The Church

Saint Arsenije Sremac – the church

Located in Whitby, Ontario, Canada, our church is a parish of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Canada, under the spiritual leadership of His Eminence Bishop Dr. Mitrofan. His Eminence Bishop Dr. Mitrofan appointed Protopresbyter Milos Puric as the parish priest of the Church of St. Arsenije Sremac in Whitby.

The Parish and School Assembly of St. Arsenije Sremac brings together all believers of the Serbian Orthodox faith east of Toronto to Kingston, Ontario. It is estimated that there are currently about 200 Serbian Orthodox Christian families living in this area. The Divine Liturgy is held in Serbian, Church Slavonic, English, and Greek.

The church is dedicated to Saint Arsenije of Srem, the second Archbishop of the autocephalous Serbian Orthodox Church.

History

The original church building, built in the Gothic Revival architectural style, was St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, built from 1857 to 1859. The church was used by Presbyterians until 1968, when a new Presbyterian church opened in Whitby. From 1968 to 1993, the church building was home to a number of denominations, including the Church of the Way and the Byron Baptist Church.

In December 1969, Bishop Sava (Vukovic) of Eastern America and Canada – at the request of numerous residents of Oshawa – gave his blessing for the formation of a Church-School Community to be named after St. Arsenije of Srem. Several Serbian-Canadian enthusiasts began an attempt to form a membership for the Church-School Community. Since they did not have the means to support a full-time priest, missionary priests would come from time to time to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in a rented Greek Orthodox church located at 261 Bloor Street East in Oshawa. This continued until the 1980s when the Church and School District was closed and transferred to the Serbian Orthodox Church and School District of St. Sava in Toronto.

With the formation of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Canada and the installation of its first Bishop Georgije (Djokic), there was a renewed desire to reaffirm the life of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Oshawa and the surrounding regions. At the annual diocesan meeting in Hamilton, on February 5, 1993, approval was given for the formation of the Serbian Orthodox Church and School Congregation of St. Arsenije Sremac within its current boundaries. On the same day, the Diocesan Council and the Diocesan Court announced the decision to formally establish this Church and School Congregation.

Immediately after the formation of the church community, it was decided to purchase the former Presbyterian Church in Whitby. In early May 1993, the church was purchased, and it was taken over on June 11, 1993. The church was consecrated on October 9, 1993, by Bishop Georgije. Before the consecration, the interior of the church was remodeled for Orthodox use. After the arrival of a full-time priest, the iconostasis was created by icon painter Dragomir "Dragan" Marunic. An altar, two choir stalls, a church pantry, and places for candles and icons were built. Over the next few years, with donations from parishioners, everything else needed for the Orthodox church was purchased. The main visible remnants of the previous owners are the stained glass windows.

The top of the former bell tower was replaced by a golden dome, which was installed in July 2012. On the eve of the feast of the Holy Three Hierarchs, Patriarch Irinej visited the church on February 11, 2016 and blessed the icon of Saint Arsenije of Srem, which was made on canvas and placed above the door of the church nave.

The church also houses the Mala Gospojina Circle of Serbian Sisters. Their initiative raised funds for the construction of the wood-carved Tomb of Christ, which was installed and consecrated in February 2025.

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