On 19 January, Eastern Christians who follow the Julian calendar celebrated the feast of Theophany, commemorating the baptism of Jesus.
Ukrainian Greek Catholics in Ottawa have embraced a special tradition to mark the feast under the lead of the Metropolitan Andrew Sheptytski Institute of Eastern Christian Studies (MASI), a long-time partner of CNEWA.
On Saturday, a festive Matins and Divine Liturgy were celebrated at the Canadian Museum of Civilization inside the museum’s St. Onuphrius church. This authentic Ukrainian-style shrine has been donated to the museum by the Ukrainian Catholic community of Alberta to form part of a permanent exhibit on Canada’s history. Theophany is the only day of the year when liturgical services take place at this church.
After the celebrations at St. Onuphrius, clergy and the faithful walked to the banks of the Ottawa River for the traditional Water Blessing Ceremony, featuring a cross made of ice.
