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the Rt. Rev. Mitred Archpriest Mel (+Myroslaw) Slashinsky
August 18, 1953 – March 3, 2025

The newly departed servant of God, the priest +Mel was born on August 18, 1953, on the eve of the Great Feast of Our Lord's Transfiguration in Erickson, MB.
Fr. Mel was the fourth child and son born to Walter and Molly Slashinsky, of Sandy Lake, MB, along with his twin sister, who sadly died at birth.
Fr. Mel was baptized Myroslaw, and was registered at Vital Statistics as Melvin Paul Slashinsky. Only his immediate family called him Melvin, but throughout his life he was affectionately known as Mel, and later by the Grace of God, as our beloved Fr. Mel. … and to the very young people at the day – care… as … "Tim" rhymes with "him" (or "Tom") …
Fr. Mel grew up in Sandy Lake, MB with his three older brothers, Don, Andrew, and Larry, and the boys were blessed with the births of two sisters, Lillian and Wilma.
Fr. Mel attended the Sandy Lake Elementary School for Grades one through eight, and then attended Erickson Collegiate through high school, graduating in 1971.
Yet from an early age, Fr. Mel felt a call to serve others, and in particular heard the Lord's call to "Pick up the Lord's Cross and to follow Our Lord and Saviour …" however, and wherever the Lord would lead him.
St. Andrew's College in Winnipeg is the theological seminary of and for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada. Fr. Mel desired to attend following high school, however, God's Will was such that he needed to work for a while to be able to enroll.
Fr. Mel enrolled at St. Andrew's College in the fall of 1973. Thus began an academic and much more importantly, a spiritual journey for Fr. Mel, that would entail twists, turns and challenges. Between several years in residence at St. Andrew's College, many trips between Brandon and Winnipeg to attend evening classes, correspondence courses when residence or trips were not possible, Fr. Mel completed the Bachelor of Theology program and received his degree from St. Andrew's College in 1994. It is indeed a testament to Fr. Mel's faith, dedication and commitment to serve Our Lord and His people, that despite numerous challenges, he persevered and indeed completed the program!
Following his first three years in residence at St. Andrew's College, Fr. Mel took up residence in Brandon, where he worked at Metropol Security, and then at Christie's School Supply (as it was known at the time.) In 1978 he became a health care aide at the Brandon Mental Health Centre. This was a position where Fr. Mel was able to serve others. Yet the call to the Holy Priesthood continued within him, and he continued with his studies at St. Andrew's College, through commuting and correspondence.
Fr. Mel and Shirley from the Blackwood home of Newdale, MB met when Fr. Mel worked for Metropol Security at Brandon University, and Shirley was working at the event and venue that Fr. Mel was providing security for. Their meeting was providential, and they were married at St. Michael's Church in Sandy Lake, MB on August 11, 1979. Their marriage was blessed with two daughters, Melissa born in July of 1980, and Amanda born in April of 1982.
While Fr. Mel worked at the Brandon Mental Health Centre, and Shirley worked at Brandon University, they raised their daughters, and Fr. Mel continued with his studies, following the call of Our Lord that would not be extinguished. With Fr. Georg Podtepa assigned to the Rossburn-Oakburn-Sandy Lake area in 1986, and with Fr. Georg's encouragement, Fr. Mel was ordained a deacon in March of 1989 at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Winnipeg, to serve and gain practice with Fr. Georg in Fr. Mel's "home area and district." It was busy and very active spring and summer of 1989, as Fr. Mel served throughout the district with Fr. Georg, preparing for ordination as a priest.
On a blessed day that the Lord had made – the parish feast-day ("Khram") in Sandy Lake, on Nov. 19, 1989, Metropolitan Wasyly of blessed memory, ordained the deacon Myroslaw as a priest, in Fr. Mel's "home church," and in a church that had been one of then Fr. Fedak's (Metropolitan Wasyly's) first parishes when he had been ordained a priest back in the later 1930's.
Amongst the many joys and blessings of that day, Nov 19, 1989, Fr. Mel, while prepared to go and serve wherever the Church was going to send him, nonetheless did not know. Metropolitan Wasyly announced at the "khram" on the day of Fr. Mel's ordination as a priest, that "You are 'going home' …" As Fr. Mel, Dobr. Shirley and Melissa and Amanda learned … this meant that Fr. Mel was being assigned to on the one hand, the "home district and area" of Metropolitan Wasyly, and on the other hand and more significantly, to a place and district where previous priests had found a loving and supportive "home base," and where this newly ordained priest would also come to find a "home base" to effectively serve and minister to God's Holy people.
Fr. Mel served, along with his family, in the Sheho – Theodore – Foam Lake (Saskatchewan) District for fifteen years, from 1989 to July 31, 2004. He continued to serve in the wider area, from 2004 to 2006, in the Ituna – Wadena District, and then from 2006 until 2018 in Yorkton, and district, including Sheho and area, once again.
While born and raised in Manitoba, and while maintaining their family home in Brandon, Fr. Mel, and his family fully immersed themselves in the pastoral, parish and community life of rural Saskatchewan, and Sheho, and district especially, over the course of twenty-nine years.
Fr. Mel founded the "Sheho Day Camp," for children which was held annually for one week in August, in Sheho. Over the course of some ten years, from 1990 to 2000, on average 50 – 60 children would gather daily for cultural and religious instruction and sports and crafts. The week would conclude with an "outdoor church service," and celebration. Many children and young people were touched and moved by this experience.
Fr. Mel founded the St. Stephen's Altar Servers' Brotherhood in Sheho, which later became a youth / young adults group for instruction in the faith, and indeed instruction in life skills, fostering the development of the youth of Sheho and area.
Over the course of most of the 29 years serving out in Saskatchewan, Fr. Mel, again, along with his family, were very involved with Camp Tryzub at Crystal Lake, (north of Canora,) SK. Fr. Mel served as the camp clergy-chaplain, director, assistant cook, and maintenance as needed and whatever else needed to be done, in this way, and always demonstrating by example the "life in Christ," the life of service for all of us to follow.
Fr. Mel felt particularly honoured to have the opportunity to serve in and with the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch #356 in Sheho, always supporting and especially praying for those who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend the freedoms that we enjoy.
In gratitude for his theological education, Fr. Mel was a long-time member, supporter and chaplain of the Order of St. Andrew, Yorkton branch.
In the Centenary Year of the UOCC, 2018, Fr. Mel retired from active "full-time" service, concluding twelve years of pastoral service based in Yorkton, and 29 years of service in Saskatchewan.
The "full retirement" was short-lived, as Fr. Mel was called to serve the Holy Ghost Church in Brandon. He served in Brandon as his health and circumstances allowed (including a lengthier "shut-down" due to the Covid pandemic in 2020 – 21,) until his last service on the Nativity of Our Lord (traditional calendar,) Jan 6, 2025.
Fr. Mel was hospitalized on Feb. 9th, and after a brief return home, following the Holy Mystery of Unction for the healing of soul and body, and partaking of Holy Communion on Saturday March 1st in the hospital, our beloved brother and Fr. Mel fell asleep in the Lord at the very start of the Great and Holy Fast, on Monday morning, March 3, 2025.

Fr. Mel was pre-deceased by his parents, Walter in 1977, and Molly in 2006. He was predeceased by his brother, Don, in 1996, his sister-in-law, Trudy in 2020, and by a great nephew, Riley, in 1996. He was also predeceased by Shirley's parents, George (in 2000,) and Clara in (2017.)
Fr. Mel is survived by his wife Shirley, and daughters Melissa and Amanda, by his sister-in-law Penny, brothers Andrew and Larry (Doreen,) sisters Lillian, and Wilma (Mark Parno,) and Shirley's sister Sheila (Peter) Stevenson, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

As a beloved parish priest, Fr. Mel was predeceased by members of the flocks that he served … people whom he had prayed with, and over, and for whom he had prayed when they fell asleep in the Lord, comforting their families.
And therefore, Fr. Mel is also survived by all of us "who remain alive" cherishing his memory, and giving thanks to God for the life, service and above all example of a faithful, dedicated and loving husband, father, pastor, brother, friend … our dear Fr. Mel.
Vichnaya Pam'yat! Memory Eternal! Christ is Risen!


In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of The Rt. Rev. Fr. Mel may be made to Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Sheho, SK, Box 229, Sheho, Saskatchewan, S0A 3T0 or Holy Ghost Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Brandon, MB, 113 Durum Drive, Brandon, Manitoba, R7B 3Z3.