Moncton NB Saint Varlaam of Moldavia Romanian Orthodox Church 2012

Moncton, New Brunswick : Saint Varlaam of Moldavia Romanian Orthodox Church, 2012

Varlaam may be spelt Barlaam.

Prehistory

During the early years of the 21st century, Romanians were beginning to arrive and settle in New Brunswick, Canada. Several attempts were made to provide for them spiritually, but it was not until 2012 that the number of Romanians had increased enough that a lasting provision could be envisaged. Of course, not all Romanians had settled in the same places in New Brunswick, Canada.

Legal incorporation, 2012

On 26 August, 2012, a group of Romanian Orthodox Christians at Moncton, New Brunswick, organised the Saint Varlaam Romanian Orthodox Church in an official manner. The registered name was : “New Brunswick St Varlaam Romanian Orthodox Church”. On the basis of this organisation, a dialogue was begun with the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (ROEA) about the possibility of providing a priest for this germinal community.

With this incorporation, the Romanian Orthodox parish of Saint Varlaam became the second Orthodox Christian community to be established in New Brunswick. The first community was the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Nicholas in Saint John (1952).

In early 2014, Priest Cezar Pelin (PhD) of Iași, Moldavia, Romania, expressed his willingness and his availability to care for this mission. He was ready to do so under the blessing of Archbishop Nathaniel (Popp) of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (The Orthodox Church in America).

Therefore, following the appropriate correspondence, on 27 May, 2014, Archbishop Nathaniel (Popp) of The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) began the necessary correspondence with Metropolitan Teofan (Savu) of Iași, Moldavia and Bucovina ; and, with Patriarch Daniel (Ciobotea) of Romania in order to effect the canonical transfer. By 12 August, 2014, Priest Cezar Pelin was able to submit his petition to be accepted into the ranks of the clergy of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (ROEA), and into The Orthodox Church in America.

Assignment of the first priest, 2014

At the meeting of the Eparchial Council of the ROEA on 5 September, 2014, Priest Cezar Pelin was accepted into the clergy of the Eastern Deanery of the Vicariate of Canada of the ROEA. He was assigned to the Province of New Brunswick, and to the City of Moncton. It was agreed also that the future Mission be dedicated to “Holy Hierarch Varlaam, Metropolitan of Moldavia”.

On 22 September, 2014, the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America addressed a “Letter of Invitation” to the believers of New Brunswick to an informal meeting for the establishment of the Romanian Orthodox Mission in this province.

On 11 October, 2014, this assembly of believers of New Brunswick took place. It was convened after the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, at Saint George’s Anglican Church in Moncton, and it was chaired by Father Ionel Cudriţescu, Dean of the Eastern Deanery. Also, the Episcopate Vicar, Father Dan Hoarste, participated on behalf of the ROEA. In all, 43 believers attended this meeting. A provisional parish council was elected in order to continue the administrative actions until the arrival of the parish priest.

Registration as a Crown charity, 2014

On 27 October 2014, the mission was registered with the Canada Revenue Agency as a non-profit organisation.

On 2 May, 2015, during a meeting of the Eparchial Council of the ROEA, the Mission “Holy Hierarch Varlaam” was accepted under the jurisdiction of ROEA.

On 20 July, 2015, Priest Cezar Pelin registered his file and petition to obtain Permanent Resident status in Canada.

In early December, 2016, Permanent Residence status was granted to Father Cezar Pelin and his family. During the time between the submission and its acceptance, with the blessing of Archbishop Nathaniel (Popp), several Divine Liturgies were served in the cities of Moncton, Fredericton, and Saint George, through the activities of the Canadian Vicar, Priest Dan Hoarste and Priest Cosmin Vinţ (Priest of the Parish “Acoperământul Maicii Domnului” (Protection of the Mother of God) in Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan), and Saint Nicholas, Regina, Saskatchewan.

First priest, 2016

On 20 December, 2016, Priest Cezar Pelin and his family (his wife Preoteasa Gabriela, and 3 children), arrived in New Brunswick, and since then they have resided in Moncton.

On 25 December, 2016, the first Divine Liturgy was served, upon the Feast of the Nativity of Christ.

After that, Father Cezar Pelin served the Divine Liturgy every Sunday in one or another of the main cities of the province : Moncton, Fredericton, and Saint George. It is important to understand that the Divine Liturgies served were addressed not only to the Romanian Orthodox believers, but also to all the Orthodox believers. The liturgical languages used have been Romanian and English equally.

Name change of the parish, 2017

On 2 September, 2017, the registered name of the parish was changed to “Saint Varlaam Orthodox Church”.

First Temple, 2020

On Saturday, 25 July, 2020, the parishioners of Saint Varlaam Orthodox Church submitted an offer to purchase what seemed to be a suitable house of prayer at 28, River Glade Road, River Glade, New Brunswick. This property (a former Baptist church) is near the city of Moncton.

The offer was accepted.

Immediately afterwards, on a daily basis, parishioners gathered to renovate and to prepare the structure for Orthodox Christian worship. As was reported, “Yesterday we have worked with love and vigour in our Church. We removed the carpets from the two levels. We started reconditioning the benches and levelling the floor of the altar area”. Work continued, and the help of all was solicited in order to make this offering to the Lord.

First blessing of the building, and first services therein, 2020

On 6 August, 2020, the Service of the Lesser Blessing of Water, followed by the preliminary blessing of the new building, and then by the Service of the Akathist of Holy Hierarch Varlaam were served in this new location.

On 9 August, 2020, the Divine Liturgy was offered for the first time in the new Parish Temple of Saint Varlaam. Following this, Father Cezar Pelin addressed the parishioners in encouragement :

 Thanking God for all the achievements so far, we have a sacred duty to build the 
 mysterious Church within us and among ourselves, as well as to take care of and 
 beautify the place of worship that He has brought in our way.  Let us grow our spiritual life 
 by active participation in the Holy Liturgy, by bringing our children and youth to the Church, 
 teaching them the principles of our faith – love and forgiveness.
 May the Good Lord bless our Province and our Community so that we 
 live in peace, joy, and harmony, and deliver us from the evil one.

First Divine Liturgy, 2020

Parish picnic

First major test : a robbery, 2020

On Friday, 11 December, 2020, the first major test occurred in the nascent parish : a theft. During the evening, someone broke into the Temple and made off with the Chalice and Discos, the Artophorion (Tabernacle) containing the [ https://orthodoxwiki.org/Eucharist Holy Gifts], some candles, wine, and cash. There was, mercifully, no major damage.

Immediately, Father Cezar led the parishioners in a service of intercession in order to help everyone pray for those who had perpetrated this theft, and to begin to forgive. With the help of the Lord, the parishioners were able to serve the Feast of the Nativity of Christ with Father Cezar.

Parishioners in the Temple

Memorial koliva

First Nativity, 2020 (Temple before the iconostas)

Temple with the iconostas

Sanctification, 2023

On Saturday, 10 June, 2023, at 9:00 a.m., Archbishop Nathaniel (Popp) and Bishop Andrei (Hoarste) presided over the sanctification of the new Temple at River Glade, New Brunswick, and at the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy which followed immediately.

On Sunday, 11 June, 2023, at 10:00 a.m., the bishops presided at the first Sunday Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in the newly sanctified Temple of Saint Varlaam.

Sanctification programme

Bishop Andrei ; Archbishop Nathaniel ; Priest Cezar Pelin, and parishioners

First Pastor, Priest Cezar Pelin (PhD.)

On 23 September, 1976, in 1976, in the town of Barlad, Vaslui County, Cezar Pelin was born to Cezar and Genovia Pelin. Between 1991-1995, he attended the “Mihai Eminescu” Theoretical High School in Barlad, Mathematical-Physics section.

Between 1997 and 1999, Cezar attended the School of Church Singers in Huși, where he completed 2 years of study (II and III) in one calendar year.

In 2000, he met and then married Miss Gabriela Teletin. They received from the Lord 3 children : Teodora, Sofia, and Cezara.

On 5 January, 2008, Cezar Pelin was ordained to the Holy Diaconate by Patriarch Daniel (Ciobotea) of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Then, on 4 July, 2011, Deacon Cezar Pelin was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by Metropolitan Teofan (Savu) of Moldavia and Bucovina.

Over the years, he gained a wealth of experience in the field of administration, academia, media, as well as in the development and implementation of projects with European funding.

After a period of about 10 years of priestly experience, in the winter of 2016, he and his family settled in Moncton, New Brunswick. There, with the blessing of Archbishop Nathaniel (Popp), he was assigned to serve the Romanians in the Canadian Maritime Provinces. Since Father Cezar previously served in Romania in a Temple in Iași (built by the Holy Martyr Miron Barnovschi and sanctified by Metropolitan Varlaam), by the care of God, the Church of the Romanians in the Province of New Brunswick will be protected by the same Metropolitan Varlaam, a promoter of the Romanian language, and a worthy defender of the Orthodox Faith.

Priest Cezar Pelin

Particular parish information

This parish is part of the Canada East Deanery of the Canadian Vicariate of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America.

This parish follows the New (Revised Julian) Calendar.

The Altar Feast-day of this parish is the Feast of Saint Varlaam, Metropolitan of Iaşi and Moldavia, 30 August.

In 2023, the pastor of the parish is Priest Cezar Pelin.

Address :

Saint Varlaam Orthodox Church

28, River Glade Road

River Glade, New Brunswick

E4Z 3J5

Web-site : in Romanian ; in English

Facebook

Office Telephone : 506-878-1317

Mailing address :

Saint Varlaam Orthodox Church

c/o 601, Yale Avenue

Riverview, New Brunswick

E1B 2C1

Directions :

Moncton, New Brunswick, is situated along the north bank of the Petitcodiac River in southeastern New Brunswick.

Riverview is situated across from Moncton, on the south bank of the Petitcodiac River.

River Glade is situated about 30 km south-west of Moncton.

By car :

Moncton is bisected by Highway #2, a portion of the Trans-Canada Highway.

From central Moncton, drive westwards on Main Street towards Church Street. At the round-about, take the second exit (Highway #106), towards Salisbury (drive past Salisbury). After 27.9 km, turn right onto River Glade Road. The Temple is on the left.

By railway :

There is VIARail service to Moncton.

By bus :

There is inter-city bus service in the Maritime Provinces : New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.

Priest Cezar Pelin

Telephone : (506) 878-1317

E-mail : caesarpelin@gmail.com

Skype : cezar_pelin