Parish priests and delegates from Central USA Deanery of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of the USA met on November 24-25, 2017 at the Holy Trinity parish, Troy, Michigan, for the Deanery Assembly. The first session began on Friday afternoon with His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae’s blessings. The roll was called followed by the proposed Agenda. The Minutes of the last meeting, from November 2015, were read and approved.
The first theme on the Agenda of the Assembly was dedicated to the commemorative year "Patriarch Justinian and the Confessors of Orthodoxy during Communism in Romania". Father Hieromonk Atanasie Popescu, from the Ss. Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Chicago, presented the conference "The Saints of Prisons in our Spiritual Life." The presentation included several points, from the sketching of the political regime in Romania after 1945, to the presentation, through quotes, of the terrible sufferings in the prisons of those who dared to confess the Christian faith, to remembering the names of some of the hierarchs, priests, monks, and laymen who were the victims of the communist regime.
The second theme referred to the "Solemn Year of iconographers and church painters in the Romanian Patriarchate" and included a presentation of the symbolism of the vestments in the Orthodox icons. Trinitas TV movie about the Mother of God icon from Nicula Monastery completed this presentation. Friday ended with the meeting of Metropolitan Nicolae with the priests in the Deanery.
The work of the Assembly was resumed on the second day with the presentation of the theme "Patriarch Justinian - recollections in the Credinta Magazine of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of America" by Fr. Iulian Aniţei from the Protection of the Mother of God parish in Houston, TX. Father Iulian briefly presented the personality of Patriarch Justinian with special emphasis on the relations of our Archdiocese in America with Patriarch Justinian, as demonstrated by several articles in the Credinta Magazine, articles signed by those who met the Patriarch, like Archbishop Victorin, Archimandrite - at that time - Bartolomeu Anania, Archimandrite Felix Dubneac, George Alexe. Trinitas TV movie about the works performed at the National Cathedral in Bucharest was the occasion of launching a collection in the parishes of the Deanery to help finalize these works in 2018. Metropolitan Nicolae spoke about the importance of this project to all Romanian Orthodox people in and outside of the country.
The next part of the Assembly was dedicated to reports of various activities in the parishes. The report of the Ladies' Association (AROLA), written by Mrs. Claudia Rosca from the Annunciation parish in Cleveland, OH, was read by Father Valentin Ilies, secretary of the meeting, and ROYA (Youth Association) report by Alexandru Barbolovici. Each parish presented a report of the Sunday School's activities. The election of the Deanery Consistory was the last point on the agenda of this meeting.
Metropolitan Nicholas expressed thanks to Father Dean Calin Barbolovici and to all the faithful of the parish for the beautiful organization of this Deanery Assembly. The Divine Liturgy on Sunday, November 26, ended the meeting of priests and delegates of the parishes of the Central USA Deanery.Top of Form
