Dear brothers and sisters, parishioners and friends of St. Barbara’s Cathedral!

I cordially greet you all with the Great Thursday of the Holy Passion week and assure you of my continued prayers for you.

Recently, we have been visited by a malicious affliction that we call the Coronavirus, which destroys health and takes the lives of people.

Doctors, who are making many efforts to defeat the disease, have emphasized and emphasize that the main means against its spread is “social isolation,” that is, staying in one’s homes and apartments.

In these conditions, His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Kirill, with pain in his heart, urged Orthodox Christians, fulfilling the instructions of the civil authorities, to refrain from visiting churches and stay in their homes, making home prayers, as well as participating in divine services during their video broadcasts or via alternate means.

In this difficult time, when all of us, both the clergy and laity, are unable to pray together in temples for Holy Week and Pascha/Easter services, we need to strengthen our prayer, accepting the test that befell on us as a way to strengthen fidelity to God and love for each other.

I want to tell you, my dear ones, that the time of restrictions on visiting the temple do not deprive us of the opportunity to partake day after day of the great events of the Passion and Resurrection of our Lord; by the reading of Holy Scripture, participating in the services via video broadcast, or through home reading of liturgical texts.

Also, I would like to inform you that due the Coronavirus Pandemic, the cathedral remains closed for public visitation.

All services of the Holy Week, namely: readings of the 12 Gospels on Great Thursday, the procession of the Holy shroud on Great Friday, divine services on Easter vigil, and the morning of Easter, will be performed only by the clergy with a limited number of persons whose presence is necessary for worship.

In addition, all graveyard services will be performed at a later time.

I am sorry that we are forced to take these measures, but God knows and understands much more and much better than we do.

As for the blessing of Easter baskets, due to the Coronavirus restrictions and that many parishioners will not have the opportunity to personally visit churches on Easter Day, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, believers who remain at home can bless the Easter bread (Pascha), cakes, eggs and other Easter meals on their own in the following way.

Before the Easter meal, you should sing the troparion of Easter/Pascha:

“Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!” («Христос воскресе из мертвых, / смертию смерть поправ, / и сущим во гробех живот даровав». Church Slavonic)

Then, you sprinkle the chosen foods with consecrated water, along with the words: “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen”.

My dear friends!

This year, Easter is held in very special conditions, which for all of us are a great test, but even they will not overshadow the joy of this holiday.

I pray and ask that you also pray with faith, repentance and sincerity so that God may help us get through this ordeal as soon as possible. I hope and pray that we all can experience the period of Holy Week and Easter in “our Church at home”, with health and in a spiritual, uplifting manner.

In order to feel the Passion of our Christ in our heart and soul, to live His agony and His sorrow, and to sense His companionship,

Let us ask Him, like the thief, to forgive our sins and to hear His voice within us: “My child, I am with you, I love you and I forgive you. Together we will walk the difficult path. We will climb the steep hill together. And we will reach the top.”

I AM WISHING ALL OF YOU A BLESSED RESURRECTION IN THE LORD! Amen.

With love in Christ,
Father Igor Kisil,
Rector of St. Barbara’s Cathedral,
Dean of the Patriarchal Parishes in Canada