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By the mercy of God and the efforts of the faithful clergy and faithful, the Ontario Deanery was blessed recently to host Archimandrite Daniel [Byantoro], Dean and founder of the Orthodox Church in Indonesia.
“Father Daniel visited Kingston, several locations in Toronto, and Windsor before departing for the US, en route to Indonesia,” said Priest Geoffrey Korz, Rector of All Saints of North America Church, Hamilton, ON and Dean of the Ontario Deanery. “Saint Gregory of Nyssa Parish, Kingston, ON had the honor of listening to two presentations by Father Daniel on October 29-30, 2016, in which he detailed his personal conversion from Islam and the establishment and growth of Orthodoxy in his home country of Indonesia. The Kingston parishioners were quite moved to hear how the Lord had openly appeared to him, just as He had to the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus.”
On November 1, Father Daniel spoke at the University of Toronto’s Trinity College to a group including students from the Orthodox Christian Fellowship and members of the new mission parish of the Holy Myrrhbearers.
“The campus event alone raised enough funds to allow the OCF and the campus-based mission to become one of the ‘500 Founders’ of the monastery project in Indonesia,” Father Geoffrey added.
On November 2, Father Daniel was invited to speak at the Coptic Centre in Markham, ON, to a diverse group including many young people. He also gave two educational talks to the community in Windsor, ON, sponsored by Saint John the Divine Orthodox Church on November 5-6.
“Father Daniel’s testimony of endurance and faith provided an inspiration to many in the audience whose family members had suffered religious persecution first hand,” said Father Geoffrey. “As he prepared for his flight home, Father Daniel expressed his thanks for the nearly $10,000.00 that the OCA Ontario Deanery had raised for his missionary work during the brief fundraising tour. He felt that it was God’s miraculous providence that he had been invited to come to Canada.”
Plans are being discussed for possible Indonesian mission tours elsewhere in Canada and the US. Interested parishes and parties may contact Father Geoffrey at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
