His Holiness Porfirije, the Serbian Patriarch, today served the Holy Liturgy at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Montreal, where he is visiting the Diocese of Canada.
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Following the liturgy, a celebration was held marking the 70th anniversary of the Serbian Church and School Community of the Holy Trinity in Montreal, according to an announcement from the Serbian Orthodox Church.
The Serbian community in Montreal has existed for over a century, and since 1954, Orthodox Serbs have gathered around the Church of the Holy Trinity.
“My brothers and sisters, I haven’t felt such warmth and comfort for a long time, and this is a gift from God, as I have under the vaults of this temple, which is nothing more than a piece of the Heavenly Kingdom, but also a piece of our Fatherland. This is a gift from God, but also a gift of your love,” said the Serbian Patriarch.
The Patriarch was served during the liturgy by Metropolitan Mitrofan of Canada and Archbishop Irinej of Ottawa and Canada from the American Orthodox Church, as well as Bishops Jovan Kasijan of Canada from the Romanian Orthodox Church and Nikon of Jenopolje, vicar of the Serbian Patriarch, and numerous clergy and monastics from various Orthodox churches.
In the province of Quebec, where French and English are the two official languages, the establishment of the Church and School Community was of exceptional importance for preserving the Orthodox faith, language, and culture of the Serbian people.
Under the auspices of the Church of the Holy Trinity, there are the St. Sava Serbian School, the Stevan Jorgović Library, the Avala Cultural-Artistic Society, the Mala Gospojina Serbian Sisters’ Circle, and the Milan Rakić Church Choir, and the parish is spiritually led by Protopriest Vladimir Vranić.
In essence, the Serbian Patriarch expressed deep gratitude for the warm welcome and the strong sense of community he experienced among the Serbs in Canada. The visit highlighted the significance of the Serbian Orthodox Church in preserving Serbian identity and culture in a foreign land.
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Source: Politika
Photo: SPC