Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church (Montreal)

Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church in Montreal

The Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church is a Serbian Orthodox Church in Westmount, a suburb of Montreal, Quebec.[1] The church is a parish of the Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Canada under the omophorion of Bishop Mitrofan. In October 2024, Serbian Patriarch Porfirije visited Canada to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of its existence as a Montreal parish and community.[2][3][4]

## Background and history

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See also: Serbian Canadians

Serbs arrived in Montreal in the early 20th century.[5] On 23 February 1954, Bishop Dionisije (Milivojević) appointed hieromonk Justinian (Ilkić) to the Serbian community of Montreal as their parish priest, the same year he arrived in Canada.[6] Justinian Ilkić was a seminary graduate and former monk of the Monastery of Visoki Dečani in the Serbian province of Kosovo whose abbot was Dionisije himself before he became Bishop (1939) and took over the American-Canadian Diocese in 1940.[7] Father Justinian gathered all Montreal Serbs and formed a Church-School Congregation on 6 February 1954.

With the arrival of V. Rev. Dimitrije Najdanović from Derby in England to Montreal in 1960, things began to progress more.[6] A year later, the Serbian community of Montreal had a Church, a community centre and a priest residence all under the same roof on De Bullion Street. The commissions for the iconostasis were given to a master woodcarver Vladimir Barac and the icon painting to internationally renowned, Kraljevo-born artist José Majzner, then residing in Montreal.[1][8] The consecration date was set for 12 June 1963 but it was postponed on several occasions. Soon the numerous complaints that were filed with the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church against Dionisije during the years before 1963, came to roost and Dionsisje was called into question as to his fitness to serve as a Bishop and his administration of the Diocese.[9] This action of SOC prompted Dionsije to sever all ties with the Church and begin a series of lawsuits that were only settled after his death.

By avoiding the schism and costly legal battles in the 1960s, the members of the new Montreal Church Council and Dr. Dragutin "Drago" Papić, a renowned Montreal surgeon, as president of the construction committee, were able to raise sufficient funds from the Serbian parishioners to purchase outright a former Presbyterian Church in 1976 along with an adjacent rectory in an established and prestigious Montreal enclave of Westmount. This was thanks to the doctor's wife Jelena Papić, Ph.D., who first learned that the church was being sold and negotiated a fair price for its purchase.[10]

## The building

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Originally completed in 1900 as the Melville Presbyterian[11] to the architectural design of Edward Maxwell, the church came with a stately manse next door. Consecration of the new Holy Trinity church was held on The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke – 31 October 1976—officiated by Bishop Sava (Vukovich) of the Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Eastern America[12] in the year of the Summer Olympic Games in Montreal. Ten years later, the church council launched a building fund for the repairs and reconstruction of the Serbian Community Centre.[13]

## See also

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* Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Canada
* Serbian Canadians

## References

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1. ^ a b "The Heritage Value Statement: Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church" (PDF). City of Westmount. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
2. ^ "Serbian Patriarch celebrates Divine Liturgy at St. Sava Church in Toronto | Orthodox Times (En)".
3. ^ "Patriarch Porfirije visits Montreal | Library "Stevan Jorgović"".
4. ^ "Romanian Bishop of Canada meets with Serbian Patriarch Porfirije in Montreal". 9 October 2024.
5. ^ Tomović, Vladislav A. (2002). Canadian Serbs: A History of Their Social and Cultural Traditions (1856-2002). Batlik. pp. 64–65, 127. ISBN 978-0-920642-40-5.
6. ^ a b Diaspora Serbs: A Cultural Analysis. M.V. Dimić Research Institute, University of Alberta. 2004. pp. 143–145\. ISBN 978-0-921490-15-9.
7. ^ "[svetosavlje]". Archived from the original on 3 November 2013.
8. ^ Approaches to Teaching the Writings of Bartolomé de las Casas. Modern Language Association of America. 2008. ISBN 978-0-87352-945-7.
9. ^ Official Reports of the Supreme Court. Supreme Court. 1976.
10. ^ "Serbians' Sacrifice save Melville church building". The Montreal Gazette. 1 November 1976.
11. ^ A Jewel in a Park: Westmount Public Library, 1897-1918. Véhicule Press. 1997. ISBN 978-1-55065-087-7.
12. ^ "Obituaries". Beaver County Times.
13. ^ Mahoney, John (6 October 1986). "'Dear friends': PM charms Serbians". The Montreal Gazette.

## External links

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* Official website

45°28′58″N 73°35′46″W﻿ / ﻿45.48268°N 73.596169°W﻿ / 45.48268; -73.596169

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Serbian Orthodox church buildings

Serbia|

| Belgrade|

* Church of Saint Sava
* St. Michael's Cathedral
* St. George, Banovo Brdo
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Vojvodina|

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* St. George (Banoštor)
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* St. Demetrius (Sremska Mitrovica)
* St. Archdeacon Stephen (Sremska Mitrovica)
* Holy Archangel Gabriel (Susek)
* Presentation of the Theotokos (Sviloš)
* St. Nicholas (Šid)
* Dormition of the Theotokos (Titel)
* St. George (Tovariševo)
* Transfer of the relics of the Holy Father Nicholas (Turija)
* Assumption of the Theotokos (Vršac)
* St. Nicholas (Vršac)
* Assumption (Zrenjanin)

Central Serbia|

* St. Achillius (Arilje)
* St. Nicholas (Baljevac na Ibru)
* Nativity of the Virgin (Bogatić)
* St. Nicholas (Brezova)
* Kađenica (Dljin)
* Saints Peter and Paul (Dobrić)
* Saints Emperor Constantine and Empress Helena (Ivanjica)
* White Church (Karan)
* St. Nicholas (Kosovica)
* Holy Trinity (Kraljevo)
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* St. George (Kruševac)
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* Holy Trinity (Leskovac)
* Odžaklija (Leskovac)
* Cave Church (Lukovo)
* St. George (Lukovo)
* Štava Church (Lukovska Banja)
* Holy Trinity (Negotin)
* Holy Trinity Cathedral (Niš)
* Nativity of the Theotokos (Novaci)
* Nativity of Christ (Pirot)
* Cave Church (Rsovci)
* St. Petka (Staničenje)
* Apostles Peter and Paul (Stari Ras)
* St. John the Baptist (Stevanac)
* Oplenac (Topola)
* St. Mark (Užice)

Kosovo* (status)|

* Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Belo Polje)
* St. Stephen (Donje Nerodimlje)
* St. Paraskeva (Drsnik)
* St. Nicholas (Đurakovac)
* Holy Archangels (Gornje Nerodimlje)
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* Christ the Saviour (Pristina)
* Holy Saviour (Prizren)
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* Saint George (Prizren)
* St. Nicholas (Prizren)
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* St. Nicholas (Slovinje)
* St. Nicholas (Štrpce)
* St. Uroš (Uroševac)
* Saint Elijah (Vučitrn)

Montenegro|

* St. Jovan Vladimir (Bar)
* Cetinje Monastery (Cetinje)
* Court Church (Cetinje)
* Vlah Church (Cetinje)
* Holy Savior (Grahovac)
* Holy Savior (Herceg Novi)
* St. Luke (Kotor)
* St. Nicholas (Kotor)
* Podgorica Cathedral (Podgorica)
* Morača
* Ostrog Monastery
* Savina Monastery
* Nativity of the Theotokos (Zabrđe)
* Njegoš's Testament Church

Bosnia and
Herzegovina|

| Republika Srpska|

* Banja Luka Cathedral (Banja Luka)
* St. Nikola (Dobrelji)
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* St. Nicholas (Javorani)
* St. Nicholas (Rijeka)
* St. Nicholas (Romanovci)
* St. George (Sopotnica)
* St. Nicholas (Srđevići)
* St. Archangel Michael (Veličani)

|

Federation B&H|

* Holy Trinity (Mostar)
* Nativity of the Theotokos (Mostar)
* Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel (Sarajevo)
* Holy Transfiguration (Sarajevo)
* Nativity of the Theotokos (Sarajevo)
* Dormition of the Theotokos (Tuzla)

Croatia|

* Holy Venerable Mother Parascheva (Banovci)
* Transfer of the relics of the Holy Father Nicholas (Bijelo Brdo)
* St. George (Bobota)
* St. Peter and Paul (Bolman)
* St. Stephen (Borovo)
* Ascension of the Lord (Cetina)
* Presentation of Mary (Čakovci)
* Dalj Cathedral (Dalj)
* Saint Archangel Michael (Darda)
* Nativity of the Theotokos (Drežnica)
* Holy Annunciation (Dubrovnik)
* Nativity of the Theotokos (Gaboš)
* St. George (Grubišno Polje)
* St. Michael the Archangel (Ilok)
* St. Nicholas (Jagodnjak)
* St. Stefan Štiljanović (Karanac)
* St. Nicholas (Karlovac)
* St. George (Kneževo)
* Intercession of the Theotokos (Knin)
* Pentecost (Markušica)
* St. Nicholas (Mikluševci)
* St. Nicholas (Mirkovci)
* St. Panteleimon (Mirkovci)
* Transfiguration of the Lord (Mohovo)
* Dormition of the Theotokos (Negoslavci)
* St. Elijah (Novi Jankovci)
* St. George (Opatovac)
* St. Peter and Paul (Orolik)
* Dormition of the Mother of God (Osijek)
* Nativity of Saint John the Baptist (Ostrovo)
* St. Nicholas (Pačetin)
* St. Spyridon (Peroj)
* Presentation of Mary (Popovac)
* St. Nicholas (Rijeka)
* Saint Parascheva (Slabinja)
* Nativity of the Theotokos (Srijemske Laze)
* Transfiguration of the Lord (Šarengrad)
* Dormition of the Theotokos (Šibenik)
* Holy Apostles Peter and Paul (Štikada)
* St. Peter and Paul (Tepljuh)
* St. George (Tovarnik)
* Transfiguration of the Lord (Trpinja)
* St. George (Varaždin)
* Pentecost (Vinkovci)
* St. Nicholas (Vrlika)
* St. Nicholas (Vukovar)
* Serbian Orthodox Cathedral (Zagreb)

Hungary|

* Transfer of the Relics of the Holy Father Nicholas (Baja)
* St. George (Budapest)
* Transfer of the Relics of the Holy Father Nicholas (Dunaújváros)
* St. Nicholas (Eger)
* St. George (Magyarcsanád)
* St. Petka (Majs)
* St. George (Pomáz)
* St. George (Somberek)
* John the Baptist (Székesfehérvár)
* Annunciation Church (Szentendre)
* Dormition of the Theotokos (Szentendre)
* Požarevac Church (Szentendre)
* St. Nicholas (Szeged)
* Transfiguration Church (Szentendre)

Romania|

* St. Peter and St. Paul (Arad)
* Ascension Cathedral (Timișoara)
* St. Nicholas (Timișoara)
* St. George (Timișoara)

United Kingdom|

* Holy Prince Lazar (Birmingham)
* Serbian Orthodox Church (Halifax)
* St. Nicholas (West Wycombe)

United States|

* Sts. Constantine and Helen Serbian Orthodox Church, Galveston
* Trinity Chapel Complex, Manhattan
* Saint Sava Church, Jackson, California
* Saint Sava Church, Merrillville, Indiana
* Saint Sava Cathedral, Milwaukee

Canada|

* Holy Trinity Church, Regina
* Saint Nicholas Cathedral, Hamilton
* All Serbian Saints Church, Mississauga
* Saint Sava Church, Toronto
* Saint Arsenije Sremac Church, Whitby
* Saint Stefan Church, Ottawa
* Holy Trinity Church, Montreal
* Saint Sava Church, Winnipeg
* Saint Michael the Archangel Church, Toronto

Other
countries|

* Church of St. Sava, Gaborone, Botswana
* Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church, Slovenia
* St. Sava Church, Paris, France
* Saint Spyridon Church, Trieste, Italy
* Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, Stockholm, Sweden
* Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos, Komárno, Slovakia (in care of OCLS)

Notes|

* indicate churches in Kosovo, which is the subject of a territorial dispute between Serbia and Kosovo.
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