Saint Michael the Archangel Serbian Orthodox Church (Toronto)

Saint Michael the Archangel Church
The church pictured in 2010
Saint Michael the Archangel Church
Location212 Delaware Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
M6H 2T7
DenominationIndependent Eastern Orthodox
Websitewww.starchangeltoronto.com
History
Former nameSt. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church (1889–1914)
ConsecratedNovember 28, 1965 (1965-11-28)
Architecture
Architect(s)Langley & Burke
Architectural typeSerbo-Byzantine Revival
Years built1888–1889
Clergy
PastorAbbot Sofronije Nikić

Saint Michael the Archangel Serbian Eastern Orthodox Church (Serbian: Српска православна црква Светог Архангела Михаила) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada is a Serbian Eastern Orthodox church which is not a member of the Serbian Orthodox Church due to a tumultuous history (though at one time it was).

The church structure was originally built in 1889 as an Anglican church[1] and was used by the Anglicans until 1914.[2] Today, the church building stylistically synthesizes Serbian late-Byzantine architectural-styles and icon styles with many copper domes, cupolas and trim.[3]

The church is located on the north-west corner of Bloor Street West and Delaware Avenue in Dovercourt Park just across the street from Ossington station.

History

As an Orthodox church

Distraught that the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church German had relations with the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, followers of the Bishop of America and Canada Dionisije (Milivojević) began to organize themselves in all free and democratic countries and to establish separate parishes and build new churches, splitting from the Patriarchate of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Belgrade and forming the Free Serbian Orthodox Church.[4] This division (known in modern historiography as the American schism) also occurred in Toronto with the establishment of the newly founded parish of Saint Michael the Archangel, which split from the Saint Sava Church and School Congregation.[5]

The newly founded Saint Michael the Archangel Church and School Congregation had 700 members at its first founding assembly. Initially, services were held in the Ukrainian Hall on Christie Street, but it was soon decided to purchase the old Anglican church on Delaware Avenue, with the Serbs of Toronto purchasing it on June 14, 1964. After the purchase of the church, the interior underwent a necessary renovation so that it could be used for Orthodox services as soon as possible. The act of consecration of the church was performed by Bishop Dionisije on November 28, 1965.[6]

The American schism lasted until 1992, when the newly-appointed Patriarch Pavle visited North America and returned the church (which belonged to the canonical Eparchy for America and Canada) to full communion with the Patriarchate in Belgrade.[7] Patriarch Pavle presided over a doxology at the Saint Michael the Archangel Church in Toronto on October 20, 1992, concelebrated by Metropolitan Irinej (Kovačević) of New Gračanica and Bishop Stefan (Boca) of Žiča.[8]

In June 2009, the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America underwent reorganizing, transferring the Saint Michael the Archangel Church from the Eparchy for America and Canada to the Eparchy of Canada.[9] Members of the Saint Michael the Archangel Church and School Congregation objected and as a result of this internal conflict, the parish was transferred out of the Serbian Orthodox jurisdiction and over to the non-canonical jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church of Greece (Holy Synod in Resistance) under the Archdiocese of Etna (California).[10] The first Divine Liturgy under the new jurisdiction was on April 11, 2010. In 2014, the Holy Synod in Resistance united itself with the Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece and formally ceased to exist[11] which transferred the parish over to the Metropolis of the Genuine Greek Orthodox Church of America (Greek Old Calendarists).[7]

Since 2015, the parish is not part of any diocese and has been registered as a corporation.[12] It is still sometimes referred to as a Free Serbian Orthodox Church.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ TPL Digital Archive
  2. ^ St. Mary the Virgin, Dovercourt
  3. ^ "Projects: Serbian Eastern Orthodox Church (Toronto, Canada)". sga-architect.com. 2005. Archived from the original on 2 November 2023. Retrieved 2025-08-29.
  4. ^ Čukić, A. (3 October 2015). "Patrijarh nije zacelio rane" (in Serbian). Vesti online. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  5. ^ Serbian Eastern Orthodox Church of St. Archangel Michael in Toronto: 50th Anniversary (PDF) (in Serbian (Cyrillic script)). Toronto: Abbot Sophrony A. Nikic. 2014. p. 35. ISBN 978-1-63443-558-1.
  6. ^ Serbian Eastern Orthodox Church of St. Archangel Michael in Toronto: 50th Anniversary (PDF) (in Serbian (Cyrillic script)). Toronto: Abbot Sophrony A. Nikic. 2014. p. 38. ISBN 978-1-63443-558-1.
  7. ^ a b Dragović, Rade (13 June 2015). "Kanadska eparhija bez dolara" (in Serbian). Večernje novosti. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  8. ^ Aleksejčenko, Nikola (7 January 1993). "Прва посета српског патријарха Павла". Glasnik (in Serbian (Cyrillic script)). No. 1 (year 21). Toronto: Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church and School Congregation. p. 23.
  9. ^ "The Decision of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church on redistribution of dioceses". spc.rs. 2009-06-04. Archived from the original on 2 November 2023. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
  10. ^ Serbian Eastern Orthodox Church of St. Archangel Michael in Toronto: 50th Anniversary (PDF). Toronto: Abbot Sophrony A. Nikic. 2014. p. 59. ISBN 978-1-63443-558-1.
  11. ^ Metropolitan Cyprian of Oropos and Phyle. Official Notification: Thursday of the Third Week of the Great Fast, March 7/20, 2014 - The Ecclesiastical Union of the (Church of the True Orthodox Christians and the Orthodox Community in Resistance). March 7/20, 2014. 6 pp.
  12. ^ THE SERBIAN EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ST. ARCHANGEL MICHAEL CORPORATION Donation Letter
  13. ^ PDF flyer

43°39′43″N 79°25′42″W / 43.661868°N 79.428467°W / 43.661868; -79.428467

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