Stephen Roman founder of Denison Mines built his own church and burial site

Visit to the Cathedral of the Transfiguration

On my return from Markham, Ontario, I visited the magnificent Cathedral of the Transfiguration and the burial site of the late mining pioneer Stephen Boleslav Roman.

A Slovak-Canadian uranium magnate, Mr. Roman is interred on the grounds of the cathedral he personally financed and built on his own estate, formerly known as Romandale Farms. Beneath the main sanctuary lies a private mausoleum and crypt where he rests alongside his wife.

Romandale Farms before Cathedraltown existed. Originally owned by Stephen B. Roman, he had a passion, for breeding and showcasing Holstein cows and generously donated a piece of the land to construct the Cathedral of the Transfiguration.

The cathedral’s three golden onion domes rise above the Markham skyline, visible from nearly every direction as one approaches the city. Mr. Roman modeled the structure after a Slovak village church reminiscent of his childhood. Construction began in early 1984, and during his 1984 visit to Canada, Pope John Paul II blessed the cornerstone and altar stone—marking the first time a Roman Pontiff consecrated a church in North America.

Mr. Roman founded Denison Mines Corporation in 1960, a company that became one of the world’s leading uranium producers, particularly known for its operations in Blind River and Elliott Lake.

Stephen B. Roman 1989 inductee (photos taken on my walk through U of Toronto campus)

Sadly, he passed away in 1988 before seeing his cathedral completed. His funeral was held within the unfinished structure, attended by more than 1,600 mourners followed by his entombment beneath the main sanctuary.

Stephen Boleslav Roman died in Markham, Ontario, on March 23, 1988, at the age of 66.

1921-1988

Bozena (nee Gardon) and Steve Roman both interred in a crypt build within the cathedral.

Cherry Street, Toronto, you might remember the grey coloured Stephen B. Roman cargo ship near the entrance of the Keating Channel. It was scrapped in 2018.

Pope John Paul II in 1984 blessing the cornerstone and altar stone at the cathedral.