ElKeraza Magazine
August 20, 2010

Translation:
Meetings with His Holiness in Cleveland:
On Friday, July 30,His Holiness met with Heg. Fr. Angelos Mikhail, Fr. Makary, Fr. David and Fr. Luke from the Priests in Mississauga, and also Fr. Pishoy Salama priest of St. Maurice & St. Verena Church in Toronto, and accompanying them were hundreds of our congregation in Canada.

A summary of the presentations at the Annual Clergy Seminar held in Boston on August 2 – 4, 2010
The Role of the Church in Evangelism in the Lands of Immigration:
… after that, Fr. Pishoy Salama, priest of St. Maurice & St. Verena Church in Toronto, spoke about the evangelism ministry in his church. He is currently ministering to parishioners of 35 different nationalities.

Visit of H.G. Bishop David and Deacon Ordinations
August 14, 2010

We were blessed by the presence of H.G. Bishop David on Saturday, August 14th to celebrate the Divine Liturgy and ordain deacons.
To the rank ofPsaltos (singer): Mark Joseph Abadir, Michael Bishoy Mitri, and Philip David Azouz
To the rank ofAnagnostis (reader): Refat George Samuel, Maurice Cyril Michael Chen, and Thomas George Abadir.
The church would like to congratulate the newly ordained deacons and thank His Grace for his paternal love and care to our parish.

Habitat for Humanity
August 7, 2010

Volunteers from several parishes joined one another for fun, fellowship and service on August 7th at the Habitat for Humanity Build site at 1500 Weston Road in Toronto.  All were in good spirits as we were lead by our HfH team leads who provided instruction and materials for the build.  All of the houses are built by volunteers of various disciplines, including the families who will be moving into the houses.  The day was also an excellent opportunity to witness and fellowship with volunteers who are not from the church.  We prayed, ate and built houses together.  A truly blessed day.

 

North America Annual Coptic Clergy Seminar
August 2 – 4, 2010

The Annual Coptic Clergy Seminar was held at the Virgin Mary Spiritual Vineyard in Boston from August 2 – 4, 2010 under the leadership and presence of H. H. Pope Shenouda III and the participation of eighteen honoured bishops and approximately 250 reverend priests. This seminar has become an annual tradition in the Church where clergy members meet from across North America with our beloved father H.H. Pope Shenouda III to receive spiritual guidance and discuss a variety of subjects including pastoral care, youth ministry, subjects related to the spirituality of the priests, and much more. This year, one of the important subjects discussed in the seminar was “Evangelism in North America” where H.G. Bishop Suriel presented a scholarly paper on the history of evangelism in the Coptic Church and encouraged churches to participate in this essential ministry. Following H.G. Bishop Suriel’s presentation, His Holiness called upon Fr. Pishoy Salama to share his experience in the establishment of St. Maurice & St. Verena Coptic Orthodox Church in Toronto. We are thankful that the presentation received the blessing of His Holiness and the encouragement of the honoured bishops and reverend fathers who were in attendance. May our Lord bless the evangelism ministry of our mother Church all over the world and give health and strength to our beloved father H.H. Pope Shenouda III to lead many more clergy seminars.

Read Fr. Pishoy’s speech at the clergy seminar

Meeting H.H. Pope Shenouda III in Cleveland
Friday, July 30th, 2010

The church organized a trip to Cleveland, Ohio to receive the blessing of H.H. Pope Shenouda III on July 30th, 2010. His Holiness met the group with cheer at his residence in the Intercontinental Hotel which is attached to the Cleveland Clinic and spent a long time greeting each person individually, signing autographs, and praying for us. Several members of the church, representing our multicultural fabric, shared brief words thanking His Holiness for establishing our church and for encouraging missionary work in North America. The speakers mentioned their love for the Coptic Orthodox Church under His Holiness’ leadership and the differencethat the church has made in their lives since becoming part of it.His Holiness expressed his joy over our multicultural ministry and prayed for our prosperity and continued growth. After the generalmeeting, Fr. Pishoy received the blessing of meeting with His Holiness individually to update Sayedna about the latest news on the land and building project, activities, and ministries.  We thank our beloved father H.H. Pope Shenouda III for his paternal love and care for his children and we pray thatthe Lord would grant him many more peaceful years shepherding his flock in purity and righteousness.

Graduation Celebration and Good News Sharing Day
Sunday, July 18th, 2010

Congratulations to Sarah Eveleen McNaughton for her blessed baptism on July 17, 2010. May our Lord always guide and protect her.

FIFA World Cup Finals
Sunday, July 11, 2010

The church community gathered at Brebeuf’s auditorium on Sunday, July 11th to watch the FIFA World Cup Finals between Spain and Netherlands. It was a great opportunity for outreach where members invited their families, neighbours, and friends to enjoy fellowship in cheering on their favorite team.  The celebration started with a presentation of African songs from our children and the worship team then a meditation by Fr. Pishoy on the lessons learned from sports (1 Corinthians 9:24, 1 Timothy 4:8). Children enjoyed face painting and the event had the feeling of being present at the stadium with cheers and emotions. We thank God for this wonderful community event and we thank all its organizers.

Youth Trip to Ottawa, Montreal, & Thousand Islands
July 1 – 3, 2010

The church youth participated in a memorable trip to Ottawa, Montreal, and Thousand Islands from July 1st to 3rd. The trip included visits to St. Mary’s Coptic Church in Ottawa, Parliament Hill on Canada Day, St. Joseph Cathedral, Notre Dame, Old Montreal, St. George and St. Joseph Coptic Church, and St. Mary’s Coptic Church in Montreal. On the way back, the group took a boat cruise in Thousand Islands near Kingston. It was a fun filled trip loaded with activities, sightseeing, and spiritual lessons. The youth participated in discussions led by clergy and other youth on several spiritual topics including Repentance (on the Feast of Saint Moses the Strong), Friendship, Why Am I Coptic Orthodox, and the Prayers of the Saints. We are very thankful to all the congregations that hosted and were hospitable to us. Also, we thank all the youth leaders who organized this trip and to all the youth who have shown exemplary Christian behavior.
More Photos

Presentation by Calcutta Mission Team
Sunday, July 4th, 2010

The JOY Outreach Meeting hosted a group of missionaries who are actively involved in several outreach programs in Calcutta, India. They shared with the participants their first hand experiences and cultural challenges they faced on the Mission field. They highlighted the necessity to care for the people’s pressing need of food, shelter, and medical treatment along with reaching them with the message of the gospel. It was an eye opening experience for everyone in attendance to witness cross-cultural mission and to be actively involved in discussing its potential and challenges. We pray for this mission team and we pray to implement many of the lessons learned from their presentation.

St. Mark's Soccer Tournament
Saturday, June 26, 2010

The church soccer team participated in the annual St. Mark's Inter-church soccer tournament which was held on Saturday, June 26th in Markham. The team members were dressed in their new "Toronto FC" uniform and, despite the rainy weather, enjoyed a wonderful day of fellowship and sportsmanship. We thank all the tournament organizers for this opportunity to gather siblings from all across the South Western Ontario region to participate in friendly competition.

Father's Day Celebration Dinner
June 20, 2010

The Father's Day Celebration Dinner was a joyful night that included spiritual meditations, group discussions, musical presentations, praise, worship, and much fellowship. We were blessed by the presence of H.G. Bishop David who started the evening with prayer and a word congratulating the congregation for the great news of the land rezoning. Also, His Grace conveyed to us the blessing, prayers, and the care of H.H. Pope Shenouda III who is always updated about the church ministry and her progress. We were also blessed by the presence of Fr. Abraam Kamal and Fr. Joseph Iskander along with their beloved families who shared with us the joyful night. Fr. Pishoy meditated on "Celebrating the Father's Love" and encouraged the congregation to continue to extend the love of God to others around us everywhere. Sameh Abdou meditated on "How to overcome our challenges" and become more rooted in the faith while experiencing the Father's love in any circumstances. Also, Donovan Moses McKay presented a song which he wrote that spoke about loving God at all times. The program included a special recognition to all the fathers and those celebrating their birthday during the month of June. We welcomed many guests and friends who visited the church for the first time and interacted with the congregation. We thank God for all the volunteers who planned this successful event from food preparation to set up, clean up, welcoming, planning activities, MCing, tickets sales, serving, and much more. May our Lord bless every ministry for the glory of His holy name.
More Photos

Zambia Mission Walk-A-Thon
June 19, 2010

The SMSV Mission team to Zambia hosted a 5k Walk-a-thon at Willet Creek Park on Saturday June 19, 2010 to raise awareness for the summer mission. The mission team walked with brothers and sisters and shared in a post walk fellowship. The team thanks God and all the supporters of the mission for their prayers and encouragement.

“The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build" (Nehemiah 2:20)
A Successful Public Meeting
June 15th, 2010

It was a historical day indeed which is to be remembered for generations. Congregation members gathered at the Town of Markham to participate in supporting the rezoning application presented by the church to allow for a Place of Worship along with its auxiliary uses including a banquet hall, gymnasium, day care, and a bishop's residence. The atmosphere in the Council's Chamber was very light, full of laughter, and an overall confidence in the potential of this project to become a positive addition to the entire Town of Markham. We are extremely thankful to H.W. Mayor Frank Scarpitti, Councilor Dan Horchik, the entire Markham council, and Town staff for their support and confidence in our application. We are also very thankful to our architect, Mr. Len Abelman from WZMH, Mr. Ben Quan our planner, Mr. Nick Poulos our traffic consultant, and the church's engineering committee for their professionalism and their support. We also appreciate the congregation members who were present during the meeting and every one else who supported through their prayers. The council voted unanimously in favour of our application to permit our proposed uses. Before the new bylaw could be finalized, we still have a few requests made by the council which need to be worked out during the next few weeks, God willing. We look forward on continuing to work closely with the Town staff to fulfill all the required steps.

ElKeraza Magazine
May 28, 2010

(Translation)
Fr. Pishoy Salama
He has a successful ministry in Canada among persons of many different nationalities. His ministry has increased so he needs to ordain a priest or a consecrated deacon to assist him. He has conducted many baptisms in the past few weeks.

Congratulations to Marian and Andrew Steuter for the baptism of their son Matthew Michael on Saturday, June 12th, 2010 at St. Mary & St. Joseph Coptic Orthodox Church in Richmond Hill. May our Lord bless the entire family and give Matthew a joyful life filled with the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Sunday School Outing to Burger King and World Bowl
Sunday June 6, 2010

The church Sunday school students and servants spent a wonderful time together following the mass on Sunday June 6.   The   outing started with lunch at Burger King where the adventurous climbed to the top of the play equipment and slid their way down. This was followed by competitive games at World Bowl where some personal records were broken. The day was filled with much laughter and fellowship with old as well as newly formed friends. More Photos

CREW Young Adults Bowling Outing
Tuesday June 1, 2010

The CREW Young Adults spent quality fellowship time at the local Bowlerama. Many joyful moments where each got to know each other in a social and healthy competitive setting. Keep posted for more social
events.

Acquire the Fire
Victoria Day Long Weekend Congregation Retreat
May 22 - 24, 2010

The church family participated in the Victoria Day Long Weekend spiritual retreat which was held at Cranberry Golf Resort in Collingwood, ON from May 22 - 24, 2010. The theme of the retreat was "Acquire the Fire" which focused on the Holy Spirit since the church celebrated the Feast of Pentecost during that weekend. There were five sessions during the retreat entitled "God; Spirit and Truth", "The Spiritual Person", "The Spiritual Family", "The Spiritual Church Community", and "The Spiritual Mission". We are very thankful to our beloved guest speakers Fr. Michael Sorial and Dr. Yousry Armanios who blessed us in the retreat. God gave us wonderful weather and amazing fellowship. The lake-front resort was the ideal location to enjoy quiet time and fun activities. We thank God for a spiritual weekend filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit and we look forward for similar retreats in the future, God willing.
Listen to lectures click here

Youth and CREW meetings with Fr. Michael Sorial
May 24, 25, 2010

The youth were blessed to meet with Fr. Michael Sorial on Monday, May 24th. The topic of discussion was "Elijah and the Drought" being inspired from 1 Kings 18. On the following day, Fr. Michael led the CREW meeting with a meditation on "Created on the Image and Likeness of God". We are very thankful to our beloved father who spared no effort in serving the Lord and guiding our youth.

CREW Meeting BBQ Night
Tuesday, May 18, 2010

The CREW Young Adults Meeting organized a BBQ and games night on Tuesday, May 18th. It was a night filled with fellowship, laughter, and group activities. Fr. Pishoy shared a short meditation on "Choices" based on Deuteronomy 30:19. May the Lord bless every ministry for the glory of His holy name.

Conclusion of Small Group Leadership Training Course
Friday. May 7th, 2010

The Small Groups training course had their celebration dinner on Friday, May 7th.  The theme was "A Night of Lights," drawing inspiration from Pentecost and our  identity as  the light of the world.  Thirty faithful participants attended the training for nearly three months and learned the skills necessary to facilitate a small group including:  Creating Small Group Covenants, Worship, Celebrating Diversity in a Group, How to Study the Word of God, Managing Conflict and being Mission Minded.  In addition to learning these skills, each participant was in a small group for the duration fo the training.  We thank God for the transforming work He did in each participant and pray for the continued success of this ministry. 
See more photos

Deacons' Spiritual Day
May 8, 2010

The church celebrated the Feast of St. Mark the Apostle on Saturday, May 8th by praying the Divine Liturgy followed by a Spiritual day for the deacons. Fr. Pishoy shared a meditation entitled "Evident Spiritual Progress" which was inspired from 1 Timothy 4:15. After the agape meal, Atef Salama meditated on the word D.E.A.C.O.N. referring to dedication in ministry, eager to learn, approachable, conscious of needs, organized, and neat. This was followed by an organizational meeting to assign different responsibilities among the deacons for mentoring and leadership. The deacons agreed to continue their weekly hymns class meeting every Sunday following the Divine Liturgy.

Congratulations to Ryan David George Sukie for his blessed baptism on Saturday May 1, 2010. May the Lord bless his life and continue to guide and protect him.

Congratulations to Gabriel Anthony & Nicholas Benjamin children of Nabil and Shereen Kharooba for their blessed baptism on April 24th, 2010. We pray that the Lord would guide them to grow in the faith and in His love.

Catechism Course
Fridays, May 7 - June 25, 2010

The church has started a Catechism Course for any one interested to learn more about the Orthodox Faith, Doctrine, and Traditions. The course will be held at the Church of St. Luke for eight weeks starting Friday, May 7th from 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm. To register for this course, please contact Dr. Wadid Abadir catechism@smsv.ca

Yonge Street Mission
April 17, 2010

Members of SMSV were asked to come assist the YSM with the Children's Breakfast Club on April 17, 2010. Volunteers prepared food, served the children and spent fellowship by facilitating sports, art classes and usage in computer lab. For more community volunteering opportunities click here

Visit of H. G. Bishop David
Holy Week 2010

We were blessed by the visit of H. G. Bishop David on Lazarus Saturday, March 27th. On this joyful day, His Grace baptized Leonard Maurice Cyril Chen and ordained ten deacons:
To the rank of Epsaltos (singer): Matthew John Azouz, Jonathan George Dawoud, Stephen Cyril Dawoud, Michael Mekhail, Stephen Mekhail, Fadi Pishoy Mekhail.
To the rank of Anagostis (reader): Anwar Peter Mekhail, Said Paul Mishriky, Nagy Lazarus Fam, and Mamdouh Hanna.
We were also blessed by His Grace's presence to celebrate the Apocalypse overnight vigil on Bright Saturday, April 3rd. It was a memorable night indeed filled with praises, scriptural readings, processions, and the reading of the Book of Revelation. The night was crowned by celebrating the Divine Liturgy. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank H.G. Bishop David for making this Holy Week extra special and for conveying to us the blessings and prayers of H. H. Pope Shenouda III. May the Lord preserve for us their lives for many years to come.

Texas Youth Spiritual Retreat
March 14 - 20, 2010

The church organized a Youth Spiritual Retreat to St. Mary & St. Moses Abbey in Texas during the Spring Break from March 14 - 20, 2010. Thirty Nine of the church youth and their counselors participated in this spiritually uplifting journey which took them to the southern most tip of the United States. We were welcomed at the Abbey by H. G. Bishop Youssef, the reverend monks, and brothers. The daily schedule included praying the Midnight Psalmody, celebrating a Divine Liturgy, two spiritual meetings, and Quiet Time. The theme of the retreat was "Practical Spirituality" where all the youth participated in preparing and presenting a different topic in one of the eight sessions. We were blessed to meet with H. G. Bishop Youssef who spoke to us about "Chastity". The trip also included excursions to Corpus Christi where we visited The USS Lexicon, a retired Navy Ship saved from Pearl Harbor, and to Sea World in San Antonio. We thank our beloved youth for their exemplary behaviour during the trip and to all the counselors for their dedication and labour of love. We look forward to similar retreats in the future, God willing. 

Servants' Spiritual Day
March 6, 2010

The church servants participated in a Spiritual Day on Saturday, March 6, 2010 which was held at St. Luke Church. The day started with prayers, praises, followed by presentations from various service committees in the church. The Community Service, Evangelism (Jerusalem & Ends of the Earth), CREW, Technology, Women's Ministry, and Prayer Meeting shared updates about their current ministries and discussed challenges and future goals. Fr. Pishoy shared a meditation entitled "Church with Mission & Vision" which focused on asking the question why do we exist, defining the purpose of our church, our mission statement, how to be a seeker friendly community, and the balance between spiritual and physical growth. The participants also had an opportunity to share in an agape meal and in some organized activities. Overall, it was a joyful day filled with sharing experiences, connecting ministries, and uniting our vision. God bless every ministry for the glory of His holy name.

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