Who we are

Presentation of the Lord – Panagia Ypapanti- Greek Orthodox Church 

(Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Canada) 

“Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy. Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit, and raises man to Heaven.” –Saint Ephraim of Syria

 Prayer, Liturgy, Communion, and Community are the four cornerstones of the Church of the Presentation of our Lord.  These four things are the foundation stone of our faith, our very being.

The the first Greeks arrived in Victoria at the turn of the century, and founded our community.  It has since blossomed into a diverse parish of mixed backgrounds, blending their collective traditions with each other in the true byzantine style, keeping in mind that we are all first and foremost, “ethnically Orthodox”, striving to live in the heavenly kingdom God.

As such our goals have been twofold:

Firstly and most importantly, we work to grow spiritually by learning to love one another through the Communion in Jesus Christ our Lord. This means the Sunday Liturgy, the get-togethers and coffee night discussions which all lead to living the Christian faith.

For further nourishment, we have an inquirers/catechism course, a Sunday school program and various other activities.

Secondly, we work to grow in body through various programs that serve the greater community and enrich our lives.This includes the annual Food Festival, semi annual bake/food sales, as well as Greek language, dancing and cooking programs.

Along with the other Orthodox communities, it is the focus and meaning of our lives to experience the kingdom of God on earth, for as the Lord said that “man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Mat 4:4)

Our services are conducted in both Greek and English, and we welcome you to join us.

We are located at 4648 Elk Lake Drive, by the Commonwealth Pool

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