The Consecration of the church of St. Matthew and St. Martyr Hristina of Tyre21-09-2019
On the Saturday after the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, September 21, 2019, the Orthodox Christians of the parish of St. Matthew and St. Martyr Hristina, in Ottawa, together with a large gathering of priests and faithful from the Canada and U.S., with spiritual joy attended the consecration of the parish building. The consecration ceremony was performed by His Eminence Nicolae, Archbishop of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of the USA and Metropolitan of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas and His Grace Ioan Casian, Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Canada along with the assistance of local and guest clergy. The first Divine Liturgy was served immediately following the consecration of the church on Saturday morning. After the service, as it is the custom in the Romanian Orthodox tradition, the faithful were welcomed to venerate the Holy Table in the Holy Altar (Sanctuary), as well as the Relics of Holy Martyr Constantin Brancoveanu, Metropolitan Gregory the Teacher, Metropolitan Andrei Șaguna and St. Irodion of Lainici, as well as the vestment from our beloved mother, St. Parascheva from Iași.
The responses at the service of consecration of the new church were sung by the Byzantine chanters, Reader Valentin Botu and Mr. Stefanos Athenagoras. At the Divine Liturgy, the responses were sung by the parish choir, under the direction of Mr. Iosif Viorel Onuț.
At the end of the service the parish priest, Grigorie Țăpuc, was awarded the American Metropolitan Cross and from the ruling Bishop Ioan Casian, for the parish, an icon of the Protecting Saints of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada and, for his family, an icon of St. Andrew the Apostle. As a crown for their efforts, made in the service of the parish, Iosif Viorel Onuț and Emanuel Huluță received the American Metropolitan Cross for lay people from His Eminence Nicolae. The other benefactors of the community were rewarded with distinctions of worthiness by Bishop Ioan Casian. In his speech at the end of the service, Father Grigorie thanked everybody for the participation to this project because ‘they earned their treasure in the Kingdom of heaven.’ At the end, the believers participated in an agape meal offered by the parish.
Hrisov
The parish of St. Apostle and Evangelist Matthew was founded in 1981, with the blessing of His Eminence Victorin, the Archbishop of the Romanian Orthodox Missionary Archdiocese of America and Canada, following the initiative of some Romanian Orthodox faithful from Ottawa and Gatineau, among whom members of the Panciuk family were the promoters. The first Divine Liturgy was performed by Archimandrite Mitrofor Vasile Vasilache on December 25, 1982. After Christmas 1982, the Divine Liturgy continued to be served in different rented locations. Most of the time (1991 - 2018), services were held at the Anglican Cathedral of The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary located at 289 Spencer Street, Ottawa.
His Eminence Archbishop Nicolae of the Americas delegated Rev. Fr. Grigorie Țăpuc from October 2005 to June 2006 to serve the parish. In June 2006 His Eminence Archbishop Nicolae, at the request of the people, appointed Rev. Fr. Grigorie Țăpuc as parish priest.
In 2010, Vice-President of the Parish Council, Mr. Ion Rusu identified the property on 19 Cordova Street, Ottawa, which was purchased in April of the same year.
On the occasion of the feast of the Lord's Resurrection on May 12, 2015, it was received, from the Holy Mountain Athos, the relics of the Holy and Great Martyr Hristina. This prompted the community to ask the blessing the His Eminence Archbishop Nicolae that St. Hristina should be considered the second patron of the Church.
From 2010 and until May 26, 2016, through the efforts of Mr. Joseph Viorel Onuț, helped by the members of the parish Council and the other members of the parish the approvals for the construction of the church were obtained.
The work began with the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Nicolae, through the sustained prayer, the striving and love of the founders, donors and benefactors of the region of the capital of Canada, Romania and USA. In 2017, a substantial financial assistance was received from the State Secretariat for Religious Affairs of Romania, through the cooperation of Mr. Victor Opaschi, Ambassador Maria Ligor, and Patriarch Daniel’s intervention.
The foundation stone was consecrated on June 7, 2015 by His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian, the Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Canada, surrounded by priests and orthodox faithful. Construction began on May 26, 2016 and was completed on May 10, 2018. The new church opened its doors through the service of the Vespers on May 12, 2018, the first Divine Liturgy being celebrated on May 13, 2018, by His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian.
In July 2019, the church was adorned with iconostasis and strana carved from dry oak, work executed by the company of Mr. Ciprian Stoica from Bacau, Romania. The iconostasis of the church was painted by the painter Liviu Răsteanu from Piatra-Neamț. For the building of the church, the parish priest Grigorie Țăpuc was assisted by the members of the parish and the members of the parish councils and committees from 2005 to 2019.
On September 21, 2019, the consecration ceremony of the Church was performed by His Eminence Nicolae, Archbishop of the Romanian Orthodox Archdioceses of the USA and Metropolitan of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas and His Grace Ioan Casian, the Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Canada along with the assistance of clergy from Canada and USA.