« Bishop Matthew of Sourozh celebrated the Liturgy at the Intercession Church in Ottawa, assisted by the clergy of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA and Canada »

On October 26, on the day of the celebration in honor of the appearance of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God, Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, temporary Administrator of the Patriarchal parishes in the USA and Canada, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Intercession of the Canadian Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia in Ottawa, assisted by the clergy from the USA and Canada.

At the small entrance, Vladyka presented liturgical awards to some of the clergy, which they had received from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, in gratitude for their diligent ministry for the benefit of the Russian Orthodox Church:

- Archpriest John Wass, Rector of the Holy Trinity Church in Baltimore, Maryland, Dean of the Atlantic States - the right to wear a cross with decorations;

- Archpriest Mikhail Kapchits, Rector of St. Nicholas Church in Bayonne, New Jersey - the right to wear palitsa;

- Archpriest Andrei Kovalev, Rector of the Church in honor of St. Gregory the Theologian in Tampa, Florida - the right to wear palitsa.

In recognition of his hard work as Chairman of the Youth Department of the Patriarchal Parishes in the United States, Bishop Matthew awarded, by his decree, priest Julian Ryabtsev the right to wear kamilavka.

During the Liturgy, Vladyka ordained to priesthood deacon Dionysius Butt, a cleric of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God Church of the metochion of the monastery in honor of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki in Spokane, Washington. Andrew Shaver, Reader of St. Andrew's Church in East Lansing, Michigan, was ordained deacon by Bishop Matthew.  Constantin Sikhau, altar servant of St.Nicholas Church in Bayon, was ordained reader and subdeacon to the above-named church.

At the end of the service, Vladyka Matthew and the clergy from the United States were greeted by the Rector of the Intercession Church, priest Alexy Piyavka, who donated a copy of the miraculous Iverian-Montreal Myrrh-Streaming Icon.

In his speech, Bishop Matthew expressed his sincere gratitude to Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada, who provided the opportunity for the clergy of the Patriarchal parishes from the United States to meet with their Bishop and celebrate the divine service in this magnificent church.  Vladyka also warmly greeted Rector, clergy and the choir of the Intercession Church and presented them with icons of the heavenly Patron Saints of North America.  In memory of this meeting, Bishop Matthew presented all parishioners with icons of the Holy Patriarch Tikhon, who worked hard for the Orthodoxy in North America.

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