As the Armenian community increased in numbers in southern Ontario, a sizeable concentration of Armenians occurred in the area west of Toronto. Consequently, a parish council for a new church was established in 1990, under the jurisdiction of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Canadian Diocese, Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate.Monthly services, conducted by visiting priests, were held in local, non-Armenian churches. However, benginning in April 2003, the services became bi-weekly, when a full time parish priest, Rev. Fr. Komitas Mirzakhanyan, was assigned to St. Vartan.The new church community includes Armenians from Mississauga, Milton, Brampton, Etobicoke, Burlington, Georgetwon, and Oakville. The bi-weekly Sunday morning masses (“badarak” as they are called in Armenian) are held in rented halls, or churches.
The current St. Vartan parish priest is Rev. Fr. Myron Sarkissian. The current Primate is His Grace, Bishop Bagrat Galstanian.
St. Vartan Armenian Apostolic Chursh of Mississauga has a Sunday school, its own church choir, and holds many social, and cultural functions for the local Armenian community throughout the year.
In the summer, the parish council organizes an annual church picnic, featuring traditional ethnic Armenian food. For younger children of Armenian heritage, the church holds a week-long summer day camp. In the fall, there are dinner-theatres, and other cultural events.
St. Vartan’s parish council is currently considering purchasing a church, or building a new one.