On 19 July, the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, His Eminence Archbishop Sotirios of Canada celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Toronto. Concelebrating were the Cathedral’s Parish Priest, Fr Evangelos Athanasoulas, and the newly ordained priest, Fr Iakovos Kerr.
After more than fifty years of episcopal ministry in the vineyard of the Lord, this was His Eminence’s final Sunday Divine Liturgy as Archbishop of Canada.
The faithful of the Cathedral community and the wider Toronto region gathered both to participate in worship and to express their love, gratitude and heartfelt good wishes to their Shepherd, His Eminence Archbishop Sotirios of Canada.
Among those present were the President of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Canada, Mr Evangelos Sotiropoulos, together with many Archons of the Great Church of Christ; the President of the Archdiocesan Philoptochos Council, Ms Zoe Veroutis, accompanied by members of the Board; and the President of the Greek Community of Toronto, Ms Betty Skoutakis.
Also in attendance were Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament Aris Babikian and Toronto City Councillor Nick Mantas, who were thanked for their ongoing support. Toronto City Councillor and mayoral candidate Brad Bradford also attended the Divine Liturgy, met with members of the community, and presented His Eminence with an honorary scroll recognising his historic contribution as Archbishop.
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, His Eminence tonsured four altar boys as Readers.
In his concluding address, Archbishop Sotirios, with the characteristic paternal love and wisdom that have distinguished his ministry, reflected on his childhood, his many years of work in building and developing the Church in Canada, the need for the faithful always to remain close to Christ and His Church, and the shared responsibility of all to pray for and support the new Archbishop so that the progress of Orthodoxy and Hellenism in Canada may continue.
Following the Divine Liturgy, the congregation gathered at the adjoining Metropolitan Cultural Centre, where a luncheon was offered by the Cathedral community under the guidance of its President, Mrs Anastasia Sotiropoulou. Mrs Sotiropoulou also delivered a moving and heartfelt address to His Eminence, which deeply touched all those present.
It was a special and blessed day on which the faithful, united in Christ, were given the opportunity to express together their sincere and enduring gratitude to His Eminence Archbishop Sotirios of Canada.
