Claytonville - St. Peter and Paul

Polish immigration east of Prince Albert and North of the Saskatchewan River began in 1906. Several small churches were formed, including St. Peter and Paul at Claytonville built in 1910 (although the date on the church is 1915). The church has been abandoned for decades and has served the community as a landmark for many years.

According to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Prince Albert history book the area was settled in 1910-1915 and the church was built in 1918. The land chosen was high on the hill and the land below was flat, you can see for miles. At the foot of the hill, a school was built and a half mile north was the cemetery.

Every year on the feast of the two saints Peter and Paul, the church would hold mass. They had a procession outside and around the church. The celebration included banners, music, singing, flowers, and the blessed sacrament. They would decorate an outdoor altar and after mass, they would have a picnic and play games. It was a celebration that was anticipated for weeks.

The church also held basket socials, picnics, plays, Christmas caroling, and a fowl supper. The women of the church took care of the cleaning inside the church and the men looked after the repairs, yard work, and cemetery. All the parishioners shared the task of chopping wood for heating the church. 

The close-knit community of Clayontville used to meet once a month. Those days have passed. The development of better roads and cars made it easier for people to drive to Prince Albert for Mass.  For a few years after they stopped regular services they would hold a service once a year.

We have visited the church many times over the years but didn't always stop to take photographs. It truly was a great landmark for the area. Each visit showed further vandalization but that is the reality of abandoned churches. The photographs below show daytime and one-night visits to the church.

There are rumors that the church is haunted and this drew more attention to the church and shared its location more rapidly online in recent years. We never felt or experienced anything while at the church. The story of it being haunted is common in folklore all over the world so we think someone attached the story to this church and the rumors spread.

Sadly it burned down on February 21, 2025, and the cause is unknown (likely arson).