In April 1993 a group of Canadian - Macedonian people had a dream
- To build an Orthodox Church to serve the communities in Durham Region

It's hard to believe that 10 years have passed since the decision was made to form a church committee. It was a great day for the Durham region families who attended the first meeting and can proudly call themselves the "founding families" of the church.

The good news spread quickly throughout the community as the official announcement was heard on our Macedonian radio program and our weekly television program.

Members can take pride in being Canadian - Macedonian. Most importantly, we are grateful to Canada for being our new home. Canada gives us the freedom to speak our own language, preserve our culture and worship our own churches. The country has also given us the opportunity to educate our children and let them grow up to be whatever they dream of.

Since the first wave immigration, Canadian - Macedonians have built: St Clement in Toronto, St Ilia in Mississauga and St Demetria in Markham. Now we are proud to have St Nedela in Ajax, Durham region

Why Durham region? There are as many as 20,000 Canadian - Macedonians living in the Durham region which includes Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa, Pickering, and surrounding towns. They are mostly young, hardworking families whose volunteer time and donations are limited. But as their families grow they will appreciate a local church.

The beauty of our orthodox religion is that it welcomes everyone. Our children can learn our language, our dances and traditional songs. With the church now built we'll be able to hold many more activities like a folk dancing group.

Looking Back…

Our first step was to find the land for the church. After many meetings, ideas, and discussions we decided on location, size and budget. We found the perfect location that met all our needs at Bayly and Westney Road in Ajax. The lot was 2.5 acres with a price tag of $450,000. With hard work at fundraising events, the earnings from bingo, some generous donations and annual membership fees, we purchased the land in March 1995.

We felt it was important to make our mark on the land so we built a temporary Church (above) where we could meet, hold services and plan for the future

The Rev. Blage Dimitrievski joined us in April 1998 from Macedonia. This was an important moment for the congregation as we could now rely on our own Priest dedicated to St Nedela.

Meanwhile the fundraising efforts were never stopped and in February 1999 the mortgage was paid off. While that was cause for celebration, we knew the building of a permanent church was cause for celebration, we knew the building of a permanent church was next on the agenda. The town of Ajax approved all plans, the architect's plans were ready and the property was serviced with water, hydro and sewage.

We had the Ground Breaking ceremonies on Sunday, July 23rd, 2000. The laying of the cornerstone ceremonies was held on Sunday, September 10th with guest His Beatitude Archbishop Stefan. Construction of the church started in October 2000.

Today…

St. Nedela Macedonian Orthodox Church officially opened September 8, 2002. Each Sunday you'll find Canadian - Macedonian families coming together for prayer and spiritual guidance. They've formed lasting friendships, and a true sense of community in such a short time. The congregation continues to grow as the good news about St Nedela Macedonian Orthodox Church is shared.