FacebookTwitter

Altar feast at Holy Apostle Andrew the First-called Church, Canora, SK

November 30, 2013

On Saturday Nov. 30th Father Gregory Scratch, Dean of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Nunavut, was in Canora Saskatchewan with the Hieromonk Vladimir (Lysak), Archpriest Rodion Luciuk (St. Mark the Evangelist, Yorkton and former Dean), and the Priest Michael Faryna (Canora-Kamsack-Swan River District, UOCC) for the Altar feast of St. Andrew the first called Mission.

The story of how this little community got to where it is, bears witness to the love of the Lord and the intercessions of the Saints.

St. Andrew's Mission was established in June, 2009. It grew out of the Mission Station of All Saints of North America (established in 2004) which was served from St. Mark's Orthodox Church, Yorkton with Fr. Andrew Piasta.
Initially, the Mission met in the local Anglican temple. But faced with losing their place of worship the Mission received blessing from His Eminence Archbishop Nathaniel, to make its home in the temple of Sts. Peter and Paul, a rural parish of the Romanian Episcopate of America located just on the outskirts of Canora.
The Mission then undertook extensive renovations of the temple and the adjacent hall, and was consecrated in 1935 By Bishop Polycarp (Moruşca) of Detriot .

This past fall Fr. Andrew retired, ending a chapter in this Mission's life, but also starting a new one. Having trusted in the Lord from the beginning, and being blessed with a loving pastor in Fr. Andrew, a building, and resources to renovate it, it now has to trust that the Lord will provide for them as they continue to live out the Great commission in Eastern Saskatchewan under the guidance of the Fr. Vladimir (Lysak).

May the Lord bless their work.