CANADIAN DIOCESE: October 31, 2024
The Canadian Diocese celebrates the 75th anniversary of Holy Trinity Cathedral and the 50th anniversary of the pastoral service of Archpriest Vladimir Malchenko

On October 26-27, 2024, the 18th Sunday after Pentecost, His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America and New York, led the celebrations in Toronto to mark the 75th anniversary of Holy Trinity Cathedral and the 50th anniversary of the pastoral service of its longtime rector, Mitred Archpriest Vladimir Malchenko.

The community represents the largest cathedral parish in the Canadian Diocese.

In the spring of 1949, it was the initiative of a group of Orthodox residents of the city in Toronto which aimed to open a church of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. All members of the group, with the exception of one representative of the first, the so-called “White” emigration, belonged to the number of new emigrants who arrived in Canada from Europe after World War II.

They sent a petition to the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Metropolitan Anastassy (Gribanovsky) of blessed memory, who was still residing in Munich, for assistance in opening a parish in Toronto. A response was received from Vladyka Anastassy explaining that the petitioners should contact His Grace Joasaph (Skorodumoff), Archbishop of Edmonton and Canada, representative of the Synod of Bishops in Canada. Bishop Joasaph said in his letter that he blesses the initiative group's initiative. Unfortunately, due to lack of funds, he would not be able to visit Toronto himself, but asked his brethren, Bishop Seraphim of Chicago and Detroit and Bishop Nikon of Washington and Florida, to attend to the needs of group as much as possible, until the founding of the church.

In the autumn of 1949, a decision was made to find and rent premises to open a church in the name of the Holy Trinity in Toronto. They began to look for a priest. At that time, Priest Matvey Andrushchenko had just arrived in Canada from Belgium, serving there in one of the parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. On November 2, 1949, Vladyka Josaph appointed Fr Matvey rector of the parish of the Holy Trinity in Toronto.

In 1952, Priest Sergius Shchukin arrived in Toronto from England. Earlier, before leaving for England, he was a priest in the Fischbeck refugee camp (Germany). Here in Toronto, Fr Serge was greeted with joy by many of his former Fishbeck parishioners. He immediately joined the church and began social work. Having become the second priest, he first of all organized the St Vladimir Circle, in which more than twenty young people participated. Fr Serge often gave lectures on spiritual topics, conducted talks on the study of the history of the Church, the Lives of the Saints, the interpretation of the New Testament, and wrote articles for Russian newspapers and magazines abroad. At the same time, he founded a parochial school for children. With the opening of the school, the parish began to grow. Russian Orthodox people, having heard about Father Sergius, brought their children to his school and joined the parish. By the end of 1952, Holy Trinity parish already had about 70 families.

By the beginning of 1966, the necessary amount of money for the deposit for the purchase of an existing church was collected, and in June of the same year, the building at 23 Henry Street was acquired.

Fifty-five years ago, on November 16, 1969, His Eminence His Eminence Archbishop Vitaly of Montreal and Canada (later First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia), and the Bishop of Stuttgart performed the great consecration of Holy Trinity Cathedral Church.

In 1974, a young priest, Priest Vladimir Malchenko, was sent to help Father Matvey, who, in addition to divine services, at the request of the church council, also became the Director of the parochial school. In 1986, after the death of Father Matvei, Father Vladimir took upon himself the full duties of a parish priest. It should be added that over the years of the existence of Holy Trinity Church, six of its parish family members were ordained to the priesthood. Among them are Fr George Kurtov (now Mitred Archpriest, Rector of the Church of St Seraphim of Sarov in Monterey, CA), Fr Vladimir Morin (Mitred Archpriest, Rector of the Church of the Savior Not -Made-by-Hands, London, ON), Fr Boris Henderson (Archpriest, Rector of the Church of All Russian Saints in Denver, CO) and Fr Mikhail Luboschinsky, who now reposed in the Lord. It should be added that Fr George and Fr Boris Henderson were able to attend the celebration of the 75th anniversary of their parish.

On Saturday, October 26, before all-night vigil, the clergy, a multitude of parishioners, and worshipers greeted the wonderworking Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God "of the Sign" and the myrrh-streaming Iveron-Hawaiian Icon of the Mother of God in the church celebrating their anniversary. Both shrines were in the cathedral for veneration by the faithful both at vigil and at Divine Liturgy, which was celebrated on Sunday, October 27. Concelebrating with Metropolitan Nicholas were His Eminence Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada; Fr Vladimir, Rector of Holy Trinity Cathedral, celebrating the golden jubilee of his priesthood; Archpriest Vyacheslav Davidenko and cathedral clergy, as well as guests in the priesthood: the above-mentioned Fr George and Ft Boris;, Archpriest Anthony Filchak (Bulgarian Orthodox Church); Hegumen Nicholas (Perekrestov, St Nicholas Cathedral, Montreal); Hieromonk Spyridon (Gusakov, Church of St John, Archbishop of Shanghai, San Francisco the Wonderworker, Calgary, AB); Priest Nectarios Youngston, (guardian of the myrrh-streaming "Hawaiian" Iveron Icon of the Mother of God); along with Protodeacon Alexander Morin; Protodeacon Boris Sidorenko (St Nicholas Cathedral); Protodeacon Boris Bakhvalov (Belarusian Orthodox Church, Minsk); Deacon Seth Davidenko; Deacon Andrei Petarodas and Deacon Andrei Anischenko (Memorial Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, Ottawa Protodeacon).

The church was overcrowded on both Saturday and Sunday. More than 500 worshipers were present at Liturgy, and almost the same number at the Saturday vigil. The cathedral choir, led by Reader Alexander Pushchin, sang magnificently and solemnly.

At the conclusion of the evening services, the clergy and clergy were invited to a gala dinner prepared by the cathedral sisterhood, which is renowned throughout the Canadian Diocese for its activity.

On Sunday, October 27, Metropolitan Nicholas and Archbishop Gabriel were joined by His Eminence Metropolitan Mitrophan, head of the Canadian Metropolis of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The concelebrating clergy were joined by Archpriest George Lagodich (Dean of St Nicholas Cathedral in Montreal); Archpriest Thomas (Georgian Orthodox Church); Priest Paul Gomar (Community of the Holy Apostles, Barry, ON); Priest David Parker (Church of the Savior Not-Made-by-Hands London, ON) and Priest Michael Baleka (Dormition Church in Lethbridge, AB).

The warden of the parish, Pavel Valeryevich Kazenny, greeted the First Hierarch with the traditional Russian bread and salt on the portico of the church.

During the minor entrance, Fr Archpriest Vyacheslav, was awarded an ornamented cross.

Metropolitan Nicholas delivered a sermon and presented Synodal decrees to the celebrants: Holy Trinity Parish and its Rector, Fr Vladimir, as well as Fr Alexander Morin, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of his service.

Shortly after the end of the Divine Liturgy, a jubilee banquet began in the hall belonging to one of the parishioners of Holy Trinity Cathedral: Gerasim Haykazovich Margaryan. The banquet was attended by the Acting Consul General of the Russian Federation in Toronto. The beginning of the banquet was preceded by the singing of the anthems of Canada and historical Russia by the parish choir (God save the Tsar). The choir also gave a concert of church hymns at the banquet.

At the banquet, awards were presented: to the Fr Vladimir Malchenko, a memorial cross by the Synod of Bishops minted on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. The long-time choir director Georgy Anatolyevich Skok was awarded the Synodal Order of the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God, III degree. Diocesan gramatas were also presented to those parishioners who have carried out and continue to carry out constant zealous labors for the good of the Church.

Fr Vladimir Malcheno was presented with gifts by the sisterhood and parishioners: a cassock as well as a beautifully-embroidered vestment and mitre.

Canadian Diocese