Saint Ilija Church, Kelowna

Saint Ilija Church, Kelowna

Address: 585 Gertsmar Road, Kelowna, British Columbia, V1X4B3

Phone: 604 600 2922

Website: www.facebook.com/groups/784724239763188

Priest: Fr. Marko Radmanovic (administrator; mradmanovic@svetisava.net)

History

From picnics to church gatherings

The founding of the missionary parish in Kelowna was preceded by traditional summer gatherings of Serbs from Vancouver in this city on the shores of Lake Okanagan, and later by our people from Calgary and the surrounding towns in western Canada: Edmonton, Prince George, Kamloops, Penticton. Among the first Serbs to move to Kelowna was the Matic family, Nik and Planch, who arrived from Regina immediately after World War II. They were followed by Nikola and Dragica Galic in 1965, then Stanimir and Zlata Lazic in 1969, and then Dragoljub (Dragi) and Mila Djordjevic in 1971 from Toronto, and from Vancouver Dobrivoje and Thelma Paunovic in 1972 and Ziva and Olga Tatarov in 1974. In nearby places in the Okanagan region, there were Serbs who were engaged in fruit and vegetable farming, such as the brothers Stevo and Mile Galic in Osoyoos and Oliver, respectively, Aca Matic in Vernon, and the Savovic and Andjic families in Kamloops.

Kelowna and the entire region became increasingly interesting for Serbs, who came from all over Western Canada and recently from Ontario. Its climate and way of life reminded them in many ways of their homeland, which is one of the main reasons why they decided to continue their lives in the settlements scattered on the shores of the Okanagan and Skaha Lakes, from Vernon to Osoyoos. Surrounded by famous vineyards and orchards, the cultivation of which is also a good source of income for individuals, many spend their retirement days in peace, enjoying this beautiful environment. When, in 1995, the missionary parish in Kelowna was founded, the number of Serbian families was around 45, while today it has already exceeded 70.

The first service was held in 1977 on the private estate of Dragoljub and Mila Djordjevic. The first service was held under the open sky by priest Miroslav Dejanov, parish priest of Vancouver, with the presence of twenty believers. The first official picnic was held in 1983 when the vicar of His Holiness Patriarch German, Bishop of Marca, Dr. Danilo (Krstic), and the dean of the Faculty of Theology in Belgrade, protodeacon Dr. Pribislav Simic, came to visit the Serbs of Vancouver and then Kelowna. The Holy Liturgy was served in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. For the circumstances and opportunities to mature, it was necessary to wait until August 6, 1995, when, after the Divine Liturgy, the first meeting was held at the Parkinson Centre, chaired by Bishop Georgije of Canada, with the presence of the dean of the Western Canadian Deanery Fr. Mirko Malinović from Regina and the parish priest of the Vancouver parish Fr. Miroslav Dejanov, who had previously visited the Serbs in Kelowna most often. On that day, the first administration of the missionary parish of St. Elijah was elected, and that date can be taken as the day of the founding of this young church community.

Purchase of property and construction of a church

The first meeting of the parish membership in Kelowna, one of the most important in its short history, was held on January 31, 1996, immediately before the Diocesan Assembly in Vancouver. The meeting was chaired by Bishop Georgije. At that time, the first building committee was elected, consisting of: president Rade Vukota, members Milenko Bulic and Mirko Sapic, deputy Jordan Nikolic, and treasurer Dragan Jovanovic. In addition to the 22 members of the missionary parish, the following guests attended this meeting: vice-president of the Diocesan Council Ilija Rakanovic, priests of the Vancouver parish Fr. Miroslav Dejanov and Fr. Savo Arsenijevic, who was appointed administrator in Kelowna. At this meeting, a decision was made to find and purchase a plot of land on which a Serbian church would later be built.

This meeting bore fruit, but the implementation of this decision and agreement was delayed until 1998, when at a membership meeting on May 17, a decision was made to purchase the property with an older and dilapidated house at 585 Gertsmar Street for $92,000. Voja and Olivija Bogdanovic immediately came to the rescue with loans of $35,000, Dragi and Mila Djordjevic with $30,000, and they eventually contributed a portion of the funds in cash. Other contributors also expressed their support, and in a short period of time $25,000 was collected. The second official meeting of Bishop Georgije with the membership was held on Saint Elijah's Day in 1999 in the premises of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. The topic was finding a way to start building a future church on the newly purchased property. Like the previous meeting, this one also bore fruit. The property was paid off by the summer of 2001. On November 10, 2001, Bishop Georgije arrived in Kelowna to lay the foundation stone and consecrate the site where this new Serbian place of worship in Canada would be built. The estimated cost of this project exceeded $200,000, which is no small undertaking for a small membership. Although winter was approaching, work, with God's blessing and help, began on November 12, 2001 and did not stop throughout the winter. All the perseverance and work paid off in the end. God helps the brave and courageous, multiplying their efforts. And their sacrifice, if measured in numbers, amounts to over 2500 volunteer hours of work. The church was built and consecrated on Saint Elijah's Day, August 2, 2003.

Here, it is necessary to once again highlight several families and individuals who, with their commitment, material and moral support, were the main bearers of the construction of the new church building. President Dragoljub "Dragi" Djordjevic, who has been serving God and his family loyally and with much love since the founding of the missionary parish. And much earlier, the house of the Djordjevic family – Dragoljub, his wife Mila and children – was a gathering place for Serbs. Without them, not a single significant undertaking of the Serbs from Kelowna can be imagined. They help their parish both morally and materially and anyone else who needs help. With the arrival of the ambitious and capable Mile Savic and his wife Dusanka from Ontario to Kelowna, the parish gained in strength and determination. In addition to allocating significant funds and providing a loan together with Voja and Olivija Bogdanovic and Dragi and Mila Djordjevic, Mile Savic agreed to manage the works until the completion of the construction, without any compensation or collection. There are also Voja and Olivija Bogdanovic with significant loans when purchasing the land and during the construction, as well as a non-refundable contribution of $20,000. From the first day, since they arrived from Vancouver, in 1994, their desire and idea was that Serbs in Kelowna would create and have something. Nikola Vignjevic with his wife Boja, as well as Jordan Nikolic, who were involved in the work of their church while they were in Calgary, are not far behind in their help and work, as are Dobrivoje Paunovic and Mirko Sapic, while they were in Vancouver. There are also young forces Stevan Sobat, Dragan Jovanovic and all the others, united although small in number.

The Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women Circle of Serbian Sisters from Kelowna deserve special recognition. All gatherings and all festivities cannot be imagined without their work and their help. With their work and dedication, they have been the drivers of all the achievements and successes to date.

Despite the fact that the services are irregular, because the conditions for a permanent priest have not yet been met, the administrator of the missionary parish comes about five to six times a year, trying to bring the people together religiously and nationally. Despite the difficulties that have not spared this parish, the results are evident as many more numerous parishes and Church and School Congregations in North America have not achieved such results in such a short period of time.

The church celebrated its twentieth anniversary in 2023.