Restin' in St. Elias Ukrainian Catholic Church Traditional Cache
Hidden : 5/12/2018
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:


The cache is toward the back of the property behind the cemetery.
The hint should provide the details you need for a successful find.

The Church



In rural Brampton, just on the outskirts of Toronto, built in 1995, the parish church of St. Elias the Prophet rises high on the Peel Plain above the Credit River Valley. A wooden structure of heavy timbers (Douglas Fir), it was sheathed in Western red cedar.
It has been constructed according to an architectural style known as “Boyko”, derived from western Ukraine.

The Boyko were a Ruthenian ethnic group from the Carpathian Mountains of Eastern Europe. The name "Boyko" was an informal classification of the people who would refer to themselves as "Werchowiniecs" or "Hyrniaks" meaning "people of the mountains." They made their living as farmers and white ox herdsmen for centuries; however, herding was their primary way of making money.

The 3 sections (altar, sanctuary, and narthex) are each topped with a dome or cupola. According to Byzantine liturgical typology, the dome is an image of the heavens.
- The Narthex is the world fallen after the sin of Adam
- The Sanctuary is the world redeemed following the Passion and Resurrection of Christ Jesus.
- The Altar is the World to Come, an image of the New Jerusalem.

The cupolas on the church of St. Elias are in the 17th century Cossack style. It is one the only 2 Boyko churches that have 5 cupolas rather than the usual 3 (the other being St. George's in Drohobych, Ukraine. Steeped in the Byzantine Ukrainian tradition of wooden architecture, St. Elias Church was designed on the principle that architectural form should follow liturgical function.

As per the Byzantine tradition, St. Elias Church does not contain pews. This allows for more freedom in prayer and accommodates the various services and rituals that require people to move around. There are benches along the walls primarily for the elderly and infirm.





The Fire



Perhaps the most traumatic incident in this church's history was the tragic fire of April 5, 2014.
It was a most unfortunate accident. The cause was believed to be the embers of incense from an earlier ceremony, kept in a bucket inside the church.

The fact that the church was of wood certainly was a factor, but only in that it was totally consumed by flames with only the charred columns remaining.

Expressions of grief and support were received from around the world. Insurance covered most of the reconstruction, but the beautiful interior, with its magnificent iconography, will have to be replaced over time.





The Ressurection



The new building was constructed much the same as the old, but with a few subtle changes. The external profile will be almost exactly the same, the most obvious difference being a copper cladding on the cupolas in place of the cedar shakes.


The Bell Tower



In Boyko churches the bell tower is built separate from the main structure - as is the case at St. Elias.
Standing to the south-west of the principle structure is the St. Elias' bell tower.
Designed by Bohdan Turetsky also in accordance with the Byzantine tradition of wooden architecture, it measures 33 feet in height with a 16 square foot base. Atop the belfry tower, like the cupolas on the Church, is a cross.

The tower contains seven oronze bells. When rung, the bells remain immobile and are sounded by moving the clapper inside. lt is one of only a few Zvon ringing bell towers in Canada (i.e. the ringing of all bells).
The fire left the bell tower here intact.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Fznyy gerr ba gur rqtr bs gur przrgrel - fvqr njnl sebz gur puhepu - oynpx ovfba

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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