# Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Milton, Ontario)

The Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Serbian: Манастир Светог Преображења Господњег / Manastir Svetog Preobraženja Gospodnjeg) is a Serbian Orthodox monastery. It is located in Campbellville, Milton, Ontario and it serves as the headquarters of the Eparchy of Canada. It is the first and only Serbian Orthodox monastery in Canada.
The monastery is located in the Niagara Escarpment area protected by UNESCO. The monastery is located within easy reach of Ontario's largest cities with a significant number of Serbian colonies: a half-hour drive from Toronto to the east, Hamilton to the south, and Kitchener to the west. The monastery church is located on a hill called Tabor Hill and is the central part of the Burlington–Milton Parish.
Next to the monastery church, there is also the first Serbian cemetery in Canada, a bishop's palace, a library, a children's play area, as well as a picnic area with a summer pavilion, kitchens, a fishing pond, and sports fields for soccer, volleyball, and basketball.

## History

The aspiration of the Serbian community in Canada to build their own monastery was expressed in the hopes of Saint Bishop Nikolaj (Velimirović). The realization of these aspirations began with the formation of an independent diocese and the arrival of the Bishop of Canada Georgije (Đokić) at the head of the diocese. The land of about twenty hectares on which the Holy Transfiguration Monastery was later built was found and purchased in early 1988. The consecration of the land was performed on October 2, 1988. The model of the monastery, built by the brother of the Kaona Monastery and the then-secretary of the Diocese of Canada Milutin (Knežević), was exhibited and presented for the first time on August 12, 1989.
The foundation stone of the future monastery was consecrated by the Serbian Patriarch Pavle on October 21, 1992. The concelebrants were Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral Amfilohije (Radović), Metropolitan of Midwestern America Christopher (Kovacevich), Metropolitan of New Gračanica Irinej (Kovačević), Bishop of Žiča Stefan (Boca), Bishop of Niš Irinej (Gavrilović), Bishop of Canada Georgije (Đokić), and Bishop of Eastern America Mitrofan (Kodić). On the diocesan estate in Milton, Patriarch Pavle signed a charter that was later incorporated into the foundations of the monastery church.
At the monastery council held on August 7–8, 1993, Bishop of Dalmatia Longin (Krčo), with the concelebration of Bishop of Canada Georgije (Đokić), consecrated the Saint Sava Cross, which was gilded and erected on the monastery's dome on August 25, 1993.
Patriarch Pavle also consecrated the monastery church on the day of its completion, June 12, 1994. The concelebrants were Metropolitan of Midwestern America Christopher (Kovacevich), Bishop of Niš Irinej, Bishop of Slavonia Lukijan (Pantelić), Bishop of Canada Georgije (Đokić), Bishop of Gornji Karlovac Nikanor (Bogunović), Bishop of Eastern America Mitrofan (Kodić), Bishop of Britain and Scandinavia Dositej (Motika), and Bishop of Mileševa Vasilije (Veinović). About twenty thousand people attended, and among the numerous guests from Sweden, Australia, England, and other countries was Prince Tomislav of Yugoslavia. The main designer of the monastery was Branko Dželetović, and the largest donors were Dragomir Karić and endowment funder Gojko Kuzmanović. The painting of the church began after its construction, and took place in several phases. The iconostasis was made by the woodcarver Momčilo Milošević, and the iconography and painting were the work of Dragomir "Dragan" Marunić, an iconographer and fresco painter from Belgrade, whose son Nemanja Marunić participated in the painting of the monastery chapel. The work on the fresco painting was completed in early 2002.

## Episcopal Palace

In the Episcopal Palace, located in the immediate vicinity of the monastery, is the seat of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Canada, headed by Metropolitan of Canada Mitrofan (Kodić).
The original Episcopal Palace of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Canada was located in the west end of Toronto at 5A Stockbridge Avenue. The planning of building a new palace began in 1988, immediately after the consecration of the twenty-hectare land on which the monastery was later built. The project was prepared by local architect Branko Dželetović. The palace facade, in addition to the symbiosis of modern and neo-Byzantine architectural and decorative elements, also took on elements of Serbian medieval monasteries such as the bifora and trifora windows.
The palace was consecrated by Metropolitan of Dabar-Bosnia Nikolaj (Mrđa) on August 7, 1994. The construction of the palace was completed in early February 1995. After construction, the Chapel of the Three Holy Hierarchs was moved from the original palace to the new palace, where it is now located on the upper floor of the building. The chapel was consecrated on the day of the chapel's celebration on February 12, 1995. The consecration was performed by Bishop of Canada Georgije (Đokić), Bishop of Eastern America Mitrofan (Kodić), and Bishop of Western America Jovan (Mladenović). The palace also contains a large hall for receptions and memorial services.
In front of the palace is a memorial fountain dedicated to Nikola Tesla, erected in 2006 on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of his birth. The fountain, designed to commemorate Tesla's patent 1113716 from 1914, was made thanks to donations. The fountain was consecrated by Bishop of Canada Georgije (Đokić).

## Monastery library

The Holy Transfiguration Serbian Library is located within the monastery grounds. The building also serves as a museum and archive of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Canada.
On the occasion of the celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the independence of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Canada, on October 17, 2009, a diocesan museum, archive and library with ten thousand books was built right next to the episcopal palace. The monastery library was originally established by Mirjana Tomičić in 1995. The newly built stone building replaced the old dilapidated house, which was the last building left by the previous owners of the property. The celebration began that day with the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy, which was served by Bishop of Canada Georgije (Đokić), Bishop of Buda Lukijan (Pantelić), and Bishop of Britain and Scandinavia Dositej (Motika), with the concelebration of all the priests of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Canada. The building was consecrated by Bishop Dositej.
The building was built by mechanical engineers Blagoje Savić and Slobodan Gojković, representing the Savic Homes company from Kitchener. The special doors at the entrance were a gift from the owner of the Lockwood company Ljubiša Milić, the windows were donated by priest Ivan Radović from Toronto, and the facade was done by brothers Radislav and Milomir Rakanović. The interior design of the library was done by designer Nenad Štrbac from Vancouver and woodcarver Đorđe Ignjatić from Ottawa.