On Saturday and Sunday, the 2nd and 3rd of March 2019, His Eminence Archbishop and Metropolitan Nicolae paid a pastoral visit to Texas on the occasion of St. John Cassian Mission’s Feast Day in San Antonio.
On Saturday, March 2nd, HE Nicolae visited the parish property where the future Romanian Orthodox Church will be built. In the afternoon, HE Nicolae met with members of the new Parish Council elected on Sunday January 27th, 2019. After the counselors' presentation, a review of pastoral, administrative and social-philanthropic activities carried out last year at the Mission of San Antonio was made. The day ended with the service of the Vespers and a sermon about the life and mission of St. Irodion of Lainici, whose holy relics were brought for veneration by HE Metropolitan Nicolae, through the generosity of HE Metropolitan Irineu of Oltenia.
On Sunday, March 3rd, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated by a group of priests: Parish Priest Fr. Valentin Ilies, Fr. Dumitru Ilies from St. Mary Parish of Austin and Fr. Honorary Dean Dumitru Păun. In the sermon, the hierarch talked about the Gospel of the Sunday of the Last Judgment: "At the Judgement at the end of the age, we will hear that those who have ministered for weak brothers will enter into the Kingdom prepared since the foundation of the World. Those who helped the people have shown themselves as an accomplished face of God, a face enlightened by love for God and people, persons who have accomplished the purpose for which they were created. Communion with God is verified in communion with others. The good deed towards the people is the revelation of our love for God, which takes reality in love and care for others. The Kingdom prepared since the foundation of the World is precisely this reunion of those who sought and fulfilled communion with God and the fellowmen in this world."
HE Nicolae then spoke about the mission of St. John Cassian, the founder of Western monasticism, by translating the experience of the Fathers of the Christian East into the specificity of Christianity in Gaul at the beginning of the 5th century. HE Nicolae ended the sermon reminding of the blessing that can be enjoyed by the believers through the veneration of the relics of St. Irodion of Lainici and offered to the parish the new Antimision.
After the Divine Liturgy, the newly elected Parish Council took the oath before the hierarch. The agape meal prepared with much love and effort by the Ladies Committee concluded the pastoral visit of HE Metropolitan Nicolae to Texas.
Glory to God for all!
Father Valentin Ilies
