church library

At the initiative of the Saint Arsenije Sremac Church and School Congregation in Whitby, a church library was founded on March 15, 2026. The library is located in the church hall. The initial library fund was created thanks to gifts and bequests and currently has about 500 books in Serbian and English. In the library are also the latest editions of the magazine Pravoslavlje (Orthodoxy) which regularly arrives from the Patriarchate in Belgrade, as well as local media publications in Serbian.

All parishioners of the Saint Arsenije Sremac Church can use the library free of charge. Books can be borrowed for a month. The library is open on Sundays after the Holy Liturgy when books can be borrowed or returned. A digital catalogue of the library's contents is also being created.

The Saint Arsenije Sremac Church and School Congregation thanks everyone for the books that have been donated to the church so far, with a reminder that new books are always welcome. Old church magazines and calendars are also welcome as it is certainly better for the words of the Gospel and images of the Saints to be found in a church library rather than a recycling bin. It is beautiful and blessed when one cultivates their approach towards the Church and towards church institutions.

NOTE: It should be borne in mind that on the shelves of church libraries or bookstores, there may unintentionally be a book that deviates from Orthodox teaching. Please note that, for now, there is no central body of the Serbian Orthodox Church which determines which book is of purely Orthodox content and which is not. As always, even when it comes to choosing literature, consult with your priest or spiritual father when in doubt. Based on his spiritual guidance, he may recommend a book which could be of most benefit to you.