Dear All in Christ,
As you all know, our Church takes the blessing of helping the needy here in Ottawa, in Egypt and many other countries all year long. There are, however, two special occasions in the year, namely the feast of Nativity and of the Resurrection, where the Church does something special for the needy. For Nativity, as many of you have seen, the giving-event changes every year based on the opportunities we have to help others. As for the event around the feast of the Resurrection, we have maintained the same service for the last 15 years.
This annual tradition during the holy 50 days is directed at helping our young women in Egypt that are engaged to be married by supporting them with the needs that they themselves cannot afford. This is especially the reality in many small villages across Egypt where some families cannot afford to marry their daughters. This year we have a number of young women getting married during the holy 50 days after the feast of the Resurrection, and each one needs approximately $1000 dollars to complete her commitment in order to marry. This often consists of purchasing a bedroom set, some appliances, or other household needs that the bride's family is expected to provide.
Please take the blessing with us and help us support our sisters and daughters in Egypt. Your donations can make a great difference for them. You can make your donations by cheque or eTransfer to treasurer@orthodoxy.ca; please indicate "bridal program" in the memo.
God bless you!