PANAGIA THE COMFORTER MONASTERY DINNER – SYNAXIS OF CLERGYMEN IN MONTREAL AND TORONTO - PHILOPTOCHOS ANNUAL DINNER

January 22: The Panagia the Comforter Monastery annual fundraising dinner took place at the luxurious reception hall Chateau Royal; Mr. Vasilis Zannis, owner of the venue, donated everything. Six hundred people attended the dinner. Among the official guests were the Consul General of Greece in Montreal; the Mayor of Brownsburg; Mr. Kouris, MP; the Greek Ambassador, G. Marcantonatos and Metropolitan Sotirios.  Thanks are expressed to all the organizers and especially to the owner Mr. Zannis. 

January 23: The Synaxis of Clergymen of the Montreal-Laval area took place and the main topics addressed were the ones that will be discussed at the upcoming Clergy-Laity Assembly whose theme is “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them.” The priests and Metropolitan Sotirios discussed all matters with admirable cooperation and the appropriate decisions were taken.

January 24: The Synaxis of Clergymen of the Greater Toronto Area took place with Bishop Christoforos and Metropolitan Sotirios. The same topics as in Montreal were examined at the Toronto Synaxis and appropriate decisions were taken. 

January 24: The Philoptochos Chapters of the twenty parishes of the Greater Toronto Area held their annual dinner. The Boards of the Philoptochos Chapters, the priests, Bishop Christoforos and Metropolitan Sotirios participated.  The students of our Theological Academy, who during the evening sang some beautiful hymns and traditional Greek songs, were also invited. The president of the Metropolis Philoptochos Board of Canada, Mrs. Sapfo Rassias, gave an inspired and loving speech. The beautiful evening ended with a speech and fatherly admonitions by Metropolitan Sotirios and the cutting of the Vasilopita (St. Basil Cake).  Metropolitan Sotirios stressed the theme of charity and that we all must help our brothers and sisters in Greece who are suffering. He also mentioned the pending purchase of a CT Scanner for the St. Savvas cancer hospital in Athens, and happily reported that four of his friends offered a total of $50,000; now only $30,000 remain. Metropolitan Sotirios also asked all the participants to consider adopting a poor family in Greece.