News
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Report and Resolution from Pastoral Retreat of the Priests & Clergy of the Diocese of Montréal & Canada March, 2016
26 March 2016
Resolution of the Clergy of the Montreal and Canadian Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Outside of Russia
Montreal, Quebec
March 23-25, 2016
This year, we, the clergy of the Canadian Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, gathered in our cathedral church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker of Myra and Lycia in Montreal, Quebec under the chairmanship of our diocesan hierarch, Archbishop Gabriel. We greet all of our brothers and sisters in Christ, our parishioners, scattered throughout our vast diocese and pray that each of you will use the time of Great Lent to worthily prepare for the great feast of Pascha.
We are pleased to see that the exterior reconstruction of the cathedral in Montreal has been successfully restored and hope that with God’s help the interior will soon be completed as well.
This year, an important anniversary for all Orthodox Christians living in the diaspora will take place; the fiftieth year of the repose of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco. The life and struggles of this man of God should inspire each of us to work to preserve our Russian Orthodox faith and tradition in our families and parishes, while at the same time spreading the Word of God as expressed by the One Holy Orthodox Church to the people of Canada. The Holy hierarch John helped bring to the true faith many people, including Fr. Seraphim Rose.
Clinging to these traditions, we reaffirm a commitment to the moral, intellectual and spiritual formation of the faithful and repeat, as in last year’s resolution, our worry and pain with the legalization of euthanasia in Canada. Once more we confirm that euthanasia is suicide and an immoral act for which there is no repentance. All Christians are called to remember the patience and suffering of the saints and all pious and Orthodox Christians and to emulate them throughout our lives.
Each family living in Ontario, must take note of the recent changes to the provincial school curriculum and guard their children against the indoctrination of immorality.
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the repose of Metropolitan Vitaly, the fourth first hierarch of the Church Abroad and Archbishop of Montreal and Canada for almost forty years. We call on everyone to keep him in their prayers.
As a diocese we want to address the subject of the upcoming “Great and Holy Council” in June of 2016 in Crete. Joining our voices to the many bishops, theologians, priests, and faithful around the world, we want to express our concern with certain pre-conciliar texts. We urge the adoption of theological terminology that is unequivocal about the Orthodox Church’s self-identity as the “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church,” which remains ever undivided, though many have separated themselves from Her.
Dear brothers and sisters let us strive for a life of purity and holiness as demonstrated by St. Gregory Palamas, the ascetic and pillar of the Church, who’s memory we celebrate on the second Sunday of Lent, and to put into practice the words which the Church sings yearly on the Sunday of Orthodoxy:
Let us now set out with joy upon [the time] of the Fast; and like Elijah… let us fashion for ourselves … a fiery chariot from the four great virtues; let us exalt our minds through freedom from the passions; let us arm our flesh with purity and our hands with acts of compassion; let us make our feet beautiful with the preaching of the Gospel; and let us put the enemy to flight and gain victory. (Stichira at ‘Lord I have cried’ at Vespers of the first Sunday of Lent) -
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Pastoral Retreat & Assembly Of the Priests & Clergy of the Diocese of Montréal & Canada March, 2016
4 March 2016
FROM THE CHANCELLERY OF THE DIOCESE
To all the rectors and clergy of the parishes of the Canadian Diocese, to all the members of the Diocesan Council of the Canadian Diocese.Notice
You are hereby informed that, between 10/23 March and 12/25 March (Wednesday-Friday) 2016, at the St. Nicholas Cathedral (422 St. Joseph Blvd. W., Montreal, Que. H2V 2P5, Tel: (514) 276-8322/ Fax: (514) 276-6001), the Yearly Clergy Conference and Annual Pastoral Lenten Retreat will be held under my presidency, in conjunction with the annual Lenten Retreat of the Clergy of the Diocese of Canada.
The annual meeting of the Brotherhood of St. Job of Pochaev will take place later.
Participation in both the Conference and the Clergy Retreat are obligatory for all clergymen of the Diocese. If, for some important reason, it prove impossible to travel to Montreal on the designated days, we ask that you inform us well in advance, in writing, at the address of the Diocesan Administration, detailing such reasons.
All the questions regarding arrival may be discussed with Diocesan Council Secretary Fr. Alexis Pjawka, tel. 613-316-98; e-mail: fr.alexis@memorialchurch.ca, or with the administrator of the Diocesan Chancellery and my personal secretary, subdeacon Yuri G. Miloslavsky at the above address, phone number, and e-mail address of the chancellery of the Diocesan Administration in Montreal.
We remind our clergy that they should bring with them vestments of a lenten color (black or, if black is unavailable, purple).
Below find a tentative agenda for our meeting in Ottawa
Wednesday, 10/23 March
4:00 PM Gathering of the participants at the St. Nicholas Cathedral
4:30 Coffee/Tea
5:00 Prayer & Convocation of the Conference
7:00 Supper
7:30 Great ComplineThursday, 11/24 March
8:00 AM Morning Prayers
8:30 Breakfast/Coffee/Tea
9:00 Continuation of the Conference’s Deliberations
1:00 PM Luncheon & Break
3:00 Resumption of the Conference’s Work
5:00 Coffee/Tea
5:15 Resumption of the Conference’s Work
7:00 Supper
7:30 Matins & ConfessionFriday, 12/25 March
8:00 AM Greeting of the Bishop; Hours; Hierarchal Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
12:00 Luncheon
1:00 PM Prayer & DepartureParticipants will be informed in greater detail of the sequence of sessions.
+Gabriel,
Archbishop of Montréal & Canada
28/15 January 2016
