For each believing Orthodox person, his or her parish church has a special meaning. In it, all of the main events of a human life are marked – baptisms, marriages, for some – ordination, as well as funerals. It is here that a person repents of his sins and, in such a way, reestablishes a relationship with God, as well as communes of Christ’s Holy Mysteries, that is, not simply communicates with God but joins himself to Him. The parish church is a familiar, cozy, dear place for parishioners.

We can consider the 6th of August to be the birthday of our favourite church, because it’s on this day in 1989 that it was consecrated. Three hierarchs participated in the festive divine services: the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Metropolitan Vitaly (d. 2006), who was also the long time diocesan bishop of the Canadian Diocese; Archbishop Paul of Australia (d. 1995), who while still a simple priest in the 60’s would drive to Ottawa from Montreal to perform services in the newly-formed parish; and Archbishop Laurus (d. 2008), who was the First Hierarch after Metropolitan Vitaly. The bishops were assisted at the service by clergy from different parishes of the Canadian Diocese, as well as the Syracuse Diocese. A choir composed of parishioners from Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto sang the responses at the Liturgy. The myrrh-streaming Iveron-Montreal Icon of the Mother of God was present at the celebratory divine services. 

Posted below are seven parts of a video recorded during the service by the now reposed Vladimir Handera. Of course, the videos of that time which we have are not of the best quality, but despite that, it seems to me that they are quite precious. They not only preserve for us an important historical event, the consecration of our church, but also show the life of the Church Abroad at the end of the 80’s.

Short notes to accompany the videos:

Metropolitan Vitaly blesses those present in church from the ambo after the greeting of the bishop. 

An excerpt from the rite of the Great Consecration of a church. The Archbishop of Sydney, Australia, and New Zealand Paul censes the church. He is accompanied by Protodeacon Joseph Jaroschuk (d. 2024) with a candle. Metropolitan Vitaly sprinkles the church with holy water. He is accompanied by the young subdeacon George Chemodakov, currently our diocesan hierarch, the archbishop of Montreal and Canada Gabriel. We also see Archbishop Laurus anointing the walls of the church with myrrh. He is accompanied by the young deacon George Lagodich, the present dean of the diocesan Cathedral of our diocese in Montreal. 

Metropolitan Vitaly reads the ‘Prayer for the Salvation of Russia.’  This beautiful prayer was read for many years in all the parishes of the Russian Church Abroad during the rule of the atheistic regime in the Soviet Union.

The hierarchs washing their hands at the beginning of the Cherubic Hymn, the censing of the iconastasis performed by Protodeacon Victor Lochmatow, as well as the Great Entrance.  At the Great Entrance Metropolitan Vitaly commemorates the episcopacy of the persecuted Russian Church, as well as his brother-bishops Paul and Laurus. In turn, Archbishop Paul commemorates the First Hierarch of the Church Abroad, the suffering Russian land and the suffering believers in the Soviet Union, Queen Elizabeth, etc. At the end we see Archbishop Laurus bless crosswise those present in church with the trikiri and dikiri. 

Metropolitan Vitaly delivers his sermon. Along with preserving the both edifying and interesting content of this sermon, this video wonderfully illustrates the very lively and beautiful preaching style of the fourth First Hierarch of the Church Abroad. 

The protodeacons intone ‘Many Years.’

Protodeacon George Lagodich holding the myrrh-streaming icon on the porch of the church, as well as the hierarchs exiting the building and the Metropolitan conversing with parishioners.