In 1960, there were only 10-15 Armenian Catholic families in Toronto. Father Edward Kortikian, in his role as Apostolic Observer would visit them from time to time and assist with their spiritual needs. In later years, as political and economic crises in the Middle East grew more severe, the Armenian Catholic Community in Toronto grew as well.
In response to the growth of the Armenian Catholic community, Father Yeghia Kiredjian from the Ardzivian Congregation of Bzommar was sent to Toronto in 1972 to create a new parish life for the local community. Immediately upon his arrival in Canada, Father Yeghia established his mission with the name of St. Gregory Armenian Catholic Church.
In first year, 150 Armenian Catholic families gathered to form the official Armenian Catholic parish in Toronto. It is important to note that these numbers did not come easily. Father Kiredjian’s sacrifices were the tools of his success. The Divine Mercy gave him the strength to continue his mission for the benefit of the Armenian Catholic Church. After many years of dedication and hard work, he successfully established a Saturday School for the children, in I980. The assistance of
Mrs. Dzovig Kher-Ayanian, as well as financial aid from the Toronto Catholic District School Board enabled Father Kiredjian to accomplish his goal.
By 1992, the number of the Saturday school students reached 120. Currently, it has 150 elementary school students and 100 high school students. The curriculum encompasses Armenian language, history, literature, music and dance. It is truly gratifying to see Armenians, both parents and children, of many diverse backgrounds living together as one family with no discrimination.
In 1981, the installation, in New York, of the new Armenian Catholic Exarchate for the United
States and Canada, strengthened the pastoral life in Toronto. Prior to that, the Armenian
Catholics frequented St. Edward’s Roman Catholic Church to practice their Armenian liturgy celebrated by their Pastor, Father Kiredjian.
In 1981, in response to the large number of attendees at Sunday Mass, the Pastor with the support of his committees drafted plans for a new Church.
In 1988, the Armenian Catholics bought their own land to construct a church in Toronto. On October 18, 1992, the church had its cornerstone blessing ceremony, under the auspices of His Excellency Bishop Nerses Setian. The members of the church helped to finance the ambitious project. Twelve benefactors contributed $10,000 each. The construction was tremendously accelerated because of this generous financial assistance. St. Gregory Armenian Catholic
Church in Toronto was ready for occupancy on October 18, 1993.
On November 21, 1993, His Beatitude John Peter XVIll Kasparian Catholicos Patriarch of all
Armenian Catholics of Cilicia solemnly consecrated St. Gregory Armenian Catholic Church in Toronto. The same day, the community hosted all collaborators, benefactors, and church members with a commemorative celebration, where an additional $ 250,000 was collected to cover all remaining construction expenses.
Following the consecration of St Gregory’s, Father Kiredjian dedicated his time to complete the interior design of the building.
In 2002, the pastor, with his group, dedicated an obelisk of hard stone known as “Khatchkar” to memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. At the same time, the pastor vowed to design another obelisk in remembrance of the Armenian alphabet.
Today, St. Gregory Armenian Catholic Church in Toronto has a parish council, a ladies’ guild, a youth association, parents committee, and a choir. All of these organizations operate under the leadership of their Pastor. The Armenian Catholic Community in Toronto is home to 300 families.
