Christ the Saviour Orthodox Church, Shefford, QC (St Seraphim Orthodox Parish)

Christ the Saviour Church sits proudly on the site it has occupied since 1852, weathering waves of vandalism and neglect as its number of parishioners declined over the years. Two earlier places of worship, beginning in 1830, burned down. The Anglican Diocese of Montreal sold the church on October 1, 1979 (for custodial purposes) for $1, to the Canadian Heritage of Quebec. While nothing evolved for the next several years, the Archdiocese of Canada recently came to its rescue and modern enhancement. The Canadian Heritage of Quebec offered the church for one dollar ($1) to Paroisse Orthodoxe de Saint Seraphim of the Archdiocese of Canada (Orthodox Church in America) on November 11, 2019. During the initial 3 years of ownership, there were several occurrences of arson and vandalism. The Archdiocese of Canada took measures to ensure the church was secure. Electricity and an alarm system were installed. During the summer of 2022, extensive renovations were carried out by contractor, Igor Nistor from Vancouver, installing new windows, repairing the interior, setting up an iconostas and an altar table. Subdeacon Igor said he and God worked on this project. The church will be having services during the summer twice a month and on special Orthodox feast days.