In the beginning of the Twentieth Century our immigrants took upon themselves to organize a church community, and a church, around which to unite our people and maintain our Eastern Orthodox Christian faith, language, culture and traditions and to uphold our national identity.
The end of August, 1910 – The assembly of 200 with speaker Hieromonak Theophilact sets the beginning of a campaign to collect funds to build a place of worship and founds Macedono-Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church parish Sts. Cyril and Methody in Toronto.
September 28th, 1910 – General Meeting accepts detailed report on collected funds and number of immigrants at that time. A decision is made to purchase land or a building for a place of warship to be named after the Thessaloniki brothers Cyril and Methody.
October 1st, 1910 – The committee on collecting funds and counting our countrymen reports that in Toronto there were 1094 immigrants from the following regions:
Kostursko, Macedonia – 514
Lerinsko, Macedonia – 332
Prespansko-Ochridsko, Macedonia – 121
Bitolsko, Macedonia – 42
Kalyarsko, Macedonia – 32
Demir-Hisarsko, Macedonia – 15
Bulgaria – 38.
November 24th, 1910 – A building on Trinity Street and Eastern Avenue was negotiated and purchased for $5,000.00. The ground floor was converted into a church and the second floor into a large room in which there could be held public meetings and a school. The annual membership was $3.00.
January, 1911 – Meeting to elect a regular church committee. Hieromonak Theophilact was asked to remain as a regular parish priest in Toronto, to which he consented.
May 24th, 1911 – The Consecration of the Church by the Russian Archbishop Platon of New York and Hieromonak Theophilact.
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The Consecration of the Church on Trinity Street,
May 24th, 1911
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1914 – Bulgarian Language School was established in 1914 by the Cultural-Educational Society “Prosveta”. Its first teacher was Mr. Kuzo Temelkoff from the village of Teolishta, Kostursko.
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Archimandrite Theophilact and the Bulgarian Consul of U.S.A., Mr. St Panaretoff visiting Toronto. (Front row: Archimandrite Theophilact, Mr. St Panaretoff, Haji D.Peroff and Dr. Toma Dimitroff)
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1916 – The neighbouring house adjacent to the Church was purchased for $4,200.00 to be used for living quarters for the priest and for executive meetings.
1917 – Society “Balkanski Unak” formed a Bulgarian school for adults. The society organizes and produces literary and musical events, entertaining and cultural and educational happenings in the Church.
March 31st, 1918 – Archimandrite Theophilact was proclaimed as Honorary President for life.
1921 – Archimandrite Theophilact discontinued his services as parish priest and commenced practicing medicine which he continued, and for which our colony will always remember him as Dr. Mallin. To the end of his earthly life, he was one of the main counselors and initiators in Church activities.
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The Pontifical Divine Liturgy on May 25, 1925. The Russian Metropolitan Platon celebrating.
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February 2nd, 1926 – The Church Committee assigned a committee to study the question of constructing a parish hall with a stage.
October 10th-24th, 1926 – Committee consisting of Dr. D.Mallin, Dimitar Hadjieff, Naum Phillips and Simo Velianoff in two weeks drafted permanent by-laws which were reported to and accepted by the members of the Church Committee. They became authoritative upon the blessing of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
1927 – The first Church Choir was established with more than 30 members. Director – Benio Beneff.
1928 – The Parish Hall was officially unveiled. The first drama to be performed was “Makedonska Kervava Svadba” by Voydan Pop Georgiev Kuzmanov, alias Chernodrinski.
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25 Year Jubilee celebration of Sts. Cyril and Methody,
May 24th, 1935.
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April 1944 – Property on the corner of Sackville and Dundas Streets was purchased to build a new church.
January 25th, 1948 – A decision was made to buy the adjoining 8 houses on Sackville Street in order that sufficient land for the building of a Church Hall be available.
March 12th, 1948 – An agreement was signed between the Church Committee and the contractor, Acroyd Construction Company to build the new Church.
April 11th, 1948 – Rev. H.Elieff performed “Moleben Service” and “Blessing of the Water” at the construction site and the President of the Church Committee, Dimitar Kostoff, “turned the sod” for the new Church.
May 24th, 1948 – “Moleben Service” and “Blessing of the Water” were performed by Metropolitan Andrey, assisted by Rev. H.Elieff and the cornerstone was laid by the Mayor of Toronto and Metropolitan Andrey.
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Laying of the cornerstone of the new Church on Sackville Street, May 24th, 1948.
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April 30th, 1949 – Dr. Mallin passed away – the Honorary President and Founder of our Parish.
June 19th, 1949 – The Consecration of the new Church by Metropolitan Andrey and Rev. H.Elieff.
April, 1953 – Start of the construction of the new Parish Hall – “turning of the sod” by the centurian Spiro Tomev.
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“Turning of the sod” of the new Parish Hall on Sackville Street, 1953
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November 14th, 1954 – The new Parish Hall was blessed by Metropolitan Andrey, Very Rev. H.Elieff, Hieromonak Kiril Yontcheff and Rev. Jordan Dimoff.
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Patron Saints Day Celebration – May 24th, 1957, with Metropolitan Andrey.
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End of 1958 – A decision was taken to pay off the mortgage in the sum of $38,000.
1960 – The Cathedral celebrates its 50th Jubilee.
