Bishop Matthew of Sourozh celebrated the Liturgy at the Intercession Church in Ottawa, co-served by the clergy of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA and Canada

On October 26, the feast of the appearance of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, at Holy Protection Church of the Canadian Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia in Ottawa, Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, Temporary Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA and Canada, celebrated the Divine Liturgy with clergy from the USA and Canada.

At the Little Entrance, the bishop presented liturgical awards to several clergy, bestowed on them by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ in gratitude for their diligent service for the good of the Russian Orthodox Church:

— Archpriest John Vass, rector of Holy Trinity Church in Baltimore, Maryland, and Dean of the Atlantic States — the right to wear the jeweled cross;

— Archpriest Michael Kapcicz, rector of St. Nicholas Church in Bayonne, New Jersey — the right to wear the palitsa;

— Archpriest Andrei Kovalev, rector of the Church of St. Gregory the Theologian in Tampa, Florida — the right to wear the palitsa.

In recognition of his diligent labors as chairman of the Youth Department of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, Bishop Matthew by his decree awarded Priest Julian Ryabtsev the right to wear the kamilavka.

During the Liturgy, the bishop ordained to the priesthood Deacon Dionysius Butt, cleric of the Kazan Church of the metochion of the Monastery of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica in Spokane, Washington. Reader Andrew Shaver of St. Andrew Church in East Lansing, Michigan, was ordained a deacon by Bishop Matthew. Altar server Constantine Sihau of St. Nicholas Church in Bayonne was tonsured a reader and subdeacon for that church.

At the end of the service, Bishop Matthew and the clergy from the USA were greeted by the rector of Holy Protection Church, Priest Alexis Pyavka, who presented a copy of the wonderworking myrrh-streaming Iveron-Montreal Icon.

In his address, Bishop Matthew expressed sincere gratitude to Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada, who gave the clergy of the Patriarchal Parishes from the USA the opportunity to meet with their bishop and celebrate a service in this beautiful church. The bishop also warmly greeted the rector, clergy and choir of Holy Protection Church and presented them with icons of the Heavenly Patrons of North America. As a memento of this meeting, Bishop Matthew gave all the parishioners small icons of St. Patriarch Tikhon, who labored much for Orthodoxy in North America.