February 2010/ Monthly Bulletin of the Orthodox V Charitable Association

EditorÛAlona Sergeeva

    The Meeting of our Lord Jesus Christ  

 On the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord, the Church
commemorates an important event in the earthly life of
our Lord Jesus Christ (Lk 2: 22-40). On the 40th day af-
ter birth the God-Infant was taken to the Jerusalem Tem-
ple w the centre of religious life of the God-chosen na-
tion. By the Law of Moses (Lev 12) a woman, having
given birth to a child of the male gender, was forbidden
for 40 days to enter into the Temple of God. After this
interval the mother came to the Temple with the child, so as to offer to the Lord
thanksgiving and a purification sacrifice. The Most Holy Virgin, the Mother of God, did not have need
for purification, since without defilement she had given birth to the Source of purity and sanctity, but in
profound humility she submitted to the precepts of the Law.
At this time there lived at Jerusalem the righteous elder Simeon (the account about him is located un-
der the day of his commemoration w 3 February). It had been revealed to him that he would not die until
he should behold Christ the Saviour. By inspiration from above, the pious elder went to the Temple at
that very moment when the Most Holy Mother of God and Righteous Joseph had brought there the In-
fant Jesus, so as to fulfill the ritual ceremony of the Law. The God-Bearer Simeon took the God-Infant
in his arms, and having given thanks to God, he uttered a prophecy about the Saviour of the world: "Now
lettest Thou Thy servant depart, O Lord, with peace according to Thy word, wherefore hath mine eyes
beheld Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to the enlightening
of gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel" (Lk 2: 29-32).  At the Temple also the 84 year old widow Anna
the Prophetess, daughter of Phanuel (Comm. 3 February), "who did not leave the temple, serving God both day
and night in fasting and prayer. And she also at that time, having drawn near, glorified the Lord and spake about
Him (the God-Infant) to all awaiting deliverance at Jerusalem" (Lk 2: 37-38).

Before the Birth of Christ, all righteous men and women lived by faith in the Future Messiah the Saviour of the
world, and they awaited His coming. The final righteous ones of the closing Old Testament w Righteous Simeon
and the Prophetess Anna w were deemed worthy to meet at the Temple the Bearer of the New Testament, in the
Person of Whom both Divinity and humanity do meet.

The Feast of the Meeting of the Lord is among the most ancient feasts of the Christian Church.
holytrinityorthodox.com

1
 After surviving parachute failure, test pilot builds
church in Antarctica

Test pilot Pyotr Zadirov thanked God for his successful flight with-
out parachute by building the Holy Trinity Church in Antarctica.

Zadirov, a professional parachutist, made a jump from 800 meters,

which has become crucial for him. His parachute failed to open for
technical reasons. However, Pyotr fell in a snowdrift and miracu-
lously had only slight concussions and bruises, doctors could not help wondering as he did not have any
internal injuries, the Moskovsky Komsomolets reported.

Since then Zadirov has erected three churches to thank God for his miraculous salvation including the one
at the South Pole.

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uiem service was read for all who died at the Pole before, they were just buried in snow in a small local
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Patriarch Alexy II blessed the project of the church in style of wooden architecture in 2000. The church
has become a representation of the Holy Trinity - St. Sergius Laura and rectors serve there in shifts.
Interfax

Followers of "Kiev Patriarchate" attempt to seize church by force in Western Ukraine

A group of Cossacks have averted another attempt by followers of the self-

proclaimed "Kiev Patriarchate" to seize the Protection Church in the village of
Musorovtsy in Western Ukraine.

The incident occurred during the Christmas holidays.

The official website of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate reported on Wednes-
day that a Cossack community will be set up in Ternopil region to protect churches from dissenters.

The previous attempt to take over the church was made on January 3. In total, 4 attempts have been made
by followers of the "Kiev Patriarchate" to seize control of the church. At the end of the liturgy about 100
people tried to break in through the front door in the presence of the police and representatives of the vil-
lage administration. They managed to break the lock but failed to enter as they repeated their attempt
through the side doors using an axe and a five-meter ram.

The first attempt to take over the church by force was made in mid-November and the second two weeks
later. According to Archbishop of Ternopil Sergy, head of the village council personally broke the locks on
the church doors while the riot police used force to let followers of the "Kiev Patriarchate" enter the
church.

There are major divisions in the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. Followers are split between the "Kiev Pa-
triarchate" and the Moscow Patriarchate. Interfax

2
FfOoRr  TtWwOo  YyEeAaRrSs  IiNn  SsUuCcCcEeSsSsIiOoNn  OoNn  TtHhEe  FfEeAaSsTt  OoFf  TtHhEeOoPpHhAaNnYy  HhIiSs  BbEeAaTtIiTtUuDdEe  MmEeTt-
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DdNnIiEePpEeRr.  
 
On January 19, the feast of Theophany, at the capital Obolon-
ska embankment, at the foot of the Holy Protection Church
(Pryrichna str., 5-ɚthe Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of
Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan Volodymyr blessed the waters of
the Dnieper. Note that this event has taken place already for two
years in succession.

Concelebrating with His Beatitude were rector of the Kyiv Theologi-

cal Schools Archbishop Anthony of Boryspil, Secretary for the Pri-
mate of the UOC of Moscow Patriarchate Bishop Alexander of
Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyy and the district clergy.

Upon completion of the rite of the Great Blessing of Waters the Archpastor addressed those
present with a word of instruction and greeted them on the feast of Theophany.

"On these bright and lightsome days in the history of our salvation the Innocent Christ has
taken up upon Himself our sins and washed them in the waters of the Jordan. Today the
entire essence of the water is being purified and everywhere the water is clean, because
this is the mercy of God, Who wants us to be as perfect as He is, and were holy as He is
Holy. May God send everyone the blessing of the Jordan river through our unworthy
prayers, aspersion and reinforcement", he said in particular.

Thereafter all those willing could dive into the ice-hole cut in the shape of the cross. At the
very bath the two-meter glacial cross was installed. It should be noted that the place for
blessing of the waters was chosen not by chance, since by tradition the local residents hold
their Theophany bathing
there. orthodox.org.ua

Residents of Ivanovo to "nail" their sins

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youth in last month.

The event organizers set a wooden column before the chapel near the Sci-
entific Library and participants in the action should nail with the hammer a sheet of paper
with their sins, the local diocese has informed Interfax.

All comers can repent in such an unusual way, participants in the action also have a
chance to talk to orthodox clerics.

Interfax

3
Orthodox believers celebrated Christmas
 
On  January  7,  Orthodox  believers  celebrated  one  of  the  most  important  church  feasts  -­  the  
Nativity  of  Christ.    
 
Patriarch  of  Moscow  and  All  Russia  traditionally  conducted  the  main  Christmas  service  in  
the  Cathedral  of  Christ  the  Savior.  About  four  thousand  people  attended  the  Liturgy  in  spite  of  biting  frost.  It  was  the  
first  Christmas  service  Patriarch  Kirill  celebrated  after  he  had  been  elected  Primate  in  late  January  last  year.  Russian  
President  Dmitry  Medvedev  prayed  at  the  patriarchal  service.    
 
Festival  services  have  been  celebrated  that  night  in  800  Orthodox  churches  of  Moscow  and  30  thousand  Russian  
churches  all  around  the  globe  -­  as  many  parishes  the  Moscow  Patriarchate  has  today.  
 
Not  only  Russian  Orthodox  believers  are  glorifying  the  Infant  Christ  on  January  7,  but  the  faithful  of  the  Serbian,  
Georgian  and  Jerusalem  Churches  who  also  live  according  to  the  Julian  calendar.  One  of  the  central  services  took  
place  in  Bethlehem  basilica  erected  above  the  cave  of  Christ's  Nativity.    
 
 
Greeting  the  believers,  Patriarch  Kirill  told  about  the  meaning  of  Christ's  Nativity  as  it  brought  people  closer  to  God  
and  urged  to  remember  about  eternal  Divine  truths,  "which  can  but  only  transform  our  lives."    
 
                                                                                                                                             Interfax  

 
 
 

Harold and Jane was not a very religious couple but tried their best;; they only went to
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Special thanks from father George, Alona and Kirill!

Dear brothers and sisters!!!

Thank all of you for your attention, good wishes and nice gifts
RQWKH&KULVWPDV'D\1HZ<HDU'D\DQG.LULOOjV%LUWKGD\

May God bless all of you!!!!

 
 
God grant many years to all our With the Saints give rest, o Christ, to the
parishioners who celebrate their souls of Thy servants, where there is neither
birthdays and anniversaries in sickness, nor sorrow, nor sighing, but life
the month of February! We everlasting. Memory eternal to people, which
wish you all good health, long were our parishioners and departed to God
life and happiness!!! in the month of February!!!.

                     4
 Synodal Department for Prison Ministry of the UOC of Moscow Patriarchate
RUJDQL]HGWKHH[KLELWLRQk&KULVWPDV3DWWHUQVlRIWKHZRUNVRIDUWLVWLFDQG
applied art by the imprisoned.

On January 15, at the blessing of His Beatitude Metropoli-

tan Volodymyr, the solemn opening of the All-Ukraine exhibi-
tion "Christmas Fretwork", dedicated to the feast of nativity of
Christ, of the works of artistic and applied arts by impris-
oned.
The organizers of the exhibition were the Synodal Department
of the UOC for Pastoral Care of the Penitentiary System together with the State Department
for Execution of Penalties and the national Kyiv-Pechersk Historical Culture Reserve.

The exhibition presents the objects of art on Christmas themes, manufactured by the impris-
oneds, and its participants became some 120 people serving the sentence. After the exhi-
bition was announced in December previous year, the local branch offices of the State De-
partment selected the best works and sent them to the central office of the State Department
of Ukraine for Execution of Penalties. There are more than 130 objects at this exhibition,
representing almost all territorial branch offices of the Department.

At the blessing of the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox

Church the exhibition was opened by Vicar of the Kyiv
Metropolis, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Reli-
gious Education and Catechization Bishop Ilary of
Makariv. Vladyka conducted the prayer service at the
Refectory Church of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, following
which he addressed those attending with archpastoral
word. Then the concert of Christmas carols and the pres-
entation of the exhibit items were held in the building
ʋ20, the gallery "Nef" of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. In-
vited to the exhibition were the representatives of the
state authorities, the publicity, creative intelligence etc.

At the opening the deputy chief of the administration for social-psychological work of the
State Department of Ukraine for Execution of Penalties, colonel of internal service Bezorchuk
O.L. mentioned that the aim of holding such events is propagation of spiritual tradition of
the Ukrainian nation and the values of the Christian culture, promotion of bringing up in the
imprisoned of the healthy habit and morality, law-abiding behavior, effective occupancy at
leisure.

Also addressing those present was head of the Synodal De-

partment of the UOC for Pastoral Care of the Penitentiary Sys-
tem priest Victor Yatsenko: It has become a good tradition to
acquaint the community with religious visual art of the impris-
oned. The most part of the exhibits testifies that in spite of
imperfect professional level the creativity itself is motivated by
religious inspiration and the desire to touch the sanctity. Many
similar iconographic works decorate the churches and prayer rooms in the places of confine-
ment. The organizers of the exhibition hope that it will be interested for the general public
and will invoke readiness to help the imprisoned fell necessary for the society".
orthodox.org.ua

5
Schedule of Services
For February 2010
7 February (Sunday) - Tone 2 - Chipman - 10:00 AM - Ortho V annual Meeting

14 February (Sunday) ¤ The meeting of our Lord - Skaro - 10:00AM

15, 16, 17, 18 February - the beg. Of Great Lent, Grand Compline - Chipman - 6.30 PM

21 February (Sunday) ¤ Tone 4, Confession - Mundare - 10:00 AM

27 February (Saturday) ¤ Patriarchal Parishes Meeting - 10:30 AM - Nisku

28 February (Sunday) - Tone 5, Confession - Shiskovtzi - 10:00 AM

Orthodox feasts (prazdniki)

in February
6 February - The Saturday of the Dead  (in this day we remember about our de-
parted relatives and all departed orthodox people and pray about their souls)

7 February - Icons of the Most Holy Theotokos "Assuage My Sorrow"

8 February - The beg. of Maslenitsa (Pancake week)

14 February - - Martyr Tryphon of Campsada near Apamea in Syria (250).

15 February -The Meeting of Our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ.

21 February - Triumph of Orthodoxy.

If you have any questions or proposals, please, Contact us:

 
Priest: Father George Sergeev 780-895-21-49
Email: sergal07@yahoo.com.
PO Box 483 Lamont Alberta TOB 2R0
 
 

President Yakim Lopushinsky 780-895-26-67

Vice -President Jim Nemirsky 780-896-23-47
Secretary John Tkachuk 780-576-30-73
Treasurer Fred Pewarchuk 780-895-21-59