View source for Thunder Bay ON Saint George Serbian Orthodox Church 1971



[[File:SaintGeorgeSerbianOrthodoxThunderBay 2.png]]

'''Thunder Bay, Ontario, Saint George Serbian Orthodox Church, 1971'''




==Prehistory==

Although [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbs Serbian] migrants to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada Canada] do not seem to have arrived in the region of what is now [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunder_Bay Thunder Bay], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontario Ontario], Canada, until rather recently, there were [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Introduction_to_Orthodox_Christianity Orthodox Christians] living in the region quite soon after the year 1900.  

The first 2 Orthodox Christian parishes were [https://orthodoxcanada.ca/Thunder_Bay-Fort_William_ON_Holy_Assumption_Ukrainian_Orthodox_Church_1910 Holy Assumption Ukrainian Orthodox Church] (1910), and [https://orthodoxcanada.ca/Thunder_Bay-Port_Arthur_ON_Holy_Trinity_Greek_Orthodox_Church,_1918 Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church] (1918).  Then came a third parish, that of [https://orthodoxcanada.ca/Thunder_Bay-Fort_William_ON_Saint_Volodymyr_Ukrainian_Orthodox_Church_1935 Saint Volodymyr Ukrainian Orthodox Church] (1935).  

Any Serbs who arrived before the 1970s would have attended one of the Ukrainian Orthodox parishes, most likely because the languages ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_language Ukrainian], and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbian_language Serbian]),  being [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavic_languages Slavic languages] are more closely related than is [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_language Greek].  
 
By the 1960s, a large enough group of Serbs had arrived in either [https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/fort-william Fort William] or [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Arthur,_Ontario  Port Arthur] (which would later merge to become Thunder Bay), to begin to consider banding together to form a Church-School Community (as parishes are known amongst the Serbs).  

Early in 1970, a group of Serbs living in Thunder Bay expressed a desire to have a church.  [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sava_Vukovi%C4%87_(bishop) Bishop Sava (Vuković)] responded by making a canonical archpastoral visit to Northern Ontario on 14 August, 1970.

==Formation of the missionary parish==

On 14 August, 1979, the good [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sava_Vukovi%C4%87_(bishop)  Bishop Sava (Vuković)] announced the formation of the [https://orthodoxwiki.org/George_the_Trophy-bearer  Saint George] Church-School Congregation and parish in Thunder Bay. 

The founding Church Board members elected Boško Damjanović as president, Nikola Zuber, vice president, Ostoja Majdanac, secretary, and Jovan Stepanović, treasurer. 

The members of the first Auditing Board were also elected, including Lazar Vranjković, Đura (Djura) Kovačević, and Luka Krenović. 

Archpriest Božidar Dragićević of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duluth Duluth], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota Minnesota], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States USA], was assigned to serve as the first parish administrator, "with the consent of [https://orthodoxcanada.ca/Bishop_Firmilian_(Ocokoljic) Bishop Firmilijan Ockokoljić]".  

On 19 September, 1971, Priest Bodan Zjalić gathered the local Serbs, and he helped them to form the administrative and supervisory boards of the incipient community.  

At that time, Boško Damjanović was elected as the first president.  Other members of the board of directors were : Nikola Zuber (vice president) ; Ostoja Majdanac (secretary) ; Jovan Stepanovic (treasurer).   The supervisory board consisted of : Lazar Vranjković (president) ; Djura Kovačević ; Luka Kremenović.

The members of the missionary parish numbered 20, and these were the founders of the Church-School community of Saint George, which was now beginning its existence.  

The first administrator of this missionary venture was Priest Bozo Dragicević, who travelled periodically from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duluth,_Minnesota Duluth], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota Minnesota], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States USA].

Meanwhile, the local Serbs continued to attend one of the local Ukrainian Orthodox parishes for worship, and for sacramental needs.  They did this mostly likely because of linguistic proximity.  

==Acquisition of property==

Already in 1975, in April, a plot of 4 hectares of land was purchased. 

A small wooden building was soon erected on the land, which served as a gathering place for the local Serbian community. 

In 1976, the [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Consecration_of_a_church sanctification] of the site was performed by priests from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnipeg Winnipeg], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manitoba Manitoba], and Duluth, Minnesota.  

The godfather of the site was Nikola Sukalo and his wife Dusanka.

==Construction of the first building==

In 1982, with the great efforts of the membership and all parishioners, the Serbian Home was built on the parish land. 

This building became the religious and social-national centre of all Serbs in the area of this parish. 
On 13 November, 1982, the sanctification of the home took place.  It was performed by Priest Lazar Kostur from Duluth ; Hieromonk Nikodim (Pribojan) from Winnipeg ; Ukrainian Priest Nikola Maluzhinsky ;  and a Greek priest from Thunder Bay. 

The godfather of the Serbian Home was Vidoje Jovanović with his wife Milica.

The services were temporarily held in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church until the work inside the chapel were completed. 

Although the number of Serbs in this region has been declining, and this part of Ontario was not settled by many newcomer families in the 1990s, every effort has been made to maintain church life in the parish of Saint George.  The Serbian Sisters in Thunder Bay are at the forefront of this, who have always encouraged the settlers and whose efforts and dedication have solved many problems.

==Particular parish information==

This parish is part of the [https://istocnik.ca/en Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Canada].  The bishop is [https://orthodoxcanada.ca/Bishop_Mitrofan_(Kodic) Bishop Mitrofan (Kodić)].  

This parish follows the [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Julian_Calendar Old (Julian) Calendar].

The Altar Feast-day of this parish is the Feast of [https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2025/04/23/101184-greatmartyr-victory-bearer-and-wonderworker-george Saint George the Victorious], 23 April/6 May.  

In 2025, the pastor of the parish was [https://en.everybodywiki.com/St._George_Serbian_Orthodox_Church_(Thunder_Bay) Archpriest Slavisa Lekić].  



Address :

Saint George Serbian Orthodox Church 

2835, Dawson Road 

Thunder Bay, Ontario,

P7G 2G4

Telephone : (807) 767-8112



Directions :

Saint George Serbian Orthodox Church is situated on Dawson Road/[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontario_Highway_102 Highway #102], northwest of the city.  

From the junction of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Canada_Highway Highway #1], [https://www.walkscore.com/score/red-river-rd-and-high-st-n-thunder-bay-on-canada Red River Road], and Dawson Road/[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontario_Highway_102  Highway #102] drive on Highway #102 for about 9 km.  

The building is on the left side.  



Archpriest Slavisa Lekić

==References==

[https://istocnik.ca/en/saint-george-missionary-parish-thunder-bay Diocese listing]

[https://orthodox-world.org/en/i/25314/canada/ontario/thunder-bay/church/saint-george-serbian-orthodox-church Orthodox World reference]


'''Additional information :'''

Tomović, Vladislav A, “Canadian Serbs : A History of Their Social and Cultural Traditions (1856-2002)” (Fonthill, ON : Batlik Publishing, 2002). ISBN 10 : 0920642403.  ISBN 13 : 978-0920642405. 

Waugh, Earle H, and Dimić, Milan V, “Diaspora Serbs : A Cultural Analysis” (University of Alberta : M V Dimić Research Institute, 2004), p. 150.   ISBN 10 :  0921490151.   ISBN 13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0921490159.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sava_Vukovi%C4%87_(bishop) Bishop Sava (Vuković)]  

[https://orthodoxcanada.ca/Bishop_Georgije_(Djokic) Bishop Georgije (Djokić)]  

[https://orthodoxcanada.ca/Bishop_Mitrofan_(Kodic) Bishop Mitrofan (Kodic)] 

[https://en.everybodywiki.com/List_of_Serbian_Orthodox_parishes_in_Canada Everybodywiki list of Serbian Orthodox parishes in Canada] 

[https://www.novine.ca/ms/www.novine.ca/vazni_linkovi/crkva_church/vt_1_crkve_kanada.html Novina.ca list of Serbian Orthodox Churches in Canada] 

[https://istocnik.ca/en Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Canada web-site] 

[https://orthodoxwiki.org/Church_of_Serbia Orthodox wiki article about the Church of Serbia]  

[https://orthodoxwiki.org/Serbian_Orthodox_Church_in_North_and_South_America Orthodoxwiki article about the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America]  

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbian_Orthodox_Church_in_North_and_South_America  Wikipedia article about the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America]  

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbian_Canadians Wikipedia article about Serbian Canadians] 

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbian_Orthodox_Eparchy_of_Canada Wikipedia article about the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Canada]   

[https://www.novine.ca/ms/www.novine.ca/vazni_linkovi/crkva_church/vt_2_crkve_on_91_sudbary.html St George Serbian Orthodox Church Thunder Bay Diocesan listing] 





[[Category:Parish Communities]]  [[Category:Ontario]]  [[Category:SODC]]  [[Category:SP]]