The last weekend marked a solemn occasion at the Saints Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Chicago. The patron saints were celebrated in a special manner on this year as well. The guests of honor for the celebration were the members of the delegation of the Diocese of Maramures and Satmar led by His Grace Bishop Iustin. Among the members of the delegation were: V. Rev. Archim. Dr. Casian Filip, social-philanthropic and missionary counselor and ecclesiarch of the Holy Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Baia Mare, V. Rev. Fr. Ioan Socolan, Dean of Satmar with his wife, V. Rev. Fr. Gabriel Gorgan, priest at Saints Constantine and Helen Church in Satu Mare with his wife, V. Rev. Archdeacon Teodosie Bud, diocesan economic adviser, and V. Rev. Archdeacon Nifon Motogna, administrator of the Episcopal Cathedral in Baia Mare.
The celebration began on Friday evening, May 20, with the Vespers served by HG Bishop Iustin, the clergy of the delegation and the priests of the Cathedral. A group of chanters from the Metropolitan Cathedral sang at the service. The celebration continued on Saturday, May 21, with the Hierarchical Liturgy served together by HE Metropolitan Nicolae, HG Bishop Iustin, the clergy of the delegation, V. Rev. Fr. Ioan Ionita from the parish of St. George the New in Merrillville, IN and Rev. Hieromonk Daniel Mih, assigned priest at the Protection of the Mother of God Monastery in Allegan, MI. After the service of the Divine Liturgy, His Grace Bishop Iustin held a rich word of instruction in front of the faithful present, evoking some significant moments in the lives of the Holy Emperors Constantine and Helen.
“This holy and bright day, dedicated to the Holy Emperors Constantine and Helen, is set within the 40 days of the Feast of the Resurrection of the Lord. The Holy Emperor Constantine comes as a gift from God for the church of Christ, because he is the one who gave freedom to Christianity, after about 300 years of persecution of Christians. The beauty of his life, his nobility and his openness to Christian values is primarily due to his mother, Empress Helen, who raised him according to all Christian and moral principles. This was the time of the last persecuting emperors, who ended their glory by forced retreat, but not before creating the last victims of Christianity. He was a real strategist, righteous and true; he did not impose Christianity as the state religion but gave freedom to Christians and protected Christianity and accomplished many other deeds that have remained in history ...
The Holy Empress Helen, a deep, Christ-loving Christian, followed in the footsteps of the Savior, becoming the first Christian pilgrim and archaeologist, discovering the cross on which Christ was crucified. He likewise built the church of the Holy Sepulcher and other churches in the Holy Land. The Holy Emperors Constantine and Helen are first and foremost role models for all Christians, for us, the ministers of the church of Christ, for the people of God, as well as models of inspiration for dignitaries and leaders. They are promoters of religious life and defenders of the true faith.”
His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae thanked HG Iustin and the entire delegation for their love and effort to attend the patronal feast of the Cathedral, after having participated at the consecration of the Maramures church in Long Valley, NJ and visiting several communities in the USA. At the end, HG Bishop Iustin conferred to V. Rev. Fr. Ioan Ioniță, a disciple of His Eminence, Archbishop Iustinian, the Order Justinian the Archbishop, issued by the Diocese of Maramures and Satmar with the occasion of the 100th anniversary since his birth.
On Sunday, May 22, 2022, the celebration of the Cathedral continued with the Hierarchical Liturgy with the participation of the concelebrating clergy from the previous day. Among the faithful present at the Divine Liturgy was the General Consul of Romania in Chicago - Illinois, His Excellency Tiberiu Florea Trifan.
In his speech after the Holy Gospel, Bishop Iustin explained the Gospel text of the 5th Sunday after Easter, the dialogue between the Samaritan woman and the Savior Jesus Christ:
“The Savior contradicts outdated and unjust human conceptions, overcoming these barriers ... The Savior reveals to the Samaritan woman the secret of the living water. The dialogue is memorable, very long but deep and spiritual; Christ shows us here the connection that will be made between His Resurrection and the Light that he brought to the world through the Holy Gospel, His Ascension and the Descent of the Holy Spirit. The Savior Jesus Christ found the necessary pedagogical means, passing over the hypocritical attitudes of the Pharisees and scribes, over the mentalities of that time, radically changing the trajectory of the life of the Samaritan woman, who will become a myrrh-bearing woman and a confessor.”
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas spoke concisely about the mission of the Holy Emperors Constantine and Helen, explaining why they are considered to be equal to the Apostles. Then, the hierarch mentioned the connections of St. Constantine with our Daco-Roman ancestors and his contribution to the continuation of their Christianization process. A special icon commissioned by the Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas on the occasion of the Solemn Year of the Hesychast Saints Simeon the New Theologian, Gregory Palamas and Paisios Velichkovsky was consecrated at the end of the service.
HE Metropolitan Nicolae thanked HG Bishop Iustin for his visit to the Romanian communities in the Metropolia of the Americas, offering him a set of engolpions, and to the clerics from the delegation of the Diocese of Maramureș, the American Metropolitan Cross. As a sign of appreciation, the Bishop of Maramureș and Sătmar offered His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae the Maramures Voivodeship Cross, and to the servants of the Cathedral, Fr. Vasile Muresan and Fr. Nicolae Carbune, the Order of Justinian the Archbishop.
After the service, the banquet took place, followed by a artistic program organized by the children of the Sunday school, and award ceremony of the winners of the Religion Olympics, the Metropolitan phase. Special thanks were given to all the members of the Cathedral who contributed for the preparation of this beautiful feast day!
