Cathedral of the Transfiguration

The Cathedral of the Transfiguration in Markham, Ontario, was the brainchild of Slovak-Canadian businessman and farmer Stephen Roman. In addition to being the seat of the Slovak Greek Catholic Church in Canada, Roman intended this mammoth project to be a symbol of religious freedom for his fellow Slovaks back home struggling under authoritarianism. He modeled the church after that in his native village of Nový Ruskov.

The cornerstone was blessed by Pope John Paul II in 1984; however, construction ended up going on and off for decades. In 2006, the Slovak Greek Catholic Church vacated the cathedral after a dispute with the foundation constructing it. It then stood empty for ten years, during which interior work slowly progressed. After that, although the interior was still not finished, it began to be used by the Melkite Greek Catholic Church and the Society of Saint Pius X.

Despite being incomplete, the cathedral currently boasts one of the world's largest peals of three bells, weighing a total of 14,500 kg. Around the church is Cathedraltown, a New Urbanist settlement built by Stephen Roman's daughter. It is supposed to resemble a traditional European cathedral town, although it feels rather suburban and empty.