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Orthodox
14 March 2006
Flintoft-Lakenheath (area), Saskatchewan

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Question

The first thing settlers did was to build a church, why before anything else?

Answer

As history of the early congregations is set down in history books and throughout the families', a definite pattern evolves. We find that churches played far larger part of everyday life of our forefathers than just a place of spiritual gratification. The church was the very centre of their lives. They were places of communication, where news of the times was exchanged. They were meeting houses in the true sense of the word, where family members and neighbours could meet, where a woman could seek out advice from another woman and share her joys and sorrows. They were community centre for social activities, weddings, funerals, festive religious holidays, with feasting in many cases.