The summer pilgrimage in honor of the Mother of God
and final whistle at the St. Teodora de la Sihla Summer Camp – 2022
We kneel in prayer,
Lift us up, save us!
(Prayer - Mihai Eminescu)
Saturday July 23, 2022 on the last day of the St. Teodora from Sihla Summer Camp, the young participants and their parents together with numerous pilgrims participated in the Summer Pilgrimage in honor of the Mother of God at The Holy Cross and St. Ephrem the New Monastery from Mono, Ontario.
The processions that take place in the period preceding the fast of the "Dormition of the Mother of God" are now becoming a tradition at the Mono monastery, being true testimonies of the faith of the people of these places who preserve the holy traditions and offer living models to the children raised and educated by them.
Next to the romanina hierarch of Canada there was a group of priests which included Rev. Viorel Tencaliuc - dean of Canada Centre, Rev. Petre Busuioc eparchial inspector, Rev. Grigorie Țăpuc, Rev. Lucian Azoiței, Rev. Ionuț Emanuel Tencaliuc and Hierom. Polycarp .
In his sermon, HG Bishop Ioan Casian said: "The Gospel reminds us of the miracle that the Savior performs with the daughter of Jairus and which shows us the power of steadfast faith.
The miracle of the resurrection of the synagogue ruler's sick daughter reminds us that the steadfastness of the father's faith brings her back to life. This is what firmness, steadfastness in faith means to us humans. If we want to see miracles in our lives, if we want to see things as from the hand of God, we must really believe. Without faith God cannot enter our heart. Faith makes us stay open, to have our heart and mind attentive to God, to receive God as we should, to ask for God's help. In our humanity we see that we have limits. And what we call a miracle is precisely the intervention of God above our human powers. It restores, rebuild and heals what is impossible for us.
Jairus through his confession, through the clear words of the call addressed to the Savior, openly confesses what he feels in his heart - that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world."
The pilgrimage to the spiritual heights of the spiritual life now around the feast of the Transfiguration, as it was called by the hierarch of Canada in the sermon addressed to the participants also concluded the 6th edition of the St. Teodora of Sihla Summer Camp.
Organized by the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada with the blessing and direct involvement of HG Bishop Ioan Casian, the camp was hosted by the "The Valley of The Mother of God" Centre of the Coptic Church in Mono, Ontario and this year had 47 participants, students and young people from the parishes of the Diocese guided by priests and 11 volunteer monitors.
Sunny days, trips to the forest, numerous projects addressed to different age groups and most of all the joy of being together gave the young and old unique moments and memories and stories counted in the evening watch by the light of the campfire.
The organization of camps and educational activities dedicated to young people and children, the sustained investment in the training and education of the young generation of Romanian Canadians is a priority in the life of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada. Defined by HG Bishop Ioan Casian as a key part of the social trinity composed of the Church, School and Family, education in all its forms represents a major coordinate of the life of the diocese and is intended to be materialized in longevity and strengthening in faith orthodoxy of the generations now forming in Canada.
The hierarch concluded by saying that: "It is a special work in which we had the opportunity to be joined by several people who contributed greatly to the spiritual enrichment of the 6th edition of our camp. I congratulate the participants and those who ensured the organization and all the logistics of an action that makes us happy and which we are sure also makes the younger ones happy who prayed and played surrounded by the sun and our care."
(notes by Carmen Ognean)
