Toronto, July 21, 2014
On July 18, as part of the festivities dedicated to the 700th anniversary of the birth of St. Sergius, Igumen (Abbot) of Radonezh, a Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Church of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God. After the Liturgy, with the blessing of the ruling hierarch of the Canadian and Montreal Diocese (ROCOR), Archbishop Gabriel (Chemodakov), a memorial cross was erected and a supplicatory prayer service was performed near the church, reports the church’s website.
The representative of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Toronto, S.V. Chernenko, was present at the service.
The rector, Fr. Maxim (Abroskin), read the canon to the Life-Giving Cross, and then during the singing of the Thrice Holy hymn (“Holy God”) the three-meter wooden cross was erected on the pedestal that had been prepared in advance.
After that a prayer service (moleben) to St. Sergius was served.
Fr. Maxim greeted all the parishioners on the occasion of the feast, reminding them that the Cross of Christ is the symbol of the victory of life over death and thanked all who actively participated in this project.
