Welcome to The Exarchy of
Ss. Cyril and Methodius of Slovaks of the Byzantine Rite
in Canada
Statement on the Falling Asleep in the Lord of Pope Francis.
Statement on the Falling Asleep in the Lord of Pope Francis.
Statement on the Falling Asleep in the Lord of Pope Francis
Today, the twenty-first day of April in the Year of Our Lord 2025, Kevin Cardinal Farrell announced that the Holy Father had fallen asleep in the Lord at 7:35 in the morning local time. Cardinal Farrell is an American and is the Camerlengo, the official who oversees the Vatican when there is no Pope.
Pope Francis stunned the world in 2013 when he eschewed the trappings of monarchy and presented an example of humility to the universal Church and the world.
Pope Francis worked tirelessly to return the Catholic Church to the core message of our Faith, that the good God loves us so much that He is willing to forgive all of our mistakes, even paying the price for them Himself in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross, The core message of our Faith is not rules and accusations, but mercy and God's gentle call. "And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."
The key Gospel passage of the tenure of Francis was this: "It is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Pope Francis did preach repentance, incessantly promoting the Sacramental Mystery of Confession. On Copacabana Beach in 2013 he said, "...with His mercy He will cure all the wounds caused by sin. Do not be afraid of God's forgiveness, because He never tires of forgiving us, like a Father who loves us. God is pure mercy." ln201.4,hesaid,"Go-thepriestwillbegood. Jesus is there, and Jesus is more benevolent than priests. Jesus receives you, he receives you with so much love." And for the Jubilee Year he said,, "Let us place the Sacrament of Reconciliation at the center once more in such a way that it will enable people to touch the grandeur of God's mercy with their own hands. For every penitent, it will be a source of true interior peace."
It is the tradition in our Eastern Church that when people die during Bright Week, the gates of Heaven are open to them with no delay. I am grateful to God for the life and example of Pope Francis, Jorge Mario Bergoglio. May he dwell in a place of light, peace, and verdure, and may his memory be eternal.
Kurt Richard Burnette
Apostolic Administrator
EASTER 2025 SCHEDULE
Fridays in Lent will be The Presanctified Divine Liturgies at 12:00 PM
All Souls Saturdays at 10:00 AM (February 22, March 15, 22, 29, June 7)
Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete on Thursday, April 3 at 5:00 PM
Great and Holy Thursday, April 17, 2025
12:00 PM English Vespers with The Divine Liturgy of St. Basil with the Anointing of the sick
6:00 PM English Mattins – The Twelve Passion Gospels
Good Friday, April 18, 2025
3:00 PM English Vespers and Burial procession
Great and Holy Saturday, April 19, 2025
10:00 AM English Vespers with Divine Liturgy of St. Basil
6:00 PM Procession of Resurrection Matins (with Church Slavonic parts) and Blessing of Pascal Food with Mirovanije
Resurrection of Our Lord – Pascha, April 20, 2025
10:00 AM English (with Church Slavonic and Slovak parts) Divine Liturgy with Blessing of Pascal Food and Mirovanije
Bright Monday, April 21, 2025
12:00 PM Slovak Divine Liturgy
Christ is Risen! Christos Voskrese!
REGULAR YEARLY SCHEDULE IN OUR CHURCHES
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TORONTO
The Byzantine Catholic Slovak Cathedral of the Nativity of the Mother of God
Location: 257 Shaw St, Toronto, ON M6J 2W7 (map)
Feast days through the week: 12:00 pm (Slovak or English)
Fridays: 12:00 am (Church-Slavonic) (if there is a Feast throughout the week, no Friday Liturgy)
Sundays: 10:00 am (English with Slovak readings included)
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HAMILTON
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Slovak Byzantine Catholic Church
Location: 1406 Barton St E, Hamilton, ON L8H 2W5 (map)
Feast days through the week: 10:00 am (English)
Fridays: 10:00 am (English)
Sundays: 10:30 am (English)
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OSHAWA
The Protection of the Mother of God Slovak Byzantine Catholic Church
Location: 464 Ritson Rd S, Oshawa, ON L1H 5J9 (map)
Sundays: 10:00 am (English)
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WINDSOR
St. Michael’s Slovak Byzantine Catholic Church
Location: 2120 Byng Rd, Windsor, ON N8W 3E2 (map)
Sundays: 9:30 am
Confession: 30 minutes before Liturgy
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Jubilee 2025
Psalm 23-24
The Lord’s are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it. For he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? or who may stand in his holy place? He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, a reward from God his savior. Such is the race that seeks him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob. Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in! Who is this king of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle. Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in! Who is this king of glory? The Lord of hosts; he is the king of glory.
Humanitarian Support
The Eparchy has donated $50,000 in support of humanitarian aid to Ukraine through CNEWA which works in close cooperation with Caritas Ukraine (mobilizing to serve an influx of refugees, creating field kitchens to help with humanitarian aid, medical help or spiritual and psychological support).
Latest from the blog
“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends ”
— John 15:13
Our Parishes
The Byzantine Catholic Slovak Cathedral of the Nativity of the Mother of God
Toronto, Ontario
Greek-catholic church of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Toronto for Slovaks of the Eastern Rite was established Rev. L. Minya.
The Protection of the Mother of God Slovak Byzantine Catholic Church
Oshawa, Ontario
In 1949 Slovak Greek Catholic Community decided to set up a parish. From 1949 to 1952 they attended St. Vladimir and Olga’s Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. Fr. Andrej Krafčík C. Ss. R., as the first priest of this community, held services at St. Angela’s.
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Slovak Byzantine Catholic Church
Hamilton, Ontario
Our Church in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Zosnutia Presvätej Bohorodičky) is one of several Slovak Byzantine Catholic churches that are part of the Slovak Eparchy of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Canada.
St. Michael’s Slovak Byzantine Catholic Church
Windsor, Ontario
In 1949 Slovak Greek Catholic Community decided to set up a parish. From 1949 to 1952 they attended St. Vladimir and Olga’s Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. Fr. Andrej Krafčík C. Ss. R., as the first priest of this community, held services at St. Angela’s.
Our Priests
Meet our priests