(Text and photos by Evgenia Nesterenko)

Dear brothers and sisters!

Some of you may know that Saint Seraphim of Sarov parish has a wonderful tradition of making annual pilgrimages to the city of Rawdon (Province of Quebec), where unique Orthodox shrines are located. This tradition was briefly interrupted due to the COVID pandemic.

Fortunately, we resumed our wonderful tradition this year and are eager to share our fresh impressions from our journey. Here's what the pilgrimage participants wrote:
"Everyone should make this trip."
"Pure delight and grace."
"A feeling that fills the soul with divine grace."
"United in prayer, comfortable together"
"We didn't want to leave"
"Such a warm reception at the Rawdon parishes. They welcomed us like family. What joy this brought us."
"I wish everyone could experience these same feelings."
"Everything was there – the opportunity to venerate shrines and holy relics, prayer, warm fellowship – like a breath of fresh air that gives strength and peace."
"The trip was incredibly rich and interesting. We visited many places of historical and spiritual significance and had meaningful conversations with people at the local churches. What was completely unexpected on this trip was discovering how extraordinarily interesting our fellow parishioners are. We had the opportunity to get to know each other better. The accommodations were excellent. Thank you for everything!!!"

Indeed, the prayerful encounter with such historical shrines as those in Rawdon fills one's heart with grace.

The first shrines our pilgrims visited were the church of Saint Seraphim of Sarov and the Skete of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

The church of Saint Seraphim was founded in 1956 by Archpriest Oleg Boldyrev (1911-1997). Brief information about this remarkable priest can be found here.
We should note that Father Oleg's children have close ties with our parish in Richmond Hill. His eldest son, Sergei – an outstanding church choir director – was our parishioner in the final years of his life and generously shared his knowledge with our choir directors and singers. Father Oleg's third son, our beloved Father Nicholas, regularly visited our church until recently and assisted Father Alexei.(#1) And the youngest son, Oleg, now sings in our choir.
This church houses a particle of Saint Seraphim of Sarov's holy relics. Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna brought it from Russia and later bequested to Sylvester, Archbishop of Montreal. These relics provided spiritual support to believers during the time when all the relics of Saint Seraphim of Sarov were thought to be lost. You can learn more about the history of this unique place here.

The Transfiguration Skete was established in Rawdon in 1977 through the efforts of another remarkable priest, Father Gregory Papazyan. He was also the painter of all the beautiful and amazing icons found inside.

It's worth noting that Rawdon, specifically the church of Saint Seraphim of Sarov, is where our beloved bishop, Archbishop Irénée of Ottawa and Canada, began his Orthodox journey when he was just twelve years old. You can read more details here.

The next Orthodox shrine that is a must in Rawdon is the large and beautiful church of the Diveyevo Icon of the Mother of God "Tenderness."

This church houses several priceless treasures:
The first treasure is an icon of Saint Seraphim of Sarov, also containing a particle of his relics.
The second treasure consists of a particle of the relics of Saint John of Shanghai along with his belt, which frequently travels to churches throughout the world.
On the day of our visit, all the holy relics were present in the church, giving us a rare opportunity to venerate them.
To our great joy, Archbishop Irénée of Ottawa and Canada himself arrived in Rawdon that day and celebrated the Divine Liturgy, which was filled with special solemnity and conducted in four languages – Church Slavonic, French, English, and Greek.
After the festive service, a delicious lunch awaited us. Our group was truly received with warmth and hospitality, like family. We heartily thank all who organized this wonderful meal!
You can learn more about the life of the parish of Saint Seraphim of Sarov and the Diveyevo Icon of the Mother of God "Tenderness" on the parish Facebook page.

Another jewel of Orthodoxy in Rawdon is the church dedicated to the Kazan Icon of the Most Holy Mother of God (parish website).

We owe tremendous gratitude to the parish warden Igor, who specially opened the church for our group since the liturgy there had ended earlier that morning. We had the opportunity to venerate ancient icons, light candles, and submit memorial notes. Igor shared the history of the church with us and gave us the warmest possible welcome.
Read more about the history of this church here. Encountering such shrines and praying together fills the soul with grace. Of course, this is a deeply personal experience that words cannot fully convey. We sincerely wish everyone the opportunity to live through and experience this.

This time our dear organizers chose a large, cozy cottage on the shore of a picturesque lake for our accommodations. The sauna and outdoor jacuzzi, with views of the blazing autumn forest and water, provided wonderful compensation for the overcast weather and a chance to lift our spirits and refresh ourselves.

In addition to prayer, we enjoyed shared meals, walks, and guided tours in an atmosphere of genuine interest and caring, warmth and mutual support.

Especially valuable were our informal conversations with Father Alexei, when we could ask any questions that interested us and discuss current topics around the table, in a homely atmosphere, over tea.

All group participants express sincere gratitude to dear Father Alexei for providing this opportunity and for organizing the entire pilgrimage!

We hope that warm memories of this trip will bring each participant a sincere smile of joy and quiet happiness.

For questions about pilgrimage to Rawdon, contact the parish secretary: stseraphim.ca@gmail.com. If you want to go, please copy the form at the bottom of this page, fill it in and email it to us at the same address.

To stay informed about our other trips and parish life, subscribe to our mailing list (if you'd like to receive it, please let us know at the same address)





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