The beginning of our Mission does not go too deep in the past. The thinking and the need for a place of worship where the Romanians living in the province of New Brunswick could gather and unite in prayer, under the protective hand of God, started to materialize in 2012, when it was initiated the dialogue with the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America in the perspective of appointing a permanent parish priest.
At the beginning of 2014, Rev. Fr. PhD. Cezar Pelin, from Iasi, Romania, expressed his willingness and availability to serve under the jurisdiction of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America. In this regard, the first invitations to serve in the diaspora were addressed by the His Eminence Archbishop Nathaniel on May 27, 2014.
This initiative materialized on 12 August 2014, through the official request made by Fr. Cezar, to be accepted within ROEA.
In the meeting of the Eparchial Council on September 5, 2014, Fr. Cezar was accepted at the ROEA, with the destination New Brunswick, and also was agreed for the future Mission to be dedicated to “St. Hierarch Varlaam, Metropolitan of Moldavia”, the missionary residence being the city of Moncton.
On September 22, 2014, ROEA addressed to the believers from NB a Letter of Invitation to an informal meeting for the establishment of the Romanian Orthodox Mission in this province.
This Assembly of believers of NB took place on October 11, 2014. The meeting took place after the celebration of the Holy Liturgy, at the Saint George’s Anglican Church in Moncton, and was chaired by Rev. Fr. Dean Ionel Cudriţescu. Also, Rev. Fr. Vicar Dan Hoarste participated on behalf of ROEA. 43 believers in total attended this meeting. The provisional Parish Council was elected in order to continue the administrative actions until the arrival of the parish priest.
On 27 October 2014, the mission was registered with the Canada Revenue Agency as a nonprofit Organization.
The following year, during the meeting of May 2nd 2015, the Mission “St. Hierarch Varlaam” was accepted under the jurisdiction of ROEA.
On July 20, 2015, Fr. Cezar Pelin registered the file to obtain the Permanent Residence. One year later at the beginning of December, the permanent residence was granted to the priest and his family. During this period, with the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Nathaniel, several Holy Liturgies were accomplished in the cities of Moncton, Fredericton and Saint George, through the work of Fr. Vicar Dan Hoarste and Fr. Cosmin Vinţ, priest at the Parish “Acoperământul Maicii Domnului”, Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan.
On December 20, 2016, the reverend Cezar Pelin and his family (wife and three children), arrived in New Brunswick and reside since then in Moncton.
The first liturgy took place during the Christmas Day 2016 and since then, Fr. Cezar Pelin officiate the Holy Liturgy on every Sunday alternatively in one of the main cities of the province – Moncton, Fredericton and Saint George. Also, the Holly Liturgies are addressed not only to the Romanian believers, but also to all the orthodox believers, as the liturgical language is in Romanian and English equally.
July 25, 2020 – HISTORICAL MOMENT. On this day, the Saint Hierarch Varlaam found a house of prayer and remembrance, by signing the offer to buying a place of worship. The location is 28 River Glade Rd., River Glade, New Brunswick.
On August 6, the Service of water blessing and the Service of the Akathist of Saint Hierarch Varlaam were officiated in the new location.
On August 9, for the first time, the Holy Liturgy was celebrated in Our Parish Church.
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 Good Lord bless our Province and our Community so that we live in peace, joy and harmony, and deliver us from the evil.