Saint Nicholas, one of the most famous and loved saints on the calendar, was celebrated on Sunday, December 9, 2018, at St. Nicholas parish in Woodside, New York. The Romanian Orthodox believers in the city of New York and the surrounding area came to pray and celebrate the Holy Hierarch Nicholas, and venerate the relics of the Holy Martyrs of Niculiţel, Ss. Epictet and Astion, and the Holy Hierarchs Nicholas, John Chrysostom, Nectarios, Andrei Saguna and John Maximovitch brought by HE Metropolitan Nicolae from the Cathedral of the Holy Emperors Constantine and Helen of Chicago.

The feast day of the church began on Saturday night with the celebration of the Great Vespers with the Lytia by HE Nicolae, along with the Parish Priest Marius Dumitrescu and Father Marius Lazar of the Mission of the Holy Martyrs Brâncoveni in Fairfield, Connecticut. On Sunday morning, the feast continued with Matins and the Divine Liturgy celebrated by HE Metropolitan Nicolae with Fr. Marius Dumitrescu, Protosynghellos Vincentiu Temirov, and Hierodeacon Seraphim of St. Dimitrios the New Monastery in Middletown, New York.   

In the sermon at the end of the service, HE Nicolae presented the life of Holy Hierarch Nicholas, urged the community present to a pure life, to deeds of mercy and love to God and neighbor, to high spiritual Orthodox experience, fasting and prayer, offering St. Nicholas as an example to follow to all believers seeking the way to salvation. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the Memorial Service was officiated for the church founders and priests who passed to the Lord. Father Marius Dumitrescu thanked HE Nicolae for attending this special event in the life of the parish and offered him an icon of the Mother of God the Joy of all who Sorrow.         

After the service, all the faithful participated in the brotherly agape prepared by a group of families from our Church. An important moment in agape was the celebration of the Centennial of the Great Union. In a solemn atmosphere, the hymns of the United States of America and Romania were sung. The President of the Orthodox Christian Society "Dorul," Mr. Cristian Pascu handed over to Metropolitan Nicolae a diploma of excellence and a unique medal dedicated to the Centennial of the Great Union. He also thanked for the prayer and the deeds for the Romanians in the Americas. In turn, HE Nicolae handed to Mr. Cristian Pascu, on behalf of HE Archbishop Irineu of Alba Iulia, the Order and Cross Donum Sacrum Unitatis, in recognition of the activities organized for the celebration of the Great Romania Centennial.           

Moldovan artists, Cristofor Aldea-Teodorovici, the son of Doina and Ion Aldea-Teodorovici and the famous Nicolae Jelescu, the director of "Alexei Mateevici" Theater in Chisinau, the only theater of poetry in the world, presented an extraordinary performance from the repertoire of the great Ion and Doina Aldea-Teodorovici artists, from the creation of the great Eminescu, Grigore Vieru, and other Romanian authors. The love for God and for the neighbor, the love of the brethren, the love for nation and country, was praised and confessed, and the great deed of the Union's creators were praised.

It was an unforgettable celebration, with long applause and the exaltation and unification of all in one sensation, a single voice, an infinite love of the brother, a painful miss of the country, the birthplace, a great day that will remain for long time in the hearts of those present. This event was attended by Mr. Dorian Branea, Director of the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York.

We thank the organizers, the donors and all the faithful of St. Nicholas Church. May the Good God reward their love and sacrifice!      

Parish Priest Marius Dumitrescu