Regina SK Saint George Romanian Orthodox Cathedral 1914
Regina, Saskatchewan, Saint George Romanian Orthodox Cathedral, 1914
Prehistory
At the end of the 19th century, and the beginning of the 20th century, very many Orthodox Christian people immigrated to Saskatchewan, Canada. A majority of these arrived between 1900 and 1920. A large number of these immigrants were Romanian-speaking persons. Very many of these arrived from the province of Bucovina, which at that time was within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Of them, many arrived in Saskatchewan first in the city of Regina, although some arrived farther north for the purpose of establishing homesteads.
Building Temples and starting parishes was a priority for them, so that they might attend the Divine Liturgy on Sundays, and other special services ; have their children baptised ; and have marriages and funeral services performed.
By the beginning of World War I, the Romanian-speaking population in Regina (as in Saskatchewan) had become quite numerous.
The area of Regina known as "Germantown" (Broad Street east to Winnipeg Street and beyond, and 13th Avenue north to the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) Yards was settled by continental Europeans (Germans, Romanians, Hungarians, Serbs, Ukrainians, Poles), essentially anyone who was not of British ancestry. In the early predominantly Anglo-Celtic mainstream settlement, non-francophone continental Europeans (whatever their origin) were generally referred to either as "Galicians" (Galicia at the time actually being part of Austrian Poland) or as "Germans".
Europeans became established around the former Market Square (now the location of the Regina City Police station on Osler Street between 10th and 11th Avenues) by 1892. German, Ukrainian, Romanian and Serbian religious, secular and educational institutions and services were early established in the neighbourhood. These included Saint Nicholas's Romanian Orthodox Church (established in 1901), the oldest Romanian Orthodox parish in North America ; Saint George's Cathedral (founded in 1914) ; and the now long-demolished Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Descent of the Holy Ghost, both formerly on Winnipeg Street.
Founding the parish, 1914
In 1914, the parish of Saint George was founded by Romanian immigrants in Regina. They had arrived in Canada from Bucovina, Dobrogea, and other regions of what it is nowadays Romania, and from some parts of what is now Ukraine. This parish was the second Romanian Orthodox community to be established in Regina. The first one, Saint Nicholas's Church, was established in 1901.
First Temple
When this parish was established, the original wooden church was constructed on the present site. It involved much hard work and sacrifice by some of the people, even before they themselves had satisfactory housing.
Renovation, 1928
In 1928, after part of the building was destroyed by fire, the small wooden building was remodelled. However, many parish records were lost in the blaze, and along with them, the parish’s early history. At the time of the renovation, a new “Byzantine-style” dome replaced the old dome.
In 1952, the use of the English language in the Divine Services was initiated for the benefit of the younger generation and of converts.
In 1959, in order to accommodate the greater numbers of the faithful, a special fundraising plan was devised for a new and larger Temple.
The new Temple, 1960
The Second Temple
In 1960, the construction of the present cathedral Temple was completed, and the mortgage was burned.
Archimandrite Martinian (Ivanovici), 1967
In 1967, Archimandrite Martinian (Ivanovici) was assigned to be the rector of the Church of Saint George in Regina, Saskatchewan. He had already been assigned to serve as Dean of the Western Parishes of the Romanian Episcopate. From Regina, Father Martinian continued to travel regularly and frequently, and he kept “fanning the fires of Orthodoxy” in western Canada amongst the Romanian faithful there. There were positive results.
Parish house, 1971
In 1971, the new parish house was acquired, blessed and opened at 421, Victoria Avenue. It was situated on property adjacent to the cathedral.
The parish house, east of the cathedral
Establishing the Orthodox Centre at Fort Qu’Appelle, 1971-1972
In 1971, and into the next year, the parish and parishioners of Saint George participated in the construction and establishment of the Orthodox Centre at Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan.
In 1971, a property was found which seemed to have better conditions than those of the previously-established summer camp in Shell Valley, Manitoba, and the camp was moved to the new site, just outside Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan. The purchase and development of this property became possible because Father Martinian (Ivanovici) had inherited some money (as reported by his niece), and he applied it all to this project (which was dear to his heart).
This project, which was completed in 1972, became the site of the "Orthodox Christian Centre" at Fort Qu’Appelle. There, the camp-building could accommodate more than 80 people. An inherited inconvenience, however, was the need for those using this building to walk down the hill to find the toilets and lavatories. A winterised residence was also constructed on the same property.
Retirement of Archimandrite Marinitan (Ivanovici), 1982
In 1982, Archimandrite Martinian (Ivanovici) retired officially, but he continued to work hard in the establishment of the "Orthodox Christian Centre" in Fort Qu’Appelle, where he resided, and from where he continued to work in the field of Christ. He lived there in retirement for some time.
Renewal of the Church-school programme, 1982
In 1982, the church school programme was revived. It began to grow, and it became a major priority of the parish.
In 1988, the first of the annual pre-Pascha lenten period retreats began. There were guest speakers and special topics for discussion.
Bereavement, 1994
Archimandrite Martinian (Ivanovici) reposed in the Lord on 20 January, 1994.
On Tuesday, 25 January, 1994, at 7:00 p.m., a memorial prayer-service was offered at Saint George's Cathedral, at 2005, Edgar Street, Regina.
On Wednesday, 26 January, 1994, at 10:00 a.m., the Funeral Services for the Burial of a Presbyter were offered at the Cathedral of Saint George in Regina, Saskatchewan. Bishop Nathaniel (Popp) presided at the services, and he was assisted by Archimandrite Roman (Braga), Archpriest Svetislav Balevich, and Priests Nicolae Marioncu, Mirone Klysh, Michael Lupu, Mirko Malinović, Joseph MacLellan, Daniel Nenson, Panteleimon Stanciu, George Treff, and Constantin Turcoane.
His body was interred in the Riverside Memorial Park Cemetery in Regina, Saskatchewan.
Renovations and addition, 2001 ; beautification project, 2006
In 2001, a small addition to the Temple was constructed, which included the installation of an elevator and accesses for wheelchairs.
Between 2006 and 2012, the first phase of the "Church Beautification Project" was brought to completion.
Interior and iconostas
Altar area iconography
Saint George Orthodox Cathedral became a diversified and multinational parish, which includes Canadian families of the founding pioneers, and also other Orthodox Christian families and persons who trace their roots to Palestine, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Armenia, besides many who have converted to Orthodox Christianity.
Saint George parishioners and clergy with Archbishop Nathaniel (Popp)
New vicar of the Romanian Episcopate for Canada, 2014
In 2014, Archbishop Nathaniel (Popp) assigned Priest Dan Hoarște to serve as the vicar in the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate for the parishes in Canada.
Although he was not resident in Canada, he made pastoral visits to the parishes, and he took care of the administration of the parishes (including the "Romanian Orthodox Centre" in Fort Qu'Appelle).
On 13 October, 2019, Priest Dan Hoarște was tonsured to be a monk, and he was given the name Andrei.
Hieromonk Andrei (Hoarște) was then elevated to the dignity of archimandrite.
Bereavement, 2016
In 2016, the cathedral parish of Saint George in Regina was bereft of both their past pastor and his wife, Archpriest Daniel, and Preoteasa Alice Nenson.
On Tuesday, 23 February, 2016, Archpriest Daniel Nenson fell asleep in the Lord in Regina, Saskatchewan. He had suffered for a short time from cancer.
On Friday, 9 December, 2016, Preoteasa Alice Nenson fell asleep in the Lord at the Regina Wascana Grace Hospice. She had suffered from several chronic illnesses for some time, but they were followed by cancer.
Repose of Dr. Eleanor Bujea, 2019
On 28 October, 2019, Eleanor Bujea fell asleep in the Lord in Regina. Like her brother, Deacon John Bujea, she had been a life-long member of the parish of Saint George. She and her surviving 6 siblings were all well-educated, and most had advanced degrees. She was trained as an accountant, but she was ahead of her time, and she had difficulty finding work. Eventually, she became an educator, and she became a pioneer in business education.
Besides having written many articles, and having made many written contributions to "Solea"/"The Herald" (the journal of the Romanian Episcopate), Eleanor wrote 11 histories : 4 on teacher organisations ; 2 on retired teacher organisations in Saskatchewan ; 2 on vicar-bishops for the Romanian Episcopate ; 1 on the multilingual association in Regina ; her important and detailed history "Romanians in Canada" (2011) ; her doctoral thesis, about "Business Teacher Education in Canada, 1900 to 1970". Eleanor was a pioneer in a variety of fields involving the community and the education of children, adults and seniors.
Her book, "Romanians in Canada", has proved to be an invaluable resource for anyone who is looking for information about the development of the Romanian parishes in Canada, about the various clergy who served them, about notable lay-persons who developed the parishes and did other good works, about the bishops who served them and provided for them, and about the historical background of the arrival of Romanians in Canada, and about their struggles and progress.
Archpastoral Visit to Saint George Cathedral, 2019
On 4-6 November, 2019, Archbishop Nathaniel (Popp) made an archpastoral visit to Saint George Cathedral in the context of the recent repose in Christ of Dr. Eleanor Bujea.
On Tuesday, 5 November, 2019, at 5:00 p.m., Archbishop Nathaniel (Popp) presided at the "Wake Service" of memorial prayers for Eleanor Bujea.
On Wednesday, 6 November, 2019, at 1:00 p.m., Archbishop Nathaniel (Popp) presided at the Funeral Service for the Burial of a Lay-person. Following this service, Vladica Nathaniel presided at the service of the interment at the Riverside Memorial Park Cemetery.
During all the services, Bishop Nathaniel (Popp) was assisted by Priest Cristian Frunzulica, the pastor of Saint George Cathedral, and by Priest Cosmin Vint, the pastor of Saint Nicolas Parish in Regina.
Ordination of Archimandrite Andrei (Hoarște) to the Holy Episcopate, 2020
On 1 February, 2020, Archimandrite Andrei (Hoarște) was ordained to the Holy Episcopate at the Romanian Orthodox Cathedral of Saint George in Southfield, Michigan, USA.
Amongst his episcopal responsibilities were those of serving as Vicar for the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America parishes in Canada.
Bereavement, 2020
On 4 April, 2020, Deacon John Bujea fell asleep in the Lord in Regina.
Deacon John had been a life-long member of the parish of Saint George, as had his sister Eleanor Bujea. He had served as an educator in the course of his life. He had served as a tonsured Reader and ordained Subdeacon.
He followed the Episcopate Religious Training Programme, and he was ordained into the Holy Diaconate on 23 April, 2005, in and for Saint George Cathedral, Regina, Saskatchewan, by Archbishop Nathaniel (Popp).
In his later years and with declining health, he continued to be present in the Altar, even though he was not easily able to exit to stand before the Faithful in the church. He was blessed to serve while standing inside the Altar.
In early 2020, the Covid-19 virus made its appearance in Canada, and it quickly became a world-wide pandemic. Because of the rules governing gatherings that were laid down by the provincial and city governments, the parish stopped any further services after 8 March, 2020. In addition to the rules regarding social distancing, the decreasing numbers permitted for any gathering, and the considerations regarding the health of all concerned, this and other parishes were required to close for a time.
In most places where these regulations were imposed, there was also some controversy.
Parish organisations
The Ladies Auxiliary
The women of the parish were organised from the earliest times in a ladies’ auxiliary group. Through their activities, they supported the parish family in many ways, both spiritually and financially. Indeed, for every project undertaken by the parish council, the women's auxiliary raised funds to realise them. From about 1938, the local women's auxiliary joined the new Association of Romanian Ladies’Auxiliaries of North America which had been established by Bishop Polycarp (Moruşca) for the parishes in the USA and Canada.
Charity Committee
The Charity Committee of the parish of Saint George does outreach projects, and supports various groups within the community. Their intent is to help the neighbour according to the basic tenets of the Christian Faith, including feeding and clothing the poor. To this end, they provide hot meals, and warm winter socks and boots to the Regina CMHA membership. They also provide assistance to other charities in their efforts to help those in need.
The Parish Library
The parish of Saint George Cathedral has a small library of Orthodox Christian books written by Orthodox writers for Orthodox Christians. Each month, the parish council purchases a new title to add to the collection.
The Church School
The children of the cathedral parish are guided in the growth of their faith, and in their knowledge about God through the Church School.
Parish particular information
All services are offered in the English language.
This parish is a part of the Vicariate of Canada western deanery of the Vicariate of Canada of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America. The vicar is the Bishop Andrei (Hoarște). The dean is the Priest Nicolae Lapuste. The bishop is Archbishop Nathaniel (Popp).
This parish follows the New (Revised Julian) Calendar.
The Altar Feast-day of the Temple is the Feast of Saint George, 23 April.
In 2023, the pastor of the parish is the Priest Emmanuel Cristian Frunzulica.
Address :
Saint George’s Romanian Orthodox Cathedral
2005, Edgar Street
Regina, Saskatchewan
S4N 3K5
Telephone office : 306-352-0112
Telephone Temple : 306-757-8721
E-mail : stgeorgeoffice@accesscomm.ca
Web-site : https://www.stgeorgeregina.com/
Directions :
Regina is located 259 km (161 mi) southeast of Saskatoon, 76 km (47 mi) east of Moose Jaw, and 187 km (116 mi) southwest of Yorkton.
Saint George’s Cathedral is at the corner of Edgar Street and Victoria Avenue. The main west door is on Edgar Street.
By car :
From the north :
Take Highway #6 south. Highway #6 becomes Albert Street. Turn left onto Victoria Avenue, continue to Edgar Street, and turn right.
From the south :
Take Highway #6 north. Highway #6 becomes Albert Street. Turn right onto Victoria Avenue, continue to Edgar Street, and turn right.
By bus :
There is bus service on Victoria Avenue.
Priest Emmanuel Cristian Frunzulica
4251 East Green Apple Grove
Regina, Saskatchewan
S4V 1S1
Telephone : (306) 552-6038
E-mail : fathercristianfr@yahoo.com
References
Archdiocese of Canada – Orthodox Church in America, “The Orthodox Church in Canada : A Chronology” (Ottawa : Archdiocese of Canada, 1988).
A Chronological History of the Archdiocese of Canada, Part 1
Bugea, Eleanor, “Romanians in Canada” (Michigan : Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, 2009). ISBN : 978-1-929200-14-6.
“The Russian Mission in North America”
Sandulescu, Archpriest George, “Saskatchewan's Romanian Orthodox Communities Including Dysart, Wood Mountain, Kayville, Assiniboia, Pierceland, Regina” article listed in "SGS (Saskatchewan Genealogical Society) Bulletin, vol. 19, no. 1, 1988" p. 81.
Additional information :
Anderson, Alan, “Ethnic Block Settlements in Saskatchewan”
Bobango, Gerald J, “The Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America : The first half Century, 1929-1979” (Jackson, MI : Romanian-American Heritage Center, 1979). ASIN : B0000EBRQ6.
Tarasar, Constance J, ed., “Orthodox America 1794-1976 : Development of The Orthodox Church in America” (Syosset, NY : The Orthodox Church in America Department of History and Archives, 1975). ASIN : B000ZLZAUE.
Romanian Orthodox Vicariate of Canada web-site
Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America web-site
Orthodoxwiki article about the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America
Wikipedia article about the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America
Facebook news about the Romanian Episcopate of America
Orthodox Church in America web-site
Orthodoxwiki article about The Orthodox Church in America
Archbishop (Saint) Tikhon (Belavin)
Archbishop Alexander (Nemolovsky)
Archbishop Evdokim (Meschersky)
Metropolitan Platon (Rozhdestvensky)
Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevich)
Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor)
Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen)
Archimandrite Martinian (Ivanovici)
Canadian Encyclopaedia article about Romanian Canadians
Wikipedia article about Romanian Canadians
General information about Romanians in Canada
Canadian Encyclopaedia article about Regina, Saskatchewan
Wikipedia article about Regina See the section : “Germantown and the East End”.
Wikipedia article about Germantown and other neighbourhoods of Regina
“Solia – The Herald”, official publication of the Romanian Episcopate of America
‘In Memoriam : Dr. Eleanor Bujea’ in “Solia – The Herald” (28 October, 2019), p. 10.
‘In Memoriam : Deacon John Bujea’ in “Solia – The Herald” (4 April, 2020), p. 25.
‘Archpastoral Letter of Archbishop Nathaniel (Popp) for Pascha’ (Spring, 2022) in “Solia – The Herald”, pp. 33-6).
‘Archpastoral Letter of Archbishop Nathaniel (Popp) for Nativity’ (December, 2022) in “Solia – The Herald”, pp. 3-5.