Theotokos Joy of Canada icon was written by Slavko Protic as a gift for the Monastery of All Saints of North America, Dewdney, British Columbia, Canada in 1986. The maple leaves and "fleur-de-lys" motifs on the garments and the annual Joy of Canada pilgrimage mark the advent of a Canadian Orthodox tradition.

The annual pilgrimage for the feast of the "Theotokos, Joy of Canada," is as always a highlight of the summer for Canadian Orthodox Christians. The feast of the "Theotokos, Joy of Canada" is always the first weekend of August and anybody that can come is always welcome. Many people who were born in Eastern Europe attend the pilgrimage and find a special comfort in participating in a procession and service that they have not seen since they left their native lands. The icon, focusing the attention of the faithful on the meaning of Christ's incarnation for the restoration of human nature, is carried in procession from the gate house of the monastery across a local stream ("the Jordan" river).

---

HOME