Montréal QC Dormition of the Mother of God Moldovan Orthodox Church 2021

Montréal, Québec : Dormition of the Mother of God Moldovan Orthodox Church, 2021

Prehistory of the parish

Background in Moldova/Moldavia

The prehistory of this parish is found first in the history of the Orthodox Church in Moldova. Orthodox Christianity had early roots in Romania, from Apostolic times. In the 14th century, the Orthodox Church was firmly established in the Principality of Moldavia (nowadays in the northeastern region of Romania, and southwest Ukraine), and under the omophor of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. For a time, this region belonged to the Archbishopric of Ochrid, which introduced the use of Church Slavonic instead of the Romanian language. When it returned under the omophor of Constantinople, the use of Romanian began to return.

In 1812, the eastern part of the principality, Bessarabia, was annexed to the Russian Empire. Because of political changes, the region vacillated between Romanian and Russian authority again for more than a century. The territory used primarily the Romanian language, although Russian and Church Slavonic were used to some extent.

After the declaration of independence by the [Republic of Moldova] in 1991, the Russian Orthodox Church granted autonomy to its jurisdiction in the new country and raised the status of the archdiocese to the Metropolis of Chișinău and All Moldova. By this time, the Romanian Orthodox Church had re-established there its Autonomous Metropolis of Bessarabia.

Emigration

Immigration to Canada from the region of Moldavia began in the late 1800s, whether it be from the territory of the Russian Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Kingdom of Romania, and it continued from the same regions (although primarily from Bucovina/Bukovina and Bessarabia) from Ukraine, Romania, the Soviet Union, and Moldova.

Establishment of the parish

During the first decades of the 21st century, immigration to Montréal, Québec, Canada, increased, and the Orthodox Christians tended to attend Saints Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox Cathedral there. There were enough newcomers that the cathedral parish added a Moldovan Church School to its Russian Church School. In time, the number of Moldovan newcomers was sufficient that a group of them made their petition to Archbishop Irenee (Rochon) to receive the blessing to establish a Moldovan Orthodox parish in Montréal, Québec.

In 2021, the blessing was given to establish the Dormition of the Mother of God Moldovan Orthodox Church. The parish council undertook all the legal requirements for establishment. Hence, as is found in the official record,

 ‘Eglise Orthodoxe Moldave de la Dormition de la Mère de Dieu / Moldovan Orthodox Church of the Dormition of Mother of God 
 is a Non-Soliciting corporation type, which located at 187 Rue de l'Ile Morris Terrebonne, QC, J6W 6J3, Canada.  
 It was registered on 20-Aug-2021.  The corporation's bn is 781583000RC0001, and corporation number is 13278778.  
 There are 3 directors of this company. 
 This corporation record status is : Active.

The address given was the mailing address.

Acquiring the site of worship

Thereafter, a place of worship was secured, in the Eastern-rite Roman Catholic “Église chaldéenne des Saints-Martyrs-d'Orient”, with the name “La Présentation”. It is situated to the east of the Roman Catholic parish, Notre-Dame-des-Hongrois (Our Lady of Hungary), in the Villeray-[ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Michel,_Montreal Saint-Michel]-[ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Extension Parc-Extension] borough of Montréal.

It is because of the shared facilities that the Divine Liturgy is offered early.

Nativity Divine Liturgy, 2023

The Divine Liturgy for the Nativity of Christ was served in the Temple on Sunday, 7 January, 2023. It was led by Archbishop Irénée, Priest Alexandru Gheras, and Deacon Denis Letunovsky. The Temple was overflowing, with more than 100 children in attendance, 40 of whom sang in the concert that followed.

Archpastoral patronal visit, 2023

On 28 August, 2023, Archbishop Irénée (Rochon) celebrated the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God at the Dormition of the Mother of God Moldavian (Moldovan) Orthodox Church in Montréal. Concelebrating with Vladyka Irénée were the rector, Priest Alexandru Gheras, together with Mitred Archpriest Alexander Janowski, Archpriest Gregory Nimijean, Priest Liviu Alexandrescu, and Deacon Horia Roscanu.

Dormition of Mother of God Moldavian Church Celebrates Patronal Feast with Archbishop Irénée

Particular parish information

Services are offered in Romanian.

The Divine Liturgy is offered at 08:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings.

This parish is part of the Deanery of Québec, of the [Archdiocese of Canada], [The Orthodox Church in America]. The dean is the Mitred Archpriest Anatoliy Melnyk. The bishop is Archbishop Irénée (Rochon).

This parish follows the Old (Julian) Calendar.

The Altar Feast-day of this parish is the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, 15/28 August.

In 2026, the pastor of the parish was Priest Alexandru Gheras.

Address :

Dormition of the Mother of God Moldovan Orthodox Church

44, rue Guizot Ouest

Montréal, Québec

H2P 1L4

You-tube parish videos

Directions :

By bus : Consult STM : Société de transport de Montréal

By car :

The Temple is situated south of the Autoroute Metropolitain #40, in the Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension region of Montréal. It is located at the T-junction of rue Clark and rue Guizot, just east of Notre-Dame-des-Hongrois (Our Lady of Hungary) Roman Catholic Church.

From [Highway #40] east or west, take the exit for Boulevard Saint-Laurent Sud (South). Drive 2 blocks south to rue Guizot. Turn right onto rue Guizot, and drive 1 block. At rue Clark, the Temple is on the left. From the south, drive to Boulevard Saint-Laurent, and drive northwards, past Parc Jarry, on the left. After rue Jarry ouest, turn left onto rue Guizot. At rue Clark, the Temple is on the left.

Priest Alexandru Gheras

Telephone : 514-699-3207

E-mail : alexandru.gheras@yahoo.com