Saint Sava Church (Edmonton)

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Saint Sava Church (Edmonton) is a parish of the Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Canada under the jurisdiction of Bishop Mitrofan (Kodić) of Canada, located at 12904-112th Street in Edmonton, Alberta..

History

The first Serbian immigrants came to Edmonton before the turn of the century who worked in the bush camps and coal mines as well as the expansion of the railroad system, the people from Austria-Hungary such as the Galicians or today's Ukrainians, Rusyn, Ruthenians, Russians, Poles, Croats, Slovaks, Czechs, Slovenes, etc. In the 1920s the earliest Serbian community organizations in Alberta and Saskatchewan were formed and they tended to be Prosvete meaning society-style cultural-educational groups, many of which supported choirs and/or theater troupes. Almost all of these groups operated initially out of rented premises at the beginning. Those wanting to worship in the early days attended the Russian Eastern Orthodox Church of St. Vladimir in Edmonton. Then came larger immigration after the Second World War, mostly ex-soldiers of the Royal Yugoslav Army and guerrilla fighters, all émigrés who were much better educated than the previous generation of immigrants.

The first organized assembly was held in 1961 in Edmonton and the Church School Congregation was formed, though not registered at the time. With the increase of membership, the problems of compromise arose. The 1963 Church split had an acute affect in the community and brought about many woes. The division in the parish, however, was of an internal nature that had also affected the entire Serbian community in Edmonton. It came as a result of the division on the question of whether or not to build a Church or a Hall? In the Supreme Court action and trial, the judge granted the "Balance of convenience" in favor of the Society. The 1966 judgment stipulated that "the Church School Congregation of Saint Sava would not be inconvenienced by allowing members of the Serbian Canadian Cultural Society to use the Hall in the next calendar year as it has in the past". It was then that the supporters of the Hall broke away and kept the name of Saint Sava Church School Congregation until 1987 when they transformed themselves into the Serbian Canadian Cultural Society. According to the diary kept by Bishop Sava Vuković, "The group in favour of building a church made an effort to restore the Church School Congregation and parish of Saint Sava in Edmonton." Bishop Sava (Vuković) visited Edmonton for the first time on 27 July 1971. On 10 September 1972, Bishop Sava served the Holy Liturgy in the Greek Church in Edmonton. The Church School Congregation was restored and began functioning

The first Church Board consisted of Spiro Samardžija, President; Vukan Obradović, Vice President; Petar Janković, Secretary; Josif Janjić, Treasurer; Boža Marković, Financial Secretary and Rajko Stolić, member. Rev. Bogdan Zjalić officiated the services. Rev. Vukić Atanacković was appointed parish priest in 1976. Shortly thereafter he left the parish and went to Calgary. The parish was without a priest until 1981 when Rev. Radiša Ninković came. Before the parish was founded, the Circle of Serbian Sisters was organized. They gave full support in the organization of the Church life in the parish of Saint Sava in Edmonton.

With the arrival of Hieromonk Nikodim Pribojan to Saint Sava Parish in Edmonton, church life received new strength. He was able to motivate the faithful for the building of a new church. The parishioners did a great amount of work. Djordje Spanaćević completed the entire excavation. Andjelko Banović donated the bell. The other parishioners donated funds. The church was completed and consecrated on 13 September 1987 by Bishop Georgije Đokić. It was dedicated to Saint Sava.

The young priest Rev. Miodrag Popović, who came to Edmonton in 1988, gave special attention to the Serbian youth and their religious education. He organized Church School where, along with religious education, the national spirit is kept. The Circle of Sisters, organized in 1972, plays an important part in church life. Folk-dancing and sports are well developed. There is a Folk-dancing Group "Opanak" which is very successful and holds annual festival in Edmonton. There is a sport club, "Srbija". Both groups are under the auspicies of St. Sava Church School Congregation in Edmonton.

The following priests have served in the parish: Rev. Bogdan Zjalić, Rev. Vukić Atanacković, Rev, Radiša Ninković, Rev. Nikodim Pribojan, and Rev. Miodrag Popović. The presidents of the church council from 1961-1993 were Stanko Savić, Spaso Samardžija, Stojan Matić, Svetozar Đukić, Božidar Kusovac, Vuksan Obradović, Smilja Spanaćević, Petar Janković, and Selimir Janišić.

Sources

• Rev. Miodrag Popović: "The Church School Congregation of St. Sava in Edmonton," Souvenir Book 1983-1993, pp. 177-178
• Bishop Sava Vuković, "Diary"
• "The Canadian Abridgement: A Digest of Reported Decisions of the Supreme Courts and Exchequer Courts...." (1966)
• "Diaspora Serbs: A Cultural Analysis", edited by Earle Waugh and Milan V. Dimić, M. V. Dimić Research Institute, University of Alberta, 2002, pages 152 and 153

References

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