General Assembly of the Cultural-Theological and Catechetical Training Center

“St. Maximus the Confessor,” 2026

On Saturday, February 21, 2026, the second General Assembly of the Cultural-Theological and Catechetical Training Center “St. Maximus the Confessor” (CFTMM) of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada took place. The session was hosted by the “Exaltation of the Holy Cross and St. Ephrem the New” Monastery in Mono, ON.

The event began with the Divine Liturgy celebrated by the monastery’s hegumen, Hieromonk Polycarp Athenagoras. The assembly sessions were held in the social hall of the monastic complex.

In his opening remarks, His Grace Ioan Casian, Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Canada and President of the Cultural-Theological and Catechetical Training Center “St. Maximus the Confessor,” warmly welcomed the guests and participants and blessed the opening of the session’s proceedings.

The first part of the General Assembly focused on theology, featuring two conferences and two book presentations:

• The conference entitled Education and Theological Formation Today: Landmarks and Ecclesial Models, delivered online by Fr. Prof. Dr. Cristinel Ioja, Dean of the Faculty of Theology “St. Ilarion Felea” in Arad, followed by the presentation of his book A History of Dogmatics in Romanian Orthodox Theology by Fr. Dr. Dragoș Giulea.
• The conference On Method in Scholarly Theology: Palamite Hesychast Triads as a Source of Inspiration, presented by Fr. Dr. Răzvan Andrei Ionescu, Vice Dean of the Orthodox Center for Studies and Research “St. Priest-Martyr Dumitru Stăniloae” in Paris.
• The book Antioch, Nicaea, and the Synthesis of Constantinople: Revisiting Trajectories in the Fourth-Century Christological Debates, authored by Fr. Dr. Dragoș Giulea, was presented in a recorded format by Protos. Dr. Maxim Morariu, Scientific Secretary of CFTMM.

After a short break, the administrative session of the General Assembly took place, during which the activity reports of the Cultural-Theological and Catechetical Training Center “St. Maximus the Confessor” for 2025 were presented and discussed. The activity report was presented by Fr. Dr. Dragoș Giulea, Executive Director of CFTMM, complemented by the report on catechetical activities for Sunday school for children, presented by Mihaela Ilade Amohnoaie. The CFTMM Treasurer, Mrs. Carmen Ognean, presented the financial report and proposed the 2026 budget.

This was followed by proposals for projects and programs for 2026: continuation of online catechetical courses, online courses for Sunday school for children, organization of a theological symposium in September 2026, and other potential projects.

Mădălina Enache, chanter at the St. George and Saints Epictetus and Astion Cathedral in Saint-Hubert, presented the project Church Music and Choir Singing Course, a modular one-year program aimed at chanters and other interested participants.

The General Assembly concluded with a closing word from His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian and a final prayer, followed by a fellowship meal at the Valley of the Mother of God Center, Mono.

Notes by

Daniela Bochiș, PhD