St. Nicholas and St. Elijah the Prophet Parish from Surrey/Vancouver was the host of the fifth Congress of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada

Between June 7 and 9, 2024, the Romanian Orthodox Parish St. Nicholas and St. Elijah the Prophet from Surrey/Vancouver (British-Colombia) was the host of the 5th Congress of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada. At this festive moment, His Eminence Joseph, the Romanian Orthodox Archbishop of Western Europe and the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of Western and Southern Europe, the delegate of His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, participated.

On Friday, June 7, in the afternoon, following the agenda of the Congress, a pastoral conference was organized. During it, His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph shared with those present his spiritual experience from the rich pastoral-missionary experience he had carried out over time for Romanians in the European Diaspora. This was appreciated by those present. In the end, a question and answers session followed.

The day of June 8 began with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy by His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian surrounded by the priests of the diocese present at the Congress. At the end of it, a Te-Deum prayer was performed. Next, the HG Bishop Ioan Casian opened with the prayer the works of the 5th Congress of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada. Afterword, HEm Metropolitan Joseph read the message sent by His Beatitude Daniel, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, on the occasion of the Congress and addressed a greeting to the participants.

Next, the nominal call and approval of the Congress agenda were made. The Secretariat of the Congress, as well as the attestation and nomination commissions of the Congress, were also approved. The entire audience approved the minutes of 2022 Congress hosted by St. Steven the Great and St. Nektarios of Eghina Parish from Oshawa, Ontario. The works of the Congress continued with the presentation of the activity report of HG Bishop Ioan Casian. At the same time, the activity reports of Fr. Nicolae Codrea, eparchial secretary, Fr. Petre Busuioc, eparchial inspector, as well as the Deans Viorel Ţencaliuc and Dorin-Călin Marincaș were also presented. Protos. Maxim Morariu presented the activity report of the Exarhat for the last two years.

At the beginning of the second session of the Congress, His Eminence Nicolae, the Romanian Orthodox Archbishop of the United States and the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of the Americas, addressed a greeting to the HG Bishop Ioan Casian, the priests and delegations of the parishes present at the 5th Congress of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada.

Later, the participants in the Congress also listened to the reports of the AROLA and ROYA organizations of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas. They were presented by Nicoleta Stefan, respectively Valentin Cioană. Carmen Ognean, the coordinator of the Department of Education of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada, presented the report on the camps and activities dedicated to youth and children. The financial department presented the report for the period 2022-2024, as well as the financial plan for the period of the next two years.

Next, it followed the election of the members of the Diocese Council, the Metropolitan Consistory and the Diocesan Consistory for the next two years. Fr. Nicolae Codrea, eparchial secretary, read the official messages that will be transmitted to the Federal, Provincial and Local Canadian authorities on behalf of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada on the occasion of the 5th Diocesan Congress. Those present established that the next Congress, in 2026, should be hosted by the Diocesan Cathedral St. George and St. Martyrs Epictet and Astion in Saint-Hubert (Quebec). The date of the Congress will be decided later.

The consecration of St. Nicholas and St. Elijah the Prophet Church

from Surrey/Vancouver

On Sunday, June 9, 2024, in a solemn atmosphere, HEm Metropolitan Joseph, along with HEm Metropolitan Nicolae and HG Bishop Ioan Casian, as well as the priests of the parishes of the Diocese present at the Congress, participated in the service of the consecration of the parish church and then the Divine Liturgy. After reading the Gospel text, HEm Metropolitan Joseph delivered the homily. Also, at the right time, HEm Metropolitan Nicolae explained the significance of the service of consecration of the Church, for the entire parish community, and urged those present at the sanctification and renewal of their lives in the Holy Spirit.

At the end of the service, HG Bishop Ioan Casian, as a sign of appreciation for the very rich pastoral-missionary activity, gave to Fr. Cornelu-Iulian Dragomir the rank of iconom-stavrofor, with Belt and Epigonation. At the same time, he gave to the parish and an icon with its protectors - St. Nicholas and St. Elijah the Prophet. HEm Metropolitan Nicolae granted Fr. Cornelu-Iulian Dragomir the Metropolitan American Cross, and an icon of St. Nicholas.

Next, His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian granted to the presbytera Ligia Dragomir a diploma of merit along with the Diocesan festive medal prepared for this Congress. The hierarch granted several diplomas of merit with medals to the founders and benefactors of the parish, as well as to several clergy and lay people in the Diocese for the entire pastoral-missionary activity. At the event participated His Excellence, Gabriel Rotaru, the General Consul of Romania at Vancouver, who received, as a sign of appreciation, a medal from HG Bishop Ioan Casian.

At his turn HEm Metropolitan Joseph presented to HG Bishop Ioan Casian, as well as to the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada, for spiritual encouragement, a fragment of the holy relics of St Calinic from Cernica, the gift of His Beatitude Daniel, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, on the occasion of the Congress. The hierarch read the donation act that accompanied the holy relics, and then granted to Hem Metropolitan Nicolae the eparchial distinction Visarion Puiu, Cross and Egolpion, of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of Western and Southern Europe. The same distinction was also granted to HG Bishop Ioan Casian. For his part, Fr. Corneliu-Iulian Dragomir received a pectoral cross as a distinction from the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of Western and Southern Europe.

HG Bishop Ioan Casian gave the two important guests, the Metropolitan Joseph and the Metropolitan Nicolae an icon of the Savior Jesus Christ Pantocrator, along with the album in French - Jesus. Encyclopedia.

In the end, all the believers present at the beautiful event entered the Holy Altar, kissing the Holy Gospel, the Holy Cross and the Holy Table. They all received icons and then enjoyed the festive agape prepared with love and mastery by the members of the parish community along with Fr. Cornelu-Iulian Dragomir.

Pr. Nicolae Codrea