PRINCE ALBERT — A soon-to-be retired teacher from Prince Albert is looking ahead to a new full-time vocation.
Harold Salahub, who currently acts as religious co-ordinator for the Prince Albert Catholic School Division, was ordained to be a priest in the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Saskatoon on Aug. 6.
Salahub was ordained by Bishop Michael Smolinski, the bishop for Ukrainian Catholics in Saskatchewan.
“The Catholic School division encourages vocations in students and staff. Some students look at religious life, but sometimes the Catholic school staff also want to enter religious life and I'm doing so when I'm retiring. After 31 years of teaching instead of entering retirement, I'm going to learn a new job as a priest, a new vocation,” Salahub said.
Salahub was initially drawn to the priesthood before beginning a career in education. He said his family, St. George’s Ukrainian Catholic Parish and the School Division really encouraged him to follow that path.
“I felt like a calling to the priesthood early in life around the age of 18, and for years I only took baby steps forward,” Salahub explained. That all really changed when I started with Prince Albert Catholic School Division about 20 years ago, and then my calling shifted out of first gear into high gear.”
While employed by the Division, Salahub took time off and studied at the Holy Spirit Seminary in Ottawa and Saint Paul University in Ottawa. He took more training in Edmonton, Toronto, and Ottawa until completing a theology degree. Salahub was ordained as a deacon in 2010 and began serving the Prince Albert district.
There was a shortage of priests at the time, so Salahub started to do deacon-led services in communities like Nipawin, Melfort, Rosthern and Tway, all while working full-time in the Catholic School Division.
"Of course, all credit goes to Christ for weaving, in a beautiful way, everything together because he cares and loves for us very much,” Salahub said.
He said that St. George’s Parish is an amazing parish to work with and the community and support he received were also instrumental in the decision.
“Working with the Prince Albert Catholic School Division allowed me to keep focused on how important it is to have a good relationship with God,” he explained. “In the Catholic School division, we focus on our relationship with God and each other and that really helped my spiritual journey.”
For the next year, he will continue to work with the Catholic Division as religious co-ordinator on a part-time basis to promote and enhance faith-based education. He’s also going to be assigned priest at the Ukrainian Catholic Parish of St. George in Prince Albert while also serving many smaller little areas.
Salahub said he’s happy to serve in smaller centres.
"Most religious denominations are having a hard time filling (those roles),” he said. “It's because of the commitment of the job as well too. You have to be available for the spiritual needs of people at any hour of the day, and that can be taxing. It can be hard.”
He said that current the plan is to finish out the 2024-25 school year as religious co-ordinator and move fully into being St. George’s priest next year.
"That is the plan at this point. I am almost positive that is going to be the way it is,” he said.
He also encouraged people in Prince Albert who want to worship in the Byzantine tradition to come worship at St. George’s
"We're Catholic, but we embrace the deeper mysteries of the Catholic Church, and so people can come and visit us, come and visit and join the worship on Sunday at 10 a.m.,” Salahub said.
“It's a caring congregation and we would love to have you there,” he added.
He also reminded people of the Drive Through Fall Supper on Sept. 29 from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. at $20 per serving.
“It will be a delicious supper,” he said.
Salahub said he’s eager to begin his new role.
"It's still hard to believe what a blessing (it is) to have that opportunity to serve in the church in this special way. I'm just so thankful,” he said.
