Despite the very harsh winter weather, with temperature below –24°C, the ecumenical celebration in Montreal, last Sunday, was nothing short of extraordinary. The church was filled to capacity, with over 300 people in attendance—an inspiring testament to faith, unity, and the strength of the Christian community.
It was a true joy for me to collaborate with dear friends in organizing this remarkable event: Fr. Hagop Director of Christian Education at the Armenian Prelacy of Canada; Pierre Chamas, President of the Alliance of Middle Eastern Christians in Canada; and Bishop Ioan Casian, of the Romanian Orthodox Church of Canada and President of the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism. Working together on such a significant gathering was both a privilege and a deeply enriching experience.
This celebration was likely this year, as in previous years, the largest ecumenical prayer event in Canada. It offered a wonderful opportunity for Christians of different denominations to come together in prayer, to meet one another as brothers and sisters in Christ, and to rejoice in the richness of our diverse Christian traditions. The evening was spiritually uplifting and filled with a profound sense of communion.
Despite the very harsh winter weather, with temperature below –24°C, the ecumenical celebration in Montreal, last Sunday, was nothing short of extraordinary. The church was filled to capacity, with over 300 people in attendance—an inspiring testament to faith, unity, and the strength of the Christian community.
It was a true joy for me to collaborate with dear friends in organizing this remarkable event: Fr. Hagop Director of Christian Education at the Armenian Prelacy of Canada; Pierre Chamas, President of the Alliance of Middle Eastern Christians in Canada; and Bishop Ioan Casian, of the Romanian Orthodox Church of Canada and President of the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism. Working together on such a significant gathering was both a privilege and a deeply enriching experience.
This celebration was likely this year, as in previous years, the largest ecumenical prayer event in Canada. It offered a wonderful opportunity for Christians of different denominations to come together in prayer, to meet one another as brothers and sisters in Christ, and to rejoice in the richness of our diverse Christian traditions. The evening was spiritually uplifting and filled with a profound sense of communion.
We were warmly welcomed by Archbishop Papken Tcharian, of the Armenian Prelacy of Canada whose words set a tone of openness and fraternity. The Melkite and Armenian choirs sang with angelic beauty, bishops and church representatives led the assembly in prayer, and one could feel the deep unity shared by all present.
Archbishop Christian Lépine of the Catholic Church of Montreal delivered a homily that spoke directly to our hearts, while Bishop David Mbuyi of the Anglican Church, Bishop Ioan Casian of the Romanian Orthodox Church, and Bishop Marwan Tabet of the Maronite Church of Canada—alongside nuns and more than twenty clergy from Catholic, Orthodox, Oriental, and Protestant churches—guided the faithful in prayer.
The agape following the celebration was a beautiful opportunity for attendees to connect, share fellowship, and strengthen the bonds of friendship and unity among Christians from different traditions. It was a joyful conclusion to a spiritually uplifting evening.
It was indeed a wonderful event, that can’t be described in words. It must be lived.
