Saint Stefan Church, Ottawa

Saint Stefan Church, Ottawa

Address: 1993 Prince of Wales Dr. Ottawa, ON K2C 3J7

Phone number: 613-738-8045

Website: www.svetistefan.ca

Priest: Fr. Aleksandar Gujanicic
Phone number: 613-247-8815
Email: svestenik@svetistefan.ca

Fr. Aleksandar was born on July 5, 1975 in Pancevo. In 1988, he moved to Nova Varos. He graduated from the Seminary of St. Arsenije of Srem in Sremski Karlovci in 1998. In the same year, at the invitation of the Bishop of Canada Georgije, he came to Canada, where he remained until June 2000, when he returned to Serbia. In August 2004, he married Radmila Kovacevic from Cacak. He was ordained to the rank of deacon by Bishop Georgije on October 24, 2004 in the Tavna Monastery, and to the rank of presbyter on January 16, 2005 in the Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Milton. He was appointed parish priest of Ottawa on March 1, 2005. He has two children: sons Marko and Mihailo.

History

The Parish of Saint Stefan in Ottawa gathers local Orthodox Serbs. In addition to the city of Ottawa, the parish also includes surrounding towns such as Gatineau, Kanata, Orleans, Hawkesbury and other smaller towns in the vicinity of Ottawa. The parish was founded in 1976 with the blessing of the late Bishop of Eastern America and Canada Dr. Sava (Vukovic). At that time, the parish was served by the then-Montreal priest Fr. Krsto Rikic. The Church and School Congregation ceased operations in 1978, and in 1988, Bishop of Canada Georgije restored it and appointed Fr. Nikodim Pribojan as the parish priest of Ottawa, who began to serve regularly in the Bukovina Church. In June 1990, Fr. Vasa Pejovic arrived as a priest in Ottawa, and he served in the chapel on Dominion Avenue. In December 1991, he was replaced by Fr. Milutin Veljko. Father Milutin left the parish in September 1993, and the parish was then again served by Fr. Krsto Rikic, who came from Montreal on Saturdays to perform services.

The parish was without a permanent priest for some time, and in December 1995, Bishop Georgije appointed Fr. Zarko Mirkovic as the parish priest of Ottawa. Father Zarko began renovating the building in which services are still held today, and with the help of parishioners, the building took on the appearance of a church. A small dome was built on the church as well as an iconostasis inside the church, and an altar. Father Zarko served the parish until November 19, 2001, when he retired. After Fr. Zarko Mirkovic, Fr. Radmilo Gardovic was appointed as the parish priest of Ottawa, who served until March 2005, when a new priest, Fr. Aleksandar Gujanicic, arrived. With the arrival of Father Aleksandar, preparations began for the construction of a new church. In 2008, a new property was purchased on which a new church with a parish centre was built. The church is finished on the outside but not yet finished on the inside and gradually began being decorated and prepared for consecration, depending on the possibilities. The parish house was completely finished and moved into in January 2014. Services have been held in the church since Pentecost 2014. The parish currently has around 400 homes. Divine services are held regularly and are attended by an average of around 80 believers.