STAS June 2008 Press Release

9 New St. Tikhon Archdiocesan Stewards in Quebec!

STAS Vision Committee Expanded to Help Carry Out the Work

The Spring Meeting of the Archdiocesan Council took place at St. Peter the Aleut Orthodox Church in Calgary, May 9-10, 2008. Encouraging news from the Council meeting shows the growth of the St. Tikhon Archdiocesan Stewards (STAS) program. Designed to help raise financial support for the ministry needs of the Church, STAS invites persons from across Canada to support the Archdiocese through pre-authorized monthly contributions, above-and-beyond their regular parish tithe.

Gradually and steadily, the Church is responding to the call of St. Tikhon: “Orthodox people! You must devote yourselves to the Orthodox faith not in word or tongue only, but in deed and in truth!”  After its launch at the 2007 Assembly in Ottawa, the program has now grown to include 48 stewards across Canada, committing over $15, 000 per year in annual, ongoing support.

The current priority for STAS funding is to make possible an Administrative Assistant position for His Eminence, Archbishop SERAPHIM, and to ensure that this position can be sustained for years to come. Once this funding need is met and sustained, STAS will look to support other ministry areas in the Archdiocese of Canada.

Joy was brought to the whole Council by hearing the successful work done by Dr. John Hadjinicolaou, Quebec and Atlantic Canada Lay Representative, in presenting STAS in his home parish. After one presentation at Sign of the Theotokos Church in Montreal, nine new members enrolled as St. Tikhon Archdiocesan Stewards.

To help carry out this important work, the Archdiocesan Council has expanded the STAS Vision Committee, which administers the program. With the blessing of His Eminence, the four original members were supplemented by four more: