Parish feast and spiritual joy at Windsor Cathedral

November 25-27, 2022

The wise defender of Orthodoxy and the worthy shepherd of the Church of the Romanian, Saint Andrew, Metropolitan of Transylvania, was celebrated in Windsor (ON) in the presence of the head of the Diocese of Canada HG Bishop Ioan Casian and the members and members of the Cathedral St. George and St. Andrew Șaguna during three days between November 25-27, 2022.

This moment of great celebration was a good opportunity to give thanks to God for all the gifts poured out on this historical community and which with boldness and deep love of Christ bowed its knees in prayer and always asked for help and strengthening in the work begun 104 years ago when this parish was founded.

The feast days dedicated to St. Andrei Şaguna "to the one who was sent by God, in times of hardship, to be a skillful guide of the righteous believers, the distressed and saddened" (Kondac) began with the officiating by HG Bishop Ioan Casian of the Sacrament of Holy Anointing together with a group of priests: Protosyncel Dr. Maxim Morariu from the Episcopal Cathedral in Montreal, Rev. Călin Barbolovici dean of Central USA from the Parish Holy Trinity from Troy (MI), Fr. Nicolae Codrea, diocesan secretary from the Descent of the Holy Spirit Parish in Windsor and Rev. Prof. Dr. Dragoș Giulea, parish priest of the Windsor Cathedral.

In the warm and strengthening words of teaching addressed at the end of Friday evening, His Grace showed that: "For several weeks we have entered this period of fasting, the period of our preparation for the feast of the Nativity of the Lord, and the saints are models who show us the way in which they lived the Christian life throughout time in every age. And if here in Windsor St. George is as protector, a holy martyr from the first centuries, a firm fighter for Christianity, it is added by the gift made in 2018 by HEm Metropolitan Laurențiu on the centenary of the parish, St. Andrei Șaguna, great hierarch of Transylvania and defender of the rights of Transylvanian Romanians, a model fighter for true education."

The celebration continued during the day on Saturday with Vespers and on Sunday with Divine Liturgy attended by a large number of believers, members of the Romanian community in Windsor and several founders of the cathedral.

In the homily at the end of the Divine Liturgy, the hierarch, referring to the teaching of the Sunday Gospel of the rich ruler about keeping the commandments, emphasized the nature and weight of the question addressed by this young man to the Savior: "Good teacher, what shall I do to acquire eternal life? This is the question with which humanity has been traveling since its fall from paradise and especially now that the dawn of its salvation is seen through the incarnation of Christ. This Sunday's Gospel tells us about unmeasured and unconditional giving of God. We take nothing with us into the Kingdom of Heaven, be they material goods, academic titles, or social positions. They are all transient.

The pericope of this Sunday reminds us that we must be ready at every moment to follow Christ with dignity and peace of heart.

Even now we reflect deeply on what it means to be truly Christian. Our condition to be saved is to forgive unconditionally. We need to be ready at any moment if God asks us to, because this is the way that frees us from our weaknesses and limitations.

Put on love says St. Paul Apostle because this is the highest expression of our life. God is love and let the peace of Christ dwell in your heart so that you may be one flesh and be thankful to God and let the word of the Scripture dwell in you"

After welcoming the hierarch with bread and salt in the social hall and wishing "Many years, Master!”, followed a fraternal agape prepared by the Ladies' Auxiliary Organisation. In this context, His Grace was shared the memories of those who built and still support the Orthodox missionary work and the Cathedral of St. George and St. Andrei Șaguna Windsor at over 90 years old. Harmonious beyond their years and full of enthusiasm, Vasile (Will) Moldovan, Pete Tonitza, Giselle Opincariu and Preston Punga shared with the hierarch the moments from the beginning of the construction of this cathedral building, memories from the life of the parish and more than ever they spoke a Romanian language which brought us close to sweet Bucovina. Dignified in faith, elegant and beautiful, they leave behind a constructive work and a challenge to remain Romanian Orthodox wherever we are in the world.

The determination, dedication and giving of them and the generations that followed show us the power of example and unconditional giving. God works through people, and His saints remain, as His Grace said, "models to follow".

With deep gratitude and great thanks for the days of joy and work together we say: Rejoice, Saint Andrew, wise hierarch of Christ!