Saint George Church, Niagara Falls

Mar 5, 2025 - 13:17 Updated: Jun 23, 2026 - 06:49

Saint George Church, Niagara Falls

Address: 6085 Montrose Road, Niagara Falls ON, L2H 1L5

Email: info.stgeorge.niagarafalls@gmail.com

Phone: 905 356 7636

Priest: Fr. Stanko Antic
Phone number: 905 356 0090
Email: stankoantic@hotmail.com

Fr. Stanko Antic was born on April 2, 1987 in Gradacac, present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina, to parents Mihajlo and Ruza. After completing eight years of school, he enrolled in the Holy Three Hierarchs seminary at the Krka Monastery in Dalmatia. He graduated from the seminary in 2006, and with the blessing of the then Bishop of Dalmatia Fotije, he enrolled in the Moscow Theological Academy at the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius in Sergiyev Posad, Moscow. After spending three years in Russia, studying theology and the way of life of Orthodox Russians, he graduated from the Academy with the qualification of a church historian. After returning from Russia, he made himself available to his diocesan bishop, and in September 2009 he began working in a candle factory at the Krka Monastery. After a year, he was appointed professor at the Holy Three Hierarchs seminary at the Krka Monastery. During the fourteen years he was employed at the aforementioned seminary, he taught Liturgy, Christian Ethics, Pedagogy with Methodology, Catechism, Biblical History, and Russian. In October 2010, he married Suzana Bundalo, born in Zagreb and originally from Bosanska Krupa, with whom he has four children – Julija, Uros, Aleksej, and Todor. On Theodore's Saturday in 2011, Bishop Fotije ordained him a deacon, and the next day, on the Triumph of Orthodoxy, he was ordained a priest. Together with his family, he served his Church and the people of Orthodox Dalmatia in an exemplary manner and with love for more than fifteen years, both as a priest, as a lecturer in the Holy Three Hierarchs seminary at the Krka Monastery, and as a monastery employee. He celebrated his first Divine Liturgy in the Saint George Church in Niagara Falls on September 15, 2024.

Parish Life in Niagara: A Short History
prepared by: Djuradj Vujcic

The Canadian-Serbian Club was opened in 1948 on 5956 Main Street in Niagara Falls and the first church services were held here. At the founding assembly in the Canadian-Serbian Club on March 8, 1953, the Saint George Church and School Congregation was founded, as well as the church choir and the Mala Gospojina Circle of Serbian Sisters. It is interesting to note that during this period, Saint Bishop Nikolaj (Velimirovic) spent summers at Niagara Falls. The main task of the Serbs in the Church and School Congregation was to build a holy temple. The first land on Frederica Street was purchased in 1954 and paid for in a very short time. This property was soon sold as a new, larger, 28-acre property on Montrose Road was purchased in 1957. On June 8, 1958, the property land was consecrated and construction began on a new church hall called the Serbian Home which was completed in 1959. The tragic and unfortunate schism in the Serbian Orthodox Church in the diaspora occurred in 1963. This had an effect on Niagara as well and on January 19, 1964, the parish was divided into two – Saint George Parish and Saint Archangel Michael Parish. Ownership of the building on Main Street ended up belonging to the Saint Archangel Michael Parish. The Building Committee for the Saint George Church was established on June 6, 1965. The parish house was moved to the new property from Lundy's Lane and was consecrated on September 25, 1966 by the Bishop of Midwestern America Firmilijan (Ocokoljic) who also consecrated the newly renovated church hall. In March 1967, the land intended for the new church was consecrated. The foundation stone for the new church was laid on October 13, 1968, and work began a few days later. At that time, the Serbs wanted their future church to have the appearance of the Studenica Monastery, founded by Stefan Nemanja. For various reasons, from technical to financial, this wish remained unfulfilled and remained only in the name of the church: many local Serbs still call it Studenica today. The act of consecration of the church was performed on June 21, 1970 by the Bishop of Eastern America and Canada Sava (Vukovic), with the concelebration of the Bishop of Midwestern America Firmilijan (Ocokoljic) as well as numerous clergy. The godfather at the church's consecration was Ilija Djonovic. That same year, 1970, the soccer club NF Srbija was founded, as well as the Sokol Folklore Group, which was later renamed the Studenica Folklore Ensemble.

The large pavilion for the needs of the Serbian Day organization was built in 1988. It should be noted that for a short period of time, from February to May 1990, the parish was served by the then Protosyngel Milutin (Knezevic), later Bishop of Valjevo. The canonical reconciliation in the Serbian Orthodox Church took place at the end of 1991, thus ending the unfortunate schism that had lasted 29 years. On October 22, 1992, His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch Pavle served the Holy Liturgy in the Saint George Church on Montrose Road, and the Saint Archangel Michael Church and School Congregation hosted Patriarch Pavle at a banquet in the Canadian-Serbian Club on Main Street. During the visit, the Mayor of Niagara Falls Wayne Thomson presented Patriarch Pavle with the Key to the City of Niagara Falls. The architectural extension of the narthex was completed in 2001. With the construction of the narthex, the church received a new appearance, and therefore much more space. Space was provided for a new parish office, a cloakroom for the folklore group, as well as space for holding a church school. By moving the candle shops to the new narthex, the church itself gained more space. New bells were placed in the narthex, and new and gilded crosses were placed on the domes. On that occasion, the old doors at the western and northern entrances of the church were also replaced. The old doors were replaced with new oak doors. The wood carving on the doors was done by Dobrivoje Ivankovic. The narthex was consecrated on April 21, 2001, by the Bishop of Canada Georgije.

In July 2006, the Saint George Church and School Congregation erected a monument to Nikola Tesla in Queen Victoria Park at Niagara Falls. The Saint George Church and the Saint Archangel Michael Church on 4992 Huron Street united into one Church and School Congregation with the spontaneous singing of the Hymn to Saint Sava on October 1, 2006. These were trying times for the community in Niagara. The arondization of the dioceses of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North America took place in May 2009. The Saint Elijah Parish, under the jurisdiction of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Canada with a place of worship at 5906 Sylvia Street at the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church, was established on December 3, 2009. By the decision of the Episcopal Council of December 12, 2009, the Saint George Parish and Church and School Congregation was placed under the temporary guardianship of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Eastern America. His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch Irinej served the evening service at Saint George Church in June 2015 and attended the after-service dinner in the church hall. That same year, the Saint George and Saint Archangel Michael Church and School Congregation was returned to the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Canada. The hall of the Saint George Church on Montrose Road suffered a major fire in December 2016 and a new hall had to be built. The Serbian Ethnic Legacy Organization (SELO) youth group was formed at the church in 2020. The new church hall was consecrated by Bishop Mitrofan of Canada on September 4, 2022. In 2023, the Saint Elijah Parish merged with the Saint George and Saint Archangel Michael Church and School Congregation, and that year, for the first time in history, a joint celebration of Pascha took place in Niagara. Since then, thank God, Orthodox Serbs in this city have been glorifying the name of God with one heart and one soul. May it remain so unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Parish priests

Fr. Nikola Stojsavljevic (1953–1956)

Fr. Ljubomir Stojanovic (1956–1964)

Fr. Zarko Mitrovic (1964–1975)

Fr. Bogdan Zjalic (1975–1980)

Fr. Ozren Tucakov (1981–1983)

Fr. Neil Connaught (1983–1985)

Fr. Vasilije Tomic (1985–1987)

Fr. Uros Todorovic (1987–1989)

Protosyngel Milutin Knezevic (1990)

Fr. Milos Milovanovic (1990–1999)

Fr. Svetislav Mirolovic (1999)