I am going to preface this tale of greed and apathy with a declaration that I am not a religious person, nor do I have a vested interest in this matter. What I am is a responsible citizen who feels the need to speak out on this mis-appropriation of a landmark, and the destruction of Faith in so many that have been affected.

The Slovak Cathedral of the Transfiguration, located in Markham, Ontario, Canada is an impressive structure to be sure. Standing 20 stories at it’s highest point, able to seat 1000+ patrons, domes of gleaming 24 karat gold that radiate even on cloudy days and housing 3 of the largest church bells anywhere, it is breathtaking to behold. However, not all is splendid with this monument to the human spirit…

The Cathedral was conceived and funded by Stephen B. Roman, a Slovak immigrant to Canada who had built up the Denison Mines corporation. Roman both funded and designed the building, modeling the structure on the church in the Slovak village he was raised in. The Cathedral was built on a donated portion of his Romandale estate. The still unfinished Cathedral of the Transfiguration was Roman’s personal obsession in his final years. He began building the 20-storey-high building in the early 1980s with the intention of passing it on as his legacy to the Slovak Byzantine-rite Catholic Church. Roman’s sudden death in 1988 left the cathedral in the hands of his heirs, principally Helen Roman-Barber, who sit on the board of the foundation which owns the church.

In 1984, during his visit to Canada, Pope John Paul II blessed the still unfinished foundations, making this the only Cathedral in North America to be blessed by a Pope. It is also the only Cathedral in Canada not owned by it’s Bishop or the diocese it represents.

Since Roman’s death the cathedral has become the centerpiece of a 1,200-home subdivision named Cathedraltown, planned by Helen Roman-Barber. In response, Bishop John Pazak, spiritual head of Byzantine rite Slovak Catholics in Canada, has removed the blessed sacrament and the antimension, or altar stone, from the Cathedral. The bishop has also suspended permission for any of his priests to celebrate Mass in the former cathedral and asked the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto not to extend permission to Roman rite priests to celebrate Mass there.

As of now, the building sits empty. Instead of being protected by the Lord above and his faithful followers, it is being locked behind a steel fence. The first time we went to see the Cathedral, we met an elderly woman standing outside the chain locked gate. Tears rolled down her eyes as she told us the story of the Cathedral and how it is being denied to it’s congregation. Seeing her emotion touched my heart and was the impetus for me writing this article.

Is it greed, corruption or something much more sinister or evil that keeps this holy place locked? Only a very few will ever know. I can only hope and others can only pray that reason and divine intervention will one day give this Cathedral back to the people, for whom it was built.

Tags: Cathedral, greed, development, Cathedral of the Transfiguration, Cathedraltown, Roman Catholic, Catholic, Slovak Catholic, Stephen Roman, Helen Roman-Barber, Pope, Pope John Paul II, Markham, Ontario, Canada

Excellent pictures of the Cathedral can be found at http://www.kaphoto.ca/pic/SlovakCathedralOfTheTransfiguration_MarkhamOntario_Apr2006/