Twentieth Blessed Years Serving in Canada

Fr. Igor Kisil

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:

Christ is in our midst!

We have come to our twentieth years together. It has been a wonderful and eventful time together.

On the 17^th of April 1997, by the decision of His Holiness Patriarch Alexios and the Holy Synod, I was appointed as a missionary priest of the Patriarchal Parishes in Canada.

Matushka Natalia and I arrived in Canada on December 5^th, 1997. Two days later, on December 7^th, I served my first Divine Liturgy at St. Mary’s Church in Nisku.

Since that day my missionary service in Canada has continued.

The first days, the first years, were very hard for us like for every newcomer, because we did not know what to expect.

A new country, new people, new customs, new language. Everything was new, however very soon we discovered that Canada is a very wonderful country with many kind people. And step by step, we learned lots.

During the past twenty years, many Divine Liturgies were celebrated and many funerals, baptisms and wedding ceremonies were performed. The children’s Orthodox Bible Camp Bar-V-Nok was organized in 2000, the issuing of the Orthodox IX parishes’ bulletin was begun in 2004, and many other things were done during that time.

Father Igor & matushka Natalia after their arrival in Edmonton Int. Airport with the clergy and parishioners, December 5, 1997

During these years we celebrated a number of very important events of the Orthodox life in Canada such as: 100^th Anniversaries of the foundation of the Orthodox parishes in Skaro, MacNutt, Foam Lake, Nisku, Vegreville, Insinger, 100 years since the consecration of St. Barbara’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral, the first Orthodox the church in Edmonton, 100 years since the consecration of St. Jacob’s church by Bishop Tikhon in Mundare, the 50^th anniversary of the consecration of St. Barbara’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Edmonton (the third building), 95 years since the foundation of the Orthodox parishes in MacNutt and Vegreville, 60 years since the foundation of the Orthodox parish in Horen, the 50^th anniversary of the consecration of St. Mary’s Church Orthodox Russian in Nisku (the second building), 50^th & 60^th Anniversaries of the foundation of the Sisterhood of St. Mary’s Church in Nisku. This year we celebrated the 120^th Anniversary of the first Orthodox Liturgy on Canadian soil, as well as 150^th Anniversary of Canada and many other great events.

On the occasion of the 20^th Anniversary of pastoral serving in Canada His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia awarded Father Igor with the medal of St. Innocent of Moscow in recognition of his zealous pastoral service for the good of the Patriarchal Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in Canada.

Also, during that time, our two wonderful sons Andrei (2000) and Alexander (2009) were born in Canada.

After the lunch at the Nisku Parish hall, December 7, 1997 L/R matushka Natalia, Archbishop Mark & Father Igor

I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of myself and Matushka Natalia and our sons Andrei and Alexander, to express our sincere thanks to all our faithful parishioners and friends for being part of our family during the past 20 years, and for their understanding, support, kindness, compassion, love, and for continuing to take care of us.

Thank you all for the help you gave me during all these years of my pastoral work in Canada.

And finally, my dear brothers and sisters, to you, to your families, I wish good health and success in everything and many joys and spiritual consolations today and in all the days of your lives.

May God bless you and help you to be firm in the Orthodox faith and continue the spiritual work of your ancestors and grant you Many Years. Thank you all again and remain in God’s loving care.

With Love in the Lord,

Father Igor Kisil and family

Congratulations to our dear Father Igor! May the Lord’s blessings continue to be with you and your family, and may His words continue to move you from strength to strength. We wish you all the best and many more years of serving to come.