Church Circle of Serbian Sisters St. Nicholas

On March 19, 1967, the Circle of Serbian Sisters Saint Nicholas at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Hamilton was established. Membership at that time consisted of 56 Sisters.  The Circle was formed in agreement with the Church Executive Board.  The Board minutes outlined their mission: “To work only for the benefit and progress of the Holy Church and to support their Church honestly and tirelessly”.  Members of the “initiating board”, and also the founding members were: Milica  Bosnic, Milica Kasic, Vera Markovic, Sonja Mitrovic, Jovanka Popovic, Nevenka Prica,  and Marija Rados.  Concerning new members, it was decided that all Sisters whose husbands were members of the St. Nicholas Congregation would be accepted into the Circle. Our Circle works independently of,   but very often in co-operation with other Circles of Serbian Sisters.  Throughout its history, the Circle has actively participated in many special events and church celebrations and, by doing so, has helped bring success to our community.  The Sisters work tirelessly in the kitchen for banquets, preparing and serving food, purchasing new kitchen equipment and meeting other needs within our community .  In honouring The Holy Church, the Sisters purchased the baptismal font, curtains for the stage and windows in our hall, the blue- and-white priest’s vestments, and contributed to the financial costs of building the wall between the naos and priprata of the Church. The Sisters have been an integral part of every Church activity, whether it be through their donations or their hard work.   Many might not know that the Sisters helped in furnishing the parish manse and offset the costs of the beautiful frescoes in our Church.

The CSS is well known for its penny sales, held twice a year.   As well, they have successfully planned fashion shows as popular fundraisers.  Some of their other achievements of which they deserve to be proud:  a donation of $10,000 toward the purchase of the land north of the church;  donation of the iconostasis in the monastery in Milton; the purchase of incubators for hospitals in Knin and Republika Srpska;  and sponsorship of ten children orphaned during the recent civil war in the former Yugoslavia.   The Sisters have also enjoyed organizing and participating in trips to Ottawa, the Thousand Islands, and to monasteries in Jordanville and Bolton.

The Circle of Serbian Sisters celebrated their Slava, the Translation of the Relics of St.  Nicholas, on May 22.   For their many contributions and unselfish acts toward the Church,  the Circle was  honored with a “Gramata”.