Every year after Pascha, the Oriental and Eastern Orthodox clergy of the Greater Toronto Area have an annual meeting at the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada).

The day begins with an Eastern Orthodox Paschal service attended by all clergy, followed by a keynote address. A discussion about the keynote address follows, along with a luncheon, and a final discussion on various topics.

This year’s keynote speaker was Fr. Maximus Rizkalla of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Fr. Rizkalla spoke on, “Helping our Orthodox youth deal with marijuana legalization and sex.”

The introduction of Fr. Maximus was excellent. He presented all the dangers that Orthodox youth face regarding these two items, especially sex education in schools, which begins in Grade 1 and does not take morals into consideration.

Held in a very friendly atmosphere, all topics were discussed with Christian love and understanding. As every year, the luncheon was offered by our Holy Metropolis.

Every fall, a Vespers service takes place at a parish belonging to the Oriental Orthodox in the Toronto area, attended by Oriental and Eastern Orthodox clergy and laity. This year, the service will take place on Tuesday, October 17th, at St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Markham.