Most Reverend Fathers,
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ the Lord,
On the occasion of the anniversary of Romania’s National Day, we address you congratulations together with wishes for holy help from God, joy, strengthening in faith and good health. The unification of December 1st, 1918 is our anniversary day, of all those who feel Romanian, no matter where we are, we were born, or we chose to live.
Separated by physical distances but not spiritually from Romania, we carry with us for more than a century here in Canada the richness of Romanian culture and spirituality defining for us.
Together we celebrate Romania’s National Day with the conviction that the values, the Orthodox faith and the Romanian spirituality that our forefathers gave to the nation, will be kept alive in the souls of those who make up the second or third generation of Canadian Romanians.
To the model of unity and brotherhood that 102 years ago the promoters of the Unification on December 1st offered us, we add models that the Church puts before us through the feast of St. Andrew the first called, the Apostle of the Romanians, who has in his care the entire Romanian nation and protects the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada as well as two of our parishes (Mississauga and Calgary)
To the veneration of St. Andrew in this feast is added that of St. Andrei Șaguna - Metropolitan of Transylvania between 1864-1873, remained in history as a valiant defender of the rights of the Orthodox and Romanians in Transylvania. The visionary scholar and good steward of church life, the great philanthropist and saint protects the Cathedral St. George and St. Andrew Saguna in Windsor.
With brotherly care, we ask Christ the Lord, “Shepherd and Guardian of our souls”, to St. Andrew the Apostle and St. Andrei Saguna to give you the joy of keeping the true Orthodox faith and missionary work here on Canadian soil!
Many Years!
Your brother in Christ,
† Ioan Casian
Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Canada
Saint-Hubert, December 1st, 2020
