On Wednesday, April 22, 2026, Archbishop Sotirios presided over Great Vespers at the celebrating parish of St. George the Great Martyr in downtown Toronto. HBishop Athenagoras of Patara, Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Philip Philippou, and other clergymen from the Greater Toronto Area also participated.
Many faithful came to venerate and honour one of the most beloved saints of all Christendom, including: Evagelos Sotiropoulos, President of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Archons in Canada; Zoe Veroutis, President of the Philoptochos in Canada; and, Grigoris Karakoulas, Archon and President of the St. George Community Council.
In his homily, the Archbishop spoke about the history of the Church of St. George, as well as the strong and unwavering faith of the Venerable Martyr and Triumphant of the Lord, calling on all Christians to emulate his faith in and love for Jesus Christ.
The following day, April 23, 2026, the Bishop, assisted by Fr. Philip and Rev. Fr. Christos Voulgaris, presided over the Divine Liturgy. Following the holy service, a special plaque unveiling ceremony was conducted in front of the Church building.
In addition to Bishop Athenagoras, Fr. Philip, Archon Karakoulas, and many parishioners from St. George, in attendance was Ioannis Chatzantonakis, Consul General of the Hellenic Republic in Toronto; Nick Mantas, Toronto City Councillor; John Mavriyannakis, President of the Hellenic Heritage Foundation (HHF); and, representatives from Heritage Toronto, whom we thank.
The plaque commemorates the history of the building, its significance to the Greek community, as well as the unique and exemplary iconography by the Pachomaioi monks from Mount Athos.
In the spirit of Paschal joy and thanksgiving, the Archdiocese sincerely congratulates all of the people and organizations, including the St. George Community Council and Philoptochos, the HHF, who took the initiative and worked tirelessly to realize this historical achievement for the Greek Orthodox community in Toronto.
