It was forty five years ago that the first adventurous souls, industrious men and women from Greece and Asia Minor, ventured across the continent to seek a better life for themselves and their families. When these pioneers settled in Calgary, they eventually felt the necessity to establish a Greek Orthodox Community

This beautiful city of Calgary, nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, became home to the Church of St. Demetrios the Great Martyr. The church is under the ecclestatical jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada), which in turn is under the canonical jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

QUICK FACTS Seating Capacity: 450 As of November 2007, we performed a total of: BAPTISMS :1673 MARRIAGES : 633 FUNERALS: 232

Throughout the trying years of the Second World War, a special committee was formed; its’ mandate was to provide relief and aid to those suffering in their war torn homeland of Greece. Headed by the late Jimmy Condon, their efforts did not go unnoticed, and both were honored in a special ceremony by the Canadian Red Cross.

Increasingly great numbers of Greeks from abroad began to migrate at the end of the war in 1948. The necessity of a Hellenic Community was obvious. The first council was composed in 1956-57 with the late Jimmy Condon as president. The present property located at 1 Tamarac Crescent S.W. was purchased with the ground-breaking ceremony for the Church becoming a reality in 1957. After 3 years of tireless hard work and persistence, the Church was completed in 1959. Apart from the free standing icons that have been in the church from the beginning, beautiful Byzantine fresco iconography was only recently begun in 1998, and continues today, through the generous support of donors from the parish. The first Divine Liturgy was celebrated in October of 1959 by His Grace Bishop Dimitrios of Olympos, assisted by Fr. Vasilios Apostolopoulos from the neighboring Montana, continued to serve along with Panagiotis Makris, also of Montana, along with Father Ambrose Giannoukos of Edmonton. The first dedicated parish priest, Father Dimitrios Kavouras, was appointed on July of 1962, and served until the end of 1965. The second priest, Fr. Paul Michailidis served from December of 1965 to May of 1968. Father Constantinos Kakavelakis, followed, from May of 1968 to June of 1976. Father Dimitrios Polychroniadis, the fourth priest, served to the end of February 1995. Finally, I have served, with the blessing of our spiritual leader His Eminence Metropolitan Archbishop Sotirios of Toronto (Canada) from March 1st 1995 to this day.

In 1976, the construction of the long awaited Hellenic Community Center was begun, attaining completion in 1979. By the Grace of God, along with a spirit of perseverance, cooperation and sheer hard work, steady progress was made; our Church, Cultural Center, Hellenic Language School and Catechetical School were all established. The Hellenic Language and Sunday Schools operate on a weekly basis; the community hosts various cultural events, including national celebrations, folk dancing and sporting events and activities. For the past 6 years, we have proudly shared our rich and vibrant culture with the city through the Greek Festival, which traditionally takes place on the Father’s Day weekend in June. The event has grown in popularity over the years, serving to demonstrate the hospitality, pride and honor of the Greek Orthodox people of Calgary.

Through the tireless efforts of the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptohos Society of Calgary, our community has shown their Christian love and philanthropy, providing comfort to those in need both within and outside the Greek community.

“The Hellenic Echo”, a quarterly newspaper produced by volunteers in our community, helps keep the members connected to their counterparts in Greece, reporting on topical stories of interest, along with local and community events and activities.

Despite all the obstacles and difficulties throughout the years, the community forges ahead with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ at the helm. We are firmly committed to the sacred and immortal ideals of Hellenism, the preservation of our ethnic and religious identity, and the instillment of these values in our future generations. We are confident that with the Grace of God and the intercessions of St. Demetrios the Great Martyr, the Patron Saint of our Community, this will be achieved.

Amen!