Daily service schedule at the monastery
Weekdays:
Matins at 7:00 AM
Vespers at 5:00 PM
Saturdays:
Matins at 8:00 AM immediately followed by Divine Liturgy
Sundays:
Matins at 9:00 AM immediately followed by Divine Liturgy
The Holy Tranfiguration Monastery in Milton, Ontario is the first and, for now, the only Serbian Orthodox monastery in Canada. The monastery is located in the Niagara Escarpment area of exceptional beauty protected by the United Nations. The monastery is located within easy reach of Ontario's largest cities with a significant number of Serbian colonies: a half-hour drive from Toronto to the east, Hamilton to the south, and Kitchener to the west. The monastery church is located on a hill called Tabor Hill and is the central part of the Burlington-Milton Parish, which is served by Fr. Aleksandar Mitrovic.
The aspiration of the Serbian community in Canada to build their own monastery was expressed in the hopes of the holy Bishop Nikolaj (Velimirovic). The realization of these aspirations began with the formation of an independent diocese and the arrival of Bishop of Canada Georgije at the head of the diocese. At the session of the Diocesan Assembly held in Vancouver on December 26, 1987, Bishop Georgije raised the issue of building a monastery in the Diocese of Canada, and the assembled delegates unanimously accepted this proposal. In the spring of 1988, the Diocesan Council learned that a 20-hectare (43-acre) plot of land was being sold in the area of the town of Milton. This information was brought by Gojko Kuzmanovic and Branko Vuckovic, who were the first to see the property and assessed that it was an ideal place for the construction of a monastery. The property at 7470 McNiven Road was purchased on May 2, 1988. Five months later, on October 2, 1988, Bishop Georgije and the assembled clergy consecrated the land. The kumovi for this ceremony were brothers Vlado and Djordje Vuckovic, sons of Branko Vuckovic.
The model of the monastery, built by the brother of the Kaona Monastery and the then-secretary of the Diocese of Canada Milutin (Knezevic), was exhibited and presented for the first time on August 12, 1989.
The foundation stone of the future monastery was consecrated by the Serbian Patriarch Pavle on October 21, 1992. The concelebrants were Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral, Metropolitan Christopher of Midwestern America, Metropolitan Irinej of Nova Gracanica, Bishop Stefan of Zica, Bishop Irinej of Nis, Bishop Georgije of Canada, and Bishop Mitrofan of Eastern America. On the diocesan estate in Milton, Patriarch Pavle signed a charter that was later incorporated into the foundation stone of the monastery church.
At the monastery council held on August 7–8, 1993, Bishop Longin of Dalmatia, with the concelebration of Bishop Georgije of Canada, consecrated the Cross of Saint Sava, which was gilded and erected on the monastery's dome on August 25, 1993.
Patriarch Pavle also consecrated the monastery church on the day of its completion, June 12, 1994. The concelebrants were Metropolitan Christopher of Midwestern America, Bishop Irinej of Nis, Bishop Lukijan of Slavonia, Bishop Georgije of Canada, Bishop Nikanor of Gornji Karlovac, Bishop Mitrofan of Eastern America, Bishop Dositej of Britain and Scandinavia, and Bishop Vasilije of Mileseva. About twenty thousand people attended, and among the numerous guests from Sweden, Australia, England, and other countries was Prince Tomislav Karadjordjevic. The main designer of the monastery was Branko Dzeletovic, and the largest donors were Dragomir Karic and endowment funder Gojko Kuzmanovic.
The painting of the church began after its construction, and took place in several phases. The iconostasis was made by the woodcarver Momcilo Milosevic from Preljina near Cacak, and the iconography and painting were the work of Dragomir "Dragan" Marunic, an iconographer and fresco painter from Belgrade, whose son Nemanja Marunic participated in the painting of the monastery chapel. The work on the fresco painting was completed in early 2002. The magnificent fresco of Christ the Pantocrator on the dome of the church, the compositions of the Transfiguration of the Lord, the Entry into Jerusalem, the Washing of the Feet, the Betrayal of Judas, and the Descent into Hades will will bear eternal witness of the real image of the Serbian Orthodox people during a decade which saw much smearing and degradation of our character.
Our only monastery in Canada is also renowned on the North American continent because it guards the incorrupt relics of great Christian saints from the early centuries of Christendom, as well as recent times: St. Basil the Great, St. Ignatius the God-bearer, St. Athanasius the Great, St. Policarp of Smyrna, St. Panteleimon, St. Charalampius, St. Nektarius of Aegea, St. Irene, and St. Nektarius of Optina.
From bare fields, in just a few years, the Serbs of Canada have built a real spiritual oasis.
Right next to the monastery church there is a large picnic area with all the accompanying facilities: a summer pavilion, kitchens, fishing, sports fields for football, volleyball and basketball. A youth playground is specifically built for the youngest visitors to enjoy their leisure time.
The monastery was blessed, due to its capacity to host many visitors and sheer beauty, to host the central celebration of two millenniums of Christianity on a Pan-Orthodox level in Canada on June 24, 2000.
The most important days on which a large number of people gather in the monastery are the feast of the monastery chapel of the Three Holy Hierarchs (February 12), the feast of the diocesan publishing house (Istocni petak), the Diocesan Day (All Saints Sunday which is the first Sunday after Pentecost), the Monastery Council (the Sunday before the beginning of the Lent), the feast of the Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Lord (August 19), and the feast of the diocese the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos (October 14).
Monastery residence/Episcopal palace
In the Episcopal Palace, located in the immediate vicinity of the Monastery of the Holy Transfiguration of the Lord in Milton, is the seat of the Diocese of Canada, headed by Metropolitan Mitrofan of Canada.
The original Episcopal Palace of the Diocese of Canada was located in the west end of Toronto at 5A Stockbridge Avenue. The planning of building a new palace began in 1988, immediately after the consecration of the twenty-hectare land on which the Monastery of the Holy Transfiguration of the Lord was later built. The project was prepared by local architect Branko Dzeletovic. The palace facade, in addition to the symbiosis of modern and Byzantine architectural and decorative elements, also took on elements of Serbian medieval monasteries such as the bifora and trifora windows.
The palace was consecrated by Metropolitan Nikolaj of Dabar-Bosnia on August 7, 1994. The construction of the palace was completed in early February 1995. After construction, the Chapel of the Three Holy Hierarchs was moved from the original palace to the new palace, where it is now located on the upper floor of the building. The chapel was consecrated on the day of the chapel's celebration, the Three Holy Hierarchs, on February 12, 1995. The act of consecration was performed by Bishop Georgije of Canada, Bishop Mitrofan of Eastern America, and Bishop Jovan of Western America. The palace also contains a large hall for receptions and memorial services.
In front of the palace is a memorial fountain dedicated to Nikola Tesla, erected in 2006 on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of his birth.
Monastery library
The Holy Transfiguration Monastery is located within the monastery grounds. The building also serves as a museum and archive of the Diocese of Canada.
On the occasion of the celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the independence of the Diocese of Canada, on October 17, 2009, a diocesan museum, archive and library with ten thousand books was built right next to the episcopal palace. The monastery library was originally established by Mirjana Tomicic in 1995. The newly built stone building replaced the old dilapidated house, which was the last building left by the previous owners of the property. The celebration began that day with the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy, which was served by Bishop Georgije of Canada, Bishop Lukijan of Buda, and Bishop Dositej of Britain and Scandinavia, with the concelebration of all the priests of the Diocese of Canada. The building was consecrated by Bishop Dositej of Britain and Scandinavia.
The building was built by mechanical engineers Blagoje Savic and Slobodan Gojkovic, representing the Savic Homes company from Kitchener. The special doors at the entrance were a gift from the owner of the Lockwood company Ljubisa Milic, the windows were donated by priest Ivan Radovic from Toronto, and the facade was done by brothers Radislav and Milomir Rakanovic. The interior design of the library was done by designer Nenad Strbac from Vancouver and woodcarver Djordje Ignjatic from Ottawa.
Monastery cemetery
Part of the property also houses the first Serbian cemetery in Canada with over 350 graves. Until the construction of the monastery, Serbs were mostly buried in sections of municipal cemeteries set aside for Orthodox burials, such as Woodland Cemetery in Hamilton, Lundy's Lane Cemetery in Niagara Falls or York Cemetery in Toronto because provincial laws did not allow the establishment of cemeteries in churchyards in the 20th century (churches that had them could continue to use them but these were mostly very old Anglican, Catholic or Protestant churches). Towards the end of the 20th century the laws changed and, at the time of the monastery's construction, the municipality decided that the land in question was large enough in the rural municipality and the cemetery was approved.
Many well-known fixtures of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Canada as well as the Serbian diaspora in Canada in general are buried in the cemetery. May God rest their souls!
