Day of celebration at St. Mina Parish in Blainville

The faithful of St. Great Martyr Mina Parish in Blainville, Quebec, celebrated their patronal feast on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, in the presence of His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian, the Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Canada, who celebrated the Divine Liturgy together with Fr. Olimpiu Mărginean, the parish priest. The responses at strana were offered by the parish choral group.

In his sermon at the end of the Divine Liturgy, the hierarch recalled aspects of St. Mina’s life and spoke about the universality of the saints in general:

“The feasts of the saints, even if they lived in a particular place, within a specific geographical and historical context — as was Egypt, in the case of Saint Mina — have a radiance that surpasses the boundaries of their place of origin. (…) Even though the saints lived in local contexts — Saint Mina in Egypt, the Romanian saints in the Romanian lands, and the Athonite monks on Mount Athos — they receive a universal brilliance. This is because through their lives and virtues they embody the Word of God, which is universal: love, kindness, divine wisdom, and patience. They become living examples, concrete expressions of the Gospel of Christ and of the Christian faith.”

Speaking about Christian teaching and its importance in the contemporary world and society, the bishop emphasized that it must bring about “a profound improvement in the world. It defends human dignity, from conception until death. Whenever man begins to ‘negotiate’ the life of his fellow human being — whether through judicial injustices, wars, or the acceptance of killing the innocent — society strays from God’s ordained path and attacks the image of God that dwells in every person.”

We can see even in our times that injustice has not disappeared. We may no longer have the cruel persecutions of the Roman Empire, but we experience other forms of moral and spiritual violence. In the 20th century, totalitarian regimes killed tens of millions of people: over 60 million in China, 20 million in Russia, millions in the Balkans and Asia. All these shows how quickly humanity can fall into darkness, blindness, and violence when it distances itself from God.

Today we live in an informatized world, but not necessarily a more just one. We have modern means, rapid communication, yet wars and injustice continue. That is why the Church remains the only one constantly reminding us of Christ’s word: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself.’

True Christian witness means to value life, to defend it, and to respect it. The saints in prisons, the martyrs in labor camps, those who gave their lives for others are living examples of this love.

Even today, we are called to the same witness. In a world increasingly secularized and often hostile to faith, we must remain steadfast, live the Gospel, and affirm — with gentleness but with firmness — the Christian values.

Saint Mina, who lived in Egypt, and the Romanian saints — such as Dumitru Stăniloae, Arsenie Boca, Sofian Boghiu, and others — are proof that holiness is not bound to a place, but to life in Christ. Through their lives, their witness, and their love, the saints become living icons of our Savior Jesus Christ.”

At the end of the service, all those present received the archpastoral blessing.

(contribution by Nun Ana Bulgariu)