Ottawa ON Holy Bishop Nicholas Romanian Orthodox Church 1989

Ottawa, Ontario, Romanian Orthodox Church of the Holy Bishop Nicholas, 1989

 He has a language with faith.
 He who has faith has a church.
 He who has a church has a country.
 Grigore Vieru

Prehistory

Romania’s rich natural resources have always been coveted by foreigners who have invaded and used the country. Due to the vicissitudes that have befallen the Romanian people, some of them decided to leave their native lands. There was an early emigration before World War I, then a larger one during the 1938-1940 period. Emigration intensified during the years of terror of communism. Historically, Romanians have defended their ancestral land, but they have not invaded others. They have held on to their Orthodox Christian Faith, and they have tried to live in harmony even with those of ill intent.

In 1971, there were only 15-20 Romanian families in the region of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. However, after this, there began to be a great increase in numbers, because of the availability of jobs in the region.

In 1980, therefore, the Priest Petre Popescu began to offer the Divine Liturgy at Saint Paul’s Anglican Church in order to help to gather the Romanian-speaking flock.

Founding the parish, 1988

In the autumn of 1988, the now-established Romanian community invited to Ottawa the Archpriest Nicholas Zelea, a retired priest from Toronto, Ontario. From 25 December, 1988, he offered the Divine Liturgy every 2 weeks in rented quarters at the Anglican Church of the Ascension at 253, Echo Drive.

Holy Ascension Anglican Church, Echo Drive

In 1991, under the oversight of Archbishop Nathaniel (Popp) of the Romanian Episcopate, the Priest Florin Craioveanu was assigned to serve the mission of Saint Nicholas in Ottawa. After his arrival, the services continued in the same Anglican church.

Towards the end of 1996, Father Florin Craioveanu was transferred to the United States of America. As a result, the Mission of Saint Nicholas remained without a priest for some months.

On 4 July, 1997, Archbishop Nathaniel (Popp) sent the Priest Gabriel Curpene to serve in the mission. Father Gabriel Curpene had been officially received into the clergy of The Orthodox Church in America from the Romanian Orthodox Church on the same day.

On 24 April, 1999, Archbishop Nathaniel made a pastoral visit to the mission. It was the tenth anniversary of the mission, and the visit was a very significant moment for the parishioners.

In 2004, Father Gabriel Curpene was transferred to Saint Stephen the Great’s Mission in Clearwater, Florida.

On Monday, 15 January, 2004, Archbishop Nathaniel assigned the Priest Mircea Daniel Banu to serve the mission. Father Daniel and his family had immigrated to Canada from Romania in 2003. Preoteasa Ioana Miruna graduated from the Academy of Economic Sciences, and she has always been active with Father Daniel in missionary pastoral activity.

In a very short time, Father Daniel Banu initiated many activities in the parish. On 24-25 April, 2004, Bishop Irineu (Duvlea), the Vicar-Bishop of the Romanian Episcopate, made a pastoral visit to the mission, which Father Daniel helped him to arrange. This visit helped the mission and the bishop to know each other. At the same time, Bishop Irineu baptised the second child of Father Daniel and Preoteasa Ioana. This particular visit was very important for the Romanian community in Ottawa, because it was the first Romanian community in Canada to be visited by Bishop Irineu after his ordination to the Holy Episcopate in 2002.

Preparing to build

In 2010, with the help of God, and of those who are close to the Church of Saint Nicholas, the parish purchased land. It was intended (in due time and as the Lord would bless) to build on this land both a Temple and a community centre. These are, of course, the 2 pillars of this Romanian community in Ottawa-Gatineau. Funds were slowly and steadily gathered, and construction then began.

Archpastoral visitation, 2014

In June, 2014, Archbishop Nathaniel (Popp) made an archpastoral visitation to the Saint Nicholas Parish. In the course of this visit, he travelled to the new property, and he blessed the site for the pending construction, and the Romanian Triple Cross was installed where the future Holy Table would be situated.

Romanian-style Triple Cross

The Temple itself is built on the 1.5 acre lot at 4699 Bank Street, Ottawa. Access by public transport can be done by bus #93 from the South Keys Shopping Centre and LRT station.

By 2015, enough funds had been collected to pay off the debt incurred in 2010 when the land was purchased. Now, the land was owned outright, and the next challenge was amassing the funds for construction.

In 2018, the permit for construction was obtained, and in 2020, the land was cleared and prepared for construction.

In 2021, a loan was secured for the construction of the Temple-and-hall.

On 20 June, 2021, Priest Daniel Banu (with the blessing of Archbishop Nathaniel (Popp)), performed the blessing service for the construction in the presence of Father George Bogdan Diaconescu and a small group of parishioners. The group was small in number only because of the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions legally in force at the time. By this time, $352,525.00 had been collected towards the initiating of the construction.

Blessing the beginning of construction, 2021

Construction of the Temple was coordinated by the general contractor VIP Construction & Engineering. The construction project received all the necessary approvals and the excavation and connection to municipal services were accomplished. Then the general structure of the building was erected, followed by the roofing and the erection of the 3 cupolas.

Architectural style of the new Temple

The building is designed according to the usual custom of Romanian Orthodox Temples. Although there are variations, the Temples usually have a cruciform plan. Pronounced apses in the nave area emphasise the Cross-shape. There are 3 towers and domes and a covered porch, which is characteristic of the Brancoveanu style.

The surface area of the Temple is 355 square metres (225 sq. m. in the nave, 75 sq. m. in the Holy Altar, and 60 sq. m. in the narthex). The surface area of the basement is 400 square metres. The width of the Temple is 11.5 metres ; the length is 30 metres ; the height 16.5 metres.

The Temple includes a covered porch, an elevator access vestibule, a staircase, and the actual Temple composed of the central nave with the 2 apses and the Altar.

Additional spaces include a community hall, an office, restrooms, and basement and mezzanine storage space. The site plan also includes green spaces, access roads and a parking lot with 41 spaces.

By early 2022, the basement, walls (concrete) and roofing of the new Temple had been completed.

The new Temple is covered, 2022

A little later in 2022, the tops of the domes were added, and the whole building was roofed.

The roofing of the Temple completed, 2022

Archpastoral visitation, 2022

In 2022, Bishop Andrei (Hoarște, Vicar-Bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, visited the site of the construction, and he blessed its progress.

The new Temple in 2022

Address of the new Temple :

Saint Nicholas Romanian Orthodox Church

4699, Bank Street

Ottawa, Ontario,

K1T 3W7

E-mails : frdanielbanu@stnicholasottawa.ca ; info@stnicholasottawa.ca

Telephone : (613) 404-8412

In early 2023, the services were still being offered at Saint Columba’s Anglican Church in Manor Park, Ottawa.

Saint Columba's Anglican Church

Archpastoral visitation : Opening the Doors (“Thyranoiksia”), 2023

The construction of the new Temple was completed and the new Temple was readied for its initial blessing. After this, more detailed work on some elements of the Temple itself would be required before the full Service of Sanctification.

The Temple in February, 2023

On Saturday, 11 February, 2023, Bishop Andrei (Hoarște visited the parish again, and he presided at the service of the "Opening of the Doors" (that is, dedication), which is the preliminary blessing that initiates the use of the Temple for worship.

At 9:00 a.m., Bishop Andrei was greeted at the entrance of the new Temple by clergy and others. Then the entrance prayers and the vesting of the bishop took place. Then the service of the Lesser Blessing of Waters began, and when it was completed, the "Opening of the Doors" service began.

Water-blessing table

This service has some elements of the full Service of Sanctification, in which the Holy Table, the Prothesis, the iconostas, the interior of the Temple and the other spaces of the building are blessed with Holy Water for the purpose of setting the building a part spiritually for worship of the Lord. Once this had been completed, the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was begun and completed.

Hierarchical Divine Liturgy

Following the completion of the service and speeches, a meal was served in the lower hall beneath the Temple for those who attended.

Parishioners at Thyranoiksia

Serving clergy, temporary iconstas

Sanctification of the Temple, 2025

On Saturday, 14 June, 2025, and Sunday, 15 June, 2025, the Parish of Saint Nicholas experienced a rare and Godly joy, namely, the sanctification (consecration) of the Temple of Saint Nicholas in Ottawa. Gratitude was expressed profusely to everyone who gathered on this occasion.

Present on this holy day were Archbishop Nathaniel (Popp), of Detroit and of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America ; Bishop Theophanis (Koja) of Philomelion, of the Albanian Orthodox Diocese of America ; Bishop Andrei (Hoarște), of Cleveland and Bishop-Vicar of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America ; Parish Priest Mircea Daniel Banu ; Priest Bogdan George Diaconescu ; and Priest Livia, with a gathering of 20 priests and 3 deacons from Canada, and from the USA. People came from from Ottawa-Gatineau, Montreal, Quebec, Saint Catharines, Toronto, and elsewhere.

Members of the sanctification, events, and financing committees, the Parish Council, and numerous volunteers from the community helped to organise the activities necessary for the smooth running of the event. These activities included event-related communication (posters, announcements, social media messages) ; construction of the Holy Table and the Proskomidia table ; preparation of packages and meals offered on Saturday and Sunday ; installation of the Pantocrator icon ; construction of the new Cross in the Altar ; beautification of the Iconostas ; preparing and printing documents to be placed at the base of the Holy Table (list of founders, church history) ; installation of the sound system ; interior finishing works (baseboard, stairs, entrance door) ; restoring the Internet connection and the local network ; preparation of the Founders' Gala ; general cleaning ; reconditioning and reinstallation of the crossbar ; parking coordination ; immortalising the event (photographing and filming) ; transportation, installation and packing of tents and tables.

 Pastors of the parish :
 
 Father Petre Popescu : 		1980-1988 (missionary)
   
 Father Nicholas Zelea : 		1988-1991 
 
 Father Florin Craioveanu : 	1991-1996
 
 Father Gabriel Curpene : 	1997-2004 
 
 Father Mircea Daniel Banu : 	2004-____

Particular parish information

This parish is a part of the Eastern Deanery of the Canadian Vicariate of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America. The dean is the Priest Liviu Alexandrescu. The vicar is the Bishop Andrei (Hoarște). The bishop is Archbishop Nathaniel (Popp).

This parish follows the New (Revised Julian) Calendar.

The Altar Feast-day of this parish is the Feast of the Holy Bishop Nicholas, 6 December.

In 2025, the pastor of the parish is the Archpriest Mircea Daniel Banu.

Address of the place of worship :

Services are at Saint Columba’s Anglican Church, Manor Park.

24, Sandridge Road

Ottawa, Ontario

K1K 0A8

Parish web-site : in Romanian ; in English

Facebook

E-mail : frdanielbanu@stnicholasottawa.ca

Directions :

Sandridge Road is in the Rockliffe Park neighbourhood of Ottawa, near Boulevard Saint-Laurent and the Sir George-Étienne Cartier Parkway.

By car:

From outside Ottawa, drive on Highway #417 (The Queensway) to the exit for Boulevard Saint-Laurent. Take the exit, and turn towards the north.

Drive northwards on Boulevard Saint-Laurent until Sandridge Road. Turn left on Sandridge Road. The place of worship (Saint Columba's Church) is on the left.

From the Sir George-Étienne Cartier Parkway, turn south on Birch Avenue. Turn left on Sndridge Road. The place of worship (Saint Columba's Church) is on the right.

By bus :

Consult OCTranspo. Bus #7 passes nearby.

Father Daniel Banu

220, Avenue des Paysans

Gatineau, Québec

J9J 2K1

Telephone : (613) 864-5779

Father George Bogdan Diaconescu

Telephone : (819) 682-4291

E-mail : georgebogdandiaconescu@gmail.com

References

Bugea, Eleanor, “Romanians in Canada” (Michigan : Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, 2009). ISBN-10 : 1929200145. ISBN-13 : 978-1929200146.

Parish web-site

Additional information

Bobango, Gerald J, “The Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America : The first half Century, 1929-1979” (Jackson, MI : Romanian-American Heritage Center, 1979). ASIN : B0000EBRQ6.

Tarasar, Constance J, ed., “Orthodox America 1794-1976 : Development of The Orthodox Church in America” (Syosset, NY : The Orthodox Church in America Department of History and Archives, 1975). ASIN : B000ZLZAUE.

ROEA parish listing

OCA listing

OCA Romanian Episcopate

The Romanian Orthodox Vicariate of Canada

The Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (ROEA) web-site

OrthodoxWiki article about the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (OCA)

The Orthodox Church in America web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about The Orthodox Church in America

Metropolitan Jonah (Pauffhausen)

Metropolitan Tikhon (Mollard)

Archbishop Nathaniel (Popp)

Archbishop Irénée (Rochon)