Sermon at Old Wostok (July 17th, 2016): The Faith of Centurion and Orthodox Pioneers in Canada

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!

Dear brothers and sisters! Glory to Jesus Christ! Slava Iisusu Christu!

Today we have a celebration in honour of the true faith of the first immigrants into Canada from Western Russ and in memory of the first Orthodox Liturgy on Canadian land. In the summer of 1897, in a young country named Canada, on this very sight, the first ‘Mystical Supper’ was held with the new “apostles” in attendance and the descent of the Holy Spirit into the hearts of the new inhabitants to Canada: Russians from Galitsia and Bukovinia. That day became the Birthday of the Russian Orthodox Church in Canada. From that moment the miracle of blessing the world and people has continued in Canada for 119 years on every Sunday and feast day in every orthodox temple.

The first Сhurch school for children of Rusyns at Wostok. The Orthodox priest – father Jacob Korchinskiy and the teacher – church cantor (psalomshchik) John Soroka. Wostok, Alberta, 1901.

The faith of orthodox pioneers in Canada was equal to that of the ‘centurion’ in today’s Gospel reading. The faith of the Roman Centurion made him a happy candidate for entering God’s Kingdom and inheriting ‘eternal life’. This miracle, from the Gospel, confirms the need for intercessors between God and the faithful, which the protestants refuse to accept. Such intercessors, in our daily lives, are holy people and clergy. Saints, like this honest centurion form Capernaum, thanks to his faith and good deeds, have risen like on a stairway to God and became similar to Him. They help Christ get closer to us and help us. Christ hears their prayers faster because their faith is solid.

Such an honourable helper to the first orthodox in Alberta was Tikhon bishop of the Aleut Islands and North America, later Patriarch of Moscow. In 1901 he first visited Canada, blessed the first orthodox temple here in the settlement of Wostok, and blessed the beginning of the brotherhood named after Tikhon of Zadonsk, in order to strengthen ‘Orthodoxy’. The meeting, on a farawayland , with the best representative of Holy Russ — a Russian bishop — rallied the hardened in faith and russian spirituality Ruthenians. They welcomed him with respect and trust as one of their own. The personality of the humble and righteous blessed Tikhon had a positive influence on the Ruthenians. Later, the owner of these lands on which we stand, Theodor Nimirsky, wrote the following about St. Tikhon: «Through him from the depth of centuries Holy Russ kind of glanced at us». Like Christ, who opened the centurions faith for all to see, our Church gave us the faith and good deeds of Patriarch Tikhon and the first pioneers of Orthodoxy in Canada as an example!

The centurions heart was full of love and compassion towards other people. Our orthodox pioneers in Canada likewise had a similar sacrificial attitude. The were not concerned only with themselves, with rest and comfort. Working hard and very long hours, they put aside their moneys in order to build churches. This appeared as the source of God’s blessing for all of Canada and a sacrifice to God for our well being. It is as though those moneys are laying in our account in the Heavenly Bank and bring spiritual interests to the new generations. As the centurion had asked Christ for the wellbfeing of his servant, they also asked not only for themselves but for us and all people.

The centurion recognises the All-Mightiness of God, and during his conversation with Christ says to Him in his prayer: «Say but one word and my servant…». Likewise our immigrants to Canada beleived in God’s Almightiness. From the old country they not only brought seeds to plant here in the fields and reap harvest. Young educated immigrant transplants brought with them the Holy Scriptures knowing that the Bible would feed their souls with God’s blessings. Because, the new orthodox arriving 100 years ago valued Christ’s every word, because they beleived in the power of God’s Word and His ability to do miracles, they did not get lost and perish here. Today, God’s Word, and loyalty towards the ordinances of the first Ruthenians in Canada, have an enormous energy to heal our illnesses and keep us on the right track in our lives.

From the moment our Saviour said the following words: «I say to you, that many will come from the east and the west, and lay with Abraham, Isaak and Jacob in the Heavenly Kingdom» almost two thousand years have passed. Truly, millions of people came from east and west and have entered the Church. At the end of the 18th century russian monks preached Orthodoxy even in Alaska, bringing Aleuts to the faith. Venerable Herman of Alaska served many years on the island of Kodiak and was like a father or even a mother, to the still half wild tribes inhabiting there.

Today we celebrate the faith of the living and the dead! During the ‘liturgy’ the first generation of christians in Canada, who are peacefully resting in the cemetaries, invisibly rejoyced! They planted and confirmed Orthodoxy on Canadian land, invited and accepted priests, built and decorated churches. Thanks to the churches they were united with God, filled with the blessings of the Holy Spirit, and a foreign land became for them a homeland. Many of you, born in Canada, are the spiritual fruit of their faith.

Today, we must be grateful to them. The safekeeping of orthodox traditions and faith is an extention of the service of the first apostles of Orthodoxy in Canada Theodor Nemirsky and Fr. Jacob Korchinsky. This is the best way to show our gratitude to them. In memory of them and all the other orthodox pioneers, at the end of the liturgy we will sing «Memory Eternal» and to all of you, their children, of our Church in Canada «Many Years!». Amen!