On August 29, 1948, 75 years ago, the first Estonian-language Lutheran service took place at St. John's Lutheran Church in Toronto. Pastor Rudolf Kiviranna arrived from New York to officiate the service. Invitations had been sent out to Estonians living in St. Catherines, Hamilton, Kitchener and Preston. More than 160 Estonians attended the event which was followed by a social gathering where coffee was served.
A few weeks earlier, on August 3, 1948, the first Estonian Lutheran congregation had been founded at the same church with around 60 Estonians present. An intermediary church council had been appointed. (Edward J. Poola, Jüri Reial, John Ross, Otto Annus, Alvine Siidra, Julius Putnik, Aleksander Reiman). It had been the German pastor, Ernest Hahn, who had initiated the process of having an Estonian congregation and Estonian language services at his church.
St. John's Church continues to exist as a church serving the spiritual needs of refugees. It is located on Concord Avenue near Bloor and Ossington near the legendary Long and McQuade music store, known to Estonians near and far away.
Reclaiming Our Estonian Cultural Heritage
