CANNES: June 8, 2011 
The Association of Archangel Michael Russian Orthodox Church in Cannes Holds its Annual Meeting  

On June 5, 2011, the annual meeting of the Association of Archangel Michael Russian Orthodox Church of Cannes, France was held.  

Before the meeting began, His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York addressed the attendees via telephone and gave his blessing for their work.   

Participating in the meeting were members of the Benevolent Council of Archangel Michael Church: Protopriest Michael Boikov, Acting Rector of the parish; Archimandrite Ieronim (Shurygin); Archimandrite Basil (Pasquiet); Protopriest Serafim Gan, and the members of the Benevolent Council, Andrei Belyuchenko; Igor Protsenko; Mikhail Slipenchuk; Maksim Khrabrykh and the Council’s President, Valery Shevchuk.  

Also invited to and participating in the meeting was Protopriest Leonid Kalinin, Rector of Holy Martyr Clement, Pope of Rome Church in Zamoskvorechie, Moscow, whom His Holiness Patriarch Kirill blessed to participate in the restoration of Archangel Michael Church as a consultant to the Benevolent Council.  

During the meeting, matters pertaining to the parish’s spiritual ministry and administration were discussed.   

In connection with the departure of Priest Maksim Massalitine as parish rector of Archangel Michael Church, Protopriest Michael Boikov was unanimously elected as the Parish President and member of the Benevolent Council, and the new Council membership was approved.   

It was noted that over the last two years, the Benevolent Council members accomplished a great deal for the parish: a capital renovation project was financed for two floors of the parish house, frescoes at the church entrance were renovated as were some of the church’s icons, the summer kitchen in the garden was remodeled and a restoration plan for the church building was approved, among other items.  

A decision was made to work on the restoration of the church in June and July using funds previously donated by the Benevolent Council members themselves.   

The same day, an exhibition opened at Archangel Michael Church titled “Holy Russia,”  devoted to the culture and history of Orthodox Russia. Organized by the group called “Culture, Education, Orthodox in Cannes,” it opened with speeches by Fr Michael Boikov and Yuri Vasilievich Gribkov, Consul General of the Russian Federation in Marseilles and the Kingdom of Monaco.