Our History
Christ the Saviour Orthodox Church started as an Orthodox Christian Mission in Kitchener-Waterloo in 2006. By the grace of God and with the help of our sister Orthodox Church St. Sophia, Divine Liturgy was served every other Saturday by Father Iskander Younes at St. Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Waterloo until September 2009, when Fr. Christopher Rigden-Briscall was appointed as priest. Father Iskander is the Dean of the Toronto Deanery of the Diocese of Ottawa, Eastern Canada and Upstate New York and the priest at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Toronto.
Christ the Saviour Antiochian Orthodox Church is part of the Diocese of Ottawa, Eastern Canada and Upstate New York of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. The Antiochian Archdiocese of North America includes nine Dioceses with over 275 cathedrals, churches, and missions throughout the United States and Canada. The Diocese of Ottawa is led by His Grace Bishop Alexander and includes 18 churches and missions in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and New York.
Our Clergy
Our Priest, Fr. Christopher Rigden-Briscall
Our pastor, Fr Christopher, is an Archpriest of the Antiochian Archdiocese. He was ordained to the Holy Priesthood in 2005 after having served as a Deacon for three years. Father attended St. Vladimir’s Seminary in New York. He came to serve our parish pastor in 2008. He also serves the local universities, hospitals and prisons as the Orthodox Christian Chaplain whenever he is called upon.
Fr Christopher was raised an Anglican and spent time in a number of protestant traditions, as well as, the Roman Catholic Church, before becoming Orthodox. His hobbies include poetry, music, gardening as well as reading and watching Sci-fi and Fantasy Fiction.
Parish Council
The Parish Council is a body of dedicated and pious advisors to the priest and pastor of the parish, who is himself the head of the community serving on behalf of the ruling hierarch. In this capacity Parish Council members are responsible for overseeing all financial and legal aspects of the life of the parish. They also assist the pastor in the overseeing and building up of the life of the parish family.
The Parish Council consists of four officers: Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and Vice-chair, as well as two members-at-large. Along with these six people (four of whom are elected and two of whom are appointed by the priest) the council also includes a number of ex officio members representing various ministries of the church. This presently includes the head of the Church School Ministry and the head of the Music Ministry. This can also include the head of the Hospitality Ministry, a representative of the Parish Alms Committee and Teen SOYO.
The Parish Council seeks to meet on a monthly basis and is required to inform the parish membership of those meetings. Terms for the four officers and members-at-large are generally held for three years. To become a member of the Parish Council (appointed or elected) one must have been a member of the parish in good standing for at least two years and be 21 years of age or older.