Official Visit Bishop Anthony of Bogorodsk to Canada

Official visit of His Grace Anthony, Bishop of Bogorodsk to Canada

On July 20, 2017, with the blessing of His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, the Administrator of the Directorate for Institutions Abroad of the Russian Orthodox Church, Bishop Anthony of Bogorodsk, arrived on an official visit to Canada, commemorating the 120th anniversary of the first Orthodox Liturgy on the Canadian soil.

At the Edmonton airport Vladyka was greeted by His Grace Iov, Bishop of Kashira, Administrator of the Patriarchial Parishes in Canada.

Then bishops went to the St. Barbara’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral, where a thanksgiving service was served.

Bishop Anthony’s visit to Canada lasted until July 28. Vladyka visited different parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in the province of Alberta, as well as in Ottawa and Toronto, where he held divine services and met with parishioners.

Bishop Anthony was accompanied by a staff member of the Directorate for Institutions Abroad of the Russian Orthodox Church, Deacon Sergiy Kalashnikov.

On July 21, His Grace Anthony, Bishop of Bogorodsk and His Grace Iov, Bishop of Kashira visited a number of parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in the province of Alberta.

In the morning the Hierarchs arrived to the St.Tikhon’s Orthodox Bible camp “Bar-V-Nok” at the Pigeon Lake. They performed a moleben to the Kazan icon of the Most Holy Birth-Giver of God, and then they found out more about camp activities and talked to young parishioners of Orthodox churches in Canada.

Bishop Iov and Bishop Anthony visited churches of the Holy Trinity in Torsby and the Holy Ascension parish in Calmar. Rector of this churches (Orthodox IX group of parishes), Archpriest Igor Kisil, told the guests about the history of the Orthodox parishes in the suburbs of Edmonton and about their current life.

The Hierarchs also performed funeral prayers in the cemeteries located near the churches.

On July 22, 2017 Iov, Bishop of Kashira and Anthony, Bishop of Bogorodsk held the Divine Liturgy at the St. Barbara’s Cathedral in Edmonton.

Prior to the service Bishop Anthony met the head of the parish Roman Lopushinsky, who welcomed Vladyka with bread and salt (Slavic tradition). Archpriest Sergiy Kipriyanovich, the Rector of the St.Barbara’s cathedral, made an opening speech.

Clergy of the Patriarchal parishes in Canada, Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and Romanian Orthodox Church in Canada participated in the Divine Liturgy.

With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Archpriest Sergiy Kipriyanovich was honoured with mitre.

At the end of the service, Bishop Anthony presented to the Director of St. Barbara’s Cathedral Roman Lopushinsky the Patriarchal award: the medal of St. Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles.

Then Vladyka Anthony was warmly welcomed by Bishop Iov, who expressed his joy at the arrival of the Hierarch to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the Orthodoxy in Canada.

The communication of the bishops with the parishioners then continued during the festive meal at St. Barbara’s Cathedral Hall.

In the evening of July 22, 2017, Anthony, Bishop of Bogorodsk served the Great Vespers at the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Nisku.

Vladyka was assisted by Deacons Andrei Boldyreff and Sergiy Kalashnikov. Bishop Iov and Archpriest Igor Kisil prayed in the altar.

At the end of the service, Bishop Anthony addressed the parishioners with a welcoming speech in English. Vladyka donated the altar cross to the church and, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, presented to Archpriest Igor with the medal of St. Innocent of Moscow, regarding to the 20th anniversary of his service.

On July 23, 2017 celebrations on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the first Orthodox Liturgy on the Canadian soil were held in the East of Alberta (Wostok Centennial Site).

In 1897, newly-arrived to Canada Ruthenes appealed to the Bishop of the Aleutian Islands and Alaska Nikolai (Ziorov) with a request to join the Russian Orthodox Church and to open the parish. Peasants Feodor and Catherine Nemirsky donated a land for the construction of the future church, and in July 1897, with the blessing of Bishop Nikolai, the priest Dimitri Kamnev and deacon Vladimir Aleksandrov came to Canada and performed the first Liturgy. Over 600 people joined the Orthodox Church.

In the morning of July 23, Iov, Bishop of Kashira and Anthony, Bishop of Bogorodsk held the Divine Liturgy on the very spot it was performed 120 years ago. Hierarchs were assisted by the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and Romanian Orthodox Church. Among those who prayed was the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Canada, His Excellency Alexander Darchiev. The Divine Liturgy was sung in Church Slavonic and English languages by the Orthodox V choir along with other guests from different Orthodox Parishes.
At the end of the Liturgy, a moleben on the occasion of 150^th anniversary of Canada and a funeral prayer for the deceased Orthodox people were held, honouring their efforts to establish the Orthodox faith on the Canadian soil.
Then, Bishop Anthony and Bishop Iov, as well as an ambassador Alexander Darchiev, adressed to the parishioners and pilgrims with congratulations on the occasion.
Vladyka Anthony gave the audience a blessing from His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. In his speech in English, the Hierarch remembered the Gospel story about the discussion of the Savior and His disciples. The Lord asked His Apostles, for whom His people reverenced Him, and then He directly asked the disciples for whom THEY considered their Teacher. “This question of Jesus Christ has no limitation period,” said Vladyka. “With the same clarity, it sounds for us today. Who is the Christ for us? What does our Orthodox faith mean for us? Just tribute to the tradition, a sign of belonging to Russian, Ukrainian or other roots? Or something else? ”

“Through the example of our pious ancestors who arrived here 120 years ago, we see that for them Orthodox Faith was of incommensurably greater importance. Leaving their homeland forever, going “to a faraway country”, they took only the most necessary things – and, first of all, they brought church books, liturgical vestments and icons to Canada. Coming to a new place, they cared for the churches construction – those, that are still perfectly preserved on this land. For them, faith was a precious treasure, a living bond with God, to Whom alone they gave their hope in those difficult life situations that they met in a foreign land,” Vladyka said. The Hierarch wished to the parishioners to have a strong faith of their ancestors and faithfully keep Orthodoxy on the Canadian soil.
Later on the same day, Bishop Anthony visited a number of parishes in the province of Alberta – Vladyka visited Church of St. John the Baptist in Chipman, the Holy Ascension church in Skaro and St. Jacob’s Orthodox Church in Mundare.
On July 25, 2017 Anthony, Bishop of Bogorodsk arrived with an official visit to the Canadian capital, Ottawa.
At the airport named after MacDonald-Cartier, Bishop Anthony and the Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in Canada, Bishop Iov were greeted by the rector of The Parish of Our Lady of Kazan and the Protection of the Mother of God, Archpriest Dimitri Sever, and staff members of Embassy of the Russian Federation to Canada.
Later on the same day, Bishop Anthony and Bishop Iov served a moleben in the parish of Our Lady of Kazan and the Protection of the Mother of God and met with its parishioners. The Divine Liturgy was attended by the Russian Ambassador to Canada, Alexander Darchiev.
In the evening, the Hierarchs held a meeting of the parish Council.
On July 26, 2017 Bishop Anthony and Bishop Iov visited the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos in Ottawa, which is under the jurisdiction of the Montreal-Canadian Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. The hierarchs were greeted by the priest Alexey Piavka.
During a brief visit, the Hierarchs bowed to the Holy artifacts of the cathedral and talked to members of the parish council.

On July 26, the Administrator of the Directorate for Institutions Abroad of the Russian Orthodox Church Anthony, Bishop of Bogorodsk, met with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Canada, Alexander N. Darchiev.
The conversation took place at the Ambassador’s residence, and was attended by His Grace Iov, Bishop of Kashira, the Administrator of Patriarchal Parishes in Canada, Archpriest Dimitri Sever and Deacon Sergiy Kalashnikov.
At the end of the meeting, which was held in a warm atmosphere, His Grace, Bishop Anthony and His Grace, Bishop Iov, along with His Excelency, Alexander Darchiev visited the Russian Embassy in Canada, where they met with members of the diplomatic corps.
Later on the same day, Bishop Anthony and Bishop Iov departed for Toronto.
On July 28, 2017, on the feast day of the St. Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles, Bishop Anthony and Bishop Iov held the Divine Liturgy in the parish of St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia – Patriarchal Representation of the Russian Orthodox Church in Toronto.

The Hierarchs were assisted by the rector of the parish, Archpriest Sergiy Rasskazovsky and deacon Sergiy Kalashnikov.
At the end of the service, a festive moleben was served, after which the Archpastors addressed to the worshipers with congratulations.
After the meal and conversation with the parishioners, Bishop Anthony and Bishop Iov visited the Holy Trinity Church of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, where were warmly welcomed by Archpriest Vladimir Malchenko and the clergy.
Later on the same day, Vladyka Anthony left for Moscow. At the Toronto Pierson International Airport the Archpastor was escorted by Bishop Iov and Consul General of the Russian Federation in Toronto, Kirill Mikhailov.