| Saint Arsenije Sremac Serbian Orthodox Church | |
|---|---|
 Saint Arsenije Sremac Church, pictured in 2020 | |
 Saint Arsenije Sremac Serbian Orthodox Church | |
| Location | 508 Byron Street South Whitby,Ontario L1N 4R3 |
| Denomination | Serbian Orthodox |
| Website | starsenijesremac.com |
| History | |
| Consecrated | October 9, 1993; 32 years ago (1993-10-09) |
| Architecture | |
| Architect | Amos W. Cron |
| Architectural type | Gothic Revival |
| Years built | 1857–1859 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of Canada |
| Clergy | |
| Pastor | Fr. Miloš Purić |
Saint Arsenije Sremac Serbian Orthodox Church (Serbian: Српска православна црква Светог Арсенија Сремца) is aSerbian Orthodox church located inWhitby,Ontario, Canada.[1]
It isdedicated toSaint Arsenije of Srem, the secondArchbishop of theSerbian Orthodox Church and adisciple ofSaint Sava.[2] It contains oneparish which reaches the far east parts of theGreater Toronto Area:Scarborough,Pickering,Ajax, Whitby,Oshawa,Clarington,Peterborough,Cobourg,Belleville up to and includingKingston.
The church is registered by the Town of Whitby and theOntario Heritage Trust as a heritage building.
The original church building was the St. Andrew'sPresbyterian Church built from 1857 to 1859.[3] Built in theGothic Revival architectural style, it was designed as a Scottishkirk by Whitby architect Amos W. Cron. Local grain merchant William Laing paid for the site and half the construction costs.[4] It was built as a brickload-bearing cathedral with a central tower. The face carved over the front door is that ofJohn Knox, the founder of Presbyterianism. The church was used by the Presbyterians until 1968 when the new St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church opened at 209 Cochrane Street.[5] The house located next door (built in 1956) at 506 Byron Street South used to be the St. Andrew's PresbyterianManse.[6]
During this time period, the church building was home to a number of denominations including the Church of the Way and the Byron Baptist Church.
In December 1969, theBishop of Eastern America and CanadaSava (Vuković) – as requested of him by a number of residents of Oshawa – gave his blessing for the formation of a Church and School Congregation to be named after Saint Arsenije Sremac. A number ofSerbian Canadian enthusiasts began the attempt to form a membership for the Church and School Congregation. As they didn't have the means to support a full-time priest, missionary priests would from time to time come to serve theHoly Liturgy in a rented Greek Orthodox church located at 261 Bloor Street East in Oshawa.[a] This continued until the 1980s when the Church and School Congregation was closed and transferred over to theSaint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church and School Congregation of Toronto.
With the formation of theSerbian Orthodox Eparchy of Canada and the instalment of its first bishopGeorgije (Đokić), there was again a wish to renew Serbian Orthodox church life in Oshawa and its surrounding regions. At the annual diocesan meeting inHamilton on February 5, 1993, approval was given to form the Saint Arsenije Sremac Serbian Orthodox Church and School Congregation in its current borders. On the same day, the Diocesan Council and Diocesan Court announced the decision to formally make this Church and School Congregation.
Immediately upon forming the church community, it was decided to buy the former Presbyterian church located at 508 Byron Street South on theintersection of St John Street West indowntown Whitby. In early May 1993, the church was purchased for $285,000 and was transferred on June 11, 1993.[7] The church wasconsecrated on October 9, 1993 by Bishop Georgije. Before the consecration, the church interior was re-ordered for Orthodox usage. After the arrival of a full-time priest, theiconostasis was made byiconographer Dragomir "Dragan" Marunić. An altar was made along with two choir stands, a church store and places for candles and icons. After that, with the donations of parishioners, everything else needed for an Orthodox church was ordered and purchased. The main noticeable remnants of the previous owners are thestained glass windows.
The extra tier on the churchsteeple (crowned withfinials) was replaced by a goldencupola which was installed in July 2012.[8] On the eve of the feast of theThree Holy Hierarchs,Patriarch Irinej visited the church on February 11, 2016 and blessed an icon of Saint Arsenije Sremac which is done on canvas and mounted above the doors of the churchnave.[9]
TheMala GospojinaCircle of Serbian Sisters also operates at the church. Through their initiative, funds were raised for the construction of awoodcut Тomb of Christ, which was installed and consecrated in February 2025.[10]
43°52′28.4″N78°56′30.1″W / 43.874556°N 78.941694°W /43.874556; -78.941694
