Assembly of the Archdiocese of Canada
October 2, 2014
Most Blessed Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada, and Locum Tenens of the Archdiocese of Canada is calling the faithful to gather in for an extraordinary Assembly.
Following the Statute of The Orthodox Church in America, each parish is required to send a clergy and a lay delegate. Observers are welcomed.
Location: The DoubleTree Gatineau-Ottawa Hotel – Gatineau, Quebec
(NOTE: special hotel rate deadline for registration is September 15, 2014)
This extraordinary assembly will be a one-day gathering on Thursday, October 02, 2014—the Feast of Saint Andrew, Fool for Christ—at which the candidate for the Archbishop of Ottawa and Canada will be nominated for the election by the Holy Synod of Bishops of The Orthodox Church in America.
Following the voting on the nominating resolution, each parish will be given an opportunity to express their hope and key expectation for the future development of the Archdiocese of Canada. Therefore, each parish is asked to hold a discussion on their expectations for the future of the Archdiocese and send a brief written paragraph (3-5 sentences) by email with attention to Assembly Organizing Committee to: secretary@archdiocese.ca
These expectations will be collated and presented after the voting process, during the plenary discussion.
As well, clergy are expected to attend the Clergy Synaxis at the same location on October 3, 2014. The fall Archdiocesan Council Meeting will be held on October 1, 2014.
The site of the 2014 Assembly of the Archdiocese of Canada is the same as Assembly 2013, (formally called the Chateau Cartier, now re-named DoubleTree) as it is a fully-equipped facility and meets our needs.
The Archdiocesan Council which was earlier appointed by the Metropolitan Tikhon to act as a a search committee to identify possible candidates for the election of a ruling Archbishop for the Archdiocese of Canada met with Metropolitan Tikhon by telephone-conference on June 5, 2014 and decided to hold the special Assembly as soon as possible so the work of the Archdiocese could move forward.
The Assembly will open with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, followed by brunch. The electoral plenary session will follow. We will end the day with a moleben, followed with a celebratory dinner in the hotel.
The registration process will be the same as that observed in the past, requiring parishes to send clergy and lay delegates as per Statute of The Orthodox Church in America. The formal agenda, logistical information, hotel registration instructions and registration forms are provided below. Please NOTE: The deadline for the special hotel room rate is September 15, 2014.
Members of the Assembly Planning Commission, nominated by the Archdiocesan Executive Council and approved by the Archdiocesan Council, include His Grace, Bishop Irénée, the Administrator of the Archdiocese of Canada and Most Blessed Tikhon the Locum Tenens of the Archdiocese of Canada, co-chairs; Protodeacon Nazari Polataiko, Secretary of the Archdiocese of Canada; Mary Ann Lopoukhine, Assembly Manager; Nikita Lopoukhine, Treasurer of the Archdiocese of Canada; and Fr. Stelio Liabotis, Logistics Manager. Clergy and lay chairs of the Assembly will be announced well in advance.