His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian made a pastoral visit to the Dormition of the Virgin Mary Parish in Timmins, Ontario, from March 27 to April 1.

Several things were taken into account during this visit: participation in the Annual General Assembly of the Parish, as well as in the scheduled liturgical program - the Divine Liturgy, the Vespers on Saturday Evening and the Liturgy of St Basil the Great on Sunday.

In the homily dedicated to the third Sunday of the Great Lent dedicated to the Holy Cross, the hierach said:

On this Sunday, we honor the Holy Cross on which the Savior Jesus Christ was crucified. The bishop or priest on this occasion descends and elevates the Holy Cross according to a specific church rite of this day, symbolizing through that the Son of God has descended into human nature through the incarnation from the Virgin Mary, has been crucified, died, but He has risen again on the third day from the dead restoring the humanity and lifting it into the bosom of God.

On this occasion HG Ioan Casian announced that by the grace of God in late April he will appoint a new priest to this historic parish.