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July 26, 2024

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
and
Patronal Festival
Holy Great Prince Vladimir
Prince of Kiev - Equal to the Apostles

Saturday July 27 6 pm Vigil
(if the temperature is very hot - Vespers)

Sunday July 28 10:00 am Divine Liturgy
Tone 4

Ordination to the Diaconate of
Subdeacon Michael Cherry

The Liturgy at the Mission went well - 3 new Catechumens! The Mission is growing. Glory to God.

We remember to pray for:

• Theresa and Ludmilla (shut-ins and need visiting)
• Andrew and Noah (on the Atlantic)
• Father Alexander, Matushka Ksenia and the children (in Russia)
• The Mission of St. Seraphim on Cape Breton
• Catechumens
• Visitors
• Father Panagiotis and his people
• Father Maximos and his people
• The Hermitage of the Annunciation
• Subdeacon Michael Cherry
• There must be others.

Here are two reminders from Heather:

1.) For our patronal feast day on Sunday July 28th, we will have a picnic at York Redoubt (if the weather cooperates) after Liturgy. Hotdogs, sausages, and drinks will be provided, and we ask that everyone brings side dishes for the potluck. Please, also bring your lawn chairs and picnic blankets!

2.) Because of life circumstances (moving, pregnancy, travel, etc.), our number of available people in the food groups will be diminishing soon. After the church picnic, and going forward, we will change the responsibility of the "food group of the week" to only bringing cream for coffee, making the coffee and tea, set up of dishes, and complete clean-up after coffee hour. We will turn food provision back to a general potluck every week. The food groups will keep cycling and overseeing the coffee hour, but everyone in the parish will bring food again each week. I think this will alleviate stress on smaller food groups. This change will take place the first Sunday after the church picnic.

Thank-you so much!
Love in Christ,
Heather

Stuff coming up

• July 28 - Feast of St. Vladimir - Picnic at York Redoubt All Welcome - See reminder
• August 4 - Blessing of Chariots (cars)
• August 14 - Start of Dormition Fast
• August 19 - Transfiguration
• August 28 - Dormition (Theotokos)

Way - Way ahead

• Sunday September 1 - Orthodox New Year
• September 8 - Catechumen meetings resume
• Wednesday September 11 - Beheading of St. John, the Baptist
• Sunday September 15 - Parish Photo - please be present
• September 21 - Nativity of Theotokos
• September 27 - Exultation of the Cross
• October 14 - Protection of the Theotokos
• October 20 - Parish Annual General Meeting

Please remember to pray for Michael Cherry as he faces his ordination to the Diaconate.

Welcome Vladyka Irenee

Thank you for blessing us with your presence on this, the Feast of St. Vladimir Prince of Kiev - our patronal festival.

Love to all,
May God bless us,

-- Father David

July 19, 2024

Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Saturday July 20 6 pm Vigil
(if the temperature is very hot - Vespers)

Sunday July 21 10:00 am Divine Liturgy
Tone 3

We remember to pray for
the shut-ins, Theresa and Ludmilla
Andrew and Noah on the Atlantic
Father Alexander, Matushka Ksenia and the children - in Russia
I'm sure there are others.

Have you heard the Good News?

Vladyka Irenee will be with us for our Patronal Festival July 28. Several things will be happening and you will not want to miss any of them (I shall try not to faint this year - with Father Stelian and the Archbishop there, I'm not likely to!). To start with there will be the Greeting of Vladyka Irenee at the door of the church. He is presented with a tray containing a cross, a loaf of bread and some salt; he is welcomed by the Parish President and the clergy, then Vladyka blesses us. The choir will sing 'Eis Polla Eti Despota' (Many years to you, Master). The Liturgy will continue with the robing of the Archbishop, and so the Liturgy will commence. You will notice that the Archbishop will be situated in the centre of the church, on a platform, with a throne. This is who he is.

There is a very good possibility that you will witness something very important at this Liturgy. You know that Subdeacon Michael has been studying to be a Deacon. There is a good chance that Vladyka will ordain him to the Diaconate during this service. It will happen before the Lord's Prayer. Watch carefully, and when called upon - shout:
Axios! Axios! Axios! (Worthy!)

Saturday July 20. Liturgy at the Mission of St. Seraphim of Sarov. I'll have Sergey and Julian with me, or properly said, I'll be with them. They will do the driving and I shall be relaxing getting ready for the services. There will be two admitted to the Catechumenate, a Liturgy, some food, and a lot to discuss. We have changed the service day from Sunday to Saturday and the venue to an old unused United Church, which we are being allowed to use with no charge, Glory to God for that. We may have to change back to Sundays sometimes because one of our people works on Saturday, but that will be fine, we will work it out. I really appreciate Julian and Sergey undertaking the driving, choir duties and alter-servant duties.

Mary, please make a nice prosphora, and everyone please coordinate the coffee and lunch after the Liturgy, nobody should go home hungry.

Parish Camp. It seems that the interest was not there this year. I can understand this, with some families being away and others having very sad family problems to deal with. We didn't even get to see Father John Behr. It turned out that there was too much going on.

I received a message with photos and even a video from the ship that Noah and Andrew are on. They are still somewhere on the Atlantic. I hope their adventure is interesting but safe.

Noah as an Engineer.
Where is Andrew?

Heather has sent me a message about the Barbeque that is planned for the Picnic at York Redoubt. I'll copy it and paste it here:

For the Bulletin:
For the Parish Feast on Sunday, July 28th, we will be having a BBQ potluck. There will be hotdogs and sausages on a bun, and the parish is asked to bring side dishes. Please bring something to share with everyone to celebrate!

So, there we have it.
May God Bless all of us
Love in Christ,

-- Father David

(Now off I go to Subdeacon Michael to be distributed!)

July 12, 2024

Third Sunday after Pentecost
All Saints of North America
All Saints of Rus

(Rus is an old name for Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and more)

Saturday July 13 6 pm Vigil

Sunday July 14 10:00 am Divine Liturgy
Tone 2

We must remember that the Orthodox Church in itself, existing over large areas, is not political but often embroiled in the politics of the lands, as in Rus, Turkey, and elsewhere. We pray earnestly for the peoples of Rus and elsewhere, that God will protect them.

We must remember is that when Russian Orthodoxy came to North America in 1794 (sent by Catherine the Great), Alaska was owned by Imperial Russia. During the time of the Martyr Juvenaly, more than 6,000 Sugpiaq natives were baptized on Kodiak.

We are very blessed to have an influx of baptisms of small children and babies. I'm hoping we may reach 6,000, but we would need a much larger building, several families have come to us from New Brunswick and we certainly welcome them.

We are still working on the problem of this building. We have requested the Anglican parish that owns this church, to estimate the cost if they were to sell it to us. We await their estimate.

Mark has just reminded me that there is a work day tomorrow, that's Saturday July 13. He will be there at about 8.30am. You'd be surprised at what needs doing.

The day after our Parish Celebration, (which is Sunday July 28, St. Vladimir Day and we are hoping that the Archbishop will be with us), the Parish Camp is planned to start, if there is enough interest. For details, please consult Dan, or the Decaire family.

I blessed, via email, for safe travel, the Decaire family who are returning from Winnipeg.

We blessed at Vespers on Thursday evening or at the Liturgy on Friday morning, Father Alexander and his family who are heading for Russia for a month, Noah and Andrew who leave aboard a ship for a 3-month voyage to various places on the other side of the Atlantic.

Please make sure you pray for all of them and others.

May God bless all of us,

Love in Christ,

-- Father David

Stuff coming up

• July 28 - Feast of St. Vladimir
• July 29 - Parish Camp (pending interest)
• August 4 - Blessing of Chariots (cars)
• August 14 - Start of Dormition Fast
• August 19 - Transfiguration
• August 28 - Dormition (Theotokos)

Way - Way ahead

• September 1- Orthodox New Year
• September 8 - Catechumen meetings resume
• September 11 - Beheading of St. John, the Baptist
• September 15 - Parish Photo - please be present
• September 21 - Nativity of Theotokos
• September 27 - Exultation of the Cross
• October 20 - Parish Annual General Meeting

July 5, 2024

Second Sunday after Pentecost
Nativity of St. John the Baptist

Saturday July 6 6 pm Vigil

Sunday July 7 10:00 am Divine Liturgy
Tone 1

Holy Apostles Peter and Paul

Thursday July 11 6 pm Vigil

Friday July 12 10:00 am Divine Liturgy

The Infant Saint John with the Lamb Bartolome Esteban Murillo

A beautiful picture painted by Murillo showing St. John the Baptist, obviously after his birth, holding a lamb. If you look closely, you will see that St. John's left hand is upon the lambs back and his finger it pointing towards heaven, towards God. You will also notice that the lamb has placed its front, right leg over John's right arm. You might also notice the look of sublime love on the faces of John and the lamb. Do I need to tell you who the Lamb is and why John is holding the Lamb and pointing to Heaven?

You may ask why it is that St. Peter and St. Paul are usually celebrated together. In the icon above we see St. Peter on the left and St. Paul on the right and they are jointly holding a model, a miniature representation of a church, in fact the church.

You will remember that Jesus commissioned St. Peter three times to care for His sheep - look in St. John's Gospel chapter 21 verse 15 and following 'Feed my sheep - Tend my sheep - Feed my sheep.'

You will further remember when Saul was on his way to Damascus, something happened to him and Jesus spoke to him (Acts 9:1-9). In Damascus, Jesus spoke to Ananias telling him what Paul's mission was to be (Acts chapter 9 verse 15) 'Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.'

That is why St. Peter and St. Paul are holding up the church - that was their direct commission from God and that is why they are celebrated together.

There is a plead from our parish treasurer Jarod (Michael): Please do not put foreign coins into the collection basket or other collection boxes. The bank will not take foreign coinage even if it looks somewhat like Canadian coins.

Please remember to use the outside toilets.

Note from Dan and Michelle that all is as could be expected. They expect to return for this Sunday and we will welcome and make a gentle fuss of them.

The Parish Council meeting was cancelled this Wednesday but will happen next Wednesday.

Cape Breton Mission Liturgy delayed until July 20.

May God bless each and every one of us,

Love in Christ,

-- Father David

June 28, 2024

First Sunday after Pentecost: All Saints

Saturday June 22 6 pm Vigil

Sunday June 23 10:00am Divine Liturgy
Tone 8

Monday July 1 Start of Apostles Fast

Sad message from Dan, (from his mother's obituary https://www.fundyfuneralhome.com/obituary/ElizabethBeth-Wilband):

With great sadness, we announce the death of Elizabeth Ann Wilband (Gorman) on June 25, 2024. Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and teacher, she passed away peacefully with family by her side, after a long illness.

May God bless Her and all the family!

Please also remember, in your prayers, Michelle's father, James, who has now been admitted to Palliative Care.

Reminder - Please use the outdoor toilet.
The inside toilet was placed as a convenience when there were few people. It was designed to accommodate a small family. We are a family, but we are now a large family and we should not be using that toilet at all. There is the outdoor toilet which we rent and which is cleaned every week by the company that installed and owns it, (even in winter!) so please do not be afraid of it. Use the downstairs toilet only in an emergency - please - girls, boys, men, and women - we can all use it - I have to use it.

This past Wednesday, the apartment complex I inhabit, was blessed with its annual celebration of Canada Day. The owner of the complex, Danny Chedrawe, was there and spoke with Mark and me. He is an experienced entrepreneur and has agreed to visit our church building to help make an assessment of its worth and what can be done to make it habitable and perhaps upgraded to become our future, larger home. I won't describe his face when I mentioned that we don't have running water. He will help as best he can - I know.

The Mission on Cape Breton is beginning to develop itself into a real living entity. They have petitioned, and have been permitted a form of service that can be served without a priest. They are keen to implement that, so are meeting and doing that service. May God bless the Mission.

The next time we serve Liturgy at the Mission will be July 13. We are taking the opportunity to move the Liturgy to a disused United Church, and also changing the day from Sunday to Saturday.

The owner of the old Cape Breton United Church is allowing the Mission to use the property with no charge. Thank you - we really appreciate that, and jump at the chance to further the Kingdom of God on earth.

Stuff coming up

• July 1 - Start of Apostles Fast
• July 12 - Peter and Paul
• July 28 - Feast of St. Vladimir
• July 29 - Parish Camp
• August 4 - Blessing of Chariots (cars)
• August 14 - Start of Dormition Fast
• August 19 - Transfiguration
• August 28 - Dormition (Theotokos)

Way - Way ahead

• September 1- Orthodox New Year
• September 8 - Catechumen meetings resume
• September 11 - Beheading of St. John, the Baptist
• September 15 - Parish Photo
• September 21 - Nativity of Theotokos
• September 27 - Exultation of the Cross
• October 20 - Parish Annual General Meeting

So, which do you think will take precedence, Canada Day on July 1, or the beginning of the Apostles' fast?

It was interesting celebrating Canada Day with the apartment complex people. Mark and I, both residents, went and had several Hot Dogs, bags of chips and cake. Fortunately for us it was the Wednesday of the fast-free week following the feast of Pentecost. It still felt a bit naughty eating meat (or whatever it is that Hot-Dogs are made of) on a Wednesday. It was sort of fun though.

A secret - shh! I spoke with Vladyka Irenee this week and he is trying to arrange to be with us for our Patronal Feast on July 28. It will be fun to have him serve Liturgy, do whatever else he is prepared to do, and picnic with us at York Redoubt. Let us pray about this. I remember very well about prayer when I was little in school in England - hands together, eyes closed (hardly dare we peek through a crack in our eyelids?).

Sons and daughter, big and small
God has shown He loves us all
Look around and see His love
Here below and there above.

Let us love one another as He loved, and is loving us.

May God bless each one,

-- Father David

June 21, 2024

Pentecost

Saturday June 22
10:00 am Panikhida - Commemoration of the Departed
11:00 am Baptism
6:00 pm Vigil

Sunday June 23
10:00am Divine Liturgy
Tone Pentecost

Messages

Please note:

The Liturgy on Saturday will be replaced by a Panikhida at 10am followed by a Baptism at 11am.

From Dan:

Dear all:

A reminder that we meet this Saturday, June 22 at 4:30 p.m. before Vigil, in the church basement. We will continue our ongoing discussion of Way of the Ascetics by Tito Colliander. This classic little book is a short, profound and practical distillation of the teachings of the Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church on the spiritual life. We left off last time at Chapter 17, in the midst of the author's extended reflection on prayer, which is of course the foundation of our life in Christ. We look forward to hearing your comments.

All are welcome, including newcomers and those who haven't had any time to read. For those who can't come in person, we will stream as usual here.

Also remember: Father John Behr, the world-renowned Orthodox scholar whose translation we have read together of On the Incarnation by St. Athanasius, will soon be visiting Halifax to deliver a talk and to conduct a seminar-style discussion on that same book of St. Athanasius, on July 3-4. More info here.

Love in Christ,

Daniel

Please use the outdoor toilet. The chemical toilet downstairs was OK when we were a small congregation. Now that we are much larger, it is being used beyond its ability to cope. If you have suggestions, please let David or Mark know how we could improve the toilet issue.

The trip to Cape Breton went very well, thanks to Father Alexander, Jarod and Jullian. There are even Catechumens there. Please pray for the Catechumens.

May God bless each and every one of us.

Lots of love in Christ,

-- Father David

June 14, 2024

Sunday of the First OEcumenical Council

Saturday June 15 6:00pm Vigil

Sunday June 16 10:00am Divine Liturgy
Tone 6

Look at the Icon:

Who do you suppose is hiding at the bottom of this Icon of the First Ecumenical Council? If you know the reason why the emperor Constantine called the bishops together in the first place, you will know the answer, that Arius was finally defeated. In the fourth Century the greatest controversy in the whole of the Christian world was: 'Who was Jesus and what was he?' Arius was a priest, and he was teaching that since Jesus was born of a human woman, he was obviously created. Can you believe it - The topic of conversation in the markets was exactly this. Those who followed Arius' teaching - 'Jesus was created by the Father' - and then the other side - 'No! He was not, He is God. It really was a hot topic. Finally, Constantine, the emperor got the bishops of the church together to sort out the controversy. Result - what we call The Nicene Creed -'This council, known now as the First Ecumenical Council, decreed that the Logos, the Word and Son of God, is uncreated, ever-existent, and fully divine. He is begotten-that is, "born" or generated-from the Father, and not made or created by Him. He is of one essence (in Greek, homoousios) with the Father. He is true God of true God, the Word of God by Whom all things were made (Jn 1.3; Heb 1.2). It is this uncreated, only-begotten, divine Son of God Who became man from the Virgin Mary as Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world.' (See the rest of this article on the OCA website).

Messages

This Sunday, June 16th: Children's Clothing and Gear Swap. Bring your unwanted baby and kids items to the church. Right after the Liturgy, spread your items on a blanket outside the church. During the coffee hour anyone can come and choose what they need for their growing children. All items should be clean and in good working order. No recalled items and no regulated safety equipment. No reselling of items you have received.

Sunday, June 23 Pentecost: There are plans to roast some chickens over the fire for our feast afterwards! Please bring a side dish or dessert. Also, there will be a donation box for the cost of the chickens.

St. Vladimir Family Retreat: Monday, July 29 - Thursday, August 1, 2024 at Ste Anne's Camp. Registration Forms are now available at church! Please fill in your registration form and send it with your payment to either David Decaire, Oksana Lunyov, or Daniel Wilband. Deadline: July 15th!

Remember, the day before the Retreat is St. Vladimir's Feast Day, that's Sunday July 28. When we celebrate with a picnic at York Redoubt and the kids run wild - well, almost wild.

Since the summer weather is upon us, we are asking that as many as possible, men and women and even children, use the outside toilet.

Catechumens and newly enlightened will meet after coffee this Sunday. Please attend.

Don't forget Mark's Church cleaning Bee this Saturday morning. Come with a will to clean and fix the church.

Pray for Father Alexander and those travelling to Cape Breton this Sunday, plus pray for the Mission.

Stuff coming up

• June 23 - Pentecost
• July 1 - Start of Apostles Fast
• July 12 - Peter and Paul
• July 28 - Feast of St. Vladimir
• July 29 - Parish Camp
• August 4 - Blessing of Chariots (cars)
• August 14 - Start of Dormition Fast
• August 19 - Transfiguration
• August 28 - Dormition (Theotokos)

Way - Way ahead

• September 1- Orthodox New Year
• September 11 - Beheading of St. John the Baptist
• September 15 - Parish Photo
• October 20 - Parish Annual General Meeting

September 11-Beheading of St. John the Baptist
-- Father David

June 7, 2024

Sunday of the Blind Man

Saturday June 8 6:00pm Vigil

Sunday June 9 10:00am Divine Liturgy
Tone 5

Wednesday June 12 6:00pm Vespers

Thursday June 13 The Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ
10am Divine Liturgy

A Note from Dan

Dear all:

Christ is risen! Two things that might interest you:

1. A reminder that we will meet this Saturday, June 8 at 4:30 p.m. before Vigil, in the basement at St Vladimir Parish. We will pick up our discussion of Way of the Ascetics by Tito Colliander at Chapter 15, where the author begins an extended reflection on prayer in the tradition of the Holy Fathers. All are welcome, especially newcomers. For those who can't come in person, we will stream as usual here.

2. As you may recall, a year and a half ago, we read together On the Incarnation by Saint Athanasius. I wanted to mention that the well-known Orthodox priest and scholar Father John Behr, whose own translation we read of On the Incarnation, will be visiting Halifax from Europe in early July for the Atlantic Theological Conference. During this conference he will conduct a seminar book study on that very same text of Saint Athanasius, which will happen at 2:30 p.m. on July 4. More information on this and on the conference in general is available here.

Love in Christ,

Daniel

Many of us have watched Father John Behr via the Internet and enjoyed his insight into the Gospel of Saint John the Theologian. This is our chance to see and hear him in person. Dan will inform us of the procedure to see and hear him live. The conference schedule is available here. But check with Dan or our very own presenter, Michelle. We speak a lot about Father John but let us not forget that one of the presenters is Michelle Wilband and I shall want to hear her presentation.

I notice that there are many of our families involved in Homeschooling and I'm convinced that we should be doing something to help them. It must be a struggle to keep current with curricula and activities. In internet searching for Orthodox Homeschooling, I notice that there are resources. I notice that there are even Canadian Homeschooling workbooks in various subjects and various levels. I would like to meet with all homeschooling parents to get ideas on how we can all work together. This would be best on a Sunday when all the children are occupied with each other. Shall we say this Sunday, in the upstairs, while the children are getting their food. This will be a very short meeting just to establish basically who we are. I look forward to meeting all of you. We can then share resources.

Stuff coming up

• June 13 - Ascension
• June 23 - Pentecost
• July 1 - Start of Apostles Fast
• July 12 - Peter and Paul
• July 28 - Feast of St. Vladimir
• July 29 - Parish Camp
• August 4 - Blessing of Chariots (cars)
• August 14 - Start of Dormition Fast
• August 19 - Transfiguration
• August 28 - Dormition (Theotokos)

Way - Way ahead

• September 15 - Parish Photo
• October 20 - Parish Annual General Meeting

With all that, may God bless all of us - Christ is Risen!
-- Father David

May 31, 2024

Sunday of the Samaritan Woman

Saturday June 1 6:00pm Vigil

Sunday June 2 10:00am Divine Liturgy
Tone 4

After Coffee - Catechumens and newly illumined meet

Please look up the story of Saint Photini and her sons who lived during the Neronian persecutions (54-42). This is a story well worth reading.

St. Photini pray for us.
Love in Christ,
-- Father David

Pray for those who are absent from us, and for the sick: James and Jeannine, Andrea, Colin and his family, Silouan and Savannah, Monastics, Father Panagiotis, Father Maximos, Theresa, Braidyn, and many others.

May 24, 2024

Sunday of the Paralytic

Saturday May 25 6:00pm Vigil

Sunday May 26 10:00am Divine Liturgy
Tone 1

Wednesday May 29 Mid-Pentecost
10am Liturgy

2 Messages from Dan

Dear all:

Christ is risen!

Please join us as we restart our bi-weekly meetings this Saturday, May 25 at 4:30 p.m. before Vigil, in the basement at St Vladimir Parish. We are continuing our discussion of Way of the Ascetics by Tito Colliander. We will pick up where we left off, somewhere around Chapter 13, and our discussion will focus mostly on Chapter 14. All are welcome, especially newcomers. For those who can't come in person, we will stream the discussion as usual at: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84462331463?pwd=NLFDnjMtzdVPfretIBFaOp6m4aauVq.1

Love in Christ,

Daniel

Friends:

In case someone is interested, we wanted to mention that the choral group our Stella sings in, Capella Regalis, is doing their season finale concert this Sunday May 26 at 4:00 p.m. Stella works very hard with this group and wanted us to spread the word! This year they will perform a diverse mix of secular and sacred music inspired by nautical themes. Their year end concert is always a good show.

Tickets must be purchased, but if you're so inclined it's a good way to support the group. They are a charity dedicated to free musical education and to offering excellent choral music presentations to the public. No pressure of course! See a little write-up about the concert here. Tickets and more info are available at https://capellaregalis.com/.

Love,

Dan

Here is an idea via Alina and Heather:

Dear all,

We now have many families with young children in our parish. Some came to Nova Scotia recently, some don't have much resources or support. Kids outgrew their stuff quickly and then their parents have to deal with piles and boxes of unwanted items. Let's do a swap!

Here are my suggestions:

• We choose a Sunday few weeks from now - say, June 2. June 1 is celebrated as Children's Day in many countries so even the date fits! We only need good sunny weather for it, so if rain is predicted we would have to reschedule.
• Bring your unwanted baby and kids items to the church that day. Also have a tarp or an outdoor blanket with you. Please don't bring them in advance as there is no space for storage in the church.
• Right after the Liturgy, spread your items on a blanket outside the church.
• And then during the coffee hour anyone can come and choose what they need for their growing children.
• At the end, either pick up your remaining items, or we collect what is left and donate to some charities. I personally like to support The Ukrainian Store (but we need to double-check with them in advance what they will accept) or our local St.Margaret's Bay Food Bank.

The rules are simple:

1. All items are free. Give freely without expectations, pick what you need without anyone expecting anything from you.
2. Kids and maternity items only: clothes, shoes, toys, books, dinnerware, bedding, baby-rearing equipment, sport gear for kids.
3. All items should be clean and in good working order, safe and useful for other families (zippers working, Velcro closures holding, puzzles with all pieces, and so on).
4. No recalled items and no regulated safety equipment (car seats, bike helmets).
5. No reselling of items you have received. You can donate items to a charity or give them to somebody else when you are done with them.

--

Best regards,

Alina

Another message from Alina:

Dear Fr David,

Please add this to the newsletter: The Ukrainian Store (1 Regency Drive, Dartmouth) will have a Traditional Ukrainian Food Bake Sale this Saturday, May 25, 2024, between 11am and 1pm. Come and try home made Ukrainian desserts and finger food! The Ukrainian Store helps families of Ukrainians fleeing the war and coming to Nova Scotia. The proceeds of the bake sale will support the store and the services provided by its volunteers, including picking up and delivering furniture and household items for the families settling in HRM. If you cannot make it to the bake sale but still want to support the store, you can always donate directly to them, either by EMT or with gas gift cards. More info here: https://www.halifax-ukrainian-store.ca/

Best regards,

Alina

We have had a lot of messages this week. It's good that we have a newsletter where people can post messages. I might have to change the name of the Bulletin and make it the Message-board. There is such a lot going on and my Wifi is acting up rather badly. That is acting up and the company that sends out our Bulletin is acting up. There is obviously something that does not want us communicating. Ssh! You know who.

There are people to pray for:

• Andrea
• James and Jeannine
• Theresa
• Silouan and Savannah
• Kristin, Colin and their family
• The Mission of St. Seraphim
• The 10 plus Catechumens
• The Newly illumined
• The Clergy
• Each other
• There may be others which we won't know about until you tell us or remind us.

May God bless us

Love in Christ,
-- Father David

May 17, 2024

Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing Women

Saturday May 18 6:00pm Great Vespers

Sunday May 19 10:00am Divine Liturgy
Tone 1

Tuesday May 21 St. John the Theologian
10am Liturgy

Message from Matushka Lena:

Christ is Risen! From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank all the members of the choir for all your hard work both during Great Lent and during all the services of Holy Week and Pascha. You all took the job very seriously and it is amazing how far our choir has come in a few short months. Of course, as I keep saying, this is just the beginning and there are many great feasts and much awesome music in our future. I look forward to continuing this journey together.

I need to thank my daughter Maria. Without her dedication and work, we could not have achieved this level of competence. I also would like to thank all relatives of choir members, you put up with someone who was maybe not there when you needed them, this is your sacrifice also.

Again, Christ is Risen! Thank you.

Matushka Lena

Mary Pemberton from Cape Breton and her family had a beautiful addition to their family. I don't have any of the details as to gender etc. but it looks good.

We celebrated the Baptism of eight and Chrismation of 2 Catechumens, who now become the Newly-illumined of the parish. Slowly, they will find their places within the parish. We welcome them into the Family of God.

Thank you to the ladies, Alena and Tatiana, who arranged the flowers for the tomb of Christ. They were beautifully arranged.

We were blessed to have someone in Ukraine who was willing to buy and send us a complete set of Liturgy Vessels. They were displayed so that we could look and touch before they were blessed.

Message from Dan:

Dear all:

Christ is risen!

A reminder that after taking a short and glorious break for Pascha, we will restart our bi-weekly meetings not this week, but next Saturday, May 25 at 4:30 p.m. before Vigil, in the basement at St Vladimir. From there, we will resume our regular schedule of meeting every second and fourth Saturday of the month.

There seems to be consensus that we should continue our ongoing discussion of Way of the Ascetics by Tito Colliander into the Paschal season, helping each other reflect on what this short book has to say about the spiritual life. We'll pick up where we left off at around Chapter 13. All are welcome. I'll send another reminder next week, but for those who can't come in person, we will stream the discussion as usual at: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84462331463?pwd=NLFDnjMtzdVPfr etIBFaOp6m4aauVq.1

Love in Christ, Daniel

Catechumens and Newly-illumined

There will be the meeting of Catechumens and Newly-Illumined after coffee this Sunday.

This is not a usual view of the church, from the steps right through the nave and into the altar. Because it is usual to leave all the doors open at Pascha, we can see right through to the altar. Thank you to Father Alexander for suggesting that I take this picture. The open doors of course represent the open tomb that shows Christ is Risen. That is, of course, the great cry of the Paschal Feast - Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

Pascha Lamp Roast

And the cry of the last 2000 years - Christ is Risen!

Love in Christ,
-- Father David

May 11, 2024

Thomas Sunday

Saturday May 11 6:00pm Great Vespers

Sunday May 12 10:00am Divine Liturgy
Tone 1

What a wonderful celebration. There are all sorts of photographs. If you took some, please forward them to Alina so she can include them onto the website. Did you see the numbers on Pascha Night? I'm told that there were more almost 130 communions. The service was broadcast to the people of the Mission on Cape Breton, to Braidyn in Alberta and to my brother in St. Albert. Comments have been nothing but positive. And so thank yo9u to the ladies who arranged the flowers, those who worked hard to provide food when necessary, the choir and directors, the children's choir, those who cleaned up, those who roasted the lamb (what a good idea that was), the altar crew and everyone who contributed.

There are two messages from Heather:

First one:

Hello Friends,

Just to start to get the word out... Church Camp date and location have been confirmed! St. Vladimir Orthodox Church Camp 2024 will take place July 29 - August 1st at St. Anne's Camp (same venue as last year). More details to follow.

Love in Christ,
Heather on behalf of the Church Camp Planning Committee

Second one:

Saturday, May 18th at 4pm at church - Baby Party to celebrate our four new baby boys, Andrei (Ryan and Jessica), Luke (Sergei and Kateryna), Alexei (Donald and Maegan), and Theo (Brandon and Hilary). This is an opportunity to bring a gift for each baby to bless the family. Outfits should be at least size 9 months (for Luke and Andrei) or 24 months (for Alexei and Theo). The boys are growing fast! Onesie shirts and light pants are good for the upcoming summer. But, I'm sure the parents will be happy with anything you choose to give. Also, please bring a snack to share for the party! Fr Stelian is going to say a few words. It's gonna be fun!! This is for men, women, and the kiddos, so we can all fellowship together.

And now the Paschal Message from our dear Archbishop:

Pascha 2024

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!
Le Christ est ressuscit! En vrit, Il est ressuscit

Dearly beloved Pastors, Monastics and Faithful of the Archdiocese of Canada, Orthodox Church in America

Of all the great feasts of the liturgical year of the Church, none is celebrated and joyful as the bright Feast of Feasts, the Resurrection of Christ.

Hearing the words of Saint John Chrysostom: "Where O Death, is your sting? Where O Hades is your Victory? Christ is Risen and you have fallen. Christ is Risen and the demons have fallen down. Christ is Risen and the Angels rejoice. Christ is Risen and the Life reigns. Christ is Risen and the tomb is empty of its dead for Christ is Risen from the dead and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep," let us find consolation from the burden of this world.

Today Heaven and earth is united in rejoicing for all of creation is renewed, for Christ is Risen. May the peace and joy of our Risen Lord fill our hearts, that it may be the beginning of true life for our suffering world.

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

+IRÉNÉE
Archbishop of Ottawa and Canada (OCA)

Christ is Risen

Love in Christ,
-- Father David

May 3, 2024

Pascha

May 4 Great and Holy Saturday
10:00am Liturgy (Blessing of baskets)
11:00pm Matins, Procession, with Liturgy of Pascha (blessing of baskets)

Sunday May 5 Pascha
4:00pm Agape Vespers with Dinner following

Monday May 6 Bright Monday
10:00am Liturgy

Congratulations to Father Alexander who has been awarded the Gold Cross by the Holy Synod and Archbishop Irne.

Wow! The Baptism pictures that Alina took are brilliant. The collection of photos is an almost complete record of the baptisms and chrismations that took place last Saturday. Since they are somewhat personal, Alina won't post them to the website and I won't pass them to the archdiocese until each of you gives permission for that to happen. Please let Alina know that you agree to the posting of these pictures.

I'm sure there will be sharing of Baskets after the Paschal Liturgy - there usually is. Just remember - that late at night after a fast - go easy on the eating - we may not be used to eating lots by the end of Holy Week.

I happen to know that there is a whole lamb in a freezer waiting to be thawed and then roasted. I also happen to know that there is a roasting spit all ready to receive the lamb and for the roasting to start. That will start in the church grounds before noon on the Day of Pascha - May 5th. The Party follows Agape Vespers which starts at 4pm on May 5th.

Speaking of that, please contribute to the cost of the lamb and the electric spit, Julian knows the details and will be pleased to let you know if you ask. The spit will be ours to keep, but the lamb won't (because it will be in our tummies). Speak with Heather Decaire about what else you can bring. We will need some beverages and other foods to complete the feast.

And so, Dear Brothers and Sisters, From Father Stelian, Father Alexander from me, and from each other - CHRIST IS RISEN - CHRISTOS VOSKRESE - CHRISTOS ANESTI - LE CHRIST EST RESUCITÉE - KRISTE AGHDGA - HRISTUS A ОNVIAT - Al-MESEEH QAM - & etc. until the end of time.

Love in Christ,
-- Father David

April 26, 2024

Sixth Sunday of Lent: Palm Sunday

Saturday April 27 Lazarus Saturday
10:00 am Divine Liturgy.
Baptism or Chrismation of Catechumens.
All are welcome.
6:00pm Vigil and Blessing of Palms

Sunday April 28 Entry of The Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday)
Divine Liturgy 10:00am
Tone 6
6:00pm Bridegroom Matins of Monday

Great and Holy Monday April 29
6pm Bridegroom Matins of Tuesday

Great and Holy Tuesday April 30
6pm Bridegroom Matins of Wednesday

Great and Holy Thursday May 2
10:00am Divine Liturgy Mystical Supper of Christ
6:00pm Reading of the 12 Passion Gospels

Great and Holy Friday May 3
2:00pm Great Vespers
6:00pm Matins

Great and Holy Saturday May 4
10:00am Liturgy (Blessing of baskets)
11:00pm Matins, Procession, with Liturgy of Pascha (blessing of baskets)

Sunday May 5 Pascha
4:00pm Agape Vespers with Dinner following

Heather has sent two messages:

1.

Hello Friends,

Here is a food update, to keep us all on the same page. Please note - we have a new celebration dinner after Agape Vespers on May 5th! There will be lamb and potatoes and salad... and a potluck! Sounds delicious.

Sunday, April 28th - Food Group 1

Saturday, May 4th - after 10am Liturgy- Please bring dried fruits and nuts!

Saturday, May 4th - after 11pm Pascha Liturgy- early morning PASCHA POTLUCK!! (bring something special! Meat, fish, cheese, eggs - it's Pascha!)

Sunday, May 5th - after Agape Vespers - Lamb dinner- Everybody - Please bring something to share for the potluck!!

Sunday, May 12 - Food Group 2

Sunday, May 19 - Food Group 3

Sunday, May 26 - Food Group 4

If you are not in a Food Group, and would like this opportunity, please let me know!!

Love in Christ,
Heather

2.

The Lord has blessed our parish with a few new babies! We would like to throw a party for them, to show our love and support. Men, ladies, and children are all invited to come to church Saturday, May 18th in the afternoon. Please bring a snack to share along with your gifts. More details to follow.

Well, we made it through Great Lent and now the Fast really begins as we start Passion Week. Let us make an effort during this week of real fasting in preparation for the great feast of Pascha and the Celebration of the Resurrection of Christ our Lord, God, and Saviour.

Love in Christ,
-- Father David

April 19, 2024

Fifth Sunday of Lent: St. Mary of Egypt

Saturday April 20 Vigil 6:00pm

Sunday April 21 Divine Liturgy 10:00am
Tone 5

Wednesday April 24 10:00am Presanctified Liturgy

Saturday April 27 Lazarus Saturday
10:00 am Baptism or Chrismation of Catechumens
Followed by Liturgy (first Communion)

Please pray for the Catechumens who will be Baptized or Chrismated: Chris, Evangeline, Jennifer, Julia, Julian, Rory, Shane, Sasha, Shawna, Steven. We have spent a lot of effort preparing these 10 candidates and I pray that they will flourish as Orthodox Christians in the parish.

There are more Catechumens who will be baptised later, as the occasion warrants. I'm looking forward to admitting the next set of Catechumens into the church as well.

"This year again, we have a collection of authentic Ukrainian hand-painted wooden eggs Pysanky for sale. They are at the church entrance. The suggested donation is $15 per egg. Please put money into a special collection box next to the basket. All proceeds will be forwarded to help Ukrainian families fleeing the war."

Thank you for arranging this, Alina

Notices:

Pysanky

The Pysanky cost $15 and the proceeds go for the support of the victims of the Russian/Ukrainian war.

Clean up

Saturday is Clean up day. I understand that there will be refreshments available. Come and help to make the church a more and nicer, cleaner place to worship.

St. Catherine Discussion Group

Dear all:

A reminder that we will meet again this week, Saturday, April 20 at 4:30 p.m. before Vigil, in the basement at St Vladimir. This will be our last meeting before we conclude Lent, enter into Holy Week, and celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord at Pascha. We will continue our discussion of Way of the Ascetics by Tito Colliander, picking up our discussion from last time at around Chapter 10. Please join us as we enter the final period of the Great Fast, and help each other reflect on what this little book has to tell us about prayer, fasting and the life in Christ. All are welcome.

For those who can't come in person, as usual we will stream the discussion at:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84462331463?pwd=NLFDnjMtzdVPfretIBFaOp6m4aauVq.1

Love in Christ,

Daniel

Catechumens

They will meet after Coffee Hour this Sunday. This will be their final meeting before they are Baptised and or Chrismated.

St George Church

You are aware that Father Panagiotis has asked Father Alexander to fill in for him on the Sundays of this month, so please pray for Father Alexander and Father Panagiotis. This has caused us to have to modify our service schedule for the rest of Great Lend and Passion Week. Please make sure to read and note the Supplementary Bulletins as they are issued. I don't want you to turn up expecting a service that we have had to cancelled.

Holy Unction

The service of Holy Unction that was planned for Wednesday, May 1, has been cancelled. It will be rescheduled at a quieter time of the year.

Saturday May 4 (Eve of Pascha)

A Liturgy was scheduled for 10am. This is now cancelled.

Be careful not to confuse that cancellation with the great Paschal Liturgy at 11pm that evening. That is the Liturgy of Great and Holy Pascha and no matter what - that is still on!

Blessing of Baskets

You may remember from Last year and from Christmas, that there will be lots and lots of people attending the Paschal Liturgy. The church will be bursting at its seams. If all goes to plan, there will be a tent set up for the placing of baskets to be blessed at the end of the Paschal Liturgy. Please put your basket there but do not light basket candles until right before they are to be blessed. We will welcome all of our visitors; they are important to us. May God bless them and us. If you would like advice about Baskets and what to include, and why those things are included, have a word with one of the two Matushkas who, I'm sure will be pleased to give advice.

A Proposal

Some of the young men have suggested that we roast a Lamb for a Paschal meal after the Agape Vespers (which is at 4pm on Pascha Sunday, that's Sunday May 5). We can do that if there are enough people and food to make a decent Paschal Dinner. There will be a signup sheet.

If you would like to learn about the making of Pascha bread and that delicious Cheese Pascha, please have a word with Matushka Lena, or Maria (both of whom are usually found in and around the choir). I first came across Cheese Pascha in Paris and have never forgotten it. I happen to know that Matushka Lena makes very good Cheese Pascha.

Love in Christ and wishing us strength for the last little while of Great Lent
May God Bless is all
-- Father David

April 13, 2024

Fourth Sunday of Lent: St. John of the Ladder

Saturday April 13 10:00am Liturgy of the Departed
Vigil 6:00pm (notice how short the Vigil is! When I came to the parish Vespers took just over an hour. Now, the Vigil (Vespers and Matins) takes about an hour and a quarter!) Try it.

Sunday April 14 Divine Liturgy 10:00am
Tone 4

Wednesday April 17 6:00pm Presanctified Liturgy

Friday April 19 6:00pm Akathist to the Mother of God

This week we were blessed to celebrate the Baptism of two of our youngest; Andrei and Luke, the babies of Vladimir (Ryan) and Martha (Jessica); and Sergey and Kateryna.

There were so many of the parish to welcome the new members of the congregation. Absolutely brilliant! Pray for them.

Just look at all of the services for next week - exciting! Please come as you can.

Notices

John from the St. Seraphim Mission on Cape Breton is looking for somewhere to stay so he can celebrate Passion Week and Pascha with us. Anyone willing to put him up from April 26 to May 6, please contact him at 902 308 6433. Thank you.

Confessions

I'm sure you have noticed that the priest hearing confessions on Sunday morning is there for almost the whole of the service until he has to go into the altar to receive communion. That means that the priest, usually Father Alexander, is not involved in the priestly prayers and preparations in the altar. It is the priests ordained task to be part of the Liturgy, in the altar. Because of this, I have decided that Sunday confessions will stop just before the Gospel. The time for confessions is from the beginning of the hours at about 9:30 until the Gospel, or before, during, and after Vigil, by telephone, or by arrangement. You may remember my mentioning that we do not expect people to confess each time they go to communion. Communion should be every Liturgy, but confession once a month, unless there is something urgent, of course.

Bulletin

I think the problem with the bulletin has been fixed. Apparently, there was some sort of problem with the backlog of messages. Alina has worked hard to get it all corrected. Thank you, Alina.

Wi-Fi

It is evident that there is a television monitor in the basement of the church. This is not for playing video games or anything like that - it is so that when we have the St. Catherine meeting every two weeks, that's the adult discussion group, parishioners who can't get to us easily can join in the discussion that Dan Wilband leads. It also provides a connection for the Catechumens who can't get to us each week. While we have no intention of making the connection public, we are going to allow the people of the Saint Seraphim Mission on Cape Breton, and Braidyn (Spiridon) in Alberta to join the Paschal Liturgy. His church in Alberta is Ukrainian.

Thanks

Yes. Thanks to Subdeacon James for installing the Wi-Fi and for the lights around the church. Thank you, Jimmy!

Thank you to all the women who have formed the Sisterhood dedicated to the new, or about to be new Saint Olga, a wonderful saint. You know that the women of the church do such wonderful things like organizing food, cleaning, dishwashing, and it is all behind the scenes. Thank you, Heather, for organizing and all for joining in.

Thank you, choir, and altar servants. Thank you, Father Stelian and Father Alexander - where would I be without you all?

Take nothing for granted - we are all God's children!

Love in Christ, and may He bless all of us as we approach Holy Pascha,
-- Father David

April 6, 2024

Third Sunday of Lent: Veneration of the Precious Cross

Saturday April 6 11:00am Baptism
4:30pm Fellowship of St. Catherine (Study Group)
Vigil 6:00pm (notice how short the Vigil is! When I came to the parish Vespers took just over an hour. Now, the Vigil (Vespers and Matins) takes about an hour and a quarter!) Try it.

Sunday April 7 Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos
Divine Liturgy 10:00am
Tone Annunciation
Catechumens after Coffee

Wednesday April 10 10:00am Presanctified Liturgy

Please note that we are alternating mornings and evenings for the Presanctified liturgies - that gives us all a chance to attend.

Please pray for the people of this parish, those who can't get to us for various reasons, pray for Father Panagiotis, Father Maximos, the Catechumens who will be baptised that they will remain with us, those who work tirelessly to make our coffee hour a success, clean, serve the liturgies, work in the altar, sing, bake the prosphora, supervise the young, teach Sunday School, sweep the floor, wash the dishes, repair and clean the altar cloths, vacuum the carpets, and supervise the young, and others you will remember.

Confessions: You have noticed that on Sunday morning, there are many, many confessions. While I do not want to discourage us from making regular confessions, we must come to some agreement when Confessions are appropriate. If you are burdened down with something, confession is appropriate, otherwise we normally say communion every week but regular confession once a month. We do not have to go to confession every time we go to communion. There are times for confessions other than during the Sunday liturgy: at vigil on Saturday evening - before the liturgy, during the Hours - we even in this 21st Century hear confessions over the telephone (phone numbers of the three priests are at the head of this Newsletter).

Please try to ease the Sunday morning confessions. It is really difficult for a priest to be hearing confessions one minute and then suddenly have to go into the altar to receive communion. My sons and daughters, please consider this and help.

The Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos

When the Angel Gabriel told the Theotokos that she was chosen to bear in her womb, the Son of God and she readily agreed. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. (Luke 1:38)

The Veneration of the Cross

Courage and perseverance. We are already at the Third Sunday of Great Lent, almost half way through.

Love in Christ,
-- Father David

March 29, 2024

Forty Third Sunday after Pentecost

Saturday March 30 Liturgy for the Departed followed by a panikhida 10:00am
Vigil 6:00pm

Notice how short the Vigil is! When I came to the parish Vespers took just over an hour. Now, the Vigil (Vespers and Matins) takes about an hour and a quarter! Try it.

Sunday March 31 St. Gregory Palamas
Divine Liturgy 10:00am
Tone 2

Wednesday April 3 6:00pm Presanctified Liturgy

Please note that we are alternating mornings and evenings for the Presanctified liturgies - that gives us all a chance to attend.

We have been having difficulty with the sending of the bulletin. Alina is onto the case now and we believe it will be solved shortly.

It is really encouraging that so many of us have been in attendance at the services, including St. George on the evening of Orthodox Sunday. I promised a procession but as Father Panagiotis pointed out, there is nowhere to process around St. George church. We will make up for the lack as the Lenten Fast progresses. There will be the Procession of Palms and others, as long as the weather permits, of course. Don't get discouraged. It will all come together.

Spring sneaked up on us. Happy Spring!

If you don't know about the Sisterhood, have a word with Heather, or one of the other women. We seem now to have both an active Sisterhood and a Brotherhood. That is a blessing.

If you want to know how the trip to Cape Breton went, ask either Father Stelian or Silouan. There is a story to tell and it is interesting.

Love in Christ,
-- Father David

March 22, 2024

Forty Second Sunday after Pentecost

Saturday March 23 Vigil 6:00pm

Sunday March 24 Triumph of Orthodoxy
Divine Liturgy 10:00am
Tone 1

6:00pm Vespers at St. George Greek Church
1146 Purcells Cove Road B3N 1R4

Wednesday March 27 10:00am Presanctified Liturgy

Please remember St. Catherine Fellowship meets at 4:30pm on Saturday (may be accessed via WiFi).

Catechumens after coffee on Sunday (again with WiFi).

This is also a Sunday School Sunday so Mrs. Blaauw and the 5 and older children receive Communion first and then escape to the downstairs.

Message from Heather: THIS SUNDAY after Liturgy, we would like all of the ladies of the parish to stay upstairs for a brief meeting. We would like to discuss the formation of a Sisterhood for our church for the purpose of looking after our parish people and building in a more organized fashion.

Have you ever witnessed a miracle? I have; the people of this incredible parish. The church was cram packed on Sunday morning when, right after the Liturgy, we served the Vespers of Forgiveness and we all asked forgiveness of each other; a spiral reaching right into the centre of the church. Adults, children, and clergy all asking each other to forgive and knowing that when requested, God forgives both. There were almost 80 communicants and over a hundred attending. If everyone had been there, we would have extended out the door; if you looked around, you noticed that we do indeed need new facilities, a larger building.

Now the big question:

HOW DO WE DO THAT?

Mark has made a suggestion and a plan has been circulated. He is also trying to be in touch with the Anglican authorities that own our present building. Others have suggested that we buy a plot of land and build a church to our own specifications. Here's the problem - what ever we decide, eventually - it will cost money and that is something we have very little of. Visiting that United Church a couple of weeks back, showed us the problem in dollars and cents $5.5 million with no mention of cents at all.

We have to do something and we are the solution. The Parish Council needs your suggestions. It needs to know how we are to go about this and about the raising of money.

The time really has come

You saw the numbers. You know the inadequacy of the church and the basement, you saw the problem and now together, we must face the problem and find the solution. May God inspire, prepare, and bless us in this incredible challenge. (Please pray, chat with each other, and speak with Mark, David, Dan, or Jarod - the inner Parish Council.)

Parish Council meets at my apartment at 7pm this Wednesday.

May God bless and inspire each of us.
Love in Christ,
-- Father David

PS If we can (weather!), we will go around the church singing and carrying icons. You may bring favourite icons from home if you wish.

March 8, 2024

Fortyth Sunday after Pentecost

Saturday March 9 Commemoration of the Departed
Divine Liturgy 10:00am

This is when you bring, not send, your list of departed friends and family to be read out, and commemorated
followed by a Panikhida

Saturday March 9 Vespers 6:00pm

Clocks jump forward

Sunday March 10 Sunday of the Dread Judgement
Divine Liturgy 10:00am
Tone 7

Pray for: Presvytera Joy, Therese, and others

There are two good news items to proclaim. The first is the formation of the Sisterhood, and the second is the deciding of a saint sponsor for the Adult Discussion Group. It will continue under the sponsorship of "The Great Martyr Catherine of Alexandria."

Speaking of this, here is a message from Dan:

Dear all:

The Fellowship of St. Catherine (Great Martyr Catherine of Alexandria) is the new name of our adult education/discussion group that meets before Vespers on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. A reminder that our next meeting is scheduled for this Saturday, March 9 at 4:30 p.m. in the basement at St. Vladimir Church.

For the Lenten season we are currently reading together Way of the Ascetics by Tito Colliander. This little book is a concise distillation of teachings of the holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church on Christian prayer, fasting and spiritual struggle. We discussed the first two short chapters last time and will pick things up from there this week.

We try to be warm and inviting, and we encourage all parishioners and interested guests alike to attend, especially newcomers.

As usual, for those who can't come in person, we will stream the discussion at:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84462331463?pwd=NLFDnjMtzdVPfretIBFaOp6m4aauVq.1

Meeting ID: 844 6233 1463
Passcode: 43839568

With Love in Christ, Daniel

There is also an important message from the Monks of the Hermitage regarding the new Season of Garden Produce:

Dear Friends,

We are excited once again this year to provide fresh vegetables for you and your families. Our work is our prayer. Knowing that our hidden monastic work (and prayer) feeds people and brings friends and family together gives us great joy.

We are making some changes...

Over the winter we realized we had to make some decisions. The garden was too large, and the work too much, for 3 monks. We were over-extending ourselves. A stable and healthy monastic life requires that we reduce our activities.

We have to say good-by to:

• the Panier du Moine, our weekly subscription food box,
• farmers' markets,
• regular deliveries along the South Shore and to Halifax.

Instead, this year we will focus on

• a smaller production and the simplicity of monastic life,
• improving the quality of our vegetables,
• and taking better care of the soil.

We are still going to have lots of vegetables! All directly at the monastery.

Fresh vegetables
every Saturday morning at the monastery
9am to 12 noon
(starting May 11)
172 Goose Chase Road
We look forward to seeing you !

What are our Growing Practices?

Monastic life is a constant striving to live a unified and simple life. Our growing practices match the same spirit as our monastic life. This means we strive to grow vegetables in an ecological manner, with simplicity and quietude:

• Our produce is grown chemically free, using practices accepted by organic farming.
• We prioritize soil health over harvest quantity, remembering the smallest of creatures.

How long will the season be?

This past year we were able to continue selling vegetables until Christmas. And we can likely expect to do the same this year. In fact, our climate is quite amenable to winter gardening: with hoop tunnels and some row covers, the garden is still now providing some fresh vegetables for the monks!

Our mailing address is:

Goosechase Monastery
P.0. Box 155
172 Goosechase Rd
New Germany, NS B0R 1E0
Canada

Schedule of services for Great Lent and Passion Week 2024

Monday - March 18
6pm Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete (parts 1 and 2 without Compline)
Wednesday - March 20
6pm Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete (parts 3 and 4 without Compline)
Saturday - March 23
6pm Vigil (Vigil is Vespers plus Matins with a Gospel)

First Sunday in Lent - March 24
10am Divine Liturgy First Sunday of Great Lent Triumph of Orthodoxy
Great Vespers 6pm
Wednesday - March 27
10am Presanctified Liturgy
Saturday - March 30
10am Liturgy Commemoration of the Departed (prepare and bring your list of departed)
6pm Vigil

Second Sunday in Lent - March 31
10am Divine Liturgy Second Sunday of Lent
Wednesday - April 3
6pm Presanctified Liturgy
Saturday - April 6
6pm Vigil (Cross brought from altar for the Veneration of the Precious Cross)

Third Sunday in Lent - April 7
Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, Veneration of the Precious Cross
10am Divine Liturgy Third Sunday of Lent
Wednesday - April 10
10am Presanctified Liturgy
Saturday - April 13
10am Liturgy Commemoration of the Departed (prepare and bring your list of departed, Orthodox and others)
6pm Vigil

Fourth Sunday in Lent - April 14
10am Divine Liturgy St. John of the Ladder
Wednesday - April 17
6pm Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete
Thursday - April 18
6pm Presanctified Liturgy
Friday - April 19
6 pm Akathist to the Most Holy Mother of God
Saturday - April 20
6pm Vigil

Fifth Sunday in Lent - April 21
10am Divine Liturgy St. Mary of Egypt
Wednesday - April 24
10am Presanctified Liturgy
Friday - April 26
6pm Matins
Saturday - April 27 Lazarus Saturday
10am Liturgy with Baptism of Catechumens
6pm Vigil with Blessing of Palms

Passion Week
Sunday - April 28
10am Divine Liturgy Palm Sunday Procession with Palms
6pm Bridegroom Matins of Monday
Holy and Great Monday - April 29
6pm Bridegroom Matins of Tuesday
Holy and Great Tuesday - April 30
6pm Bridegroom Matins of Wednesday
Holy and Great Wednesday - May 1
6pm Holy Unction
Holy and Great Thursday - May 2
10am Vesperal Liturgy Great Thursday Mystical Supper of Christ
6pm Reading of the 12 Passion Gospels
Holy and Great Friday - May 3 Great Friday
2pm Great Vespers
6pm Matins and procession of the Shroud
Holy and Great Saturday - May 4
10am Vesperal Liturgy
11pm Matins and Liturgy of Pascha (blessing of baskets)

Sunday - May 5
Bright Resurrection of Christ
4pm Agape Vespers (blessing of baskets)
Monday May 6 - St. George
10am Liturgy

That's pretty well it for this week. I try to make sure we are all up to date. We did investigate that United Church that is for sale. When we get the 5.5 million dollars that they are asking, we will consider it.

May God bless all of us,
Love in Christ,
-- Father David

Reminder: Fellowship of St. Catherine on Saturday 4:30pm - Sunday School week - and Catechumens meet after coffee on Sunday.

February 23, 2024

Thirty-eightth Sunday after Pentecost

Saturday February 24 Vespers 6:00pm

Sunday February 25 Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee
Divine Liturgy 10:00am
Tone 5

Reminders:

Saturday 4:30pm Adult Discussion Group. Catechumens should attend and all are welcome. Wifi is available.

Catechumens meet after Coffee on Sunday, Wifi is available. Again all may attend

You could Zoom into both of these!

This is Sunday School Sunday!

Father Alexander has made a request on the behalf of a new parishioner:

Dear Father,
Your blessing!

I'm writing about one of our newest parishioners - Anna Terekhova from Berdyansk. She is the woman who lives in Bedford that Julian the Catechumen has been kindly giving rides to.

On her request, I introduced her to everyone last Sunday during the coffee hour. She is looking for a job. In Ukraine she used to work as a nurse. Here in Halifax, she has received a "Food Handler Certification". She is looking for some kind of job in a restaurant, cafe, or bakery; alternatively, she can take care of the elderly, wash the dishes, do cleaning (in a house or a hotel) etc. She is looking for an employer who could potentially help with obtaining permanent residency in Canada.

In case people have any suggestions for her, her email is: a.terekhova.71 (at) gmail.com.

I hope there is some way we can help Anna. We are blessed to have people coming to us from Ukraine, Russia and other countries.

This week of the Publican and Pharisee is a Fast Free week. That means that meat, eggs and dairy etc. are eaten even on Wednesday and Friday, which are normally fasting days. That tells us that next Sunday, March 10 will be Meat-fare, the last day to eat meat before the Lenten Fast and that the Sunday after, March 17 will be Cheese-Fare, the last day to eat cheese, eggs and other dairy products before the Lenten Fast. It's all happening in our parish. The following OCA site will explain fasting and help us understand it: https://www.oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox- faith/worship/the-church-year/lenten-fasting.

We, the three priests of the parish, being optimistic, have proposed a heavy schedule of Lenten Services. Optimistically, they will all be served; realistically, there may be changes, so please listen for announcements.

Listen carefully to the Gospel this Sunday, it's the Parable that Jesus used to teach about the arrogance, self-aggrandizement of the Pharisee and the humility, modesty, and unpretentious stance of the Publican. Jesus was telling this story in front of Pharisees who knew that He was telling it for their benefit - I'm sure He hoped they would learn, but their arrogant stance probable prevented any learning, I know it does with me.

Remember that Great Old Testament Book for Great Lent - the Book of Psalms. If you don't know the Psalms, you are in for a surprise. They are attributed to David the young Shepherd but were added-to by others. Every emotion possible is reflected in these incredible poems. Try them and see; we use them in the services all the time.

Schedule of services for Great Lent and Passion Week 2024

Monday - March 18
6pm Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete (parts 1 and 2 without Compline)
Wednesday - March 20
6pm Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete (parts 3 and 4 without Compline)
Saturday - March 23
6pm Vigil (Vigil is Vespers plus Matins with a Gospel)

First Sunday in Lent - March 24
10am Divine Liturgy First Sunday of Great Lent Triumph of Orthodoxy
Great Vespers 6pm
Wednesday - March 27
10am Presanctified Liturgy
Saturday - March 30
10am Liturgy Commemoration of the Departed (prepare and bring your list of departed)
6pm Vigil

Second Sunday in Lent - March 31
10am Divine Liturgy Second Sunday of Lent
Wednesday - April 3
6pm Presanctified Liturgy
Saturday - April 6
6pm Vigil (Cross brought from altar for the Veneration of the Precious Cross)

Third Sunday in Lent - April 7
Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, Veneration of the Precious Cross
10am Divine Liturgy Third Sunday of Lent
Wednesday - April 10
10am Presanctified Liturgy
Saturday - April 13
10am Liturgy Commemoration of the Departed (prepare and bring your list of departed, Orthodox and others)
6pm Vigil

Fourth Sunday in Lent - April 14
10am Divine Liturgy St. John of the Ladder
Wednesday - April 17
6pm Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete
Thursday - April 18
6pm Presanctified Liturgy
Friday - April 19
6 pm Akathist to the Most Holy Mother of God
Saturday - April 20
6pm Vigil

Fifth Sunday in Lent - April 21
10am Divine Liturgy St. Mary of Egypt
Wednesday - April 24
10am Presanctified Liturgy
Friday - April 26
6pm Matins
Saturday - April 27 Lazarus Saturday
10am Liturgy with Baptism of Catechumens
6pm Vigil with Blessing of Palms

Passion Week
Sunday - April 28
10am Divine Liturgy Palm Sunday Procession with Palms
6pm Bridegroom Matins of Monday
Holy and Great Monday - April 29
6pm Bridegroom Matins of Tuesday
Holy and Great Tuesday - April 30
6pm Bridegroom Matins of Wednesday
Holy and Great Wednesday - May 1
6pm Holy Unction
Holy and Great Thursday - May 2
10am Vesperal Liturgy Great Thursday Mystical Supper of Christ
6pm Reading of the 12 Passion Gospels
Holy and Great Friday - May 3 Great Friday
2pm Great Vespers
6pm Matins and procession of the Shroud
Holy and Great Saturday - May 4
10am Vesperal Liturgy
11pm Matins and Liturgy of Pascha (blessing of baskets)

Sunday - May 5
Bright Resurrection of Christ
4pm Agape Vespers (blessing of baskets)
Monday May 6 - St. George
10am Liturgy

May God Bless us all,
Love in Christ,
-- Father David

February 16, 2024

Thirty-seventh Sunday after Pentecost

Saturday February 17 Vespers 6:00pm

Sunday February 18 Zaccheus Sunday
Divine Liturgy 10:00am
Tone 4

I'm sorry that the Bulletins stopped. The modem supplied by Bell, suddenly stopped working. They tried all sorts, (those ladies in the Philippines are very kind and patient), eventually sending a technician and then sending another technician. Now it is working, well not that modem but another one that they sent.

When we reach Zacchaeus Sunday, we know for sure that Great Lent is getting near, and that's the truth - it is. Great Lent begins after Vespers on Forgiveness Sunday, that's March 17.

Father Stelian and Matushka Lena have both returned to their house in Ottawa to hasten the selling of that property. They can't make offers on houses nearby to Halifax before the sale of their house in Ottawa. Subdeacon Michael, Maria and their family are now settled in Hammonds Plains, as is Subdeacon James, Katy and their little family.

Listen carefully to the story of Zacchaeus and see how Zacchaeus went from being a tax collector to eventually becoming the Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine. Sins can be forgiven with true repentance.

That brings me to the problems of Confession time. All of us sin in small ways like being impatient, losing temper sometimes, or a hasty rebuff. That is why we all (priests as well!) go to confession about once a month - to clean out the cobwebs from our souls. Think about it; do it. It is the Orthodox thing to do! No one will judge you; no one will notice you - once a month and Communion every Sunday.

Love to all. May God bless each of us,
-- Father David

February 9, 2024

Thirty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost

Saturday February 10 Discussion Group 4:30pm
Vespers 6:00pm

Sunday February 11 Divine Liturgy 10:00am
Tone 3
Sunday School
after coffee Catechumens

Wednesday February 14 6:00pm Vespers with Litia

Thursday February 15 The Meeting of our Lord, God, and Saviour Jesus Christ in the Temple
10:00am Liturgy

May God bless all of us.

February 3, 2024

Thirty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost

Saturday February 3 Vespers 6:00pm

Sunday February 4 Divine Liturgy 10:00am
Tone 2

January 26, 2024

Thirty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Saturday January 27 St. Sava of Serbia,
St. Nina, enlightener of Georgia
Vespers 6:00pm

Sunday January 28 St. Paul of Thebes,
John Calabytes "The Hut Dweller"
Divine Liturgy 10:00am
Tone 1

Monday January 29 Vespers 6:00pm

Tuesday January 30 St. Anthony the Great
Divine Liturgy 10:00am

Catechumens meet after coffee this Sunday.

This Sunday I am going to make a remembrance of the Feast of St. Nina (Nino) The Enlightener of Georgia (which is actually celebrated the day before). We have Georgians who faithfully attend the parish and Georgian is one of the languages we hear when we recite the Lord's prayer Sunday by Sunday. Please be sure to specially greet the Georgians at coffee time this Sunday. Georgia is very special to me; I have visited there several times and still have friends there with whom I communicate regularly. It is an incredible country and I love it. On my second visit, I was privileged to serve with His Holiness Ilia II in his cathedral in Tbilisi. That was a memorable occasion. I was privileged to present to His Holiness, a hand written icon of St. Silouan the Athonite; he gave me a silver bracelet, like the ones he presents to those he baptizes. His Holiness speaks English perfectly.

I look back at that time and thank God for the privileges he has granted me, including the Georgian friends I have met and still hold dear. We are blessed to have on our altar, myrrh from St. Gabriel Urgebadze, of Georgia, whose Icon graces our Georgian corner. A saying of St. Gabriel: "If you could see what grace descends during the Divine Liturgy in church, you would gather the dust and wash your face with it!"

Good news from Ryan and Jessica: Ivan's new brother Andrei Seraphim has been born.

I wonder what Ivan thinks of his new brother. Has he met him yet? We will certainly welcome him into the Church and into the parish when the time comes. Congratulations and Thanks be to God that he was delivered safely.

Now we are waiting for altar boy Mark's brother to arrive. God bless Katerina and Sergey for a safe delivery.

We now have Wifi in the church. How very modern of us. How do I know? I was there to let them on this Thursday morning as two gentlemen installed it, with great difficulty - mainly in the drilling of the hole in the wall to let the cable in. It's digital, optical, much more modern than my apartment.

Here are the photos of the blessing of the Water on Theophany and the adventure into the water to retrieve the cross https://photos.app.goo.gl/ypjQb82eXhexFVdn9. There were not quite as many young men chasing the cross as last year, but there was fun. The waters of the Atlantic Ocean got blessed and 4 young men got wet. I'm going to put Sergey in charge of the blessing of the Atlantic; next year he will decide how and where it will happen. I hope also that we can have a similar ceremony for the Mission on Cape Breton, after all they are surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean.

May God bless all of us,
Love in Christ,
-- Father David

(PS The waters didn't part!)

January 18, 2024

Thirty-third Sunday after Pentecost

Friday January 19 Feast of Theophany
Liturgy and Great Blessing of Waters 10:00am

Saturday January 20 After-feast of the Theophany & Synaxis of St. John the Baptist
Vespers 6:00pm

Sunday January 21 After-feast of the Theophany & St. George the Chozebite
Divine Liturgy 10:00am
Tone 8

On Wednesday, I received a document from Archbishop Irne, transferring Father Stelian Liabotis from the Holy Annunciation Cathedral in Ottawa, Ontario, to the parish of St. Vladimir 'Prince' of Kiev in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Therefore, I would like everybody to welcome Father Stelian and Matushka Lena officially into our midst.

I want to point out that Father Stelian was ordained before Father Alexander and so appears in our title banner before Father Alexander. This does not mean that Father Alexander is in any way replaced or reduced, he is listed under Father Stelian due to order of ordination.

Father Alexander with Taran (Silouan) and Jarod (Michael) are travelling to Cape Breton to serve Liturgy and bless water. There will not be the opportunity for rescuing the Cross in Cape Breton, but I've promised Mary that next year at their celebration of Theophany it will be an entirely different matter. They now have time to collect fluffy warm towels for the dippers.

In our case: After the Liturgy, we will go to the place chosen by Subdeacon David where we will toss in the cross after the blessing of the Atlantic Ocean and see which of the young men (and young women) find it (we'll attach fishing line to it just in case no one finds it!). BRING WARM TOWELS - I don't want anyone freezing or catching a chill.

May God bless all of us and keep us in His love,
In Christ,
-- Father David

January 12, 2024

Thirty-second Sunday after Pentecost

Saturday January 13 Apodosis of the Nativity of Christ
Vespers 6:00pm

Sunday January 14 Circumcision of the Lord
Divine Liturgy 10:00am
Tone 6

Monday January 15 St. Seraphim of Sarov and Forefeast of Epiphany
Divine Liturgy 10:00am

Thursday January 18 Eve of the Theophany
Vespers and Liturgy and Great Blessing of Water 10:00am

Friday January 19 Feast of Theophany
Liturgy and Great Blessing of Waters 10:00am

Our celebration of the Nativity of Christ was a splendid occasion. Starting with Confessions at 9pm and starting Matins followed by Liturgy at 9.30, we managed to have a house full. Someone passed the comment, "Standing Room Only!" and that is the truth. Father Jean-Baptiste, wrote: "We heard you were sold out, last night. No tickets left." and that is again the truth. Glory to God!

It has been good having Father Stelian with us over Christmas. Subdeacon Michael and his family are with us permanently now. Maria has taken Timothy back to Ottawa just to finish packing up their home. They have bought a home here. Matushka Lena will be here; their home has yet to sell in Ottawa. Prayers are in order!

I want to thank you for the gifts I received. There was the gift from the parish and others. Thank you! I'm absolutely sure that Father Alexander would want me to say thank you on his behalf as well. We are looking forward to the time when Vladyka Irénée Transfers Father Stelian to us; all in God's time. (We will have to redesign the business cards.)

Please take note of the services leading up to Theophany and I will remind you again that it is customary for Orthodox homes to be blessed each year at Theophany. More on that and more on the blessing of the Ocean and the cold dip.

Members of the Mission on Cape Breton should take special note of the Feast of The Venerable Seraphim, Wonderworker of Sarov, the patron saint of the Mission. We will be serving Liturgy on Monday morning. Please make sure you pray with us, even if you can't get to the church.

Master and Lord of Heaven and Earth and King of the ages. Deign to open the door of repentance to me, for in anguish of my heart I pray to Thee, our true God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. Look upon me in Thy great loving-kindness and accept my prayer. Incline Thine ear to my prayer and forgive me all the evil that I have done by the abuse of my free will.

Catechumens meet after coffee this Sunday. Join them and Learn about Forgiveness Sunday.

A note from Daniel Wilband:

Dear all:

Christ is born! We will resume our meetings this Saturday, January 13, 2024 at 4:30 (before Vespers) in the church basement. We'll continue from there as usual, on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month.

For now, we'll continue our ongoing discussion of the structure, history and spiritual meaning of the Divine Liturgy. This week, we will pick up where we left off, with the Cherubic Hymn, and see how far we get. I've attached some relevant chapters from Fr. Lawrence Farley's book, for those who don't have a copy.

For those at a distance, we will stream our discussion here (https://meet.google.com/moc-uqzu-pam). The church basement has recently had a major tech upgrade, and if we can figure out how to use it, the streaming should be much higher quality.

Believe it or not, we are not all that far off from the pre-Lent period, around which time we will take up a different reading to discuss. Stay tuned.

Love in Christ, Daniel

So there's the Bulletin for this week. Next week will be busy. Please come to as much as you can. Don't forget you will need to collect Holy water.

Love in Christ,
-- Father David

January 5, 2024

Thirty-first Sunday after Pentecost

Saturday January 6 Matins 9:00pm
Followed by Liturgy of Christmas

Saturday January 6 NO Vespers

Sunday January 7 NO Liturgy

Monday January 8 Synaxis of the Theotokos
Liturgy at 10:00am

Metropolitan Tikhon - Nativity of our Lord 2023

To the clergy, monastics, and faithful of the Orthodox Church in America, my beloved children in the Lord,

Christ is born! Glorify him!

At the Vigil for today's feast, we sang with the words of St. Germanus of Constantinople: "Today the Virgin gives birth to the Maker of all. Eden offers a cave and a star discloses Christ, the Sun, to those in darkness" (second sticheron at the aposticha).

In a supreme paradox, the created world today offers shelter to the one who contains all things in the palm of his hand. Coming among us in obscurity, "born of a woman, born under the Law" (Gal. 4:4), in the form of a tiny baby, "in the form of a servant" (Phil. 2:7), hidden in a dark cave, nevertheless he shines his light upon our gloom.

Becoming small, he allows us to touch his greatness. Clothing himself in our weakness, he permits us to rest in his strength. Embracing obscurity, he brings enlightenment to the ends of the earth. Ministering as a servant, he shows his love as our Master, our Lord, and our King.

In our present day, as the gloom waxes and the darkness closes, as "wars and rumors of wars" abound (Mt. 24:6), the icon of the Nativity - Eternity laid as a baby in a crib, Salvation in the form of a newborn child, Redemption in the weakness of infant flesh - is as timely as ever. As an American hymn writer wrote over a century and a half ago, in the dark streets of Bethlehem, "the hopes and fears of all the years" are met together on the night of the Savior's birth. If we seek an answer, a solution, to the questions of our age and every age, that Answer, the very Word of the Father, can be found lying in a manger, sleeping, yet with his heart awake (Songs 5:2); resting in his tiny human body, but at work as God (Jn. 5:17).

Once the wise men journeyed, not to meet Herod in his court of splendor, nor to seek Caesar on his Roman throne, but to find a Child in his Mother's arms. Likewise, we do not seek peace, salvation, and joy from the hand and works of "princes and sons of men" (Ps. 145:3), but from the Lord who appears to us in silence, showing us the way of humility, stillness, forgiveness, meekness, and mercy.

Today, as we join the righteous Joseph, the magi, and the shepherds in worshipping the Lord at his Nativity, enthroned in the lap of his Mother, we place our trust in his care, his providence, his justice, which transcend all human comprehension. Setting aside our own righteousness, we repent and embrace the peace and silence of the manger. Setting aside the grand and distracting worries of the world, we concern ourselves with generosity and forbearance towards our brethren and neighbors.

As St. Porphyrius of Kavsokalyvia writes, "Only prayer, silence, and love are effective." Resting in prayer and silence, through faith and trust we encounter the love of the one who became flesh for our sake, in whom every conflict and battle ceases, the Peace and Power of God, come to reign in our hearts through his Incarnation. May we always accept that love with repentance, humility, and gratitude, and joyfully share it with others, this day and every day. To Christ our God and Savior, born this Christmas day, be all glory, together with his Father who is without beginning and his All-holy Spirit, unto the endless ages of ages. Amen.

Christ is born! Glorify him!

I remain as ever,
Sincerely yours in the joy of our newborn Lord and God and Savior,

+ Tikhon
Archbishop of Washington
Metropolitan of All America and Canada

Next week Fast Free!

Merry Christmas!
Love in Christ
Father David & Father Alexander
Grant Peace, Lord! Please protect the innocent!