« On the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, His Grace Bishop Matthew of Sourozh led the patronal celebration at the Ascension Church in Skaro, Alberta »

On May 25, 2023, on the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, the day of commemoration of Hieromartyr Hermogenes, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, miracle worker, His Grace Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, temporary Administrator of the Patriarchal parishes in the United States and Canada, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Ascension of the Lord in Skaro, Alberta.

At the entrance to the church, the Right Reverend Archpastor was greeted, with flowers and bread and salt, by the reader Joachim Lopushinsky and Varvara Lopushinsky - direct descendants of the first Ukrainian settlers who arrived in Canada from the Russian Empire in the 19th century.

At the Divine Liturgy, His Grace was assisted by Archpriest Igor Kisil, Dean of the Patriarchal Parishes in the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, Priest Alexei Suraev, Rector of the Patriarchal Parishes in the Orthodox V Church District, and Deacon Andrei Boldyrev.

The liturgical hymns were performed by the choir under the direction of Subdeacon Theodore Golden, son of Vasily Golden, Honored Regent of the Cathedral of the Great Martyr  Barbara in Edmonton, who at one time worked hard in the field of church singing in the Patriarchal parishes.

At the end of the divine service, His Grace Vladka addressed the clergy and parishioners with a word of sermon and spiritual edification.

In response, Priest Alexy Suraev, Rector of the church, warmly thanked Vladyka Matthew for the archpastor's visit and the opportunity to pray together.

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