On September 7-9, 2018, HE Archbishop and Metropolitan Nicolae of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas made a pastoral visit to Texas.
On Friday, September 7, HE Nicolae visited the property of Saint John Cassian Mission in San Antonio to see the work progress on the new site where the future church will be built. Later on, in the afternoon, took place a parish council meeting chaired by HE Nicolae. It was reviewed the pastoral, administrative and social activities carried out by Saint John Cassian Mission of San Antonio in the last year. The day concluded with the service of Vespers and a word of wisdom and encouragement of HE Nicolae at the beginning of the Church Year.
On Saturday, September 8, at the Feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God, His Eminence served the Divine Liturgy together with several priests. The joy of serving together with the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of the Americas was completed by the presence of priests and faithful of the Greek and Antiochian parishes of San Antonio. At the time of the sermon, HE Nicolae spoke about the Mother of God and her veneration in the Orthodox Church, and about the joy brought to all creation by her birth. After the Divine Liturgy, all those in attendance, Romanians, Greeks, Arabs, Russians, and Americans were invited to an agape meal prepared with much love and effort by the Ladies Committee.
On Saturday evening, HE Metropolitan Nicolae went to the Nativity of the Mother of God parish of Austin where he served the Vespers and delivered a sermon. On Sunday, September 9, Metropolitan Nicolae served the Divine Liturgy together with the Romanian priests and faithful of Austin and San Antonio. In his sermon, His Eminence talked about the significance of the Lord's sacrifice, the veneration of the Mother of God in the Orthodox Church, and the Holy Fathers Joachim and Ana, who through their lives can be the model of the Christian family.
After the Divine Liturgy, the Homage Year of the Centenial of the Great Union in the Romanian Patriarchate was marked with a cultural program of patriotic songs and poems presented by the Sunday School children in the social hall of the parish. Fr. Dumitru Ilies, the parish priest, opened the program with a talk about the contribution and involvement of the Romanian Orthodox Church at the Great Union of 1918, and Matei Ivan talked about the historical context of the Union of Transylvania with Romania. The most exciting moment of the artistic program was the interpretation of the poetry "Do not Cry Mother Romania!" by a child born in America from Romanian parents (the lyrics were found in the bag of a dead soldier in the autumn of 1918, on Mount Sorica in the Carpathians).
We give glory to God for the moments of spiritual joy spent with HE Metropolitan Nicolae and we ask the Mother of God and Saints Joachim and Ana to intercede for the Orthodox Romanians from everywhere!
Father Valentin Ilies
