Despre Parohie
Insemnam aici spre tinere de minte cateva din momentele mai principale din viata parohiei “Sfintii Apostoli Petru si Pavel” din Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, aflata sub jurisdictia canonica si legala a Episcopiei Misionare Ortodoxe Romane in America, si aflata, de asemenea, prin Episcopie, in puternica legatura sufleteasca, cu toate parohiile si bisericile ortodoxe din Banatul Romanesc din Iugoslavia, precum si cu toate parohiile si bisericile ortodoxe din Romania si de peste hotare, din cadrul Patriarhiei Romane.
Mai tarziu, urmasii nostri vor gasi aici, in aceste pagini, o parte din framantarile si din dorurile noastre de a fi infiintat o biserica romaneasca, in care sa ne pastram credinta stramoseasca, limba materna, datinile si obiceiurile neamului nostru. Si poate ca ne vor multumi si ne vor pomeni la sfintele slujbe, pentru iertarea pacatelor noastre si se vor ruga pentru odihna noastra vesnica, dupa randuiala din veac a Bisercii Ortodoxe Romane, careia noi i-am inchinat intreaga noastra viata.
Astfel, la inceputul anului 1967, mai precis in luna februarie, un grup de romani din Kitchener, format din domnii: ION SCOPU, MATEI CHIUSDEA, ION TOPALA, GINU SAVA, ILIE STOICU si ION VOIN, din dorinta fierbinte de a pune bazele unei biserici si parohii ortodoxe romane in orasul Kitchener-Waterloo, s-au constituit intr-un comitet provizoriu si au facut primele demersuri oficiale, adresandu-se in acest sens Episcopiei Misionare Ortodoxe Romane in America si parohiei vecine si sora “Invierea Domnului” din Hamilton, Ontario. Atat Episcopia Misionara, cat si Parohia “Invierea Domnului”, au acordat, cu dragoste frateasca si intelegere, intregul lor sprijin moral, pentru infiintarea parohiei noastre.
Prima slujba religioasa, in cadrul tinerei parohii, a avut loc la 30 Aprilie 1967, cu prilejul Sfintelor Pasti, si a fost oficiata de Prea Cucernicul Parinte Constantin Iuga din Hamilton. Este o data deosebit de importanta si ea nu va fi uitata niciodata de membri parohiei “Sfintii Apostoli Petru si Pavel”. Cu acest prilej, comitetul provizoriu, prin presedintele sau, domnul Ion Scopu, a adresat urmatorul “Apel” catre toti fratii romani “din Kitchener si jur”, in care redam urmatoarele:
Frati Romani,
Departe de casuta si de satul nostru, unde ne-am nascut si crescut si unde ne-am lasat vetrele parintesti, am plecat in lume sa gasim o viata mai buna, un trai mai usor.
Cu dorul in inimi am trecut tari si mari intinse, de-am ajuns in aceasta binecuvantata tara Canada, unde ne-am oprit si unde incercam sa incepem o viata noua.
E greu. Ne prin doruri mari de cei de acasa, de viata noastra de acolo, de amintirile noastre, de bisericuta unde ne adunam in Duminici si Sarbatori, aducand multumita lui Dumnezeu pentru toate.
De ani de zile ne-am zbatut aici, in dreapta si in stanga, cautand un drum, o cale, care sa ne duca la limanuri bune. Cea mai buna carare, este cararea care duce spre Dumnezeu, este drumul si calea aratata de Biserica noastra.
Acolo ne putem intalni, acolo ne putem spune durerile si bucuriile noastre si, tot acolo, cerem la vremuri de durere si greutate, ajutorul Tatalui Ceresc.
Inceputul este greu desigur, dar din initiativa catorva dintre noi, am crezut ca e bine sa avem o sfanta slujba intre noi, mai ales in ziua Sfintei Invieri.
Cu ajutorul Parintelui Constantin Iuga de la Hamilton, am gasit un loc potrivit pentru sfintele slujbe, iar acum de Sfintele Pasti, va invitam si va rugam sa veniti, ca sa asistati la slujba Sfintei Invieri si sfintirea Pastelor, DUMINICA, in ziua de Pasti, ora 9 A.M, la YMCA – 57 Queen Street West, Kitchener.
Aduceti spre sfintire: pasca, oua rosii si alte bunatati, dupa cum este obiceiul nostru in ziua de Pasti.
Rugam ca Bunul Dumnezeu sa ne ajute, iar binecuvantarea Sfintelor Pasti sa fie cu noi, daruindu-ne bucurie, sanatate si prosperitate.
Hristos a inviat!
Semneaza: ION SCOPU
O noua etapa in constituirea noii parohii coincide cu inceperea formalitatiilor legale pentru obtinerea unui Charter propriu. Comitetul provizoriu a lansat un nou apel si a intocmit o lista de membrii care doresc sa faca parte din parohie. Iata “Apel”-ul si aceasta lista:
Fratilor Romani,
Cunoasteti cu toti nevoia ce-o simtim, in aceia de a avea o biserica si o buna organizare in mijlocul nostru. Suntem destui ca sa putem infiinta aceasta biserica si sa avem si noi romanii din Kitchener, un loc de rugaciune, un loc unde sa ne putem aduna pentru nevoile noastre spirituale si romanesti.
Pentru ca sa putem obtine aceste drepturi, ne trebuie suportul Dumneavoastra. Ne trebuie ca sa aratam dorintele noastre autoritatiilor de aici, pentru a ne permite acest lucru si pentru a ne pune si pe noi in cadrele legale cerute de noua noastra patrie.
Pentru aceasta venim la Dumneavoastra, cu rugamintea de a sprijini aceasta actiune, intai prin semnaturile Dumneavoastra si apoi prin sfatul si suportul Dumneavoastra la orice nevoie si trebuinta.
Cu romaneasca dragoste,
Semneaza: ION SCOPU – Presedintele Comitetului Provizoriu
Cei care au dat urmare acestui apel si l-au semnat sunt urmatorii: Ion Scopu, Matei Chiusdea, Ion Topala, Simeon Kampijan, Ilie Stoicu, Panta Kosari, Traian Penta, Todor Traian, Nica Marian, Trifu Dema, George Belu, Lazic Liubomir, Tiberiu Zalac, Todor Vasile, Panta Kampijan, Panta Mihailov, Petru Ivan, Tom Dimitrie, Traian Iota, Ionel Savu, Ion Moise, Rajkovici Radoje, Panta Stefan, Nicolae Rasa, Melu David, Josa Muncan, Trifu Bunda, Traian Gligor, George Deminescu, Nicolae Deminescu, Ion Stancu, D. Horea, Constantin Sava, Ion Voin, Marcu Vasile, Miron Iovanovici, Stepan Ion, Aurel Mnita si Ion Baba.
La 10 August 1967, Prea Sfintitul Episcop Victorin instiinta oficial comitetul provizoriu al Asociatiei Romanilor Ortodocsi din Kitchener, ca s-a luat act de cererea si memoriul romanilor din Kitchener si ca Episcopia Misionara Ortodoxa Romana in America le acorda asistenta spirituala solicitata si va face la timp demersurile necesare pentru obtinerea Charter-ului legal.
Dar pentru obtinerea Charter-ului legal trebuia sa se paraseasca starea de provizorat. Comitetul provizoriu a convocat o adunare generala, care a ales un comitet cu puteri depline spre a actiona in vederea obtinerii acestui Charter. Din acest comitet au facut parte urmatorii: Ion Scopu (presedinte), Matei Chiusdea (vice-presedinte), Tom Dimitrie (secretar), Ion Topala (casier) si membrii Simion Campian, Ionel Savu, Ion Baba, Pavel Cirisan (cantor), Iosa Muntean, Ilie Stoicu, Trifu Dama, Panta Cosari, Liuba Lazici si Ion Stanciu.
Noul Comitet avand acum puteri depline a purces imediat la actiune, inaintand o adresa speciala la Episcopie si intrand in tratative cu domnul avocat Mendel M. Somer din Kitchener, pentru indeplinirea formalitatiilor legale necesare. Prea Sfintitul Episcop Victorin a aprobat ca parohia sa poarte numele de “Sfintii Apostoli Petru si Pavel” si a trimis in acest sens o adresa catre forurile competente ca noua parohie sa fie inscrisa sub acest nume.
Pentru introducerea cererii de obtinere a Charter-ului, au semnat urmatorii: Arhimandritul Paulin Dimitrie Popescu, numit de Prea Sfintitul Episcop Victorin preot la noua parohie, Ion Scopu, Matei Chiusdea, Simeon Kampijan, Panta Cosari, Ion Topala si Ilie Stoicu.
Dupa aprobarea Charter-ului, in Martie 1968, au semnat pentru scoaterea lui: Arhimandritul Paulin Dimitrie Popescu, Ion Scopu, Matei Chiusdea, Ion Topala, Traian Penta, Panta Cosari si Antip Todereanu din Hamilton.
Un mare sprijin moral la infiintarea parohiei si obtinerea Charter-ului ne-a fost acordat de domnul George Pretu, Presedintele Comitetului Parohial al Parohiei “Invierea Domnului” din Hamilton si membru al Consiliului Episcopesc al Episcopiei Misionare Ortodoxe Romane in America. Pentru activitatea sa dezinteresata desfasurata in folosul parohiei “Sfintii Apostoli Petru si Pavel”, domnul George Pretu merita cu prisosinta multumirile noastre recunoscatoare.
Am insemnat aici cateva date din cronica Parohiei nostre cu gandul de a incheia un scurt bilant al realizarilor de pana acum, care sa ne incurajeze sa mergem mai departe, cu aceiasi sfanta hotarare la fel ca atunci cand am pornit la drum infruntand cu barbatie toate greutatile inevitabile fiecarui nou inceput. Avem Parohie cu Charter in regula, cu toate aprobarile respective, atat din partea Statului Canadian cat si din partea Episcopiei Misionare Ortodoxe Romane in America, de a functiona in conformitate cu randuielile noastre bisericesti ortodoxe si cu legile Statului care ne-a acordat Charter-ul.
A consemnat
Presedinte Ion Scopu
About Our Parish
We record here for remembrance several of the principal moments from the life of the parish of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, under the canonical and legal jurisdiction of the Missionary Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, and likewise found, through the Episcopate, in a powerful spiritual bond with all the Orthodox parishes and churches of Romanian Banat in Yugoslavia [present-day Serbia], as well as all the Orthodox parishes and churches in Romania and beyond its borders under the Romanian Patriarchate.
Later, our descendants will find here, in these pages, a part of our worries and desires to establish a Romanian church, in which we would be able to preserve our ancestral faith, maternal tongue, and the customs and traditions of our people. Perhaps they will thank us and commemorate us in the holy services, for the forgiveness of our sins and they will pray for our eternal repose, according to the ancient custom of the Romanian Orthodox Church, to which we have dedicated our entire lives.
Thus, at the beginning of the year 1967, more precisely in the month of February, a group of Romanians from Kitchener, comprised of: Ion Scopu, Matei Chiusdea, Ion Topala, Ginu Sava, Ilie Stoicu, and Ion Voin, out of the fervent desire to lay the foundation for a Romanian Orthodox parish and church in the city of Kitchener-Waterloo, assembled in a provisional committee and took the first official steps towards this end, addressing the Missionary Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America and the neighbouring sister parish of the Resurrection of the Lord in Hamilton, Ontario. Both the Missionary Episcopate, as well as the Resurrection of the Lord parish, gave their entire moral support with brotherly love and understanding for the establishment of our parish.
The first religious service of the nascent parish took place on April 30, 1967, on the occasion of Holy Pascha, and was served by the Very Reverend Fr. Constantin Iuga from Hamilton. It is an especially important date and will never be forgotten by the members of the parish of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. With this occasion, the provisional committee, through its president, Mr. Ion Scopu, addressed the following "Call" to all Romanian brothers "from Kitchener and its surroundings", which we record below:
Romanian Brothers,
Far from the house and town in which we were born and raised and where we left our ancestral hearths, we left for the world to find a better life, an easier livelihood.
With longing in our hearts, we passed over expansive countries and seas, arriving in this blessed country of Canada, where we have settled and where we are trying to begin a new life.
It is difficult. We are seized with great longing for those back home, our lives from there, our memories, the little churches in which we would gather on Sundays and feast days, offering
thanks to God for all things.
For years we have struggled here, to the left and to the right, searching for a road, a path which might take us to better havens. The best path is the path which leads to God, the way shown
by our Church.
It is there that we can meet, it is there that we can tell each other of our pains and joys and still there, we ask for the help of our Heavenly Father in times of pain and hardship.
Of course, the beginning is difficult, but out of the initiative of several of us, we thought it good to have a holy service among us, especially on this day of the Holy Resurrection.
With the help of Fr. Constantin Iuga from Hamilton, we have found a suitable place for the holy services, and now for Holy Pascha, we invite you and ask you to come to participate at the
service of the Holy Resurrection and the blessing of the Paschal meal, Sunday, the day of Pascha, at 9 a.m. at YMCA - 57 Queen Street West, Kitchener.
Bring pasca [Romanian sweet cheese pastry, eaten at Pascha], red eggs, and other foods to be blessed, as is our tradition on the day of Pascha.
We pray that the Good God might help us, and that the blessing of Holy Pascha might be with us, granting us joy, health, and prosperity.
Christ is Risen!
Signed, Ion Scopu
A new stage in the formation of the new parish coincided with the beginning of legal formalities for the acquisition of its own Charter. The provisional committee launched a new call and drew up a list of members who wished to be part of the parish. Behold, this "call", and the list:
Romanian Brothers,
You all know the need that we are feeling, namely that of having a church and good organization among ourselves. There are enough of us to establish this church for us Romanians of Kitchener
to have a place of prayer, a place where we can gather for our spiritual and Romanian needs.
In order to be able to acquire these rights, we need your assistance. We need to show the authorities here our desire, so that they can grant us permission and so that we can abide by the
laws of our new country.
For this reason we come to you, with the request of supporting our action, first of all by your signatures, and further through your advice and support in every neccesity and need.
With Romanian love,
Signed, Ion Scopu - President of the Provisional Committee
Those who answered this call and signed it are the following: Ion Scopu, Matei Chiusdea, Ion Topala, Simeon Kampijan, Ilie Stoicu, Panta Kosari, Traian Penta, Todor Traian, Nica
Marian, Trifu Dema, George Belu, Lazic Liubomir, Tiberiu Zalac, Todor Vasile, Panta Kampijan, Panta Mihailov, Petru Ivan, Tom Dimitrie, Traian Iota, Ionel Savu, Ion Moise, Rajkovici Radoje,
Panta Stefan, Nicolae Rasa, Melu David, Josa Muncan, Trifu Bunda, Traian Gligor, George Deminescu, Nicolae Deminescu, Ion Stancu, D. Horea, Constantin Sava, Ion Voin, Marcu Vasile,
Miron Iovanovici, Stepan Ion, Aurel Mnita and Ion Baba.
On August 10, 1967, His Grace Bishop Victorin officially notified the provisional committee of the Romanian Orthodox Association of Kitchener that the request and statement of the Romanians of Kitchener had been documented, and that the Romanian Orthodox Missionary Episcopate of America would grant them the spiritual assistance they had solicited and would in time take the necessary steps for the acquisition of the legal charter.
But for the acquisition of the legal charter, it was necessary to abandon the temporary state. The temporary committee convoked a general assembly, which chose a council with full powers to take action for the acquisition of the charter. The following people comprised this committee: Ion Scopu (president), Matei Chiusdea (vice-president), Tom Dimitrie (secretary), Ion Topala (treasurer) and members Simion Campian, Ionel Savu, Ion Baba, Pavel Cirisan (chanter), Iosa Muntean, Ilie Stoicu, Trifu Dama, Panta Cosari, Liuba Lazici and Ion Stanciu.
Now having full powers, the new council immediately proceeded to action, presenting a special address to the Episcopate and entering into talks with the lawyer Mr. Mendel M. Somer of Kitchener, for the fulfilment of the necessary legal formalities. His Grace Bishop Victorin approved that the parish would bear the name of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, to this end sending addresses to the relevant courts for the new parish to be registered under this name.
The following signed for the introduction of the request for the acquisition of the charter: Archimandrite Paulin Dimitrie Popescu, named the priest of the new parish by His Grace Bishop Victorin , Ion Scopu, Matei Chiusdea, Simeon Kampijan, Panta Cosari, Ion Topala and Ilie Stoicu.
After the approval of the charter, in March 1968, the following signed off on it: Archimandrite Paulin Dimitrie Popescu, Ion Scopu, Matei Chiusdea, Ion Topala, Traian Penta, Panta Cosari and Antip Todereanu from Hamilton.
A great moral support was granted to us at the establishment of the parish and acquisition of the charter by Mr. George Pretu, President of Parish Council of the Resurrection of the Lord Parish in Hamilton, and member of the Episcopal Council of the Romanian Orthodox Missionary Episcopate in America. For his selfless activity to the benefit of the parish of the Sts. Peter and Paul, Mr. George Pretu deserves our grateful thanks with abundance.
We have recorded here several events from the history of our parish with the thought of making an account of the accomplishments until now, that they might encourage us to go ahead, with the same holy decisiveness as when we began, overcoming all the inevitable hardships of any new beginning with courage. We have a parish with charter, with all the respective approvals, both from the part of the Canadian government as well as from the Romanian Orthodox Missionary Episcopate in America, to function in conformity with our Orthodox ecclesiastical customs and with the laws of the State which has granted us the charter.
Signed,
President Ion Scopu