The Great Union achieved in 1918, when Transylvania became part of the Kingdom of Romania, was the long expected occasion to strengthen Orthodoxy. Three years later, the Eparchy of Vad, Feleac and Cluj was resettled in Cluj and its Cathedral was to become a Romanian symbol of Transylvania. The Cathedral was symbolically given the festival of the "Repose of the Virgin Mary".

Although the Cathedral was part of a monumental ensemble of buildings, which according to the initial plans would have included a mausoleum, only the church was constructed, as a consequence of the economic depression of the interwar period. The remarkable efforts of Bishop Ivan, which lasted 10 years, resulted into the consecration of an unfinished Cathedral. The construction began in 1923 and was consecrated in 1933, yet the cathedral was finished in 2000, under the leadership of His Eminence Archbishop Bartolomeu Anania. The elements of the initial plans were completed and repair works were performed to remove the deteriorations inflicted by the passing of time. Since 2001, the iconography of the interior is being redone with Murano mosaic, by a group of artists from Iasi, led by church painter Virgil Moraru.

The architects who won the project contest, Constantin Pomponiu and George Cristinel, were assigned by the Bishop to build a Cathedral that should meet the virtues of national architecture. The Cathedral is built in Byzantine style, in the form of a cross (triple-shell plan). The façade of the monumental building is flanked by two towers, with a large gable crowned by a stone cross. The second row, with the dome above the narthex, together with the three gates add to the elegance of the imposing building. The elaborated adornments of the interior include columns with elegant geometrical, floral and zoomorphic motifs, as well as the so-called twisted rope. The beautiful frescoes of the church were realized by professors Anastasie Demian and Catul Bogdan. Prof. Gheorghe Rusu worked on the sculptured iconostasis, with icons displayed in five registers. The mosaic of the floor was brought from Italy, while King Carol II donated the main candelabrum of the nave.

"Avram Iancu" Square was systematized in 1993, when the statue dedicated to Avran Iancu was placed in front of the Cathedral. The Metropolis is organizing at the basement of the Cathedral a museum with patrimony exhibits belonging to the church.

Many of the main religions are represented in Cluj-Napoca, as the spiritual capital city of Transylvania; therefore it was necessary for Orthodoxy to establish here one of its Transylvanian headquarters, by turning the former Eparchy into a Metropolis. This was accomplished on March 25, 2006 (on the occasion of the Annunciation).

The Cathedral may be visited Monday to Saturday between 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., being closed between 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (except for Orthodox Holidays).