Metropolitan Kirill’s archpastoral visit to the Patriarchal Parishes in Ottawa and Toronto
27.08.2002 · English, Архив 2002
METROPOLITAN KIRILL’S ARCHPASTORAL VISIT TO THE PATRIARCHAL PARISHES IN OTTAWA AND TORONTO
From July 26 to August 2, 2002, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, visited Canada at the head of a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church.
On July 30, after the celebration of the 100th anniversary of St. Barbara’s parish in Edmonton, Metropolitan Kirill arrived in the Canadian capital city of Ottawa accompanied by Archbishop Mark of Kashira, administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in Canada, Archimandrite Mark (Golovkov), DECR vice-chairman, and Deacon Andrey Vostrikov.
Mr. Churkin, Russian Ambassador in Canada, executive officers of the Russian institutions abroad, Archpriest Dmitry Sever, rector of the church of the Holy Protection (Moscow Patriarchate), and members of the Parish Council welcomed His Eminence Kirill in the airport.
On July 31, Metropolitan Kirill met with Mr. Kilgour, State Secretary of the Canadian Foreign Office.
Then Metropolitan Kirill together with his retinue visited the Russian Embassy in Ottawa, where he made a speech. The Russian Embassy gave a dinner in honor of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church.
On the same day Metropolitan Kirill met with the rector, members of the Parish Council and parishioners of the church of the Holy Protection in Ottawa.
On August 1, on the Commemoration Day of St. Seraphim of Sarov, Metropolitan Kirill celebrated the Divine Liturgy on the premises used temporally by the community as a church. Archbishop Mark of Kashira and Bishop Seraphim of Ottawa and Canada (American Autocephalous Church) concelebrated. Among others, stuff members of the Russian Embassy in Canada led by Mr. Churkin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, attended the Liturgy. After the Liturgy Metropolitan Kirill addressed Archpriest Dmitry Sever and his parishioners with a word of spiritual support and encouragement and invoked God’s blessing upon their work and aspirations. Then Metropolitan Kirill departed for Toronto.
In Toronto Metropolitan Kirill was met by Archpriest Sergy Rasskazovsky, head of the representation of the Moscow Patriarchate, and Mr. Smirnov, consul general of the Russian Federation in Toronto.
On August 2, the Commemoration Day of God’s Prophet Elias, Metropolitan Kirill celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Metochion of the Moscow Patriarchate together with Archbishop Mark of Kashira, Archimandrite Mark (Golovkov), Archpriest Sergy Rasskazovsky and Deacon Andrey Vostrikov.
In his archpastoral address to the those present, Metropolitan Kirill expressed, in particular, his deep satisfaction with the growing number of Orthodox faithful in the city and came up with an idea of building a church for the Metochion of the Russian Orthodox Church in Toronto. A common meal followed the service. Mr. Smirnov, Russian consul general in Toronto, attended at the service and the meal.
On the same day Metropolitan Kirill and the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church departed for Russia.
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