Dear Brothers and Sisters, Great Lent begins on March 3rd, this coming Monday, and as a growing parish, our Council, led by Fr. Oleg, hopes to bring us all closer together by following the traditional practices of our Orthodox Faith.

St Xenia Parish has a long-standing tradition of hosting the annual Blini Fundraising Luncheon. On behalf of the Warden, the Head Sisterhood, and the Head Brotherhood, we would like to express our gratitude to everyone who helped make the Blini Fundraising Luncheon at the start of Maslenitsa week a success for our community and those who attended.

Every year, on the feast day of St. Herman of Alaska, the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad youth gather for a multi-day St Herman’s Youth Conference that includes lectures, beautiful hierarchical services, and social events. Each year, different parishes host the conference, providing resources to make this important gathering possible. The year 2024 marked the 45th anniversary of the conference, hosted by the Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church in Toronto, thanks to a dedicated organizing committee and an active Sisterhood.

Our parish celebrated the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with the following services and activities. This year's Children's Yolka Celebration was held on Sunday, 12 January, immediately following Divine Liturgy. The event was a festive occasion for adults and children, and our parish brotherhood provided lunches for everyone. As in previous years, Grandfather Frost joined us after the concert to share his greetings and distribute gifts to the children, organized by our parish sisterhood. Thank you for your support organizing this event and participation!

This year, the Annual Lenten Pastoral Retreat of the Canadian Diocese took place from April 8 to 10 at the Church of Blessed St Xenia of Petersburg. The ruling Hierarch, Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada, presided over the retreat. It should be noted that our Vladyaka has been instrumental in organizing these sessions for more than two decades. During his opening remarks, His Eminence spoke about the history of the Canadian Diocese, which has had to endure many difficulties in the 21st Century. Despite this, the number of parishes and communities has been increasing, with new communities springing up in Vancouver, Alberta, and, Quebec City since 2023. This Fall,…

In the last days of the 30th Church Musicians’ Conference in Ottawa, Canada, His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Outside of Russia, presided at an all-night vigil and Divine Liturgy on the day of remembrance of St. Sergius in the Church of Blessed St. Xenia of Petersburg in Ottawa. Along with the large choir of conference participants, His Eminence Archbishop Gabriel of Canada, Archpriest Vladimir Morin, Archpriest Oleg Mironov, Archpriest Mikhail Metni, Protodeacon Serge Arlievsky, Deacon Andrey Anishchenko, and Deacon Seth Davidenko also participated in the service. In his remarks to the church musicians and parishioners, Vladyka Nicholas emphasized the importance of the church singing ministry…