Saint George Missionary Parish, Thunder Bay

Saint George Missionary Parish, Thunder Bay

Priest: Fr. Georgije Tubonjic (administrator; 431 279 6776 / georgije1@gmail.com)

History

The missionary parish in Thunder Bay was founded on September 19, 1971, when Fr. Bogdan Zjalic gathered the local Serbs who formed the parish's administrative and supervisory board.

Bosko Dimitrijevic was elected as the first president. Other members of the board of directors were: vice president Nikola Zuber, secretary Ostoja Majdanac and treasurer Jovan Stepanovic. The supervisory board consisted of: president Lazar Vranjkovic, Djuro Kovacevic and Luka Kremenovic. They were joined later by Vidoje Jovanovic and Nikola Sukalo. The number of members of the missionary parish was twenty. The first administrator was Fr. Bozo Dragicevic who came from Duluth, Minnesota. The Serbs from Thunder Bay fulfilled their religious needs in the local Ukrainian church.

Serbian bishops have visited this small colony on several occasions. Between 1972 and 1974, Bishop Sava visited the parish in Thunder Bay twice. Bishop Christopher (Kovacevich) stayed in this place twice in 1983, and Bishop Georgije on several occasions – for the first time in 1984.

Although the number of Serbs in this colony is declining, and this part of Ontario was not settled by many newcomer families in the 1990s, every effort is being made to maintain church life in the Saint George Parish. The Serbian sisters from Thunder Bay are at the forefront of this, who have always encouraged the settlers and whose efforts and dedication have solved many problems.