The feast day of St. Parascheva Parish in Massachusetts was celebrated this year with our Metropolitan, His Eminence Nicolae, in our new church, which we purchased a month ago. The church at 264-266 Lowell St. in Andover will now be able to serve the needs of our Orthodox community in the great metropolis of Boston. Our parish, with God's prayers and help, has accomplished what few hoped would become a reality 26 years ago.
Founded in 1996, the parish has gone through all the stages of a mission church, establishing the community with the organization of the liturgical schedule and the purchase of the first church for our community in 1999 (the church in Wakefield) then its consacration in 2002 and equipping it with everything needed in a church. The years that followed were years of mission and service to the community, a community that has grown over the past 15 years to the point that the Wakefield church has become increasingly overcrowded. Saint Parascheva truly showed herself to be the protector of Romania and the protector of Moldavia by gathering under her protection, also here on American soil, about 300 families from the Romanian provinces and about 150 families from Bessarabia. So a few years ago we initiated the project for a new church to meet the needs of our parish.
So this year, with the celebration of the feast day of St. Parascheva and 20 years after the consecration of the first church, our community stepped into the new church. The new property has 1.53 acres of land. The church has an area of 2145 sq. ft., space that can accommodate over 180 people, an administrative building of 4300 sq. ft. with a function room, two conference spaces and 5 rooms that can accommodate various activities of the parish as well as parking space for more than 50 cars.
The celebration of the church's feast day began on Thursday evening with Vespers followed the next day by the Matins and Divine Liturgy. His Eminence Nicolae arrived in our parish and in our new church on Saturday, October 15. On Sunday, October 16, our Metropolitan officiated Small Blessing of the Waters followed by the Holy and Divine Liturgy during which the cantor of our parish, Subdeacon Sergiu Daniel Concu was ordained deacon.
The faithful were blessed to venerate the relics of the Holy Brâncoveanu Martyrs, martyrs of our Romanian nation, God showing us that the saints of our nation are also here with us on the American continent. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, a memorial service was celebrated in memory of the founders and benefactors of our holy church.
The homily of His Eminence Archbishop and Metropolitan Nicolae filled the hearts of all of us:
What would a good and pure heart be? In Psalm 50, we say, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me"; so a pure heart is a heart that prepares itself, that through repentance, through Confession, through Communion, is cleansed. A pure heart is a heart prepared to receive the word of God through all these spiritual efforts. But a pure heart must also be kind or merciful; therefore, preparation for the Word of God, purity of heart, must be complemented by mercy, by kindness. In a pure and good heart, the good word and the good deed are shown through the mercy shown to those in spiritual or material need.
Then, Metropolitan Nicolae spoke briefly about the life of St. Parascheva and the pilgrimage of her holy relics until 1641 when they arrived in Iasi. The homily concluded with an exhortation to the ministers and parishioners to use the new church space for services and many activities for children, youth and adults. The gift of St. Parascheva should be returned to the community that needs to see a living church that wants to be part of and involved in its mission.
The celebration of the feast day ended with an agape meal organized by the faithful of the church for the guests. I conclude these words by thanking God, Our Lady the Theotokos, Saint Parascheva and all the saints for the help they have given us, as well as those who have worked hard, the founders, benefactors and those who work daily for the benefit of our parish!
Many Years to St. Parascheva Parish in Andover, MA!
Preot Paroh Nicolae Simion
