MOSCOW: June 25, 2018
Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada celebrates Divine Liturgy at Pokrovsky Convent in Moscow

On Sunday, June 24, 2018, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, His Eminence Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia celebrated Divine Liturgy at Pokrovsky Convent in Moscow. His Eminence is leading a pilgrimage of parishioners of the Russian Church Abroad from the USA, Canada and Australia to holy sites in Russia.

The clergymen of the convent also served at Liturgy, at which the convent choir and children’s choir of its orphanage sang. Praying at the service was Abbess Foefaniya and her nuns, children from the orphanage, congregants and the pilgrims of ROCOR.

At the end of Liturgy, Archbishop Gabriel addressed the worshipers with a sermon:

I would like to express my respect and gratitude for the opportunity to pray here at Pokrovsky Convent, to venerated the relics of St Matrona of Moscow, and celebrate Divine Liturgy here. I thank you for hosting us at Pokrovsky hostel.

Our pilgrimage began with a visit to Ekaterinburg, and after this leg of the trip in Moscow, we will head north to St Petersburg.

This year, our Church will mark the martyrdom of the Royal Family as we all remember this terrible act of wickedness.

The Royal Passion-Bearers now pray for us, intercede for us in Heaven, but we cannot forget this horrifying event—the murder of the Royal Family, the regicide, the killing of the Anointed of God. This all occurred as a result of our sins. The words of the great man of God, St John of Kronstadt, relate to us that we must not forget God, the roots of our great Russian tree, the roots of piety and the sanctity of Holy Rus.

At one time, every Church members followed a single calendar. When people began to stray from their commandments and holiness, their piety, the Lord allowed a terrible tragedy to befall Russia. Now the time has come when God has replaced wrath with mercy and we have the opportunity to return to our pious and holy roots.

The most important thing is to live in righteousness, piety, live an Orthodox Christian life, rear our children in the Orthodox faith, so that they are accustomed to Church from their formative years, comfortable with all the Church offers: the aroma of incense, divine services, icons, so that from the very first years of life, a child becomes part of the Church, partakes of the Holy Eucharist. This will lead to the genuine rebirth of Holy Rus.

I wish God’s aid and all His blessings upon all of you!

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