NEWS AND EVENTS - Tuesday, January 9, 2018

THE FEAST OF THE NATIVITY AT HOLY TRANSFIGURATION MONASTERY IN MILTON

Christmas was solemnly celebrated at the only Serbian monastery in Canada. The festive joy began on the eve of the feast of the Lord's Nativity, on Badnje Vece, when some hundreds of Orthodox Serbs, Russians and other Orthodox gathered at Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Milton. The evening service was served by Protosindjel (Gavrilovic), of Milton Monastery, Fr. Radovan Kodic Milton-Burlington parish priest and diocesan Deacon Aleksandar Mitrovic. His Grace Bishop Mitorphan sang at the chanter's stand together seminarians and monastery chanters. After the dismissal His Grace Bishop Mitrophan, together with the brotherhood, blessed the badnjak and distributed it to the people. After the buring of the badnjak, placed by Bishop Mitrophan,the faithful were invited were invited to the monastery trapeza for a lenten meal and hot rakija. The bishop distributed gifts to the children and expressed his gratitude to the faithful who took part in this joy in spite of the winter temperatures.

In the early morning hours of Christmas Day, the faithful gathered from all surrounding towns to celebrate the most joyous Christian feast of the Lord's Nativity. Matins was followed by the Divine Liturgy at five o'clock in the morning. His Grace Bishop Mitrophan officiated at Matins and Liturgy with the concelebration of Protosindjel Vasilije, Fr. Radovan Kodic and Deacon Aleksandar Mitrovic. During the Liturgy the faithful approached the Holy Chalice for communion after which the Nativity Encyclical of His Holiness Patriarch Irinej was read. A Christmas meal was prepared in the in the monastery trapeza during which time the Christmas cesnica was shared in joy of the feast of the Christ Child, Christ our Savior.