Septe mber; 2009/Monthly Bulletin of the Orthodox V Charitable Association

EditorÛAlona Sergeeva

Church New Year

The First Ecumenical Council decreed that the Church's year should begin on Sep-
tember 1(14) . The month of September was, for the Jews, the beginning of the civil
year, the month of the gathering of fruits and the bringing to God of sacrifices of
thanksgiving. It was at the time of this feast that the Lord Jesus went into the syna-
gogue in Nazareth, opened the Book of the Prophet Isaiah and read the words:
'The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me; because He hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the
meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the
opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the
day of vengeance' (Is. 61:1-2; cf. Luke 4:16-21). This month of September is also noted in the history
of Christianity because it was during September that Constantine the Great was victorious over
Maxentius, the enemy of the Christian faith, a victory followed by the granting of freedom of con-
fession of the Christian faith throughout the whole Roman Empire. For a long time, the civil year in
the Christian world was reckoned in the same way as the Church's year, from September 1st, but it
was later changed to January 1st, first in western Europe and then also in Russia in the time of Peter
the Great. In its hymns for this day the Holy Church prays "Creator and Fashioner of all things visi-
ble and invisible" "bless the crown of the year", "grant fruitful seasons and rains from heaven for
those on earth", "bless our comings and goings, direct the works of our hands and grant us forgive-
ness of offences", "grant peace to Thy churches", "overthrow heresies", "protect our cities unbe-
sieged, make glad our faithful Sovereigns by Thy power, giving them victories against enemies.

Troparion  ,  Tone  II  -­  

Oo  FfAaSsHhIiOoNnEeRr  OoFf  AaLlLl  CcRrEeAaTtIiOoNn,/  WwHhOo  IiNn  TtHhIiNnEe  AaUuTtHhOoRrIiTtYy  HhAaSsTt  AaPpPpOoIiNnTtEeDd  TtHhEe  TtIiMmEeSs  AaNnDd  SsEeAa-
SsOoNnSs:/  BbLlEeSsSs  TtHhOoUu  TtHhEe  CcRrOoWwNn  OoFf  TtHhEe  YyEeAaRr  WwIiTtHh  TtHhYy  GgOoOoDdNnEeSsSs,  Oo  LlOoRrDd,/  PpRrEe- SsEeRrVvIiNnGg  IiNn  
PpEeAaCcEe  OoRrTtHhOoDdOoXx  CcHhRrIiSsTtIiAaNnSs  AaNnDd  TtHhYy  CcIiTtYy,//  AaNnDd  SsAaVvEe  UuSs  TtHhRrOoUuGgHh  TtHhEe  PpRrAaYyEeRrSs  OoFf  TtHhEe  TtHhEe-
OoTtOoKkOoSs.    

1
Patriarch  Kirill  has  finished  his  visit  to  Ukraine  

Ten-­day  pastoral  visit  of  Patriarch  Kirill  of  Mos-­

cow  and  All  Russia  to  Ukraine  has  finished.  The  
News  
Primate  visited  eleven  cities  and  towns  of  the  country  and  heads  cele-­
bration  of  the  Day  of  Russia's  Baptism  in  Ukraine.  
 
Some  unique  events  distinguished  this  visit:  first  time  in  history  the  
Holy  Synod  of  the  Moscow  Patriarchate  took  place  in  Kiev,  for  the  
first  time  ever  the  Russian  Church  Primate  visited  the  place  where  St.  
Vladimir  had  been  baptized  in  Khersones  and  celebrated  the  Divine  Liturgy  there.    
 
Patriarch  Kirill's  pastoral  visit  to  Ukraine  started  on  July  27  in  Kiev  with  festive  celebrations  of  Rus-­
sia's  Baptism.  From  this  day  and  during  the  whole  period  of  his  stay  in  Ukraine,  Patriarch  Kirill  em-­
phasized  the  importance  of  spiritual  unity  between  peoples  of  historical  Rus  now  divided  by  state  bor-­
ders.    
These  statements  aroused  harsh  reaction  on  the  Patriarch's  position  from  church  schism  advocates.  
Nationalists  from  the  Svoboda  Association  even  demanded  to  initiate  a  criminal  case  against  the  Pri-­
mate  of  the  Russian  Church  and  deport  him  from  the  country.  However,  according  to  chronicle  of  the  
Patriarch's  visit,  his  opponents  were  always  in  minority  while  crowds  of  Ukrainians  enthusiastically  
welcomed  the  high  guest.  Many  of  them  even  came  from  other  regions  of  the  country  to  pray  with  the  
Patriarch.    
 
Today's  celebrations  in  the  Pochayev  Lavra  in  Volyn  culminated  the  patriarchal  program  (by  the  way,  
it  has  been  the  first  time  a  Patriarch  of  Moscow  visited  this  part  of  Western  Ukraine.)  Despite  the  fore-­
casts,  schismatics  didn't  manage  to  disturb  celebrations  of  the  450th  anniversary  of  bringing  the  
Pochayev  Icon  of  the  Mother  of  God  as  they  were  very  few  and  not  even  allowed  to  the  Lavra,  where  
about  50  thousand    parishioners  of  canonical  Orthodox  Church  prayed.    
 
The  main  impression  the  Patriarch  got  from  his  visit  to  Ukraine  was  that  "people  keep  sincere  faith  in  
their  hearts  despite  numerous  hardships  and  divisions  in  political  and  social  spheres  that  penetrated  
into  church  life."  
"I'm  deeply  convinced  that  this  power  of  people's  spirit  will  help  Ukrainian  state  and  Ukrainian  society  
overcome  hardships  and  strive  to  achieve  the  objectives  that  will  contribute  in  spiritual  expectations  of  
Ukrainian  people,"  Patriarch  Kirill  said  summing  up  his  visit.                                                                                                                                                                                Interfax  

Kaliningrad  masters  created  unique  mosaic  portraying  Alexy  II  for  Moscow  Region  church  

   Unique  amber  mosaic  was  delivered  to  St.  George  Cathedral  in  
Odintsovo,  the  Moscow  Region,  from  Kaliningrad.    
 
 It  portrays  Patriarch  Alexy  II.  The  depiction  is  a  reproduction  of  the  re-­
QRZQHGSKRWRE\6HUJH\9ODVRYWKHODWH3ULPDWH¶VSHUVRQDOSKRWRJUD
pher,  the  Kaliningrad  edition  of  the    Pravda  daily  has  reported  on  
Wednesday.  
   According  to  the  edition,  Patriarch  Kirill  of  Moscow  and  All  Russia  
will  consecrate  an  amber  portrait  of  his  predecessor  in  September.    
     Kaliningrad  masters  made  the  mosaics  by  request  of  the  Odintsovo  Ad-­
ministration  head  Alexander  Gladyshev  and  with  blessing  of  the  local  
diocese.  
     It  took  five  masters  a  month  and  a  half  to  finish  the  120  cm  x  90  cm  mosaic  in  Florentine  style.  It  
also  required  4  patents  of  invention  and  15  kilograms  of  amber  of  15  shades.                                                    Interfax                                                                                          

2
  
Patriarch  Kirill  satisfied  with  his  visit  to  Ukraine  
 
Patriarch  Kirill  of  Moscow  and  All  Russia  believes  he  has  
achieved  the  main  goal  of  his  pastoral  visit  to  Ukraine.    
 
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SHRSOHDQGQRZZKHQ,¶PVXPPLQJXSP\YLVLWWR8NUDLQH
-­  IF),  I  can  say  that  this  prayer  took  place.  I  felt  your  hearts  
with  my  heart,  I  saw  your  faces,  I  felt  a  deep  power  of  faith  
NHSWE\SLRXV8NUDLQLDQSHRSOH´WKH3DWULDUFKVDLGRQ7XHV
day  speaking  to  Orthodox  believers  from  the  porch  of  the  
Assumption  Cathedral  in  Vladimir-­Volynsky.  
 
The  Patriarch  told  the  people  who  came  to  listen  to  him  that  he  would  like  to  help  them  keep  the  faith  and  
urged  them  to  secure  unity.  He  reminded  them  that    the  borders  of  the  three  sovereign  states  divide  once  
united  spiritual  space  of  the  Kievan  Rus.    
 
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fare,  reconciliation  and  helps  overcome  conflicts.  At  the  same  time,  the  Church  preserves  her  unity  as  the  
PRWKHURIDOOQDWLRQVDQGSHRSOHVOLYLQJLQ.LHYDQ5XV´WKH3DWULDUFKVDLG  
 
According  to  him,  the  ancient  Assumption  Cathedral  of  Volyn,  which  was  in  the  hands  of  Uniates  for  two  
KXQGUHG\HDUVLQWKHPLGGOHDJHVLV³DUHSURDFKWRDOOZKRIRUFHIXOO\ZDQWWRFKDQJHFXOWXUHDQGQDWLRQDO
LGHQWLW\RISHRSOH´DVLWSDUWLDOO\FROODSVHGXQGHU8QLDWHVZKHQDWWHPSWVWRUHEXLOGLW³RQDOLHQFXOWXUDODQG
UHOLJLRXVPRGHOV´ZHUHWDNHQInterfax  
 
 Holodomor  not  a  pretext  to  separate  Russians  and  Ukrainians  -­  Patriarch  Kirill        
 
Patriarch  Kirill  of  Moscow  and  All  Russia  has  said  that  the  Holodomor  (the  1932-­1933  Ukrainian  famine)  
is  one  common  historical  tragedy  both  for  Russians  and  Ukrainians.  
 
"This  [Holodomor]  was  a  common  misfortune  for  all  the  people  who  lived  in  the  same  country  at  the  
time,"  the  Patriarch  said  on  Monday  after  visiting  together  with  Ukrainian  President  Viktor  Yuschenko  a  
monument  to  the  famine  victims  in  Kiev.  
 
The  Patriarch  urged  all  believers  to  pray  so  that  this  tragedy  never  happens  again  and  "so  that  none  of  these  
tragic  events  of  our  history  hampers  our  fraternal  communication,"  Patriarch  said.  
 
Hopefully,  the  Holodomor  and  related  "tragic  circumstances  of  our  history"  will  not  encourage  the  devel-­
opment  of  the  "fratriphobic  philosophy  of  history,"  the  Patriarch  also  said.  
 
"The  famine,  dreadful  famine,  which  was  entirely  the  result  of  a  specific  policy  and  became  even  worse  
due  to  natural  disasters,  claimed  an  enormous  number  of  lives  in  Ukraine,  Volga  region,  North  Caucasus,  
Southern  Urals,  Western  Siberia  and  Kazakhstan,"  the  Patriarch  said  commenting  on  the  Holodomor  
problem.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Interfax        
 
On  August  28  the  parishioners  of  Orthodox  V  took  part  of    celebra-­
tion  the  100th  anniversary  of  the  Dormition  Church  in  Kurchaki,  
near  MacNutt  (Saskatchewan),  which  forms  part  of  patriarchal  par-­
ishes  in  Canada.  The  Divine  Liturgy  was  celebrated    by  bishop  Iov  of  
Kashir,  assisted  by  the  rector  of  the  church  archpriest  Igor  Kisil,  priest  
George  Sergeev,  and  cleric  of  the  OCA  archpriest  Andrew  Piast.  Af-­
ter  the  Liturgy  which  was  attended  by140  people  a  moleben  with  a  
procession  and  a  panikhida  were  held.  At  festive  a  dinner  Bishop  Iov  
presented  the  Patriarchal  Certificate  (Gramota)  of  merit  to  the  parish.  

3
A priest opens pet's corner in his church
near St. Petersburg ( Leningrad).  
Humour
A  Sunday  School  teacher  began  her  lesson  with  a  
Rabbit  cages  and  aquariums  with  croco-­ question,  'Boys  and  girls,  what  do  we  know  about  
diles  are  kept  under  the  same  roof  with  the   God?'  A  hand  shot  up  in  the  air.  'He  is  an  artist!'  
Holy  Hierarch  Spiridon  parish  in  the  town   said  the  kindergarten  boy.  'Really?  How  do  you  
of  Lomonosov   know?'  the  teacher  asked.  'You  know  -­  Our  Father,  
near  St.  Peters-­ who  does  art  in  Heaven...  '    
burg.  
  People  want  the  front  of  the  bus,  the  back  of  the  
"I  want  to  pro-­ church,  and  the  center  of  attention.  
mote  children's  
love  of  God's  
creatures.  This   Two   priests   are   fixing   a   board   with   inscription:  
is  some  kind  of   6WRS7KHHQGLVQHDU7XUQDURXQGEHIRUHLW¶VWRR
the  live  message.  Children  come  to  enjoy   late!"   A   truck   is   passing   by   beside   them   at   high  
what  they  see.  I  explain  to  them  that  these   speed,  the  driver  is  cursing  and  shaking  his  fist  at  
are  all  God's  creatures,"  church's  rector   them:   "Damned   cultists!   You   screw   me   down!"    
Oleg  Yemelyanenko  explains  his  idea  to    
open  a  pet's  corner  at  the  church  in  an  in-­ The  car  passes  out  of  sight,  the  sounds  of  crash  and  
terview  to  Pervy  Canal.   bubbles   are   being   heard.   One   priest   says   to   the  
  other:   "Perhaps,   you   were   right   and   we   should  
Moreover,  Father  Oleg  hopes  to  distract   write,  "Bridge  is  destroyed."    
children  from  computers  by  bringing  up  
his  young  parishioners  in  love  of  animals.    
  -­  There's  an  omen,  if  you  see  a  spider,  you'll  soon  
Fr.  Oleg  decided  to  open  a  pet's  corner  at   get  a  letter.  I've  been  to  the  exhibition  of  spiders.  
the  church  when  one  of  his  parishioners   What  does  it  mean?  
gave  him  iguana  as  a  present.  Now  the   -­  You'll  get  piles  of  spam!    
collection  counts  over  30  animals,  includ-­
ing  two  chameleons,  a  male  and  a  female,  
and  several  species  of  cockroaches  -­  
Blatella  germanica  (German  cockroaches)   Mountain is probable to bear name of Orthodox
and  Panchlora  cubensis  (Cuban  cock-­
saint first time in Russia
roaches).  The  latter  reproduce  themselves  
too  fast.   The  State  Council  of  Komi  conveyed  Russian  gov-­
  ernment  its  findings  on  the  question  of  nam-­
The  pet's  corner  and  the  parish  are  tempo-­ LQJD6XESRODU8UDOSHDN³0RXQWRI6W
rarily  located  in  the  former  club,  as  the   6WHSKDQRI3HUP´  
church's  building  is  currently  under  reno-­  
vation.  After  the  renovation  works  are   The  peak  is  located  at  a  crossroads  of  touristic  
completed,  the  parish  is  going  to  return  to   routes.  If  federal  authorities  back  up  this  initiative,  
its  initial  premises,  and  the  club  will  be   it  will  be  the  first  Russian  mountain  named  after  an  
turned  into  a  zoo.                                                Interfax   Orthodox  saint.                                                                                                    Interfax    

                     4
 The Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.

The first Great Feast to fall in the Church Year is the Nativity of the Most-Holy Theotokos. It is entirely fitting that
at the beginning of the new religious year all Orthodox Christians should
come before the highest example of human holiness that the Orthodox
Church holds precious and venerates - that of Mary, the Theotokos and
Mother of God. This day is seen as one of universal joy; for on this day -
the boundary of the Old and New Covenants - was born the Most-
Blessed Virgin, pre-arranged from the ages by Divine Providence to serve
the mystical Incarnation of God the Word.
The first Old Testament Reading of Vespers (Gen. 28:10-17) speaks of the
dream of Jacob, one of the Old Testament Patriarchs, when he fled the
wrath of his brother Esau. He saw a ladder extending from earth to
heaven, with angels ascending and descending. When he awoke, Jacob
blessed with oil the stone on which he had slept and called it Bethel,
meaning house of God. The Most-Pure Mother of God is seen here as
that ladder between heaven and earth, uniting earth with heaven in her
womb. She who carried God in her womb is truly Bethel, none other than the house of God...and the gate of
heaven (Gen. 28:17).
The birth of the Most-Holy Theotokos took place in the following manner: Her father, the Righteous Joachim, was
a descendant of King David, to whom God had promised that from the seed of his descendants would be born
the Savior of the world. Her mother, the Righteous Anna, was the daughter of Matthan, and through her father
was of the tribe of Aaron and through her mother was of the tribe of Judah. The spouses lived in Nazareth of
Galilee.
Joachim and Anna had no children, and all their life they grieved about this, especially since they were now in old
age. Scorn and mockery was their lot, for at that time childlessness was reckoned as a shame. But they never
murmured and only the more fervently beseeched God, humbly trusting in His Will.
Once, during the time of a great Feast, the offering which Joachim took to Jerusalem to offer to God in the Tem-
ple, was not received by the priest, who reckoned that a childless man was not worthy to bring a sacrifice to
God. This greatly grieved the old man and he, counting himself only a sinner among men, decided not to return
home, but to flee to a place of solitude in a deserted place.
Anna, having heard how her husband had been humiliated by the priest, began to fast, and in prayer sadly be-
seeched God to grant her a child. In the wilderness, secluded and fasting, Joachim also prayed to God about this.
The prayers of the Holy Spouses were heard. The angel Gabriel came to them and announced that a daughter
would be born to them, whom the whole human race would call blessed. At the command of the Heavenly Mes-
senger, Joachim and Anna returned to Jerusalem where, according to the promise of God, a daughter was born
to them, whom they named Mary.
This child, the Most-Holy Virgin Mary, pure and virtuous, surpassed not only all men, but even the angels, being
manifested as the Living Temple, "the Heavenly Gate, ushering in Christ to the Universe as the Salvation of our
souls." The Nativity of the Mother of God pre-announced the approaching time when the great and comforting
promise of God concerning the salvation of the human race from the slavery of the devil was to be accom-
plished. The Mother of the First-Born of all Creation was revealed to all of us as a merciful Intercessor to whom
we perpetually run for help in all things.
orthodoxworld.ru

5
 Schedule of Services
For September 2009
06 Sunday n Tone 4 -- Chipman 10:AM

13 Sunday - Tone 5 - Skaro 10:AM

19 Saturday - St. Archangel Michael - Peno 10:AM Holy Liturgy

Grave Service

20 Sunday - Tone 6 - Chahor - 10 AM

27 Sunday - Tone 7 - Elevation of the Cross - Wostok 10:AM

 
Orthodox feasts (prazdniki)
in september
11 September -The  Beheading  of  the  Glorious  Prophet,  Forerunner,  and  Baptist  John.  

12 September -Translation  of  the  relics  (1724)  of  St.  Alexander  Nevsky  (1263).  

14 September- Church  New  Year.  

18 September -Holy  Prophet  Zacharias  and  Righteous  Elizabeth  (1st  c.),  parents  of  St.  John  the  
Forerunner.  

21 September -The  Nativity  of  Our  Most  Holy  Lady  the  Theotokos  and  Ever-­Virgin  Mary.  

27 September -The  Universal  Exaltation  of  the  Precious  and  Life-­giving  Cross.  

30 September -Martyrs  Sophia  and  her  three  daughters:  Faith  (Vera),  Hope  (Nadezhda),  and  Love  
(Lyubov),  at  Rome  (137).  

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

 
Priest    Father  George  Sergeev    780-895-21-49
Email: www.sergal07@yahoo.com. / PO Box 483 Lamont Alberta TOB 2R0
 
 President  Yakim  Lopushinsky  (780-895-26-67
 Vice  -ăPresident  Jim  Nemirsky 780-896-23-47    
   Secretary  John  Tkachuk    780-576-30-73
 Treasurer  Fred  Pewarchuk    780-895-21-59

Or  visit  our  website²www.orthodoxfive.org  

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