On Saturday, August 19, 2023, the Orthodox Romanians of Columbia, the capital of South Carolina, and the surrounding areas enjoyed the first Divine Liturgy in Romanian, as part of the Romanian Orthodox Mission that is coming into being in this Southeastern American metropolis. Father Nicolae Clempus, who came especially from Atlanta for this major spiritual event, prayed with those present for God's blessing on this beginning of the journey and for the founding members and supporters of the Mission.
In his sermon at the end, Fr Nicolae spoke about forgiveness. In relation to our fellow human beings who wrong us, forgiveness is projected horizontally. The vertical dimension comes from above, from God the Father who is forgiving. Although it is the hardest spiritual work, forgiveness involves a struggle against the remembrance of evil. Father Calciu-Dumitreasa said: "I cannot forget, and I am sorry, but I can forgive, and I am glad!"
Jesus invites us to forgive our neighbor. If we want God to forgive us our trespasses, then it is necessary to go down into our hearts (vertically!), to tame our pride (installed there as an ancestral sin), to stop remembering evil, to humble ourselves unceasingly and thus to be able to forgive our neighbor’s trespasses (horizontally!). Being at peace with each other, free from tension and hatred, we will gain peace of mind. This will propel us towards God, and we will move from the horizontal to the vertical dimension. Through the exercise of forgiveness, we will be closer to Christ.
After the fraternal agape meal, an administrative meeting was held to discuss the next steps of the Mission's journey. Fr. Nicholas explained to those present about "what an Orthodox Mission means and entails". He said that, following the model of other ethnic communities that have their own Church, we, the Romanians of this area, also propose to have a Church of our own where we can pray in the language of our ancestors, preserving our tradition and working together and individually for our salvation. We also have a moral duty to our children to pass on what we have that is most holy. If our Romanian brothers and sisters will understand well the purpose and role of a Church in their lives, then our mission will last in time and will remain for those who come after us.
The mission and administrative organization of the Romanian Orthodox in Colombia are in their early stages, but this beginning is full of hope and faith in becoming a parish with a permanent priest and a permanent Sunday Divine Liturgy in a permanent location. For this purpose, the Romanian Orthodox community in the area has begun to organize itself by drawing up a clear list of families who wish to be part of this Mission. The initiative committee together with Fr. Nicolae are constantly collaborating to identify and promote the new Mission through concrete methods to reach the souls of the local Romanians such as: social media, email, phone calls, etc.
When the interest of the Romanians is expressed through the choice to get involved and to give themselves for the good running of the Mission and when the criteria of the Statutes will be fulfilled, then, with the blessing of His Eminence Nicolae, our Archbishop and Metropolitan, the Mission will receive its official status and receive its charter.
On his departure, Father Nicolae spiritually strengthened those present by urging them to pray fervently to receive God's blessing. Through the fervent prayers of the many, God will listen to our desire to build, and His blessing will not delay appearing. Thanking Father Nicholas for his effort and hard work, he replied, "I was glad to see that there is interest, an interest translated into presence at the Divine Liturgy. And for that, I give glory to God! My effort was fully worth it."
Thank you all for participating in the first Divine Liturgy of the Romanian Orthodox Mission in Columbia SC, for your effort, hard work, and love. May God help us!
Father Nicolae Clempuș
