St. Peter's Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Toronto
EELK Toronto Peetri Kogudus
Welcome to St. Peter's Toronto - A Heritage Designated Property
"Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God." (Romans 15:7 ESV)
"Sellepärast võtke vastu üksteist, nõnda nagu ka Kristus teid on vastu võtnud Jumala austuseks." (Roomlastele 15:7)
Services
We extend a warm welcome to St. Peter's. Our services are held at 11:30 a.m., some Sundays in English and Estonian. Please check our Calendar for upcoming services and events.
Deacon Karl Paju's office hours are from 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. on Thursdays.
Jumalateenistused
Teretulemast Peetri koguduse kodulehele. Meie jumalateenistused toimuvad kell 11.30 pühapäeval. Mõnel pühapäeval on teenistused Inglise keeles, osa Eesti keeles. Tulevate jumalateenistuste ja sündmuste kohta vaadake meie kalendrit.
Diakon Karl Paju kõnetunnid kantseleis neljapäeviti kl 12:00 – 3:00
EESTPALVED võib igal ajal kirjalikult esitada kiriku kontorisse:
St. Peter’s Congregation Celebrates its 78th Anniversary
St. Peter’s Congregation in Toronto celebrated its 78th anniversary during a special worship service on October 18. The English-language service was led by Pastor Ando Kass and Deacon Karl Paju, who also administered Holy Communion. Erik Kreem provided beautiful organ accompaniment, while Tin Wing Tam and Linda Laikve led the congregation in the Scripture readings.
The celebration also included a baptism ceremony led by Pastor Ando Kass and Deacon Karl Paju. Heartfelt congratulations to Ben Flauder on his baptism!
The occasion also provided an opportunity to recognize and honour the dedicated members of the congregation’s board and its volunteers. They received a blessing and were presented with the congregation’s official lapel pins in appreciation of their commitment and service. We extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who contributes their time and talents to the life of St. Peter’s Congregation.
Following the service, members and guests gathered in the guild room for a time of fellowship. It was especially wonderful to welcome several new visitors from the neighbourhood and share this meaningful anniversary celebration with.
Photos by Thomas Arget, Wayne Donaldson, Väino Einola & Anne Liis Keelmann.
Combined Thanksgiving Service
On Sunday, October 4, the congregations of St. Peter’s and St. Andrew’s came together to celebrate an early Harvest Thanksgiving Service in grand style.
A warm welcome to Pastor Katrin-Helena Melder from Estonia as the new minister of St. Andrew’s Estonian Lutheran Congregation. Our heartfelt thanks go to Deacon Karl Paju for assisting with the service.
The joint choir of the St. Andrew’s and St. Peter’s congregations enriched the celebration with beautiful music under the direction of Liina Purje-Lepik. Following the service, everyone gathered in the church basement hall for a Thanksgiving Feast.
We extend our sincere gratitude to all the kitchen helpers and food preparers, as well as everyone who contributed to the occasion by beautifully decorating the tables. Your time, effort, and generosity helped make this celebration truly special.
Heritage Celebration & Commemoration of Great Escape
A significant piece of local history was honoured at St. Peter’s Church on September 20, as the community gathered to mark the 1944 Great Escape and celebrate the building’s new heritage designation.
The occasion brought together congregation members, residents, community representatives, historians, artists, and others who share an interest in preserving the stories that connect the past with the present. The heritage designation recognizes St. Peter’s Church as a place of historic and cultural significance, while the commemoration provided an opportunity to remember a very different chapter of history—the courage and sacrifice associated with the Great Escape during the Second World War.
More than eight decades later, the story of the Great Escape continues to resonate because it represents far more than a daring wartime escape. It speaks to resilience, friendship, sacrifice, and the determination of people living under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. These themes of memory and perseverance were especially meaningful within the walls of St. Peter’s Church.
The new heritage designation ensures that the church itself will remain part of the community’s story for generations to come. Buildings such as St. Peter’s are more than structures of brick, stone, timber, and glass. They provide a physical connection to the people and events that shaped a community, allowing history to be experienced rather than simply read about.
A Celebration of Heritage and Community
The event began with greetings from St. Peter’s Chair, Thomas Arget, followed by remarks from Mazhar Shafiq, Assistant to the Honourable Robert Oliphant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Member of Parliament for Don Valley West.
Representing Mr. Oliphant, Mr. Shafiq conveyed the MP’s warm greetings and sincere regrets that he was unable to attend the service. He acknowledged St. Peter’s as a pillar of faith, culture, and community in Toronto for decades and recognized the extraordinary resilience and spiritual leadership that have shaped the congregation across generations.
Mr. Shafiq also presented a certificate acknowledging St. Peter’s heritage designation and its lasting contributions to Don Valley West and to Canada’s cultural and spiritual life.
The service was conducted by Rev. Ando Kass and Deacon Karl Paju, with Erik Kreem serving as organist. Musical interludes featured the Estonia Choir, directed by Ingrid Silm, and the Toronto Estonian Men’s Choir, directed by Erik Kreem.
The end of the service provided opportunities for guests to bring greetings and offer reflections.
Estonian Honorary Consul in Toronto Thomas Heinsoo spoke on behalf of Gert Auväärt, the new Ambassador of Estonia to Canada, conveying congratulations from the Embassy of Estonia in Ottawa.
Toronto City Councillor and Mayoral Candidate Brad Bradford spoke about the arrival of Estonians in Canada in 1948 and the many contributions they have made to Toronto in the decades since.
Reflecting on the heritage designation, Bradford said: “Toronto looked at what you have known for years, what your parents and grandparents built, and said this is part of Toronto’s story, this is something that ought to be preserved and remembered and revered for decades going forward because a city that builds the future and forgets to protect places loses something that we can never get back.”
He continued by reflecting on the lessons represented by the church and its community, noting the resilience and strength of those who had lost almost everything yet came to Toronto, built new lives, and created something beautiful.
Heritage is About People
Patrick Brown, Heritage Planner, Policy and Research/Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning, spoke on behalf of himself and Tamara Anson-Cartwright, Program Manager, Heritage Planning at the City of Toronto, who was also in attendance.
Brown explained that heritage is about much more than buildings. “When we talk about heritage, people often assume we just refer to buildings, but we always base it on communities, value, and cultural heritage.”
He noted that cultural heritage can encompass many forms of value, including spiritual significance, culture, language, belonging, and history.
In his closing remarks, Brown alluded to 1 Peter 2:4–5, emphasizing that people themselves are important to heritage—the “living stones.”.
Remembering Those Who Built St. Peter’s
Christine Mann, daughter of Michael Bach, was in attendance and represented the Bach family. She expressed the family’s deep gratitude to everyone who has cared for the building over the past 70 years.
She said her father would have been very happy to know that his work is being appreciated today and that the building will be preserved. But, she added, he would perhaps have been even more delighted to see everyone gathered together. Community was always important to Michael Bach, she noted, and he was proud of his Estonian heritage. Knowing that the Estonian community remains strong and that his contributions to the city are being recognized is, she said, a tremendous gift.
Stained-glass artist Ernestine Tahedl also addressed the congregation and reflected on the preservation of her windows, which have become an important part of the church’s character and legacy. “You have given me a gift of preserving the windows, which will be a legacy of my life. I hope the gift of the windows will accompany your worship and your prayers for many generations to come.”
At the original dedication of the church windows, Tahedl had received an Estonian belt as a gift, representing the belt formed by the design of her stained-glass windows within the church. She explained that she had the privilege of keeping the belt and, on this occasion, returned it to the congregation.
Greetings from Estonia and Beyond
Written greetings were received from the ELCIC and from Bishop Ove Sander in Estonia. In his message, Bishop Sander wrote: “I warmly congratulate you on the wonderful news that your beautiful and cherished church building has received special recognition and distinction from the city. Together with the congregation, I thank God that you have this magnificent sanctuary, so important both historically and spiritually, where you can receive grace from the Lord and give thanks to Him and serve Him. May God bestow His abundant grace upon this holy place and upon your congregation.” (Translated)
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow sent her congratulations, writing: “We appreciate the congregation's longstanding contribution to Toronto's Estonian community and the care that generations have taken to preserve the church's history, architecture and role as a place of worship and community connection. Congratulations on this significant heritage designation milestone.”
Member of Provincial Parliament Stephanie Bowman also sent written greetings. Although she was unable to attend because of a prior commitment, she described the official heritage designation as a meaningful recognition of the church’s rich history and architectural and cultural significance.
She also recognized the generations whose dedication and stewardship have helped preserve St. Peter’s as a treasured place of worship and heritage, extending her warm congratulations to the congregation and the Estonian community.
Honouring Those Who Helped Build the Church
Individuals and family members connected with the creation of St. Peter’s were called forward and recognized during the celebration. They included stained-glass artist Ernestine Tahedl; Christine Mann, daughter of Michael Bach; and Marjut Nousiainen Karu, whose father designed the Finnish Boys Memorial. Flowers were also presented to choir directors Ingrid Silm and Erik Kreem in recognition of their contributions to the musical life of the congregation.
Sharing the Story with a New Generation
The church basement was filled to capacity as guests gathered for fellowship and refreshments, including catered sandwiches, fruit, cakes, and coffee.
During the gathering, guests viewed a new 32-minute documentary about the history of the congregation and the church building, titled The Story of St. Peter’s Church: The History Behind a Toronto Heritage Treasure. The film is now available through the church’s website, Facebook page, and YouTube channel.
The documentary adds another dimension to the effort to preserve the story of St. Peter’s, ensuring that future generations can learn not only about the building itself, but also about the people, faith, traditions, and experiences that have shaped the congregation.
A Living Heritage
The September 20 service and fellowship gathering were both a celebration and an act of remembrance: a celebration of a historic building newly recognized for its heritage value, and a solemn reminder of the people whose courage and sacrifice should never be forgotten.
Those attending were reminded, as Patrick Brown emphasized, that heritage is ultimately about people. Preserving a historic building means preserving a place where stories can continue to be told—stories of faith and community, as well as stories of courage, sacrifice, resilience, and hope.
At St. Peter’s Church, those stories remain very much alive.
Toronto Peetri Kiriku pärandikaitselise staatuse tähistamine ja Suure Põgenemise mälestamine
20. septembril austati Peetri Kirikus olulist osa kohalikust ajaloost, kui kogukond tuli kokku, et mälestada 1944. aasta Suurt põgenemist ja tähistada hoone uut pärandikaitse staatust.
Sündmus tõi kokku koguduse liikmed, elanikud, kogukonna esindajad, ajaloolased, kunstnikud ja teised, keda ühendab huvi säilitada lugusid, mis seovad minevikku olevikuga. Kultuurimälestise staatus tunnustab Peetri Kirikut kui ajalooliselt ja kultuuriliselt olulist paika, samas kui mälestusüritus pakkus võimalust meenutada üht hoopis teistsugust ajaloo peatükki – Teise maailmasõja ajal toimunud Suure põgenemisega seotud julgust ja ohverdust.
Rohkem kui kaheksa aastakümmet hiljem kõlab „Suure põgenemise“ lugu endiselt, sest see tähendab palju enamat kui vaid julget sõjaaegset põgenemist. See räägib vastupidavusest, sõprusest, ohverdusest ja erakordselt rasketes oludes elavate inimeste otsusekindlusest. Need mälestuse ja visaduse teemad olid Peetri Kiriku seinte vahel eriti tähenduslikud.
Uus kultuuripärandi staatus tagab, et kirik ise jääb kogukonna ajaloo osaks veel paljudele tulevastele põlvkondadele. Sellised hooned nagu Peetri Kirik on midagi enamat kui lihtsalt tellistest, kivist, puidust ja klaasist ehitised. Need loovad füüsilise sideme inimeste ja sündmustega, mis on kujundanud kogukonda, võimaldades ajalugu kogeda, mitte lihtsalt sellest lugeda.
Kultuuripärandi ja kogukonna tähistamine
Üritus algas Peetri Kiriku esimehe Toomas Argeti tervitussõnadega, millele järgnesid sõnavõtud Mazhar Shafiqilt, auväärse Robert Oliphanti – välisministri parlamendisekretäri ja Don Valley Westi parlamendiliikme – assistendilt.
Härra Oliphanti esindajana edastas härra Shafiq parlamendiliikme soojad tervitused ja siirast kahetsust, et ta ei saanud jumalateenistusel osaleda. Ta tunnustas Peetri Kirikut kui Torontos aastakümneid kestnud usu, kultuuri ja kogukonna tugisammast ning tõstis esile erakordset vastupidavust ja vaimset juhtimist, mis on kujundanud kogudust põlvkondade vältel.
Härra Shafiq andis üle ka tunnistuse, millega tunnustati Peetri Kiriku kultuuripärandi staatust ning selle püsivat panust Don Valley Westi piirkonna ja Kanada kultuuri- ja vaimuelu arengusse.
Jumalateenistust juhatasid pastor Ando Kass ja diakon Karl Paju, organistiks oli Erik Kreem. Muusikalisi vahepalasid esitasid Ingrid Silmi juhitud Estonia Koor ja Erik Kreemi juhitud Toronto Eesti Meeskoor.
Jumalateenistuse lõpus said külalised edastada tervitusi ja jagada mõtteid.
Eesti aukonsul Torontos Toomas Heinsoo esines Eesti uue suursaadiku Kanadas Gert Auväärti nimel, edastades õnnitlused Eesti saatkonnast Ottawas.
Torontos linnavolikogu liige ja linnapeakandidaat Brad Bradford rääkis eestlaste saabumisest Kanadasse 1948. aastal ja nende paljudest panustest Toronto linna ellu sellele järgnenud aastakümnete jooksul.
Pärandimärgistuse üle mõtiskledes ütles Bradford: „Toronto vaatas seda, mida te olete aastaid teadnud, mida teie vanemad ja vanavanemad üles ehitasid, ning ütles, et see on osa Torontost, see on midagi, mida tuleks säilitada, mäletada ja austada veel aastakümneid, sest linn, mis ehitab tulevikku ja unustab kaitsta oma olulisi paiku, kaotab midagi, mida me kunagi tagasi ei saa.“
Ta jätkas, mõeldes kiriku ja selle kogukonna poolt antud õppetundidele, märkides nende vastupidavust ja tugevust, kes olid kaotanud peaaegu kõik, kuid tulid siiski Torontosse, rajasid endale uue elu ja lõid midagi ilusat.
Kultuuripärand on seotud inimestega
Patrick Brown, Toronto linnavalitsuse pärandiplaneerimise, poliitika ja uuringute ning linnaplaneerimise valdkonna pärandiplaneerija, rääkis enda ja Tamara Anson-Cartwrighti nimel, kes on Torontos kultuuripärandi planeerimise programmijuht ja oli samuti kohal.
Brown selgitas, et kultuuripärand on palju enamat kui hooned. „Kui me räägime kultuuripärandist, eeldavad inimesed sageli, et me viitame vaid hoonetele, kuid tegelikult lähtume alati kogukondadest, väärtustest ja kultuuripärandist.“
Ta märkis, et kultuuripärand võib hõlmata mitmesuguseid väärtusi, sealhulgas vaimset tähtsust, kultuuri, keelt, kuuluvustunnet ja ajalugu.
Lõppsõnas viitas Brown 1. Peetruse kirja salmidele 2:4–5-le, rõhutades, et kultuuripärandi jaoks on olulised inimesed ise – „elavad kivid“.
Mälestades neid, kes ehitasid Peetri Kiriku
Kohal oli ka Michael Bachi tütar Christine Mann, kes esindas Bachi perekonda. Ta väljendas perekonna sügavat tänulikkust kõigile, kes on viimase 70 aasta jooksul hoone eest hoolitsenud.
Ta ütles, et tema isa oleks olnud väga õnnelik, teades, et tema tööd hinnatakse tänapäeval ja et hoone säilitatakse. Kuid ta lisas, et isa oleks ehk olnud veelgi rõõmsam, nähes kõiki kokku tulnuid. Kogukond oli Michael Bachile alati oluline, märkis ta, ja ta oli uhke oma eesti päritolu üle. Teadmine, et eesti kogukond on endiselt tugev ja et tema panust Toronto linna tunnustatakse, on tema sõnul tohutu kingitus.
Ka vitraažikunstnik Ernestine Tahedl pöördus koguduse poole ja mõtiskles oma akende säilitamise üle, mis on saanud kiriku iseloomu ja pärandi oluliseks osaks. „Te olete andnud mulle kingituse akende säilitamise näol, mis jääb minu elu pärandiks. Loodan, et need aknad saadavad teie jumalateenistusi ja palveid veel paljude tulevaste põlvkondade vältel.“
Kiriku akende esialgsel pühitsemisel oli Tahedl saanud kingituseks eesti vöö, mis sümboliseeris kirikus asuvate vitraažakende kujundusest moodustuvat vööd. Ta selgitas, et tal oli olnud au seda vööd hoida, ning nüüd andis selle sel puhul kogudusele tagasi.
Tervitused Eestist ja mujalt
Kirjalikud tervitused saabusid ELCIC-ilt ja piiskop Ove Sanderilt Eestist. Oma sõnumis kirjutas piiskop Sander: „Tervitan Teid südamest nende heade uudiste puhul, et Teie kaunis ja kallis kirikuhoone on pälvinud linna poolt erilise tunnustuse ja tunnustuse. Tänan koos kogudusega Jumalat, et Teil on see imekaunis ning ajalooliselt ja vaimulikult oluline pühakoda, kus Te saate Issandalt armu vastu võtta ning Teda tänada ja teenida. Andku Jumal oma rohket armu sellele pühakohale ja Teie kogudusele.”
Toronto linnapea Olivia Chow saatis oma õnnitlused, kirjutades: „Me hindame koguduse pikaajalist panust Torontos asuvasse eesti kogukonda ning hoolt, mida põlvkonnad on näidanud kiriku ajaloo, arhitektuuri ja rolli säilitamisel jumalateenistuse kohana ning kogukonna ühenduslülina. Õnnitlused selle olulise kultuuripärandi nimetamise tähtpäeva puhul.”
Ka provintsi parlamendi liige Stephanie Bowman saatis kirjalikud õnnitlused. Kuigi ta ei saanud eelneva kohustuse tõttu kohal viibida, kirjeldas ta „ “ ametlikku kultuuripärandi nimetamist kui kiriku rikkaliku ajaloo ning arhitektuurilise ja kultuurilise tähtsuse tähendusrikast tunnustust.
Ta tunnustas ka põlvkondi, kelle pühendumus ja hoolitsus on aidanud säilitada Peetri Kirikut kui hinnatud pühakoda ja kultuuripärandit, ning edastas oma soojad õnnitlused kogudusele ja Eesti kogukonnale.
Kiriku ehitamisele kaasa aidanud inimeste austamine
Tseremoonia käigus kutsuti ette ja tunnustati Peetri Kiriku rajamisega seotud isikuid ja nende pereliikmeid. Nende hulgas olid vitraažikunstnik Ernestine Tahedl, Michael Bachi tütar Christine Mann ning Marjut Nousiainen Karu, kelle isa kujundas Soome poiste mälestusmärgi. Lilled anti üle ka koorijuhtidele Ingrid Silmile ja Erik Kreemile tunnustusena nende panuse eest koguduse muusikaelus.
Loo jagamine uue põlvkonnaga
Kiriku kelder oli täis, kui külalised kogunesid ühiseks koosviibimiseks ja suupistete nautimiseks, mille hulka kuulusid tellitud võileivad, puuviljad, koogid ja kohv.
Kohtumise ajal vaatasid külalised uut 32-minutilist dokumentaalfilmi koguduse ja kirikuhoone ajaloost pealkirjaga “The Story of St. Peter’s Church: The History Behind a Toronto Heritage Treasure “ („Peetri Kiriku lugu: Toronto kultuuripärandi aarde taga peituv ajalugu”). Film mille uurija ja koostaja on Tiiu Roiser on nüüd kättesaadav kiriku veebilehel, Facebooki lehel ja YouTube’i kanalil.
Dokumentaalfilm lisab uue mõõtme Peetri Kiriku ajaloo säilitamise püüdlustele, tagades, et tulevased põlvkonnad saavad teada mitte ainult hoonest endast, vaid ka inimestest, usust, traditsioonidest ja kogemustest, mis on kogudust kujundanud.
Elav pärand
20. septembri jumalateenistus ja koguduse kokkutulek olid ühtaegu nii pidustus kui ka mälestusüritus: pidustus ajaloolise hoone auks, mille kultuuripärandi väärtus on äsja tunnustatud, ning pidulik mälestus inimestest, kelle julgust ja ohvreid ei tohi kunagi unustada.
Nagu Patrick Brown rõhutas, tuletati osalejatele meelde, et kultuuripärand puudutab lõppkokkuvõttes inimesi. Ajaloolise hoone säilitamine tähendab sellise koha säilitamist, kus saab jätkata lugude jutustamist – lugusid usust ja kogukonnast, aga ka lugusid julgusest, ohverdusest, vastupidavusest ja lootusest.
Peetri Kirikus on need lood endiselt väga elusad.
