Sudbury Slava Celebration

On Saturday July 12, when the Serbian Orthodox Church celebrates Sts. Peter and Paul, the Northern Ontario community of Sudbury, Ontario, prayerfully celebrated its church slava.

The celebration began with the Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning, celebrated by the parish priest, Father Brian Payne, followed by the procession and the blessing of the church. Immediately after the Liturgy, the community celebrated the baptism of Eva Uzman with many of the faithful in attendance to witness the joyous occasion.

Father Brian also blessed the slava gifts and offered prayers for the health and blessings of all parishioners and this year's Kuma, Zorka Preocanin-Prosser, and her family. As is tradition in the Sudbury community, Father Brian visited the two local cemeteries to bless the graves of our departed brothers and sisters from the community, dating back to the 1930s.

The hardworking parishioners of this small parish prepared an extraordinary Slava dinner banquet. The 125 guests were thoroughly entertained by Prijatelji, who performed late into the night in the church hall. The following morning, the Divine Liturgy was held, with the members of Prijatelji joining the church choir for a moving liturgical experience.

May the Lord grant a long, peaceful, and blessed life to all the parishioners of Sudbury. Sretna Slava!