OUR HISTORY

OUR HISTORY

 

The Ladies Auxiliary was established under the umbrella of the St Clement of Ohrid Macedonian Orthodox Church in the early 1960’s, shortly after St Clement was registered as the first Macedonian Orthodox Church in Canada. The Ladies Auxiliary, along with the religious, cultural and educational society, holds a special place in our Macedonian Community.

The idea and formation of a Ladies Auxiliary was that of Luba Neshevich, who worked with many other women in our community to form the Ladies Auxiliary of St Clement.

The founding members were Luba Neshevich and Mary Kondoff along with Zorka Basil, Lefi Neshevic and many other equally minded women who wanted to create a community of volunteers that would support our church, congregation and community. They put so much energy, enthusiasm and love in their volunteering, that every Macedonian should be inspired to be like them. All of the ladies are grandmothers, mothers, daughters and sisters. There is not a concert, banquet, religious holiday or event that these ladies would hesitate to roll up their sleeves to help with their desire for success.

Mary Kondoff became the first elected President of the Ladies Auxiliary in 1963. The Ladies Auxiliary organized various fundraising events such as bake sales, bazaars, and celebrations of the religious holidays with luncheons. At Easter, the most celebrated of Macedonian Orthodox holidays, they would create floral wreaths to decorate the church and colour eggs that would be given out to members of the congregation after the church service. 

Since 1966, the Ladies Auxiliary has been hosting a Mitrovski Bazaar, held on the Sunday closest to Mitrovden on November 8th. At the Bazaar, the Ladies Auxiliary guide and preserve our traditional cuisine with the presentation of our Macedonian baked goods such as our famous leak, spinach, and cheese pitas, kifli, cookies and other baked goods.

Everything was made with loving hands by the wonderful members of the Ladies Auxiliary.

Over the years, additional events were added that fulfilled not only a fundraising function but also created a sense of community. These included Monday night Bingo, garage sales, Christmas parties, and fashion shows. It also included trips to visit Macedonian Ladies Auxiliaries in other Macedonian Orthodox communities in Canada and the United States. These trips fostered cultural as well as personal bonds between our ladies and equally minded Macedonian women in other areas.

In the 1980’s and 1990’s, Toronto celebrated it’s international and multi-cultural diversity through a one-week celebration called “Caravan”. With the hard work by members of the Ladies Auxiliary and the Administrative Council, our Macedonian culture, along with many other ethnic communities in Toronto, was showcased through traditional clothing, food, music and dance.

Over time, the St Clement of Ohrid Ladies Auxiliary has evolved but it’s main foundational premise and dedication to preserving and celebrating our culture and serving our community has remained unchanged.