Save as PDFFrom September 1 to September 12, 2018, Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, appointed as a temporary ruling Bishop of the Patriarchal parishes, was in Canada with official Archpastoral visit. During his stay, the Right Reverend Vladyka saw the parishes in Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton and other cities of the country.
On September 2, 2018, on the 14th Sunday after Pentecost, the afterfeast of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos, His Grace Bishop Matthew of Sourozh prayed at the Stavropegic parish of St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
After the service Vladyka got acquainted with the church, the work of the Sunday school, communicated with the parishioners and gave the blessing to the students for the new school year, which began in Canada this year on September 4.
On September 3, 2018, on the feast day of the apostle of the 70th Faddeus, Bishop Matthew of Sourozh visited the suburb of Toronto Cooksville, where in the house No. 2130 on Camilla Road, the Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna Romanova, the sister of the last Russian Tsar-Passion-Bearer Nicholas II, spent her last years.
On the same day the Most Reverend Vladyka performed a funeral litany at the York Cemetery in Toronto, where the Grand Duchess with her husband and son were buried.
On September 5, 2018, His Grace Bishop Matthew of Sourozh visited the parish of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the capital of Canada, Ottawa.
Vladyka was met by the rector of the church, Mitred Protopriest Dimitri Sever, who for many years has been served Orthodox believers in Canada. Father Dimitri told Bishop Matthew about the history of the parish and its modern life, showed the interior of the temple and informed about the services performed.
On September 6, 2018, on the feast day of St. Peter of Moscow, His Grace Bishop of Sourozh Matthew took part in the ceremony of handing the passport of the Russian Federation to the Protopriest Dimitri Sever.
Father Dimitri has been serving Russian-speaking community in Canada for many years and played a significant role in the development of Russian-Canadian relations, which was noted in the speech of the Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Canada, A.N. Darchiev.
Bishop Mathew of Sourozh warmly congratulated Archpriest Dimitri on the significant event in his life and presented him with a memorable gift. In response, Father Dimitri thanked the leadership of the Russian Federation, the employees of the Embassy in Canada and personally Mr. Ambassador for this honor. After the official part, a reception took place in the building of the Russian Embassy, during which Father Dimitri was congratulated by numerous parishioners.
On September 8, 2018 Bishop Matthew of Sourozh visited St Barbara’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Edmonton. Bishop Matthew was met by Bishop Iov (Smakouz), who was the administrator of the patriarchial parishes in Canada for 13 years. Vladyka Iov showed Bishop Matthew internal structure and shrines of the temple, introduced clergy and members of the Parish Council. In the evening, on the eve of Sunday, the all-night vigil was served.
On September 9, 2018, on the 15th Sunday after Pentecost, Bishop Matthew of Sourozh and Bishop Iov (Smakouse) celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the St Barbara’s Cathedral in Edmonton, Canada. At the door of the church the president Roman Lopushinsky met vladykas with the bread and salt.
The Most Reverend Archpastors served: Protopriest Igor Kisil, Archpriest Mircea Panchuk, Archpriest Vitaly Manoli, Hierodeacon Joseph (Vinnik), Deacon Andrei Boldyrev. After reading the Gospel, the dean of Western Canada of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Archpriest Mircea Panchuk addressed the audience with the sermon. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the Most Reverend Bishops exchanged greetings and gifts.
On September 10, 2018, on the feast day of the Monk Iov of Pochaev – The name day of Bishop Iov (Smakouz), Bishop of Kashira Iov and Bishop of Sourozh Matthew served the Divine Liturgy at the St Barbara’s Cathedral. The bishops were assisted by the clergy of the Patriarchal parishes, the clergy of the Romanian diocese in Canada, the Canadian diocese of ROCOR and the Orthodox Church in America. Bishop Matthew warmly congratulated Vladyka Iov on the Name Day and presented a panagia. Bishop Iov was also congratulated by the clergy of the Cathedral and numerous parishioners.
On September 10, 2018, after the Divine Liturgy, a meeting of the clergy of the Patriarchal parishes in Canada was held at the St Barbara’s Cathedral. It was headed by His Bishop Iov (Smakouz) and Bishop Matthew of Sourozh. The meeting was attended by the clergy of the Cathedral, the priests of the Orthodox V and Orthodox IX parish groups, the parish of Regina, SK, the invited clergymen of the parishes of the ROCA and the president of the Cathedral Roman Lopushinsky.
Issues of parish life, the plans for the future, and the assignments were discussed at the meeting.
On September 11, 2018, on the day of the Beheading John the Baptist, His Grace Bishop Matthew of Sourozh celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Church of St. John the Baptist in Chipman, part of Orthodox V Patriarchal parishes in Canada.
Vladyka served with protopriest Igor Kisil and rector of the church, priest Alexey Suraev. At the end of the Divine Liturgy Vladyka addressed the parishioners with the homily on the life and martyr’s death of St. John the Baptist. In the library of the parish, Vladyka gifted books about the history of Orthodoxy in Great Britain.
On September 11, 2018, at the last day of his visit to Canada, Bishop Matthew of Sourozh visited the Holy Trinity Church and the memorial complex on the site of the first Orthodox Divine Liturgy in the village of Wostok, Alberta. The memorial complex keeps the memory of St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow, when he was a Bishop of Alaska and North America, who consecrated the first church in Canada and performed the first bishops’ services there.
Vladyka was accompanied by the rector of the Orthodox V parishes, Priest Alexey Surayev, the head of the parishes in Chipman and Wostok.
“Eternal memory” was proclaimed to the deceased parishioners and the glory of the Holy Trinity and St.Tikhon was accomplished.
“Русская Православная Церковь. Патриаршие приходы в Канаде.”
(Russian Orthodox Church. Patriachal Parishes in Canada)
– https://www.facebook.com/patriarchialparishesincanada/
Николай Трубников для “Русская Православная Церковь Великобритании
и Ирландии” – https://www.facebook.com/groups/skopineparh/
V. Rev. Evgeniy Protsenko