TRH Crown Prince Aleksandar II and Crown Princess Katherine, in the presence of the highest dignitaries of the Serbian Orthodox Church, representatives of Canadian Government and Yugoslavia’s ambassador to Canada Mr. Miodrag Perišić, attended the consecration of the All Serbian Saints Serbian Orthodox Church of Mississauga near Toronto last weekend.
Also participating in the event were the Mississauga Mayor Mrs. Hazel McCallion, Ontario’s Minister of Citizenship Mr. Carl DeFaria and more than ten thousand Serbs from Canada and United States that had come to attend the four-day community festival.
More than 50,000 Serbs live in the Greater Toronto Area and some 15,000 of them live in Mississauga.
On Friday, June 14, formal reception was hosted in honour of Their Royal Highnesses, with dignitaries and numerous distinguished representatives of Serbian Diaspora attending.
Expressing his gratitude for the warm welcome, Crown Prince Aleksandar II said that “building such a remarkable church was, without a doubt, a major achievement and was indicative of the extraordinary spirit and commitment the Serbs the world over have when it comes to their church, their people and their heritage”.
He also emphasized that Serbs in Diaspora represent great hope for the people of their old homeland.
“One kind of help was necessary so that they could win the right for freedom, and that kind of help you have unselfishly offered. Today we need another kind of help. It is the help in knowledge, in influence, in investments and, above all, the help which comes from love towards old homeland which is true love. Your ancestral land needs you, its people are looking at you. Respond for your own sake, for you too represent Serbia”, Crown Prince Aleksandar II said.
On Saturday, June 15, the new church was consecrated by His Eminence Metropolitan of Zagreb and Ljubljana Jovan accompanied by 30 Bishop and priests from Serbian Orthodox Churches all around the world.
“The City of Mississauga congratulates its Serbian community on the completion of this magnificent church. We are pleased that our city has become your home”, said Mayor McCallion.
Crown Prince Aleksandar II expressed his gratitude and that of his wife and in the name of the entire Royal House to the Canadians who gave them their hospitality, to the local government and to all those through whose contributions the church was erected.
“Let there be peace with all of us, let there be peace between our peoples and let there be love and joy among us here!” Crown Prince Aleksandar II sent word.