News & Events

Dear Reverend fathers and their parish council members

RE: Urgent need to send support for our suffering brother priests in our founding home Diocese of Alaska

At the Archdiocesan Assembly in July 2023, Bishop Alexei of Alaska gave an impassioned presentation on the dire status of his diocese, and especially his clergy.

This foundational Diocese has given us our precious saints, Herman, Peter the Aleut, Innocent, Juvenal and last month our first female North American saint Olga. May God have mercy through their prayers.

To the clergy, monastics, and faithful of the Orthodox Church in America, my beloved children in the Lord,

Christ is born! Glorify him!

At the Vigil for today’s feast, we sang with the words of St. Germanus of Constantinople: “Today the Virgin gives birth to the Maker of all. Eden offers a cave and a star discloses Christ, the Sun, to those in darkness” (second sticheron at the aposticha).

St Herman's Orthodox Church in Edmonton, Alberta, was blessed to have His Eminence, Archbishop Irénée, join us for our Patronal Feast Day on 13 December. It was a joy to have so many people in attendance, along with the altar being filled with 25 clergy and altar servers (along with a multitude of angels).

Archbishop Irénée joined with Fr Paul Kara and the community of the Sign of the Theotokos Church in Montréal to celebrate the parish's patronal feast. Great Vespers with Litia/Artoklasia was held on the eve, and a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy on the feast, Sunday 26 November.