Saint Michael the Archangel Serbian Orthodox Church (Toronto)

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Saint Michael the Archangel Church
The church pictured in 2010
Map
Location212 Delaware Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
M6H 2T7
DenominationIndependent Eastern Orthodox
Websitewww.starchangeltoronto.com
History
Former namesSt. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church (1889–1914)
ConsecratedJune 14, 1964 (1964-06-14)
Architecture
Architect(s)Langley & Burke
Architectural typeSerbo-Byzantine Revival
Years built1888–1889
Clergy
Pastor(s)Abbot 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.

In 2008, the church was showcased in the annual Doors Open Toronto event.

History

The church structure was built in 1889 as an Anglican church[1] and was used by the Anglicans until 1914.[2] In 1964, it was bought by the Serbian Canadian community to serve as the city's second Serbian Orthodox church (the first being the Saint Sava Church in Cabbagetown). 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. Stylistically, the church building synthesizes Serbian late-Byzantine architectural-styles and icon styles. It has many copper domes, cupolas and trim.[3]

The reason a second church was sought was the 1963 schism where Serbs in North America, distraught that Patriarch German had relations with the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, formed the Free Serbian Orthodox Church which existed up until 1992 when newly-appointed Patriarch Pavle visited North America and returned the church to full communion with the Patriarchate in Belgrade.[4] After this, the Saint Michael the Archangel Church was part of the canonical Eparchy for America and Canada until June 2009.[5]

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.[6] 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).[7] 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[8][9] which transferred the parish over to the Metropolis of the Genuine Greek Orthodox Church of America (Greek Old Calendarists).[4]

Since 2015, the parish is not part of any diocese and has been registered as a corporation.[10] It is still sometimes referred to as a Slobodna srpska pravoslavna crkva (Free Serbian Orthodox Church).[11]

See also

Notes

  1. ^
    Patriarch Pavle visited the church on Delaware Avenue itself in October 1992.

References

  1. ^ TPL Digital Archive
  2. ^ St. Mary the Virgin, Dovercourt
  3. ^ Sander Gladstone Architect. Projects: Serbian Eastern Orthodox Church. Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2005.
  4. ^ a b Dragović, Rade (13 June 2015). "Kanadska eparhija bez dolara" (in Serbian). Večernje novosti. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  5. ^ Čukić, A. (3 October 2015). "Patrijarh nije zacelio rane" (in Serbian). Vesti online. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  6. ^ "The Decision of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church on redistribution of dioceses". SPC.rs. 4 June 2009. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  7. ^ Resistance and its Relationship to Repentance
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ Parish Directory: Church of the GOC of America. The Church of the GOC of America. Last Updated on Tuesday, 31 March 2015 21:02. Retrieved: 15 July 2015.
  10. ^ THE SERBIAN EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ST. ARCHANGEL MICHAEL CORPORATION Donation Letter
  11. ^ PDF flyer

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