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His first introduction to Orthodox Christianity was through a Russian Orthodox Church in Rawdon, Quebec in 1961. On [[January 20]], 1967, he was received into the Orthodox Church by [[Archbishop]] [[Vitaly (Ustinov) of New York|Vitaly]] of the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]]. While active in the [[parish]] life of St. Nicholas [[Cathedral]] in Montreal, the future [[archimandrite]] participated in the activities of the [[Orthodox Christian Fellowship]] group at McGill University.
After receiving his degree from the University of Ottawa, he began studies at [[Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary (Jordanville, New York)|Holy Cross Trinity Seminary]] at Jordanville, New York. At the same time he joined the [[Holy Trinity Monastery (Jordanville, New York)|Holy Cross Trinity Monastery]] at Jordanville with the blessing of Abp. Averky, who accepted him as a [[novice]] and placed him under the spiritual guidance of Archimandrite Kiprian. In March 1974, he was [[tonsure]]d a Rassophore [[monk]] by Abp. Averky. In March 1975, he was tonsured a Stavrophore monk by Bp. [[Laurus (Skurla) of New York|Laurus]], receiving the name of Hieromartyr Irenee of Lyons. He entered into the [[minor orders]] with his being tonsured a reader and then sub-deacon by Bp. Laurus.
In February 1978, he was blessed by the [[abbot]] of Holy Cross Monastery, Bp.Laurus, to serve in Franch language parishes in France. On [[May 19]], 1878, monk Irenee was [[ordination|ordained]] a [[deacon]] in Brussels, Belgium. Then, on [[August 20]], 1978, Dn. Irenee was ordained to the [[]priest]]hood by Abp. Antony of Geneva, in Geneva, Switzerland. He continued to serve in France until 1982, when he returned to Canada to serve in the French mission in Montreal. In 1986, after [[Seraphim (Storheim) of Ottawa|Seraphim]] was [[consecration of a bishop}consecrated]] an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Canada of the Orthodox Church in America, Hieromonk Irenee and Hierodeacon Marc (Pierre) were received into the OCA with the French mission.
