His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian

present at the Divine Liturgy and at the consecration of a parish social hall

On Sunday, February 18, 2024, His Eminence Ioachim, Archbishop of Roman and Bacău, together with His Grace Ioan Casian, the Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Canada, consecrated the parish Social Hall "Saint Haralambie" in "Sf. Archangels Michael and Gabriel”, Rediu village, Bâra commune, Roman Deanery.

             The community of believers in the parish of Rediu, headed by the priest Vlăduț Mihail Secara, received in their midst Archbishop Ioachim and Bishop Ioan Casian, who officiated the Divine Liturgy, and at the end they consecrate of the Social Hall St. Martyr Haralambie.

             In the sermon addressed to the believers, His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian, spoke about the spiritual meanings of the evangelical pericope of the 17th Sunday after Pentecost: “As the apostles had the Savior in their midst, today, we have Jesus, the Lord, among us in the form of bread and wine, who become His Body and Blood ... We are contemporary with the Holy Apostles through the Holy Liturgy and the Holy Sacraments of the Church. The Gospel of today teaches us that we, as Christians, are missionaries, like the Savior and the Holy Apostles, who went outside the traditional Israel. We also in Canada found new churches and parishes.”

             The works of the Social Hall"Saint Martyr Haralambie" started in 2018, under the coordination of the parish priest, Gheorghiță Ionuț Secara, and were taken over in May 2021 by his brother, the priest Vlăduț Mihail Secara.

             The ensemble comprises a bell tower, a chapel for defunct and a room that serves social-philanthropic programs and catechetical and educational activities for students and young people. At the beginning of 2024, the two historical bells were placed, dating from 1798 and 1908, in the new bell tower.

             At the same time, the works of renewal were performed on the place of worship, dating from around 1840-1850, being built by a family of Greeks, together with the community. The facade of the church was restored, changed the carpentry and the roof sheet and adorned with new ecclesial objects.

             Archbishop Ioachim in his speech congratulated the believers and all the founders who helped, with time and without time, to raise this Social Hall and to beautify the place of worship:

             “I want to thank you for the beautiful reception. Bread and salt are the premises of Romanian generosity. I came here to ask for God's blessing. This means that we have all been a body that is the Church. Your brothers are aware that you are part of the Church of Christ, sharing the holy faith and traditions. I congratulate you all for the work done!”

             At the proposal of Rev. Fr. Dan Alexandru Antoce, the Dean of the Roman, the parish priest Vlăduț Mihail Secara was raised to the dignity of iconomos, for the activity to raise this edifice and was congratulated with his family.

             Also, Mr. Dănuț Petraru, the mayor of Bâra commune, received from Archbishop Ioachim the Melchizedek Order the second class, in the sign of appreciation for supporting the pastoral-missionary and administrative activities within the Church.

             In his speech, the parish priest Vlăduț Mihail Secara thanked the hierarchs present for the blessing, the local authorities, the members of the parish council and the founders, to whom were granted distinctions, as well as to all the believers who added their sacrifice to organize this special event.

             The liturgical responses were given by a group of students of the Faculty of Theology "Dumitru Staniloae" in Iași.

(Fr. Vlad Nicolae Samoilă)