|
The first Sunday of Great Lent is celebrated by the Orthodox Church as the Feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. Originally, this Feast was established to mark the restoration of icons after the period of iconoclasm.
The first celebration of the restoration of icons at the ancient church was held on March 11, 893, in Constantinople. On that day, the faithful Orthodox people marched through the streets of the capital, carrying icons back to the churches. Thus, the tradition of the celebration of this event has been established and carried on until now a days.
This year the Vespers of the Sunday of Orthodoxy was celebrated in Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Church on March 4, 2001.
Participating clergy were from:
Greek Churches – Rev. Demetrios Partsafas, the Rector of the Cathedral; Rev. Damaskinos Voliotis, Rector of Sts. Konstantine and Helen Church; Rev. Panagiotis Pavlakos, Rector of Sts. Nicholas and Demetrioc Church;
Ukrainian churches: Very Rev. Peter Hnativ, Rector of the Holy Trinity Church in Vancouver; Father Victor Vavashovich Sts. Peter and Paul Church in New Westminster; Father Isidor Woronchak, Rector of the Church of Assumption in Surrey;
Serbian Church – Very Rev. Miroslav Dejanov and Rev. Savo Arsenievic from St. Sava Church;
Romanian Church – Rev. Andrisoia, Rector of St. Andrew Mission; Rev. Cornelis Dragomir, Rector of St. Nicholas, Rev. Stephen Froneya, Rector of St. Georges Church; Father Nicholay Lapusty, Rector of Holy Trinity
Antiohian Church – Father Mel Jameyka, Rector of St. Innocent Church;
Orthodox Church of America – Very Rev. Michael Fourik, Very Rev. Stephen Slipko and Father James McLuckie – Holy Resurrection Church; Father Lawrence Farley from St. Herman of Alaska, in Langley and Rev. Johanna Ayoub Rector of Mar Elias Arabic Church in New Westminster.
Rev. Cornelis Dragomir gave a very instructive sermon relating to the event.;
The choirs from Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral, St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, St. Nicholas Romanian Orthodox Church, and Holy Resurrection Church - sang beautifully decorating this special service the Sunday of Orthodoxy. After the Vespers Sisterhood of our church served coffee and tea in the upper and lower halls. May the Lord God bless all those who participated in this unforgettable event!
2001 year Maslenitza (Feb. 18, 2001) has been very successful in our church. May the Holy Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, protect all our ladies who made the Maslenitza lunch possible.
Thank you kindly to all, who came to clean up the grounds around the church on March 3, 2001, just before the Sunday of Orthodoxy. God bless you with good health and many years!