Landmarks, Monuments & Built Heritage of the West: Edward Swiecicki fonds

View the digitized material

Institution: Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Winnipeg Archives

Collection Identifier: 08.02

Title: Edward Swiecicki fonds

Dates: 1964-2004

Extent: 20 textual records. -- 1 sketch. -- 7 photographs

Biographical Sketch: In 1959, Edward Swiecicki and his brother knights of St. Josaphat Council # 4138 of the Knights of Columbus, first committed to assist Fr. Philip Ruh with the Lourdes Grotto project in Cook’s Creek, Manitoba. When Fr. Ruh was on his deathbed in 1962, members of the Council vowed to complete the Lourdes Grotto for him. Organized in work crews, the volunteers laboured for a decade, modeling the structure as much as possible upon the original shrine in Lourdes, France. Serving as Grand Knight from 1965 to 1967, Swiecicki wrote to Secretary-General, Monsignor Jean Marty in Lourdes for details to replicate the original shrine. Also arising from this correspondence, Monsignor Marty sent a stone from the Lourdes Grotto which was installed in Cook’s Creek, about forty years later, in 2007.

Digitized Material: The digitized material from the Edward Swiecicki fonds consists of correspondence between Edward Swiecicki and the Very Reverend Monsignor J. Marty regarding the completion of the Grotto in Cook's Creek, Manitoba following the death of the architect, Father Philip Ruh.  A photograph of the Grotto in Lourdes, France is also included.