The pastoral visit of HE Metropolitan Nicolae to Virginia continued on Saturday, April 28 and Sunday, April 29, 2018, to the Romanian community of Norfolk, VA (Hamptons Road area). Saturday afternoon was dedicated to the meeting with Colonel Mihai Ştir, the National Liaison Representative of Romania at NATO Allied Commander Transformation, and Colonel Marius Moldovan, the defense, military, air and naval Deputy at the Embassy of Romania in Washington DC.
On this occasion, HE Metropolitan Nicolae, together with Father Daniel Ene and Commander Mihai Ştir, visited NATO's headquarters in Norfolk and the US Navy Station. The Norfolk Naval Station supports the naval forces of the United States Flight Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. It is the world's largest naval station, with the largest concentration of US ship's forces with 75 ships, along with 134 aircraft and 11 hangars that annually control more than 3,100 ship movements.
On Saturday the NATO festival ended. The Romanian soldiers on permanent mission to the NATO and American Commands in Norfolk, Virginia, USA also participated. The festival is the largest public event in Hampton Roads, Virginia, and the only one in the United States of America honoring the North Atlantic Alliance. This year was the 65th edition and over 29 nations were part of it. The event, hosted by the municipality, included activities carried out over the course of several days, the most important one being the “Nations’ Parade”. All the 29 NATO countries took part in this parade using allegorical themes and representative elements and symbols of each nation. In the central square of Norfolk, the allegorical car of Romania also marched having the theme of “The Centennial of Modern Romania: 1918-2018”. A beautiful red, yellow and blue cloth flowers made up the number 100 together with a rotary hourglass of nearly 2 meters. All this were greatly appreciated by the ACT leadership and brought to our country the “People’s Cup”, a prize which is given to the most beautiful delegation (a kind of prize of popularity).
The next day the Divine Liturgy was officiated at St. Mary’s Mission. It was the first pastoral visit of HE Metropolitan Nicolae to the Mission in the space specially arranged in recent years as a place of worship for the Romanian Orthodox community in the area. HE Nicolae also visited the parsonage which was recently remodeled by the members of St. Mary’s Mission.
In his sermon HE Nicolae talked about healing, a healing that can be acquired through fasting and prayer within the Church, where by participating at the Holy Sacraments we are urged to repent in order to be healed, like the sick man in the Sunday’s Holy Gospel. After the Divine Liturgy a memorial service took place for those who had passed to the Lord in the Romanian community and also a Te-Deum service to honor the Centennial of Great Romania. The Romanian flag was also blessed. Together with HE Metropolitan Nicolae was Father Dean Daniel Ene, who was involved for many years with the work of this mission.
Following the Divine Liturgy an agape meal was served in the social hall where those in attendance had the opportunity to ask questions and receive the blessing of their hierarch. The pastoral visit concluded with the participation of HE Nicolae at the picnic organized by the families of the Romanian military on the occasion of the NATO festival.
Fr. Dean Daniel Ene
