His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel congratulated the Romanian Orthodox community in Boian, Canada, on its 125th anniversary.
In addition to congratulations, in his message on Sunday, July 30, the Romanian Patriarch recalled with sadness the fire that burned down the historic church in June and encouraged the faithful to rebuild it.
Romanian Bukovina’s Boian: full text
The 125th anniversary of the Romanian Orthodox Christian presence in Boian, Canada, is a blessed occasion for our Church in general and the Romanian Orthodox community in this area in particular.
The spiritual needs of Romanians living abroad have determined the Romanian Orthodox Church to make the strengthening of Romanian communities in the Romanian diaspora a pastoral priority, a new reality that has taken on an unprecedented magnitude in the history of the Romanian people.
Although far from their native lands, Romanians in the diaspora feel near to their homeland at every Divine Liturgy celebrated in Romanian, where they hear the Holy Gospel and commune with the Lord Christ.
Due to the distance from their country and their loved ones, Romanians living among foreigners better understand the words of the Scripture: “For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.” (Hebrews 13:14).
The Dormition of the Theotokos parish in Boian, including clergy and believers, has been witness to the Christian Orthodox life lived in this Boian of the Romanian Bukovina.
The 125-year historical presence of Romanians in Canada demonstrates that they were able to draw inspiration from the history of Romanians at home, who withstood the vicissitudes of time and constructed a country that has stood witness over the centuries.
We were saddened to hear about the fire that destroyed the historic church in Boian on June 6, 2023, but we were overjoyed to learn about your decision to construct a new church in its place, according to the model of the previous one.
We congratulate you and encourage you to accomplish this new project of soul, which will continue the profession of the Romanian Orthodox Christian faith in this part of the world.
On the 125th anniversary of Romanian presence in Boian, Canada, we also congratulate His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada, the entire Romanian Orthodox community of this locality, as well as all the clergy and lay faithful present at this sacred and solemn event of Christian spirituality and dignity.
We pray to the Lord Jesus Christ to grant you all peace and joy, health and salvation, to the glory of the Most Holy Trinity and the joy of the Church of Christ.
With appreciation and blessing,
† DANIEL
Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church
Photography courtesy of Basilica.ro Files / Raluca-Emanuela Ene
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