These days Ss. Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Chicago was adorned with joy for the feast of its heavenly protectors. The patron saints of the Cathedral were honored with great reverence this year. The feast started Saturday, May 19th, 2018 with Vespers officiated by His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae and the priests of the Cathedral.
The feast continued on Sunday May, 20, 7th Sunday after Pascha, with the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy. In his sermon, His Eminence first interpreted the Gospel of the Day, the Savior's High Priestly Prayer, prayer for Himself and for the disciples: Before His Passion, Christ prays to the heavenly Father asking for the unity of the disciples, such as unity between the Father and the Son. We can say that the Savior's Testament is concentrated in this prayer for the unity of Christians, a testament that we see today unfulfilled.
Then HE Nicolae spoke about the patron saints of the Cathedral: about the consciousness of his election from above of the Emperor Constantine to lead peace and unity in the Empire, the freedom granted to Christians by the Milano Edict and the many laws favorable to Christianity, laws by which he established the beginning of a Christian Empire. All this was accomplished with the advice of his mother, St. Helen, which brought them the honor "Equal to the Apostles."
The banquet that followed the Divine Liturgy also included a special cultural program prepared by the children of the Cathedral having the theme of the year, the Centennial of Great Romania. The program dedicated to the Centennial was completed by the inauguration of an exhibition of photographs and documents of the time: World War I, the personalities involved in this historic event, copies of the documents of the Union of Bessarabia, Bukovina and Transylvania with the Motherland. This exhibition was presented with the blessing of Patriarch Daniel and was prepared by the staff from the Library of the Holy Synod in Bucharest. A panel of the 15-year history of the community of Ss. Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Chicago has completed this presentation.
HE Nicolae then handed diplomas to the Cathedral prize-winners at the 2018 Religious Olympics, namely 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th, for ages 13 to 18, 3rd, 6th and 7th, for ages 8 to 12. Diplomas of excellence were also received by all the children who participated in the visual exhibition "Romania seen through the eyes of the children" held at the Cathedral on April 28, 2018. The two young high school graduates, respectively the three college graduates of the Cathedral community received books and congratulations for graduation.
In conclusion, His Eminence thanked the volunteers that helped organize such beautiful feast days of the Cathedral. At the feast also participated Mr. Tiberiu Trifan, Consul General of Romania in Chicago with his wife. Mr. Trifan remembered the significance of the Centennial for all Romanians spread throughout the world.
The Feast of Ss. Constantine and Helen continued on Monday, May 21, on the day of their celebration, with the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy and the sermon about the mission of the Holy Emperors.
