Central Canada Deanery Meeting
All Saints Parish, Scarborough/Toronto, Ontario
On September 26–27, 2025, at the “All Saints” Parish in Scarborough/Toronto, ON, the first biannual Deanery Assembly within the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada took place, bringing together clergy and parish delegates from the Central Canada Deanery for prayer, reflection, and joint ecclesial work. The proceedings of the meeting were chaired by His Grace Ioan Casian, Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Canada, and the themes discussed were in accordance with the 2025 topics established by the Romanian Patriarchate: “The Centennial Year of the Romanian Patriarchate” and “Commemorative Year of Romanian Orthodox Spiritual Fathers and Confessors of the 20th Century.”
On Friday, September 26, 2025, in the presence of clergy and parish delegates of the Central Canada Deanery, Fr. Marian Iacobuț, from “Ss. Constantine and Helen and St. Paisius of Neamț and” Mission in Oakville, Ontario, presented a paper entitled “The Life of Venerable Fathers Cleopa and Paisius of Sihăstria.” Afterwards, Fr. Emanuel Ioan Țencaliuc, parish priest of “All Saints” in Scarborough/Toronto, delivered the conference “The Romanian Patriarchate at 100 Years: Continuity and Mission.” Both presentations were well received by the audience. The first day concluded with the celebration of the Sacrament of Holy Unction, served by His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian together with all the clergy of the deanery.
The works of the Assembly continued on Saturday, September 27, 2025. A Mandate Verification Commission, consisting of two clergy and one lay delegate, as well as the session secretary, were appointed. Then, Fr. Nicolae Codrea of the “Descent of the Holy Ghost” Parish in Windsor, Ontario, read the minutes of the previous meeting, hosted in Windsor on November 3–4, 2023.
Through the online Zoom platform, Archimandrite Casian Rușeț, cultural counselor of the Diocese of Caransebeș, presented the lecture “St. Calistrat Bobu, a Moldavian Missionary in Banat – Documentary Archival Testimonies.” This was followed by the administrative session of the Assembly, during which the biennial activity report of the Central Canada Deanery for 2023–2025 was presented by Rev. Dean Viorel Țencliuc. Elections were also held for the Mandate Verification Commission and the Deanery Consistory for the next two years.
Later, Nicoleta Ștefan, from “St. Demetrios the Martyr” Parish – Richmond Hill, Toronto, representing AROLA, described the projects and activities carried out by the women’s organization within the Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas. Then, Carmen Ognean, from the Cathedral of “St. George the Martyr” and “St. Andrew Șaguna” in Windsor, Ontario, coordinator of the Department of Religious Education of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada, presented the educational programs and camps organized in 2023–2025. The activity report of ROYA (Romanian Orthodox Youth of the Americas) was presented by Protosyncelus Corneliu Andrașco from the same Cathedral in Windsor, while the financial report was presented by Fr. Nicolae Codrea.
At the end, His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian emphasized the importance of the participation of clergy and delegates in the deanery assemblies and thanked Fr. Emanuel Ioan Țencaliuc and the “All Saints” Parish for their hospitality in hosting the meeting. It was also decided that the next Central Canada Deanery Assembly, in 2027, will be hosted by the “Resurrection of the Lord” Parish in Hamilton, Ontario. The meeting concluded with the prayer “It is Truly Meet” (Axion Estin), after which all present enjoyed a fraternal agape meal attentively prepared by the host parish.
Fr. Nicolae Codrea
