News
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Children’s Charity Luncheon in Ottawa.
15 April 2013
On the third Sunday of Great Lent, April 7th 2013, which was also the feast of the Annunciation of the Mother of God, in the Protection parish in Ottawa a benefit lunch was organized to help the orphanage attached to the Ascension Monastery in the Ukraine. This Lenten fundraiser has been held for many years and has become a good parish tradition. This year, like in the past, Archbishop Gabriel attended to offer his support to this good deed.The orphanage at the Ascension Monastery was founded only 17 years ago. Today over 250 children are cared for at this monastery. Many of the children have special
needs or are seriously ill. Bishop Longin, the superior of the monastery, who himself was raised in an orphanage, cares for all of the children and relies only on God for help. Мercy and love for one’s neighbour are truly exemplified by this orphanage. The children and young people of the parish were responsible for this fundraiser. They helped buy the food, prepare and serve it. They ran a lottery and after the meal washed the dishes and cleaned up the parish hall. Everyone is happy that the event collected a large amount of money (over three thousand dollars) which will be sent to the Ascension Monastery for the needs of the orphans. The children thank all of the parishioners for their generous donations. They are also happy that despite the distance that separates Ottawa and the orphanage, they could help their Orthodox brothers and sisters in the Ukraine.Sofia Vozzhova
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Pastoral Retreat & Assembly Of the Priests & Clergy of the Diocese of Montréal & Canada April, 2013
14 April 2013
The Lenten Pastoral Retreat
In the Diocese of CanadaFrom Monday, 8 April/28 March through Wednesday, 10 April/28 March 2013, the annual pastoral Lenten retreat and convocation of the clergy of the Diocese of Canada took place at St. Nicholas Cathedral (Montréal, Québec). Its meetings, sessions and liturgical services were presided over by the Most Reverend Gabriel, Archbishop of Montréál & Canada. During the course of the second day of the convocation, as always questions concerning the affairs of the Diocese, as well as questions of a general ecclesiastical nature, were discussed. The course of deliberations also included the regular session of the Diocesan Council, and the new roster of its members was confirmed. On Wednesday, 10 April/28 March, the feast day of St. Hilarion the New, a hierarchical Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts was celebrated, after which a fraternal farewell meal was provided. With the blessing of Vladyka Gabriel, participants in the meeting in Montréal adopted the following resolution:
Resolution
Of the Pastoral Retreat & Convocation
Of the Priests & Clergy of the Diocese of CanadaWe, the clergy of the Diocese of Canada, having assembled for the annual lenten retreat and convocation at St. Nicholas Cathedral in the divinely saved city of Montréal, under the presidency of the Most Reverend Gabriel, Archbishop of Montréal & Canada, note that this fraternal meeting, despite the poignancy of the questions discussed, proceeded in the spirit of concord. Hence, our fellowship enabled all of its participants to find strength of heart in anticipation of the approaching greatest Feast of Feasts—that of the Holy Resurrection of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ.
This year, the whole Russian world, both in the homeland and in the Diaspora, marks an important date for our history: the 400th anniversary of the accession of the Romanov Dynasty. This is not simply a noteworthy historical landmark, but one of the key events in Russia’s spiritual history. The Orthodox Church, the true savior of Rus’ during the Time of Troubles, at whose summons the first of the sovereigns of the Romanov Dynasty was called to the throne of Muscovy, marks this date as such. After this day we Russians did not take up the interpretation that Russia is a mere state, Russia is an empire: in the Romanov era it was formed, by the will of God, as an Orthodoxy whole (in the words of the remarkable ecclesiastical thinker of the Russian Diaspora, Archimandrite Constantine [Zaitsev]) It can be nothing else, and only from this vantage point ought one to view Russia, if we are to discover the key to clarifying its historical purpose. The participants in the meeting were delighted to learn that that the main celebrations of the “Romanov Days” will take place within the Diocese of Canada, at Holy Trinity Cathedral, in Toronto—the largest parish of the Russian Church Abroad. The celebrations will conclude in September, when the session of the Synod of Bishops will be held in Toronto.
In our Diocese other memorable days will also be marked this year, perhaps not so noteworthy for all of Russia, but of particular value to us here. We are speaking of the 75th anniversary of the Alexander S. Pushkin Russian Church School, attached to St. Nicholas Cathedral in Montréal, and of the 50th anniversary of the Church of the Kazan’ Icon of the Mother of God, in Rawdon, Québec. The participants in the meeting also extended heartfelt congratulations to their Ruling Bishop, the Most Reverend Vladyka Gabriel, on the 5th anniversary of his appointment to the now united see of Canada.
The churching of Russia is unthinkable without constant care for the Orthodox upbringing of the youth, its preservation within the bounds of the Church, which is particularly difficult in the Diaspora. Discussing the work of the Diocesan Youth Committee, the participants in the meeting called upon the flock to support in every way the efforts toward the successful organization of the St. Herman Youth Conferences, and never to forget that precious corner of Canadian Rus’: the Ruskoka Youth Camp, with its beautiful wooden church dedicated to the Royal New Martyr, the Tsarvich Alexei Nikolaevich Romanov. We also hope that the Orthodox youth of the Diocese of Canada will attend the St. Herman’s Conference and, of course, the Ruskoka Camp.
We were informed that this year the Church Musicians’ Conference will again be held within the Diocese of Canada, and it is our hope that singers and conductors from our choirs will take part in it.
In the course of our discussion of the affairs of the Diocese, Archbishop Gabriel reminded everyone that the restoration of our St. Nicholas Cathedral, which had suffered the affects of a destructive fire, is far from complete. The self-sacrificing generosity of its parishioners and well-wishers throughout the Russian Diaspora has permitted us to raise the church building literally from the ruins, but much work remains to be done: in particular, it is essential to repair the outer walls, not to mention the sanctuary and the interior appointments. The collection of funds to help our cathedral has now been taken up by the Diocesan Finance Committee, and this will be set forth in a special appeal.
From information provided by Archbishop Gabriel, we learned with spiritual joy that the miraculous Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God, the Directress of the Russian Diaspora, will soon visit our Diocese. We also anticipate that, by the mercy of God, the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, “The Softening of Evil Hearts”, which was present at the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2009, where His Holiness, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow & All Russia, was called to his present ministry, will finally visit us in autumn.
At the meeting in Montréal we also spoke of how the restoration of the unity of the Russian Orthodox Church has been providential: it has united us to the entire multitude of the new martyrs of Russia, who without ceasing intercede for us before the throne of the Lord. We hope that all who suffered for the Faith of Christ during the years of persecution will be venerated in the homeland and the Diaspora without exception, “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.” (I Cor. 2: 11).
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Archbishop Gabriel’s visitation to the Church of All Saints in Calgary
11 April 2013
On March 28-31 His Eminence Archbishop Gabriel visited the Parish of All Saints of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad in Calgary. His Eminence led the Sacrament of Holy Unction, in which, beside him, took part His Grace Bishop Iov, The Administrator of the Patriarch Parishes in Canada, and also the reverend priors of the Church of All Saints and The Church of John Chrysostom in Calgary: archpriest father Peter Shashkov, priest father Svyatoslav Dubanenko, as well as the reverend prior of the Church of the Holy Assumption of the Blessed Mother of God in Lethbridge – priest father Antony.
An unbelievable amount of people gathered for this Service; our hierarchs and priests were anointing everybody with a special oil mixed with wine and were bestowing on the praying people their episcopal and priest’s blessings. It seemed also that all heavenly angels came down unseen to the small church of All Saints in order to worship God with us… Many people were holding candles; many were standing on their knees, praying and crying at the same time. How many souls received true relief and consolation in that evening! How many people, while leaving after the service, were carrying in their hearts the fortified faith and love to God! How many faces were full with God’s light! How touching it was to hear the words of love addressed to the old friends and absolutely strange or hardly known people! It is indeed that “The Light of Christ enlightens everyone!”
After the Sacrament of Anointing with Holy Oil everybody was experiencing something close to the sense of flight: when one wants to be kind to others and do only good deeds, because the soul of a person at this time is ruled with the Holy Spirit that secretly descends into it. This elevating feeling was multiplied also by the realization that the Service that we were attending, was also an outstanding historical event: for the 80 years of the existence of our Parish it was the first time when the two hierarchs were serving a Divine Service in it together, and beside His Eminence Archbishop Gabriel was standing His Grace Bishop Iov, the Administrator of the Patriarchal parishes in Canada. This unusual Service was very warm and reciprocally friendly.
In the following two days of his visit His Eminence Archbishop Gabriel also headed two Hierarchal Divine Liturgies at the Church of All Saints: on Saturday and Sunday mornings. On Saturday the Memorial Service- the Universal “Panikhida”- took place as well, because the 29th of March was also the so-called “Parent’s Saturday”, on which we commemorate those that have already reposed.… On that Service not only the relatives and friends of our parishioners were remembered, but also those white Kazaks that perished during the period of red terror in Russia after the bolshevik revolution. Coincidently, on the very same day the recently organized Kazak Society in Calgary was celebrating their Name-day: the Day of their Heavenly Protector- Saint Alexis, the Man of God.
On Sunday the parishioners of the Church of All Saints prepared a special feast-“trapeza”- for Vladika Gabriel. His Eminence thanked everybody in His Speech for the care and efforts to make his visit a memorable event; His Eminence also expressed hope that the parishes of the Western Canada, and of our Province of Alberta in particular, will gradually be filled with the newly come immigrants from Russia and from the countries that recently became independent from Russia, but where the percentage of the Russian population is still very high. Vladika also noted that if the number of the parishioners of the two Russian Churches in Calgary increases dramatically in the future, we can consider the possibility of which people in our city have recently been dreaming of: building a new and bigger Russian Orthodox Church or a Cathedral. His Eminence also announced that at the beginning of June we may expect the arrival to Calgary the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God, the Protectress of the Russian Diaspora, and in September, possibly, – the arrival of another Miracle-working Icon of the Mother of God from Russia, which is called the “Softener of Evil Hearts.“
After the lunch, Vladika Gabriel spent some time talking with the families of the clergy of the Church of All Saints, with the active parishioners and the members of the Parish council and the Sisterhood, as well as the teachers of the Sunday school. His Eminence had for everybody a kind and encouraging word, paid attention to everybody’s problems, and bestowed on everyone his Archbishop’s blessing. He knew many of the parishioners of the Church of All Saints from his previous visits to Calgary and gave his blessing to many of them for either singing in the choir, or painting icons, or studying in Jordanville Seminary.
The Archdeacon father Alexander, who was accompanying His Eminence Archbishop Gabriel in the trip, also took part in all Services and, according to the tradition that he started on his previous visits in our Church, he, while standing on the ambo, was conducting the singing of the two main prayers, sung during the Divine Liturgy by everyone: “I believe in God, the Father Almighty…” and “Our Father…”
It was sad that the time of the visit of His Eminence Archbishop Gabriel passed so quickly; everybody wished Vladika could stay longer, for it is a boundless blessing to be under the direct Archbishop’s benediction, and everybody clearly sensed that… The parishioners of the Church of All Saints will be eagerly waiting for the next visit of our ruling Hierarch.
