Canadian monastery to host Gerontissa icon pilgrimage, pan-Orthodox youth gathering

At the beginning of the Dormition Fast, the Romanian Orthodox Holy Cross and St Ephraim the New Monastery in Ontario, Canada, will host a pilgrimage with the miracle-working Gerontissa Icon of the Mother of God, together with a new Pan-Orthodox Young Adults Gathering for Canada.

The events will take place on 31 July and 1 August in the presence of Bishop Ioan Casian of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada.

The programme will begin with Great Vespers at 6:30 p.m. on 31 July. On 1 August, the day will commence at 8:00 a.m. with Matins and the Divine Liturgy, followed by a fellowship meal.

The procession with the miracle-working icon will take place at 2:00 p.m., after which, at 3:00 p.m., the Pan-Orthodox Young Adults Gathering of Canada will begin.

The invited speakers include:

Archimandrite Dionisie Ignat, spiritual father of St Prophet Elijah Monastery in Albac, Alba County, Romania; Fr Dragoș Andrei Giulea, Professor of Theology at Concordia University and priest of Sts Peter and Paul Romanian Orthodox Parish in Kitchener, Ontario; Adrian Sîrbu, lecturer at the George Enescu National University of Arts in Iași and founder of the Byzantion Academic Choir;…