John Tataryn was asked to begin a new parish to serve Etobicoke residents, and to fulfill the needs of a changing community. Demetrius the Great Martyr Parish was established to minister to a community marked by its diversity. The mandate was to welcome all and especially to meet the spiritual needs of those who through inter-marriage or linguistic concerns felt unwelcome elsewhere. Demetrius, wit
h the vision of Father John have built a foundation, which continues to provide a strong community for worship, education, nurturing of our cultural heritage. In 1975, a school was built to educate our children about their Ukrainian heritage. Then, as the vision of the wise pastor was becoming reality, better works were in store. He saw a great future where all Ukrainians could live together as a family. Thus, in 1984, on the occasion of the upcoming Millennium of Christianity in Ukraine, in thanksgiving to the Lord, the St. Demetrius Residence for seniors was built. This Seniors residence let people live independently while allowing them to receive care if they needed it. To further educate our children about their Ukrainian heritage, a new school was built, making it one of only four heritage schools in the GTA. With the Ukrainian Canadian Care Centre nursing home for the elderly constructed in 1994, the St. Demetrius community has witnessed further evidence of our continuing commitment to our parishioners and to the Ukrainian community.
