Ontario, April 25, 2025
Photo: Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada
Ontario is currently celebrating its first Orthodox Christian Week.
The annual commemoration was established in December, after Bill 167: Orthodox Christian Week Act, introduced by Serbian MPP Tom Rakocevic, received unanimous support. The celebration will coincide with Orthodox Bright Week every year, reports ontariondp.ca.
The purpose is to “share awareness of the faith, and knowledge of the contributions its followers have made here in Ontario and worldwide.”
“There are almost 1 million Canadians of Orthodox Christian faith, with most living in Ontario. We are part of the rich cultural mosaic of our great country, and are now recognized. I deeply thank all who worked with me to make Orthodox Christian Week a reality,” said MPP Rakocevic.
It should be noted that the observance includes both Orthodox Christians and those of the Non-Chalcedonian Churches, commonly known as Oriental Orthodox.
Orthodox clergy gathered at Queen’s Park, which houses the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, on Tuesday, April 22 to celebrate the first annual Orthodox Christian Week. Video published by the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada shows representatives of the following jurisdictions being recognized:
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Georgian Orthodox Church
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Macedonian Orthodox Church
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Orthodox Church in America
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Romanian Orthodox Church
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Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
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Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Patriarchate of Constantinople)
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Serbian Orthodox Church
Clergy of the Coptic, Ethiopian, Armenian, and Indian churches can also be seen in the video.
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