Vancouver BC Saints Nicholas and Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church 1978
Vancouver, British Columbia, Saints Nicholas and Dēmētrios Greek Orthodox Church, 1978
Greek Orthodox Community of East Vancouver, 1978
Demetrios may be spelt Dēmētrios, Dēmētrius, Dimitrius, Dimitry, Dmitry.
Prehistory
Saints Nicholas and Dēmētrios Greek Orthodox Church is the second Greek Orthodox parish to have been established in the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The first parish to be established was the Saint George Greek Orthodox Church on Arbutus Street.
The Greek Orthodox Community of East Vancouver is rich in heritage and in culture.
Founding the community ; renting the first facilities, 1978-1979
The parish and the community were incorporated in June, 1978, and they have maintained a strong presence in representing Greek Canadians, Hellenic culture and the Greek Orthodox Faith within the Greater Vancouver Area. This community and parish operate under the "Uniform Community Regulations" of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada).
In 1979, the Greek Orthodox Community of East Vancouver rented the upper hall of Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Church for liturgical purposes. The contract was renewed on a 6-month basis until October, 1985.
Canada Ninth District named a diocese, 1979
In 1979, following a re-structuring of the Archdiocese of North and South America, The Ninth District was elevated by the Patriarch of Constantinople to be the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Toronto (Canada), and Bishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas) of Constantia became Bishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas) of Toronto (Canada).
First Temple, 1985
In October, 1985, after a period of construction, the Greek community moved into the new Saints Nicholas and Dēmētrios Temple on Boundary Road.
The mandate is clear ; and within the Mission Statement, it is elaborated to :
provide a Community , House of Worship, and a Greek School that encompasses our members of the Greek Orthodox Heritage. Through works of charity and uniting for common causes, we aspire to lead by example for the generations to come.
Funding for the church and educational programmes is secured by :
membership dues ; Church services (weddings, baptisms, memorials etc.) ; School and programme fees ; personal and corporate donations ; Sunday service collections and candle sales ; annual and special fundraising dinners and events ; hall rental revenue.
In accordance with the regulations of the British Columbia Registrar of Societies, the Church’s services and sacraments are maintained by the priest. The community’s membership has an elected board of directors that governs and oversees operational and budget responsibilities as required under the society’s constitution.
Dome of the Temple
The Diocese of Canada becomes a Metropolis, 1996
On 30 July, 1996, the Patriarchate of Constantinople divided the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America into 4 parts : the USA, Canada, Central America, and South America. The Diocese of Canada was elevated to the status of a metropolitanate.
At the same time, the Metropolis of Toronto (Canada) was detached from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and placed directly under the authority of the Patriarchal Throne in Constantinople.
On 24 September, 1996, Bishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas) was elevated to the dignity of metropolitan, and he was given the title and responsibility of Metropolitan Archbishop of Toronto (Canada), and Exarch of all Canada.
Building project, 2014
In November, 2014, at the Annual General Meeting of the Hellenic Community of East Vancouver, the concept of building a joint School and Seniors Lounge was introduced by Secretary Elect Konstantin Nikolaou. The members agreed to the proposal, and they accepted also the appointment of Nicholas Kasadoulis to supervise the project.
Construction proceeding, 2019
In 2019, the construction of the building was undertaken (after having faced the customary obstacles involved in construction projects). In this year, the corner-stone was blessed by Archbishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas).
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada and All the Arctic, 2019
In 2019, the Metropolis of Toronto (Canada) was elevated to the dignity of Archdiocese. Thus, the official title of the diocese became “Holy Archdiocese of Canada and All the Arctic”, and alternatively, “Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada”.
Thus, Metropolitan Sotirios (Athanassoulas) was elevated to the dignity of Archbishop, with the title “Archbishop of Canada and All the Arctic”, and alternatively, “Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Canada”.
Parish organisations
Women's “Philoptochos” Society
The “Philoptochos Society” in this parish and throughout Canada accomplishes its work under the protection of Saint Philothei of Athens, whose Feast-day is 19 February. “Philoptochos” means “friends of the poor”, but not only in the sense of financial and material resources. The “Philoptochos” society also aids people who are poor in spirit, poor in health, poor in emotional stability, poor in companionship, and those poor in whatever is needed to lead a better life.
The “Philoptochos” Society of this parish has for decades been a most crucial aspect of this community’s goodwill and charity drive. The women of all ages of this parish are ready to provide support where it is needed : without hesitation and without compromise.
The goals of the “Philoptochos” Society are :
to preserve the sacredness of the Orthodox family through family concern, service, unity of action ; to promote the philanthropic purposes of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada) ; to aid anyone who may need the help of the Church ; to support participation in the activities of the Greek Orthodox community with the co-operation of the parish priest and the parish council.
Greek School
This community works hard to maintain and build up its Greek language and religious education programmes.
Focussed on Greek Orthodox and Hellenic-based studies, the Greek school’s enrolment has been on a very steady and positive rise.
The programmes offered include : “G.O.D.S. Kids” educational child care programme (30-60 months of age) ; an after-school Greek School programme (kindergarten to Grade 8) ; and the Sunday school.
The Sunday school is for children aged 5-12 years. It provides a more informative, class-like environment, in which the youth learn about the Bible, the services, and the Orthodox Christian Faith. They also focus on prayers and the Gospel readings on their respective Sundays. The Sunday school takes place after Holy Communion every Sunday, beginning in September.
Dance programme
The newest dance programme is focused on teaching youth of different ages traditional Greek dance. The introductory group focusses mainly on line formation and basic moves. The next level focusses on applying skills learnt from lower levels to more challenging dances from various regions of Greece. The highest level focuses on complicated dances from various parts of Greece. This programme takes place every Monday, beginning in September.
Altar-servers
All boys and young adults over 11 years of age are invited to serve inside the Altar at the Divine Liturgy on Sundays as Altar-servers (acolytes). Learning how to serve at the Altar has far-reaching and positive influences on the spiritual development of those who participate, and it influences every part of a person’s life. There are adult men who fulfil this responsibility at other times.
Youth Choir
To answer for children the question : “Why do we do this in Church ?”, the community has created a Youth Choir programme every alternating Thursday from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Every session includes learning to chant a new hymn in English and Greek, learning what each hymn means, and other interesting facts about Orthodox worship.
"JOY" programme
"JOY" aims to educate young people about the Orthodox Christian Faith, and to create an environment in which they can not only learn, but also develop spiritually, while meeting and getting to know their fellow parishioners. During the course of this programme, the youth are taught about Church history, important facts about the Faith, and what it means to be an Orthodox Christian. The young people are also given the opportunity to meet other young people through group outings and group games. The "JOY" programme takes place every second Monday, beginning in September.
"GOYA" ("Greek Orthodox Youth Association") programme
"GOYA" aims to educate the youth about the Orthodox Christian Faith, and to create an environment in which they can not only learn, but also develop spiritually while meeting and getting to know their fellow parishioners. During the course of this programme, youth are taught about Church history, important facts about the Orthodox Faith, and what it means to be an Orthodox Christian. They also discuss the Mysteries (sacraments) and how to live their Orthodoxy in their everyday lives. The youth are given the opportunity to get to know their peers through group outings and group games.
"OCF" ("Orthodox Christian Fellowship") programme
The "OCF" programme is based at Simon Fraser University. The goal of the group is to educate young adults about how to live the Orthodox Christian Faith throughout the course of their lives. This also involves becoming more clearly aware of their personal relationship with the Lord. They focus on philanthropic activities such as feeding the less fortunate. During the course of the programme, young adults participate in various discussions by guest speakers along with the parish priest. The OCF programme takes place every second Monday, beginning in September.
Byzantine Chanting programme
Those who are interested in learning about Byzantine chanting and how to sing it are invited to attend every alternate Thursday to learn about the sacred art of Byzantine chanting. There are 2 classes, one for beginners and one for advanced learners. After a certain number of lessons, participants are invited to chant on the chanters' stand on Sundays and on Great Feast-days.
"Re-catechism" programme
The "re-catechism" programme is an opportunity for everyone to become more fully informed about why we believe what we believe. This programme is open to all English-speaking adults. This programme is available on alternate Tuesdays every month from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Temple.
Volunteering programme
The members of the parish administration always welcome and are grateful to those who wish to volunteer with any of the programmes. Volunteering and helping (both in the parish and in everyday life otherwise) are fundamental expressions of Christian love.
Priests who have served in this community
Emulating the example of Jesus Christ, who is the Good Shepherd of the universe and the Great High Priest, Orthodox clergy are called to be shepherds to the flock entrusted to them by our Lord.
Protopresbyter Dorotheos Tryphonopoulos (Presbytera Stavroula)
Protopresbyter Dorotheos Tryphonopoulos
On 1 April, 1979, Father Dorotheos Tryphonopoulos was assigned to care for the newly-established community of Saints Nicholas and Dēmētrios in Vancouver. Born in Greece, he had been ordained there in 1970, and he then served in Canada in Saint Catharine’s, Ontario, from 1973 to 1979.
He was elevated to the dignity of protopresbyter by Archbishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas) on 23 December, 1995.
From 1996, Father Dorotheos began serving in various communities, such as Saints Constantine and Helen in Surrey, British Columbia ; Holy Cross in Laval, Québec, and Ypapanti (Presentation) in Victoria, British Columbia.
By 1996, he became a retired priest ; but he continued to concelebrate the Divine Liturgy and other services in this parish, and also in various other parishes across Canada.
Priest Panagiotis Pavlakos (Presbytera Vasiliki)
Priest Panagiotis Pavlakos was assigned to serve in this parish in 1996.
During the years of his service, the mortgage for the Temple was retired. This was accomplished with the kindness and generosity of the parishioners. Father Panagiotis oversaw the completion of the iconography of the dome in the Temple, and of the Deisis Icon in the narthex, together with the purchase and installation of the chandelier (“polyeleos”) of the Temple. He was the parish pastor at the time of the sanctification of the Temple (presided by Metropolitan Sotirios (Athanassoulas) of Toronto (Canada)), and for the community’s 25th anniversary celebrations.
In 2004, Father Panagiotis was transferred to Montréal, Québec.
Priest Evangelos Aravantinos (Presbytera Ioanna)
On 30 July, 2005, Deacon Evangelos Aravantinos was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by Metropolitan Sotirios in the Temple of Saints Nicholas and Dēmētrios. Then, Priest Evangelos Aravantinos was assigned to serve this parish. He began to serve at the Holy Table at which he had been ordained.
During the 9 years of his service in this community, Father Evangelos was instrumental in brining new families into the parish. He created various youth programmes, and he supported the Greek School. As well, he contributed guidance to our "G.O.D.S. Kids" child care programme.
In 2014, Father Evangelos was transferred to Victoria, British Columbia.
Priest Timoleon Prattas (Presbytera Sophia)
After his graduation from seminary, and before his ordination, Father Timoleon (Tim) Prattas served as the first full-time National Youth Director of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada). On 1 December, 2014, Father Tim was assigned to serve this parish as its pastor.
Since then, Father Tim was elected to serve also as the Secretary and British Columbia Representative of the Clergy Syndesmos of the Metropolis of Toronto.
Sunday of Orthodoxy 2017
Particular parish information
This parish is a part of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Canada, of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople. The bishop is Archbishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas). The Vicar-Bishop is Bishop Athenagoras (Salmas). The patriarch is Patriarch Bartholomew (Archontonis).
This parish follows the New (Revised Julian) Calendar.
The Altar Feast-days of this parish are those of Saint Nicholas the Wonder-worker, 6 December ; and Saint Dēmētrios the Myrrh-streamer, 26 October.
In 2023, the pastor of this parish is the Priest Timoleon Prattas.
Address :
Saints Nicholas and Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church
4641, Boundary Road
Vancouver, British Columbia
V5R 2N5
Telephone : 604-438-6432
Fax : 604-438-6400
E-mail of the Office Administration : Greekcommunity@telus.net
E-mail of the Priest Tim Prattas : frprattas@gmail.com
E-mail of the Greek School Programme : greekschoolstnicholas.dimitri@gmail.com
E-mail of the Youth Ministry Team : stsnandd@gmail.com
E-mail of the Community President, Kostas Nikolaou : kostas@nikolaou.ca
Directions :
The Temple is situated at the junction of Joyce Street and Boundary Road, at Moscrop Avenue.
By car :
There is a parking-lot by the Temple, and there is some parking available on the nearby streets.
From the east and the Trans-Canada/Highway 1 :
After passing the exchange for the Grandview Highway and the Kensington Avenue exit, take the exit for Willingdon Avenue. At the end of the curving ramp, turn right (south) onto Willingdon Avenue. Drive south past "BCIT" to Moscrop Avenue. Turn right onto Moscrop Avenue and drive to Boundary Road. The Temple is across the street of this intersection.
From the city, approach from the north or south via Boundary Road. From the west, approach via the Grandview Highway to Boundary Road, and turn right on Boundary Road, or from Kingsway and turn left on Boundary Road.
The Temple is near the junction with Joyce Street (on the west side of Boundary Road).
By bus :
Consult BC Transit’s Translink. There is bus service on Joyce Street and on Boundary Road.
By railway :
Vancouver is accessible by railway (and hence this parish) by VIARail from points to the east in Canada. It is accessible also by Amtrak from Seattle, Washington, USA, and other connecting stations.
Vancouver is accessible by road, chiefly by Highway #1 from the west, and Highway #99 from the south.
It is accessible by various airline companies through the Vancouver International Aeroport.
It is accessible by ferry through BC Ferries at either Tsawassen or Horseshoe Bay.
Telephone : 604-438-6432
E-mail : frprattas@gmail.com
Father’s office hours : Monday-Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.
In addition, Father Prattas cares for :
The Community and Church of Saint George of Kamloops
c/o Soula Pasichnyk
3497 Navatanee Drive
Kamloops, British Columbia
V2H 1S1
Also, Father Prattas cares for :
The Greek Orthodox Church and Community of the Metamorphosis (Transfiguration)
P O Box 68
Kitimat, British Columbia
V8C 2G8
Telephone : 250-632-7475
References
Efthimiou, Miltiades B and George A Christopoulos, eds., “History of the Greek Orthodox Church in America” (New York : Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America, 1984). ASIN : B001AD93BI.
Kitroeff, Alexander, “The Greek Orthodox Church in America : a modern History” (Ithaca, New York : Cornell University Press, 2020).
Pappaioannou, Priest George, ‘The Historical Development of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America’ in “A Companion to the Greek Orthodox Church”, ed. Litsas, F K (New York, NY : Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America, 1984).
Prokurat, Michael ; Golitzin, Alexander & Petersen, Michael, eds., “The A to Z of the Orthodox Church” (Lanham, MD : Scarecrow Press, 2010), pp. 143-145. ISBN : 978-0-8108-7602-6.
Stokoe, Mark and Kishkovsky, Leonid, “Christians in North America 1794-1994” (Chapter 2).
Tarasar, Constance J, ed., “Orthodox America 1794-1976 : Development of The Orthodox Church in America” (Syosset, NY : The Orthodox Church in America Department of History and Archives, 1975). ASIN : B000ZLZAUE.
Additional information :
Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada parish listing
Saints Nicholas and Demetrios Church web-site
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada web-site
Orthodoxwiki article about the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America web-site
OrthodoxWiki article about the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America
Wikipedia article about the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
1996 Special Regulations and Uniform Parish Regulations Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Uniform Community Regulations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada, 2021
Church of Constantinople web-site
Orthodoxwiki article about the Church of Constantinople
Patriarch Demetrios (Papadopoulos)
Patriarch Bartholomew (Archontonis)
Archbishop Athenagoras (Kokkinakis)
Archbishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas)
Bishop Bartholomew (Mostratos) of Keramos
Bishop Athenagoras (Salmas) of Patara
Bishop Iakovos (Antonopoulos) of Zinoupolis
Hellenic Community of East Vancouver
History of the Greek Archdiocese of Canada
Canadian Encyclopedia article about Greek Canadians
Wikipedia article about Greek Canadians
Orthodoxwiki list of Orthodox parishes in British Columbia Toronto Mayor John Tory and Councillor Jim Karygiannis congratulate Archbishop Sotirios (7 July, 2019)
Metropolis of Toronto, Canada, elevated to Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada (13 June, 2019)
Three Vicar-Bishops received into the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada (2 August, 2020)
Archpastoral Visit of Archbishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas) to British Columbia (13-23 May, 2022)
Archpastoral Visit of Archbishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas) of Canada to British Columbia (15-19 September, 2022)
Archpastoral Visit of Archbishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas) of Canada to British Columbia (26 January-3 February, 2023)
Saints Nicholas and Demetrios New Building : Annex School, Seniors Lounge, Play Space (2023)