Visits with a double aspect – of physical and spiritual health

Moinești Hospital and Diaconești Monastery

On Tuesday, February 21, His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian made two visits – to the Emergency Hospital in Moinești and to the Dormition of the Mother of God Monastery in Diaconești.

During the first visit, the hierarch of Canada met Dr. Adrian Cotârleț, surgeon and manager of the emergency hospital in the city (hospital decorated with the "Health Merit" Order in the rank of Commander by President Klaus Iohannis). Rev. Fr Gheorghe Turcu, priest at the hospital church, was also present at the meeting.

Several issues at the ecclesiastical and health level were discussed, such as the situation of the Romanian communities in Canada, prospects for future development and growth at the missionary level through the establishment of new missions and parishes, perspectives of religious education, effects of the pandemic on communities in Canada etc.

Dr. Cortârleț was delegated for several mandates as a member of the National Church Assembly from the Archdiocese of Romania and Bacău at the level of the Romanian Patriarchate. Today he is a member of the Eparchial Assembly of the Roman and Bacău Archdiocese.

The day continued with a visit to the Dormition of the Mother of God Monastery in Diaconești (Bacău county). The hierarch met Mother Abbess Evloghia Chirvase and some of the nuns. He visited the monastery church and the iconography workshop. They talked about the history of the monastery, about its foundation, about the liturgical program and about Saints Siluan from Mount Athos and Sophronie protectors of the monastery, about the situation of spiritual life within the Romanian communities in Canada, about the situation of Orthodox Christianity in the wider context of Canadian society, about monastic life and its situation in the same context and at a pluri-jurisdictional level, etc. The interest of hierarch in getting to know the monastery came from the fact that although relatively recent as the year of its establishment (1998) it has developed at a sustained pace and in an inspiring spirit for the new communities that eventually will see the light in the contemporary context. There was also talk about collaboration in some iconographic projects in the near future. Mother Abbess Evloghia thanked the hierarch for the visit. At the end HG Bishop Ioan Casian shared the joy of getting to know in this last period Diaconesti Monastery which did not exist at the time of his departure to Jerusalem in 1993 (the efective moment of the start of the hierarch's journey in the immigration communities which turns 30 years old in 2023).

Photo: Diaconești Monastery / Silviu Cluci