History
At the beginning of the 20th century there were approximately 300 Canadians of Greek descent. The first community was established in Montreal in 1906. [7] This was followed in 1909 by the community of "St. George" in Toronto. [8] Other early communities were established in Winnipeg (1912) and in Thunder Bay (1918).
As these communities began forming parishes, the Greek believers looked the Church of Greece for priests. Responding to the calls from the New World, in 1908, the Patriarchate in Constantinople issued a decree giving episcopal oversight of the Americas to the Church of Greece. In 1922, Meletius, now Patriarch of Constantinople, revoked the decree of 1908, and formally organized the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America on May 11, 1922 and appointed Bp. Alexander, the titular Bishop of Rodostolou, as his Patriarchal Exarch in America. More communities were established in Vancouver (1927), in Ottawa (1929) and in Edmonton in (1938). At this time, all parishes in the Americas were part of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America. In 1960, the Metropolis of Toronto became the Ninth Archdiocesan District of Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America. [9]
The first Bishop in Canada, Metropolitan Athenagoras of Elaia, was appointed by the Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras in 1960 and was followed by Bishop Timothy of Rodostolon 1963-1967 and Bishop Theodosios of Ancona 1967-1973.
The present Metropolitan of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada), Sotirios, was elected Bishop of Constantia on December 18, 1973 and ordained on January 27, 1974. Since then, he is serving the Church in Canada. He was promoted to Bishop of Toronto in 1979 and Metropolitan of Toronto in 1996.
At the time of his election as Bishop, there were only 22 Churches in Canada. Under his tenure, that number has grown to 76 Churches and 350,000 Greek Orthodox Christians. During his Archieratical service, the Diocese and now Metropolis have established the Annual Youth Assemblies (1980); a monthly newspaper, Orthodox Way (1982); Social Services (1984); Metahomes (1984), providing transitional housing for the homeless; Greek Orthodox Order of Canada (1987); weekly television program Orthodox Voice (1990), which is broadcast across all of Canada; School of Byzantine Music (1991); Convents of St. Kosmas of Aitolos in Ontario and the Virgin Mary of Consolation in Quebec (1993); Greek Orthodox Education in Ontario, (1996) (“Metamorphosis” Greek Orthodox Day School, “Metamorphosis” Child Care Centre, Toronto, Metamorphosis Preschool, Toronto, “St. Nicholas“ Child Care Centre-Toronto). Homes for the Aged, (nine Homes: Toronto, Montreal, Laval, Vancouver); 50 Homes for Needy Families (Thunder Bay); Toronto Orthodox Theological Academy (1998); “Metamorphosis” Summer Camps (1999); Metropolis Cultural Centre (2002). [10]
In 1996, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America was split by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, into four parts: Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Canada, Central America, South America and the America which was left with the territory of the United States of America. As stated earlier, on 24 September 1996, Sotirios was elevated to the rank of "Metropolitan Archbishop of Toronto and Exarch of all Canada". [11]
On June 13, 2019, the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in its meeting with His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew presiding elevated the Metropolis of Toronto to the Archdiocese of Canada and, consequently, its Metropolitan to Archbishop Sotirios of Canada. [12]
