Sacraments & Forms
Church School
The Church School year will start September 17, 2023. Classes will be offered in-person. To register students for the upcoming year, kindly complete one form for each student. For more information please contact Kelly Hamwi, Church School Director by email at steliaschurchschool@gmail.com.
Weddings
We at St. Elias Cathedral rejoice in the love that you as a couple share with one another. Your decision to be married in the Church is an indication that the Christian faith and the sacramental life of the Church are important to you. In the eyes of the Church, marriage is a sacramental act which unites the man and the woman in their love to our Lord Jesus Christ. The two “become one flesh.” Marriage does not take place in a spiritual vacuum. For this reason, for a couple to be married at St. Elias Cathedral, at least one member of the couple must be an Orthodox Christian in good standing with the Church. The other person, while not necessarily required to be Orthodox, must be a validly-baptized Christian in good standing with his or her church. An Orthodox Christian is not permitted to marry a non-Christian/non-baptized person in the Church. If one member of the couple has a previous divorce in their past, this is not an obstacle to remarriage, but they must first speak with the priest in order to take the appropriate measures to be reinstated into the sacramental life of the Church.
For those planning weddings at St. Elias Cathedral, the following requirements must be met:
1. There are certain days when weddings CANNOT take place. These include:
– Wednesdays and Fridays all year long.
– During the Christmas Fast (Nov. 15 – Dec. 25) [A wedding between Nov. 15 and Dec. 12 can take place with a special permission by the bishop who assesses the request].
– During Great Lent (From Meatfare Sunday to Thomas Sunday).
– Pentecost Sunday.
– During the Dormition Fast (Aug. 1-14).
– On September 14 and August 29.
2. Please call to reserve the church BEFORE reserving the reception hall. After calling the Church, the Priest will contact the couple virtually or in person before confirming the date.
3. the wedding must be celebrated in the church building itself and not in any other venue.
4. If either member of the couple was previously married & divorced, they must first be reinstated by the Metropolitan Archbishop to the sacramental life of the Church before proceeding with the wedding; this process can be initiated by speaking with the priest.
5. At least one member of the couple should be a baptized Orthodox Christian and a Parishioner of St. Elias in good standing (Orthodox Christians who are non-parishioners will need the blessing of their parish priest); the other member of the couple, if not Orthodox, must at least be a Christian baptized in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
6. All members of the wedding party must be Baptized Christians.
7. The couple must attend at least 2 sessions of pre-marital counselling with the priest in the months prior to the wedding.
8. The couple must receive confession and communion at their respective churches prior to the wedding.
9. The couple is to return to the Cathedral on the nearest Sunday following their honeymoon for the service of the Removal of the Crowns.
Pre-Marital Counseling
Stastics show that couples who prepare for marriage through counseling have a higher rate of success and longevity in their marriages. For this reason, all couples being married at St. Elias Cathedral must attend three one-hour sessions of pre-marital counseling with the priest. During these sessions, the priest will help you understand the nature of marriage in the Church, assist you in finding ways to improve communication in various aspects of married life, and identify areas of concern that need to be addressed.
Visiting Clergy
Guest clergy, in communion with the Orthodox Church, may participate in a wedding at St. Elias Cathedral. Canonically, it is the responsibility of the priest where the wedding is taking place to extend an invitation to any and all visiting clergy. Non-Orthodox clergymen from other Christian communities may not take part in the celebration of the sacrament of marriage per se. It is the official policy of our Archdiocese that clergy from other Christian confessions may be present at their service and acknowledged at the conclusion of the wedding service and invited forward to the solea where they may offer a prayer and briefly address the couple.
Please speak with Fr. Nektarios prior to inviting any clergyman to the service.
Necessary Papers & Documents
If one of the couple is not a parishioner of St. Elias, they must provide a baptismal certificate and a letter of good standing from their Orthodox or non-Orthodox Church.
Within 90 days of the wedding, the couple MUST obtain a civil marriage license from the Province of Ontario and bring it to our office at least 10 days before the wedding date. The wedding cannot take place without this document.
Music
Traditionally, processionals and recessionals are accompanied by chanting. If it is the couple’s preference, certain classical music may be played as accompaniment to the processional/recessional. Please contact the Church office for a list of approved music.
Photography/Videography
Photographs of your wedding are permitted but should not in any way impede or distract from the celebration of the sacrament. Photographers should be quiet and respectful; the use of a flash is allowed. If you are planning on professional photography and videography, please ask that your photographer arrive early at the Church so that guidelines can be laid out. Also, please ask guests to be respectful of the professional’s space, for your benefit.
A Note to the Bride & Groom
To those spouses who are Orthodox: there is no substitute for Jesus Christ in maintaining the dignity and sanctity of the marriage bond. For the celebration of your marriage in the Church to be real, you must live out, in subsequent years, the Christian commitment that you will make on the day of your wedding.
To those spouses who are not Orthodox: you are always welcome here at St. Elias Cathedral. Please note that your marriage in the Church does not automatically grant you membership in the Orthodox Church. If you desire to become an Orthodox Christian this must be your decision, made after much prayer and thought, in consultation with the parish priest, and never for the sake of convenience. To both of you: the Lord and this parish are here to help, support and sustain you in your marriage bond and the life of faith to which we are called as Christians. May the Lord grant you both many years together in peace and oneness of mind and heart.
If you have already booked a date with our office and want to fill out a marriage application, kindly click on the following button.
Baptism
For those planning baptisms at St. Elias Cathedral, the following requirements must be met:
- The meaning and purpose of baptism is for the child to be incorporated into the Body of Christ (the Church) by participating in the Lord’s death and resurrection. When the child is placed in the water, they are being buried with Christ; when they rise from the water, they rise to new life. Baptism is not simply a cultural rite of passage; it is a literal “putting on” of Christ. The child is illuminated by baptism, and thus is made ready to receive the Seal of the Gift of the Holy Spirit, given in the Sacrament of Chrismation (also known as confirmation), which takes place at the Baptismal service. Having been illumined and having received the gift of the Holy Spirit, the child is now able to be fully incorporated into the life of the Church, and this takes place most significantly at the reception of Holy Communion. Unlike other Christian groups, the Orthodox Church has preserved the ancient practice of giving communion immediately to the newly-baptized and chrismated infants; there is no “first communion” ceremony when the child is older. The communion at the baptism is their first communion, and they are welcomed to the Chalice from that point on.
- Because baptism is strongly connected to the practicing of the faith within the Church, only parishioners of St. Elias in good standing can baptize their children at St. Elias. Orthodox Christians who are non-parishioners would need to provide a letter from the pastor giving them the blessing to baptize at St. Elias. Non-Orthodox Christians and non-Christians are unfortunately not able to book baptisms at St. Elias.
- Before choosing and confirming the godparents, please ensure the prospective godparents meet all requirements: At least one godparent must be an Orthodox Christian, the other can be a Christian of another denomination [i.e. Catholic]; the godparents must be in good standing with their respective churches, and are to receive confession and communion in the weeks approaching the baptism. We encourage careful consideration of who you ask to be godparents. It is of the utmost importance that godparents be people of prayer who are active in church, and who have a dedicated commitment to Jesus Christ. Simply choosing someone because they are a friend or a relative is not enough if that person is not close the Lord. This is because the godparent’s job is to ensure the child is brought up in the Orthodox Christian faith, that their life of prayer and sacramental life is nourished, and that they live “in Christ.” If the godparent is not living this life already, then they will not be able to give to the child that which they themselves do not fully possess. This is why we urge a prayerful, deliberate, and careful choice when selecting godparents for our children. Furthermore, no one will be permitted to serve as a godparent unless they have received confession and communion, in order for them to be spiritually prepared for the great role they are about to fulfill.
- Schedule and confirm the date of baptism with the Cathedral office by calling 613-738-2222.
- The godparents and parents are to meet with Fr. Nektarios several weeks before the baptism in order to discuss the order of the service, the responsibilities of the godparents, and required items to bring.