Saint Simeon the Myrrh-Bearer Church, Calgary
Saint Simeon the Myrrh-Bearer Church, Calgary
Address: 16025-243rd Avenue E, De Winton, Alberta, T0L 0X0
Phone: 403 244 9323
Website: www.svetisimeon.org
Priest: Fr. Obrad Filipovic (protaobrad@gmail.com)
Fr. Obrad Filipovic was born in the village of Stranjani, near Prijepolje, to father Milisav and mother Dusanka (nee Bakovic), on December 21, 1978. He was the second of five children of his parents. He started primary school in his native village and finished it in Prijepolje. He enrolled in the Seminary of St. Peter of Cetinje, with the blessing of the Canadian (and then Bishop of Mileseva) Georgije, in 1994. He graduated with excellent results in 1999. The same year, on October 10, he married Milanka Kopitovic from Cetinje. On December 3, 1999, he arrived in Canada with his wife. He was ordained to the rank of deacon on December 14 of the same year at the Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Milton. He received his priestly ordination on January 16, 2000, at the Church of St. Nicholas in Hamilton. With the blessing of Bishop Georgije, he was appointed to the parish of St. Simeon the Myrrh-Bearer in Calgary. Fr. Obrad still serves in this parish today. The Lord blessed Fr. Obrad and his wife Milanka with three children – daughters Kristina and Katarina and son Teodor. Fr. Obrad was awarded the right to wear the red sash by Bishop Georgije of Canada in 2003, the rank of protonamesnik in 2006, and the rank of protopresbyter in 2010. By the decision of Bishop Georgije on June 25, 2012, he was appointed the Dean of the Western Canadian Deanery. He was awarded the right to wear a pectoral cross and the title of protopresbyter-stavrophor at the consecration of the new church in Calgary on April 27, 2014.
History
The Church and School Congregation of St. Simeon the Myrrh-Bearer in Calgary was founded in 1970. The original church, located at 2001-31st Avenue Street West, was consecrated on September 28, 1986.
Saturday April 26 and Sunday April 27, 2014 will be dates inscribed in golden letters in the history books of the small but united church community in Calgary. During those days, a long-held dream of building a new church was realized. On Saturday evening, with the blessing of Bishop Georgije and in the presence of the Russian Bishop Job and the Ukrainian Bishop Hilarion from Edmonton, as well as numerous clergy from all over Canada and America, the Vespers service was celebrated in front of the iconostasis. After the Vespers, a banquet was held in a solemnly decorated hall, which was attended by over five hundred guests. The banquet was also attended by the godfather of the Milton monastery, Mr. Zeljko Čolakovic, recipient of the Order of Saint Sava, who traveled from Toronto on this occasion in a delegation with Bishop Georgije. On Sunday morning, in front of the magnificent church, the godparents, Marjan and Stojanka Acimovic, were chosen. On this occasion, they contributed $50,000 to the church's construction fund.
The consecration of the church and the Holy Hierarchical Liturgy were presided over by Bishop Georgije, with the concelebration of the two aforementioned bishops, sixteen priests and three deacons. The Bishop placed a particle of the relics of Holy Prince Lazar in the Altar. Although the church can accommodate over five hundred believers, it was too small for all those who wanted to take part in this God-pleasing event. After the Liturgy, Bishop Georgije distributed six orders of Saint King Milutin, which were approved for this occasion by the Holy Synod of Bishops, to parishioners who were particularly deserving of the construction, as well as certificates honouring the Great Benefactors, Benefactors and Founders of the newly built church.
The banquet that followed the Divine Liturgy was attended by, among others, the Chargé d'Affaires of the Serbian Embassy in Ottawa and four ministers of the Alberta provincial government. The initiative launched by the Church and School Congregation to rename the street from which one enters the church property into Nikola Tesla Street was supported by all ministers who promised their assistance. Later in the day, those present were able to hear several speakers and enjoy a cultural and artistic program.
