“OUR JOY IS DOUBLED TODAY”
Christopher Chiu who is a lay spiritual director and a member of Holy Dormition Byzantine Parish in Richmond, was ordained to Minor Orders on 4 May 2025. Christopher and his family have been active members for several years now of the Eastern Catholic Church in Richmond, BC where Fr. Richard Soo, SJ is the parish priest. After a period of discernment and having begun a series of courses in Eastern Catholic theology, history and in the Eastern Studies stream at the University of St. Michael’s College, not at Newman Theological College.
The ordination took place at Holy Eucharist Cathedral in New Westminster just prior to the first Divine Liturgy at 9:00 AM. Most Rev. Michael Kwiatkowski, the Bishop of the Eparchy of New Westminster, told the congregation that Christopher’s ordination “doubled” the amount of joy that the parish and the entire eparchy was experiencing today, together with the elation as we continue to celebrate the Lord’s resurrection! The eparchial Protosyncellus, Fr. Mykhailo Ozorovych, served as the Archdeacon while two other Subdeacons, Rev. Ryan J. Bjorgaard and Rev. Adrian Kopystynski, assisted their new ‘brother’-in-ministry throughout the morning services. Christopher’s wife Joyee and three daughters as well a number of fellow parishioners from Richmond and friends came to witness the ordination.
Subdeacon Christpher will continue to serve at the Byzantine Parish in Richmond, however now as an officially established/ordained Reader, Cantor, Candle-bearer (server) and Subdeacon.