St. Stefan Serbian Orthodox Church (Ottawa)

Serbian Orthodox church in Canada

The church pictured in 2016

St. Stefan Serbian Orthodox Church (Ottawa),[1] part of the Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Canada, is located at 1989 Prince of Wales Drive in Nepean (Ottawa), the home of the Ottawa Serbian Church School Congregation and Community centre.[2]

Today there are 2,000 families that call St. Stefan Serbian Orthodox Church their spiritual home.[3] The majority of its members are of the first and second-generation, of course, though there are also those of the fourth and fifth-generation Canadians of Serbian descent. In 2021, a second Serbian Orthodox Church was inaugurated—The Meeting of the Lord—situated on Holland Avenue in Ottawa.

## History

[edit]

It all began with the initiatives of the late Russian interpreter for the Federal government, and activist Nikola Bogdanović [4][5](a third-generation Canadian born in Niagara Falls[6]), Vida and Pero Senković (formerly of Montreal), Milan Budimirović, Sava Budimirović, Pera Petrović, Kole Porubić, and Miša Tričković before an Ottawa congregation was founded. In 1975 Rev. Bogdan Zjalić came to Ottawa to help organize a Church School Congregation.

On the day of St. Stefan, 9 January 1976,.[7] after the consecration of the new Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church (Montreal) Bishop Sava (Vuković) visited the Serbs in Ottawa. He celebrated the Holy Liturgy for the faithful in the area of Ottawa-Gatineau. Following Holy Liturgy, an organizational assembly was held, and a new Church Council was elected with Nikola Bogdanović as President and Dušan Savić, Ranko Ignatović, and Radoš Trišić as members of the board. Bishop Sava, with his official act, approved the Church School Congregation of St. Stefan in Ottawa. He appointed Rev. Krsto Rikić of Montreal as an administrator[7]

More than a decade went by until the Church School Congregation, headed by a new board president Savo Budimirović, vice-president Stevan Tomić, treasurer Ana Vandusen, financial secretary Radmila Parojćić, auditors Radoš Trišić, Dane Dozet, and Josef Divić, purchased a house at 361 Dominion Avenue in Ottawa, where the facilities were adapted into a church parish. The Chapel was blessed in April 1990 by Bishop Georgije (Djokić),[7] the first bishop of the Eparchy of Canada who immigrated from Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1984.

Many roadblocks occurred during 1992 with the city restrictions forcing the chapel at 361 Dominion Avenue to be closed for two years where Serbs could only hold services at All Saints Anglican Church at 347 Richmond Road. Then in 1995 at the time when Protopresbyter Žarko Mirković was assigned in Ottawa the church board members decided to sell the Dominion Avenue property with all its zoning problems and purchase a building at 3662 Albion Road[3] which was converted a year later to a temple and a community centre.

With the Yugoslav Wars, the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia and the Overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic that followed, the Serbs of Ottawa and the area increased exponentially and dramatically in numbers from the 1990s and the 2000s. In 2008 the Serbian congregation and community, composed of old settlers and majority newcomers, began to search for an appropriate location for their future home. They found the land (two adjacent parcels) and built a community centre (2011) and a temple (2013) in the architectural style of the Old Country at 1989 Prince of Wales Drive in Nepean (Ottawa).[8]

Since 2005 the St. Stefan Serbian Orthodox Church has held an Ottawa Serbian Festival on Canadian Labour Day weekend.[9]

## See also

[edit]

* Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Canada
* Holy Transfiguration Monastery
* Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church (Montreal)
* Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church (Toronto)
* Saint Arsenije Sremac Serbian Orthodox Church
* All Serbian Saints Serbian Orthodox Church (Mississauga)
* Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church (Regina)
* Saint Michael the Archangel Serbian Orthodox Church (Toronto)
* Saint Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Cathedral (Hamilton, Ontario)
* Serbian Canadians

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Institute, M. V. Dimić Research (2004). Diaspora Serbs: A Cultural Analysis. M.V. Dimic Research Institute, University of Alberta. ISBN 978-0-921490-15-9.
2. ^ "14th Annual Ottawa Serbian Festival | St. Stefan Serbian Orthodox Church and Community, 1989 Prince of Wales Drive, Nepean". To Do Canada.
3. ^ a b "Ottawa ON Saint Stefan the Archdeacon Serbian Orthodox Church 1976 - Canadian Orthodox History Project". orthodoxcanada.ca.
4. ^ "Serbian Nationality". The Calgary Herald - via Google Books.
5. ^ "L'Ensemble looking for guitar player". The Saturday Citizen - via Google Books.
6. ^ Cultures Canada: Newsletter of the Canadian Council on Multiculturalism. Canadian Consultative Council on Multiculturalism. 1980.
7. ^ a b c "Serbs in Ottawa - Google Search". www.google.com.
8. ^ "People — N45 Architecture".
9. ^ "Ottawa Serbian Festival, 1989 Prince of Wales Drive, Ottawa, ON (2021)". www.eventyas.com.

* v
* t
* e

Serbian Orthodox church buildings

Serbia|

| Belgrade|

* Church of Saint Sava
* St. Michael's Cathedral
* St. George, Banovo Brdo
* Ružica
* St. Mark's Church
* St. Basil of Ostrog
* Church of the Ascension
* Rakovica Monastery
* Chapel of Saint Petka
* Holy Apostles Peter and Paul
* St. Alexander Nevsky
* Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel (Batajnica)
* St. Nicholas (Dobanovci)
* Holy Virgin (Zemun)

|

Vojvodina|

* St. Nicholas (Bačinci)
* St. John the Baptist (Bačka Palanka)
* St. George (Banoštor)
* St. George (Bečej)
* St. Peter and Paul (Berkasovo)
* Holy Archangel Gabriel (Bočar)
* Saint Sava (Čerević)
* St. Nicholas (Ečka)
* St. Nicholas (Erdevik)
* St. Cosmas and Damian (Futog)
* St. Elijah (Ilinci)
* Presentation of the Theotokos (Inđija)
* Dormition of the Theotokos (Irig)
* St. Nicholas (Irig)
* St. Theodore Tiron (Irig)
* Holy Apostle Luke (Kupinovo)
* St. George Cathedral (Novi Sad)
* Assumption of the Theotokos (Pančevo)
* Transfiguration of the Lord (Pančevo)
* Transfiguration of the Lord (Ruma)
* St. Nicholas (Sibač)
* St. Nicholas (Sivac)
* St. George (Sombor)
* Epiphany of the Lord (Srbobran)
* Nativity of the Theotokos (Sremska Kamenica)
* Sremski Karlovci Orthodox Cathedral (Sremski Karlovci)
* 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)
* Apostles Peter and Paul (Kriva Reka)
* Transfiguration (Krivaja)
* Holy Ascension (Krupanj)
* St. George (Kruševac)
* Lazarica (Kruševac)
* Holy Mother of God (Kuršumlija)
* Memorial Church (Lazarevac)
* 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)
* Virgin Hodegetria (Mušutište)
* Nativity of the Theotokos (Obilić)
* Christ the Saviour (Pristina)
* Holy Saviour (Prizren)
* Our Lady of Ljeviš (Prizren)
* St. Elijah (Podujevo)
* Saint George (Prizren)
* St. Nicholas (Prizren)
* St John the Baptist (Samodreža)
* 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)
* St. Nicholas (Dobrljin)
* 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 Holy Virgin (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.

45°20′47″N 75°42′02″W﻿ / ﻿45.346484°N 75.700531°W﻿ / 45.346484; -75.700531
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