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Church consecration at Allegan Monastery, Michigan (USA)
On Saturday and Sunday, September 30 and October 1st, His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian participated at the invitation of His Eminence Nicolae, the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of the Americas at the consecration of the Church of the Protection of the Mother of God Monastery in Allegan, Michigan.
The hierarch arrived at the monastery on the afternoon of Saturday, where in the evening with the HEm Metropolitan Nicolae and a group of hieromonks and priests, performed the service of Vespers with Litia. At the end Metropolitan Nicolae spoke about the life of Sts. Epictet and Astion whose relics were to be placed in the Holy Table at the time of consecration.
The service of consecration started on Sunday morning at 9:00 am in the presence of the two hierarchs and a group of eight priests: Protosingelos Ieremia, Hieromonk Daniel, Fr. Călin Barbolovici - dean, Fr. Vasile Mureșan, Hieromonk Ignatie, Hegumen Polycarp, Fr. Petru Neaga and Fr. Evanghelos Pepps. The answers at strana were given by a psaltic group led by the monk Hristofor.
In the sermon at the Gospel HG Bishop Ioan Casian made a reference to the importance of the time of the consecration of a Church and commented on the Gospel of the day and of the main feast day.
"Today is important because it is the moment of the dedication of a new church, - said the hierarch. The Church is the place where believers gather to listen to the Word of God and to strengthen in faith. We have the opportunity every time when a monastery or parish church is consecrated to attend this extraordinary rich liturgical service. Even more, today we are pleased that it is a Church of a monastery, which host a community of monks who are dedicated to prayer. They always pray, day and night, for the whole world like the Virgin Mary who is always in prayer to her Son.”
The hierarch further emphasized the importance of love, kindness, and generosity to be a good Christian.
"In the Gospel of this Sunday, we would like to draw attention to three things mentioned there which will make our Christian life authentic and true. First, the fact that to be a true Christian the believer must have a universal love – directed to all men - whether these ones responds with the same feeling or not. Without such a love we cannot resemble God. Secondly, without doing good, the believer cannot really be an authentic Christian. His good being limited only to those from whom he expects to receive the same thing, he cannot resemble God who is good regardless of individual’ situation. Thirdly, when the Christian expects back from the one, he lends, he cannot be a true Christian because he does not reflect the generosity and tenderness of God, nor the confidence He has in every human person.
Following the example of the Savior Christ and listening to His words, we better understand how we should live as Christians. We must be good, loving and confident in our fellows.”
Commenting on the Gospel of the dedication HG Bishop Ioan Casian showed the importance of serving in the Church - by word and deed.
“From the Gospel of the dedication - Protection of the Mother of God - we learn that the bodily work to meet the material needs is important but limited as fulfilled by Martha. Mary, on the other hand, had chosen the listening and the obedience to the Word of God which is an eternal task. Within the Christian community, of the Church, we need both. We perform the Holy Liturgy to be partakers to the eternal gift - the Body and Blood of Christ - but we also need the brotherly agape during which we share thoughts, concerns, we make spiritual friendships, etc. They are both important but each in its own way and at its own level. We become aware of this when we see that the Savior Christ Himself takes care of both as in the case of the miracle of feeding the crowds.”
In conclusion, the hierarch urged the faithful to follow the teachings of the Church inspired by the words and the example to Christ: “Let us follow the words and the example of the Savior Jesus Christ who urges us to be good, loving and confident in our fellows and in the aid of God every day. The Church through the readings of the Holy Gospels reminds us of these important elements for our Christian life.”
At the end of the Holy Liturgy, HEm Metropolitan Nicolae explained in his speech to those present the meaning of the church's consecration service:
"The building of the new church is first consacreted externally to delimit the sacred space, as being the ‘house of God’ and the ‘gate of Heaven’ (Genesis 28, 17). First, Solomon's prayer from the consecration of the Temple in Jerusalem is read in front of the new church (III Kings, 8, 22-31) in which God is asked: ‘May Your eyes be open day and night towards this house, and how much they will ask in this place, listen from the place of your dwelling from heaven (...) and be merciful to them!’ ...
When we go arround the new church, we carry in procession relics of the holy martyrs which are then put in the foot of the Holy Table. The martyrs showed the greatest love for Christ, a sacrificial love stronger than the fear of death. That is why the first Christian churches were built on the tombs of the martyrs. Since the whole service of consecration of an Orthodox church is also a praise brought to the holy martyrs, this song is sung several times: ‘Holy martyrs who have suffered and crowned yourselves, pray to God that our souls may be saved!’...
After the external consecration of the church, the church doors are opened and, entering inside, we see the iconostasis and the painting. The Orthodox painting is at once a visual memorial of the history of salvation and a prophetic anticipation of the Kingdom of Heaven... Then follows the consecration of the church Altar, which represents Christ the Lord crucified, dead and risen from death, i.e. the Holy Table symbolizes at once: the table of the Last Supper, the tomb of Christ and His throne of glory. After the consecration of the Altar, the new church is consecrated inside, also with holy water and the Holy and Great Myrrh, and then all those present are blessed and sprinkled with the same holy water, in which perfume has been poured as a symbol of the good smell of the grace of the Holy Spirit, which simultaneously sanctifies the church, the souls and bodies of the faithful..."
Then, HEm Metropolitan Nicolae thanked the founders and all the faithful for their participation and help.
Hieromonk Daniel thanked the hierarch. He offered on behalf of the monastery to two hierarchs two icons of the Protection of the Mother of God. Also, Metropolitan Nicolae has offered Bishop Ioan Casian an icon of the Virgin Mary and two volumes with the history of Romanians in America. He also offered the two volumes to some other priests present. Bishop Ioan Casian offered to the monastery an icon of the Mother of God with the Child Jesus.
The festivities ended with a brotherly agape for pilgrims prepared with much love by the faithful close to the monastery.
