New mission in our Diocese:
"St. Nectarios of Eghina," Kelowna, BC
For the Romanian community of the wonderful city of Kelowna, BC, March 5, 2023, was recorded as a historic day. Responding to the requests of the Romanian faithful to have a permanent priest, who would fulfill their religious needs, His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian, accompanied by most of the priests of the Western Deanery of Canada and a large number of faithful from Kelowna and the neighboring cities, participated in the establishment of the first Romanian Orthodox mission in this picturesque corner of the Province of British Columbia, cradled for millennia by the relentless and stress-relieving waves of the Pacific Ocean.
Both the religious services and the festive Agape were hosted by the "St. Apostles Peter and Paul" Ukrainian local parish.
On Saturday evening, there was a prayer of thanksgiving (Te Deum), followed by Vespers for the liturgical beginning of the First Sunday of Great Lent.
On Sunday morning, at 10:00, His Grace Ioan Casian was greeted by a group of priests consisting of: Fr. Geoge Bazgan, diocesan vicar from Edmonton, Fr. Mircea Panciuk archpriest from Edmonton, Fr. Călin Mărincaș from Saskatoon, Fr. Vasile Moisi and Fr. Ovidiu Moldovan, both from Calgary, as well as deacons Ciprian Pavel Roman from Calgary and Gheorghe Petrovan from Edmonton.
At the proper time of the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, deacon Cyprian Pavel Roman was ordained a priest for the mission in Kelowna.
At the end of the Hierarchical Liturgy, His Grace thanked His Eminence Ilarion, the Ukrainian Orthodox Metropolitan of Canada, as well as the local Ukrainian community for hosting our event. Also, thanks were given to the participating faithful, numbering about 100 people.
Next, the Hierarch spoke about the significance of the Sunday of Orthodoxy and the role of icons in the Orthodox Church, established by the Fathers participating in the Seventh Ecumenical Council of 787 in Nicaea and reaffirmed at the local Council of Constantinople in 843. "Every Sunday we celebrate the Lord’s resurrection, but the Sunday of Orthodoxy, set at the beginning of Great Lent, has a special significance and it is adorned in a festive robe," said His Grace.
Referring to the theology of St. John the Damascene, a great fighter against the iconoclasts, His Grace said: "The icon of the Savior presents to us the Incarnate Christ who, for us and for our salvation, took our human nature, manifesting the infinite love of God for the human race. The icons of the saints encourage us in our struggle with the trials and temptations of life and inspire us in our effort for spiritual progress."
Then, His Grace congratulated the newly ordained priest, Fr. Roman, and presented him to the faithful, wishing them a close cooperation and a sustained labor with worthy accomplishments.
In the end, all participants recited the Synodicon of Orthodoxy and the Creed.
During the festive agape in the parish hall, Fr. George Bazgan and Fr. Mircea Panciuk took the floor and reminded the people of the intense prayers, hard work and sacrifices needed to continue the building of their mission upon the foundation laid on this blessed and memorable Sunday.
Holy Father Nectarios pray for us and help us!
(notes by Rev. Fr. George Bazgan)
