Alberta

Cardston

The St Stephen's of Hungary Catholic Church is one of the oldest Catholic churches in Southern Alberta it was built in 1907.
It was in 1901 that the early settlers decided that they needed a church and built it on the side of a hill overlooking the valley. Lumber for the church was hauled from Fort Macleod by horse and wagon. In August the following year, the first Mass was said in the new church. Unfortunately, the church had been damaged by several wind storms.
Feeling that the church was a necessary part of the community, Mike Olshaskie Sr. donated part of his property in the valley, out of the wind, for another construction. It is the same location where the church stands today. The church was named St . Stephen's of Hungary, honoring the many settlers who had come to the area from Austria and Hungary. From 1927 to 1965, the priest from Cardston would come to say Mass, perform baptism, marriages and funerals, first communion and confirmations . After 1965, the church was closed and the families traveled to Cardston for Church services.
Many of the pioneers who worked to make the church and who raised their families here are buried in the cemetery east of the church. The cemetery is still the only Catholic cemetery in the Cardston area and members are still laid to rest there, in full view of the mountains. The church is still preserved as a Historical landmark.