Metropolitan Kirill leads the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Parish of St. Barbara of the Moscow Patriarchate in Canada

METROPOLITAN KIRILL LEADS THE CELEBRATION OF THE 100th ANNIVERSARY OF THE PARISH OF ST. BARBARA OF THE MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE IN CANADA

A delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church headed by Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, DECR MP Chairman, arrived in the Canadian city of Edmonton on July 26, 2002 for the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the Parish of St. Barbara.

At the Edmonton airport Metropolitan Kirill was met by Archbishop Mark of Kashira, Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in Canada, V. Nasarenko, first secretary of the Russian Embassy in Canada, archpriest Grigory Priputnikov, rector of the Cathedral of St. Barbara, and V. Lopushinsky, head of the parochial council, Orthodox clerics and faithful.

The following day, in opening the jubilee celebrations, Metropolitan Kirill conducted the All-Night Vigil in the Cathedral of St. Barbara. In his address to the faithful during the divine service Metropolitan Kirill called the community to follow the example of their grandfathers and great grandfathers, for whom the Church of God was the center of private and social life. Then the Metropolitan met with parishioners of the Cathedral.

On July 28, on the very day of the holiday, Metropolitan Kirill concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with Archbishop Mark of Kashira and Archmandrite Mark, DECR MP Vice-Chairman, and Orthodox clergy from the patriarchal parishes in Canada, the Romanian Orthodox Church in Canada and American Orthodox Autocephalous Church in Canada.

After the Divine Liturgy and thanksgiving service Archbishop Mark and Metropolitan Kirill exchanged speeches. On behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia Metropolitan Kirill warmly congratulated the Canadian Orthodox faithful on the feast and gave an icon of St. Barbara to the Cathedral as a gift.

On the same day there was a reception held for the guests and participants of the celebrations, among which were Ms. Luis Hole, representative of the Queen of Great Britain in the province of Alberta, Bill Smith, mayor of Edmonton, Peter Goldring, a member of the Parliament of the Alberta Province. They were greeted by Metropolitan Kirill and Archbishop Mark.

In her response Ms. Luis Hole said that the presence of the Orthodox Russians with their rich spiritual and cultural traditions in Canada is a real blessing for the country.

Viktor Lopushinsky recalled the most important events in the life of the parish since its foundation in 1902. Then, there was a presentation of a book on history of the Church of St. Barbara, which was later replaced by the Cathedral of the Patriarchal Parishes in Canada.