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The Transfiguration Solemnities I would like to share my impressions of the Parish Feastday of Holy Transfiguration Skete in Mansonville (Canada), which is celebrated during the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. The Transfiguration solemnities in Mansonville are a pious tradition that attracts pilgrims from all over the world. And in this year of 2005 the parishioners of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad under the omofor of [our] First Hierarch, His Beatitude Metropolitan Vitaly, came together from America, Canada and Europe, thereby symbolizing the oneness of heart and mind of our Church. Even nature itself was in harmonious accord with the overall solemn mood. The clouds that had gathered on the eve dispersed on Sunday – prior to the beginning of the Divine Liturgy. The sky was clear and the sun brought joy to the pilgrims with its warmth and light. The festive Divine Service in the cathedral was distinguished by its unhurried and restrained prayerful pace. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Vitaly, was present in the altar (he subsequently communed of the Holy Mysteries of Christ together with the serving hierarchs); those serving were Bishop Vladimir of San Francisco and Western America, Bishop Antony of Los Angeles and South America, clergy and sub-deacons, and a choir consisting of parishioners from various parts of the world – all prayed with oneness of heart. The temple was filled to overflowing. Immediately after the Liturgy there was a Procession Of The Cross and a moleben with a minor blessing of the waters in the monastery lake. Then there was a litiya for the repose of the souls of those interred in the cemetery near the temple with a sprinkling of their graves with holy water.The Divine Service, at which there were many communicants, ended at three p.m. At the end of the service, Vladyka Antony gave a wonderful sermon, both about the Feast of the Transfiguration itself, as well as about the ecclesiastical issues of our time. Then there was a holiday repast provided by the sisterhood of the Montreal temple of the Venerable Seraphim of Sarov, which was attended by a multitude of parishioners from Montreal, headed by Bishop Sergii of Montreal and Eastern Canada. The guests socialized with joy and love, for many had not seen each other for a very long time, being separated by location in various parts of the world, by time, and by their circumstances, but gathered together by Divine Providence into the true Russian Church which, through God’s mercy and help, continues to preserve her Orthodox faith.The chief delight of all was His Beatitude, Metropolitan Vitaly himself – joyous, prayerful, hospitably receiving the guests with love. It seemed that all tended to be drawn to him and felt his prayerful concern for his [spiritual] sons and daughters. The Transfiguration solemnities in Mansonville are long-remembered afterwards and they long continue to warm one’s heart with recollections of the spiritual joy, mutual sincerity and warmth with which they were filled. When the guests departed, they took away within themselves a yet greater confirmation of the correctness of that complicated, but grace-filled and singularly sound path of the Russian Church Abroad under the omofor of her First-Hierarch – His Beatitude, Metropolitan Vitaly, «who rightly divides the word of truth». I would like to advise all those to whom the true Russian Church Abroad is precious, all those whose conscience is troubled in these present times of cunning wickedness and general apostasy – ask for the holy prayers and blessing of our abba – the senior hierarch of the Russian Church – Metropolitan Vitaly. This alone will make clear, will define your life and fill it with the peace of God, which is the foundation of our life. Through the prayers of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Vitaly, O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy upon us! A Parishioner of the ROCOR(V)
of San Francisco and Western America
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