Saint Arsenije Sremac Serbian Orthodox Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Saint Arsenije Sremac Serbian Orthodox Church |
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Saint Arsenije Sremac Church, pictured in 2020
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| Location | 508 Byron Street South Whitby, Ontario L1N 4R3 |
| Denomination | Serbian Orthodox |
| Website | starsenijesremac.com |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church (1859–1968) |
| Consecrated | October 9, 1993 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Amos W. Cron |
| Architectural type | Gothic Revival |
| Years built | 1857–1859 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of Canada |
The Saint Arsenije Sremac Serbian Orthodox Church (in Serbian: Српска православна црква Светог Арсенија Сремца) is a Serbian Orthodox church. It is located in Whitby, Ontario, Canada.
This church is special because it is the only one in the world named after Saint Arsenije of Srem. He was the second leader, called Archbishop, of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Saint Arsenije was also a close helper, or disciple, of Saint Sava. The church serves a large area. This area includes Whitby, Ajax, Oshawa, Pickering, Scarborough, and even Kingston.
Contents
History of the Church Building
The Church as a Presbyterian Building
The building where the church stands today was first built between 1857 and 1859. It was known as St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church. Presbyterianism is a type of Christian faith.
The church was designed in a style called Gothic Revival. This style looks like old Gothic cathedrals. It was made to look like a Scottish kirk, which is a Scottish church. The architect who designed it was Amos W. Cron from Whitby. A local businessman, William Laing, paid for the land and half of the building costs. The church was built with strong brick walls. Over the front door, there is a carved face. This face is of John Knox, who started the Presbyterian faith. The Presbyterians used this church until 1968.
The Church as a Serbian Orthodox Building
In December 1969, a leader of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Bishop Sava (Vuković), gave his approval. He agreed to form a new church group in the Oshawa area. This group was named after Saint Arsenije Sremac.
Some Serbian people worked hard to start this new church group. At first, they did not have enough money for a full-time priest. So, priests who traveled would come to hold services in a rented church. This continued until the 1980s. Then, the church group closed and joined the Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in Toronto.
Later, the Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Canada was created. Its first bishop was Georgije (Đokić). With his help, people wanted to restart the Serbian Orthodox church in Oshawa. At a meeting in Hamilton on February 5, 1993, they got permission. The Saint Arsenije Sremac Serbian Orthodox Church group was officially formed again.
Right after forming the group, they decided to buy the old Presbyterian church. This building was located at 508 Byron Street South.
The church was officially blessed on October 9, 1993, by Bishop Georgije. A church leader, Prvoslav Vujcic, helped get the church recognized as a heritage building. This means it is an important historical place. Before the blessing, the inside of the church was changed. It was made ready for Orthodox Christian services.
After a full-time priest arrived, an iconostasis was built. An iconostasis is a wall of icons and religious paintings. It was made by an iconographer named Dragomir "Dragan" Marunić. An altar was also made, along with two places for the choir. A church store and areas for candles and icons were added too. With gifts from church members, everything else needed for an Orthodox church was bought.
In July 2012, a golden cupola was added to the church's steeple. A cupola is a small dome. On February 11, 2016, a very important church leader, Patriarch Irinej, visited the church. He blessed an icon of Saint Arsenije Sremac. This icon is a painting on canvas. It is placed above the doors of the church's main area, called the nave.
See also
- Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Canada
- Holy Transfiguration Monastery
- Serbian Canadians
