CANADIAN DIOCESE: July 5, 2022
Celebration of the feast of All Russian Saints at Pochaev Mission in Canada

On the weekend of June 26, 2022, Protodeacon Andrei Psarev, Professor of Russian Church History and Canon Law, Director of the Undergraduate Studies Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary, visited the community of Our Lady of Pochaev Orthodox Church in Grassie, Ontario. Our Lady of Pochaev is a missionary parish in the Montreal and Canadian Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, with a community consisting of people diverse in both background and Orthodox experience.

On Saturday, Fr Andrei joined some parishioners for a day of visiting a museum and other sites dedicated to the history of the Niagara region of Ontario in which the Church resides, followed by a lenten lunch with Fr Mark Luimes, the parish rector. After this, Fr Andrei served vigil and Liturgy with the Parish community in commemoration of All Russian Saints.

After Liturgy on Sunday, Fr Andrei gave a lecture for the parish community on the Pivotal Points of the History of the Russian Church Abroad, giving the young parish an opportunity to learn more about the history of their jurisdiction. The lecture left a strong impression on many of the parishioners, who found that there was much inspiration and introspection to be found in the history of ROCOR as the parish community continues their work of spreading Orthodoxy to their neighbors in the Niagara region and their country as a whole.