Future plans
The Kaposvar Historical Society is also preparing for a golf tournament to raise funds on September 14. The Hungarian Classic Count Esterhazy will be a nine-hole course and has already amassed sponsors for the event.
“Companies donate prizes to us, sponsor the holes, the longer trips and the hole-in-one prize,” Stevenson said.
Another initiative the Society is embarking on is exploring the surrounding indigenous communities.
“Recently, we approached the Ochapawace First Nation,” Stevenson said. “We hope to show facts and reconciliation with them, honor their legacy and acknowledge the atrocities of the Indian Act and the Indian Residential Schools Act and try to get some systems to paintings with them to review and integrate some systems into our museum. We want to make sure we do justice to genuine heritage.
He added that the Society would like to invite storytellers from the site to share percentages and “really other people understand. “
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