Odpust in Windsor

St. Michael the archangel is the heavenly protector of our church in Windsor, Ont. Many odpusts have been in this church since its founding in fifties of the last century. Windsor used to be a place, where our bishop Michael of blessed memory always liked to visit, and where he wanted to stay after his retirement, but was unable to do so.

It was traditional not only to commemorate all the Michaels of the parish and among people present, but first of all to worship God, who is always the one, who is our guardian number one. He is the one, who assigns each of us, his angel to watch over us.

Sunday, November 11th 2007 bishop Pazak was invited by Fr. Vavrak with hif family and parishioners of St. Michael to be the main celebrant for their annual odpust. With him were at the altar also Fr. Vavrak, Fr. Angyal (Hungarian Byzantine Catholic in Windsor), Fr. Barter from St. Nicholas parish in Detroit, USA, Fr. Mucha from Hamilton and a visiting priest.

Voices of the people followed cantors from Canada and USA and helped make this day a special one. The liturgy concluded with mirovanije but the joyous atmosphere continues at banquet downstairs in the hall.

Photo credits: Fr. Martin Vavrak.

Odpust in Oshawa

One of the oldest parishes in our Eparchy is the parish of the Protection of the Theotokos in Oshawa. This parish was established due to the initial sacrifices of Fr. Michael Rusnak, CSsR (later bishop Michael) and 38 families in 1952. The church itself was built during the year 1955 and dedicated by Most Reverend Isidore (Borecky) from Toronto.

Throughout the years it become a custom to gather here on first Sunday after the feast of the Protection on October 1st. However, this year it was a little change in the date in order to have our hierarch, bishop John attending.

Our Oshawa folks are always attending our major eparchial pilgrimages in Hamilton, and Toronto, and now, it was their turn to welcome guests at their odpust.

Parish is currently served by Fr. Stephen Williams.

We wish our parishioners in Oshawa many more odpusts to come!

Photo credits: Mary Snell - Siroky.

For more photos please visit:

http://picasaweb.google.sk/danielprorok/OdpustInOshawa

Funeral of Msgr. Andrej Sinal, STD

September 6th 2007 was indeed an sad day for our Eparchy. Msgr. Sinal, pastor emeritus of the Ascension parish in Montreal passed away.
He was born in Osikov near Bardejov in Slovakia in 1927. Following the start of his seminary stuides, he was chosen to go to Rome, where he was ordained a priest in 1951. After serving for several years in Italy in parishes and seminary, he decided to work among our faithful of Byzantine rite in Canada.
He arrived to Canada in 1965 and was covering for the parish in Welland in 1965 - 1966 during the illness of Fr. Russin. Afterwards he was appointed to Montreal, position he kept till 2006.
He received his doctorate from Lateran university in Rome, and was a member of the comission for the revisal of the Eastern Canon Law Code. His work was awarded with the title Monsignore in 1978.
Funeral services started on September 12th with the prayer of Parastas in funeral home celebrated by H. G. John Pazak, CSsR, eparch, and priests of the eparchy. Next day was funeral liturgy with rites of the burial in the Ascension church with bishop John presiding and fathers Fetsco, Dolinsky, Vavrak, Mucha and Comeau assisting.
May his memory be eternal! Večná mu pamitka! Vičnaja pamjať!

Monsignor in the casket

Photo credits: Fr. Martin Vavrak

For more photos visit:

http://picasaweb.google.sk/danielprorok/FuneralOfMsgrSinal

Odpust in Toronto

Sunday, September 9th was the traditional odpust at Shaw Street parish. Many pilgrims, from all around the Eparchy gathered here to join in prayer. Before the liturgy was moving prayer of Akathist, sung in Slovak, which prepared faithful for the hierarchical liturgy, which followed, and which was celebrated in both English and Slovak.

Main celebrant was the eparchial bishop John S. Pazak, CSsR, concelebrating were fathers Fetsco, Dolinsky, Mucha, Girhiny, Williams, Vavrak, Comeau, Vano (Slovak Roman Catholic parish Hamilton) and Nowicki (Slovak Roman Catholic parish Missisauga).

Banquet after the liturgy icluded many delicious food prepared by the ladies of the parish, and we thank God, Fr. Pavol and his wife Adriana and their parishioners for this wonderful day of prayer.

Photo credits: Fr. Martin Vavrak

Odpust in Hamilton

Sunday after the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos is in our Eparchy always celebrated with great joy at splendid shrine in Hamilton. This church is famous for its odpusts in honor of the weeping icon of Our Lady of Klokočov.

Shrine was built during the tenure of late pastor Rt. Reverend Mitred Archpriest Francis Fuga, who came to Canada in 1954 and immediately started his zealous ministry among our faithful. He passed away in 1987

Iconography of the church was designed and performed by Russian iconographer Igor Suchacev, who needed fourteen years between 1970 and 1984.

Main celebrant of the 2007 odpust was His Grace, bishop John (Pazak), who was assisted at the altar by fathers: Fetsco, Mucha, Dolinsky, Girhiny, Vavrak, Comeau, Williams, Vano (Slovak Roman Catholic from Hamilton) and visiting seminarian from Slovakia.

After the liturgy was the traditional banquet in the hall under the church, where everyone had opportunity to socialize with all our sisters and brother in faith. We are looking forward for next odpust!

Photos from the odpust avialable at: http://picasaweb.google.sk/danielprorok/OdpustInHamilton2007#

Transfiguration at Shaw Street

Feast of the Transfiguration is one of the greatest feasts in our church calendar. On August 6th 2007, bishop Pazak came to pray with his people in downtown Toronto at Shaw Street. He was accompanied at the altar by Fr. Pavol Dolinsky, pastor and Fr. Fetsco, former apostolic administrator of our Eparchy.

After the ambon prayer was the traditional blessing of fruits, which people brought with them to be blessed. This is nice custom, still kept by our faithful throughout the Eparchy.

Photo credits: Yakov (Cornelius) Krissilas

Odpust in Welland

Welland parish has seen many odpusts throughout their history. In late fifties was their odpust also an place of priestly ordination of already departed Fr. Alan Borsuk ordained by late Isidore Borecky. Even today is the odpust visited by our hierarch, Most. Rev. John Stephen Pazak, CSsR. Present pastor is Fr. John Girhiny assisted by his wife, Valerie-Dawn. For parishioners is their odpust always a joyous moment, reminding them the gifts God is giving us each day.

Same joy happened also this year 2007, when bishop Pazak visited this smallest, but sil vivid community of our Eparchy. May the Lord God grant to all his faithful in Welland many happy and blessed years!

Photo credits: Valerie-Dawn Girhiny