Autumnal spiritual meeting

near the relics of Saint Ana

Between November 18 and 20, at Sainte-Anne-du-Beaupre, St. Demetrius the New Parish in Montreal, under the auspices of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada, with the blessing and participation of His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian, organized a family weekend, an event entitled Autumnal Spiritual meeting, although now, at its completion, the title Early Winter Spiritual Meeting would much better describe the atmosphere and activities carried out during these days.

The event was attended by approximately 60 people, parents and children, mostly from the Montreal and Gatineau area, to which were also added Romanians settled in Quebec City and its surroundings. Together with HG Bishop Ioan Casian, were present Rev. Fr. Ioan Ceașu, priest of St. Demetrius the New Parish and Rev. Fr. Constantin Lupașcu.

The spiritual program began on Saturday morning with the recitation of the Morning Prayers, followed at 11:00 am by the conference entitled: How to (still) pray in the daily run? Suggestions for getting out of the impasse, presented by His Grace Siluan, Romanian Bishop of Italy, a conference that is part of the cycle of Nativity Fast conferences organized by the St. Maximus the Confessor Cultural - Theological and Catechetical Training Center within the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada.*

During the conference, HG Bishop Siluan shared advice, thoughts, joys, but also experiences from shepherding the Romanian communities in Italy, the Diocese of Italy being the diocese with the most parishes and the most believers from the diaspora.

The day continued with the visit of the Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre cathedral, the veneration of the relics of Saint Anne, the mother of the Mother of God and the recitation of the Akathist of Saints Joachim and Anne.

During the day, the little ones visited the surroundings, enjoyed the first snow of this winter, but also participated in games with religious themes, drew, sewed and knitted, being joined in the latter activity by few adults, out of longing for their grandmothers who did this with joy, talent and ease.

Saturday evening ended with the Akathist of St. Gregory of Decapolis, followed by discussions and advices, the sharing of wishes and hopes of those present, for the future projects of the Romanian community in Canada, with HG Bishop Ioan Casian and the clergy present, confessions and the reading of the Psalter towards midnight.

The event was crowned and concluded with the Divine Liturgy performed on Sunday morning in the Cathedral of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre by HG Bishop Ioan Casian together with the participating clergy.

In the sermon delivered after the reading of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church’s Pastoral Letter on the First Sunday of the Nativity Fast, the hierarch explained, starting from the evangelical pericope of this Sunday, what it means to understand God's gift and what it means to understand the fact of not following the Father's call or not understanding deeply what God offers us.

* The Cultural - Theological and Catechetical Training Center of St. Maximus the Confessor within the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada was approved in the meeting of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church on September 28, 2022.

(notes by Nun Ana)