Jurisdiction: | Serbian Orthodox Eparchy |
Canada | |
Coat: | Grb Eparhije kanadske.png |
Sui Iuris Church: | Serbian Orthodox Church |
Denomination: | Eastern Orthodox |
Established: | 1983 |
Bishop: | Mitrofan (Kodić) |
Headquarters: | Campbellville, Milton, Ontario |
Cathedral: | |
Coordinates: | 43.4344°N -79.9641°W |
Territory: | Canada]] |
Language: | Church Slavonic Serbian English |
Map: | Map of Eparchies of Serbian Orthodox Church in North America-en.svg |
Website: | Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Canada |
The Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Canada (Serbian: Српска православна епархија канадска,) is a diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church. As of 18 May 2024, with the elevation of Bishop Mitrofan Kodić to Archbishop of Toronto and Metropolitan of Canada his Canadian diocese is now the Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Canada, the first in North America.
Its headquarters (the Holy Transfiguration Monastery) and bishop's residence are in Campbellville, Milton, Ontario with the Saint Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Hamilton, Ontario serving as the cathedral church.[1] Its current primate is Metropolitan Mitrofan (Kodić).
The Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Canada, part of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America, is an integral part of the Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate with its See in Belgrade, and accordingly answers to its national church, the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC), one of the autocephalous and canonical Orthodox Christian churches.[2]
The Serbian Orthodox Diocese in the United States and Canada was established in 1921. In 1963, it was reorganized into three sections and in 1983, a fourth diocese was created specifically for the Canadian churches.[3] This followed a period of growth in Serb immigrants to Canada following World War II, as well as a desire in decades prior for the Serbian Orthodox clergy to reach their parishioners more easily.[4]
The Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Canada was founded on May 26, 1983 at the behest of Sava Vuković, the then-bishop of Eastern-America and Canada. On May 16, 1984 Georgije Đokić was elected as its first bishop. The Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Canada covers 33 parishes and missionary parishes.
On May 21, 2009 the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church held a meeting for the restructuring of the existing Dioceses in North and South America, based on the recommendation of the Episcopal Council of the Serbian Orthodox Church. It was restructured in the following manner:[5]