Between October 18-19, 2019, the Deanery Assembly for the Eastern United States of America was held at the Parish of the Protection of the Mother of God of Dacula, Georgia. The meeting was chaired by His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae, in the presence of priests and delegates of the 16 parishes and missions of the Deanery. The presentations and discussions of the meeting were focused on contemporary topics and marked the ninety-year anniversary of the founding of the Romanian Orthodox Missionary Diocese in America, the Commemorative Year of the Patriarchs Nicodim Munteanu and Iustin Moisescu, and the Homage Year of the Romanian Village.
The meeting began on Friday, October 18, with the opening prayer followed by the administrative procedures for convening the meeting, the welcoming words of His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae, the eparchial secretary and Dean Fr. Daniel Ene, and the parish priest Nicolae Clempuș. Parish priests and delegates then approved the Agenda of the meeting and the minutes of the previous Assembly that was held in 2017 at The Life Giving Fountain Romanian Orthodox Church, Long Valley, NJ. Father Nicholas Apostola, the administrative vicar of the diocese, presented the paper "The 90th Anniversary of the Romanian Missionary Episcopate in America: Evaluating the Past and the Vision for the Future," after which the priests and delegates of the parishes presented the situation for the last two years of the parishes they come from. Father Dean Daniel Ene then spoke about the lives of Saints Rafael of Brooklyn and George the Pilgrim, proposed as protectors of the Deanery. Next, the members of the clergy attended a conference where they discussed the contemporary pastoral and social challenges they encounter in their communities.
The meeting continued on Saturday, October 19, when His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae served the Akatist of the Protection of the Mother of God assisted by the clergy and the faithful present. Next, Father Ovidiu Sabău, from St. Andrew's Parish in Reading, PA, read the presentation entitled "The valorization of the theological and pastoral inheritance of Patriarch Iustin Moisescu", followed by Father Theodor Damian, from Holy Apostles Peter and Paul of New York who presented the paper "Promoting Romanian Orthodox theology and spirituality on the American territory through translations".
Fr. Dean Daniel Ene spoke to those present about "Five things parishes can do to stop losing young families", identifying reasons and providing solutions for keeping young families in the church. The homage year of the Romanian Village was highlighted by reading the speech presented by the poet and philosopher Lucian Blaga on the occasion of his reception into the Romanian Academy in 1936, a speech entitled "Praise to the Romanian Village." Photographs of the “Face of Romanian Village” exhibition of the Basilica News Agency, as well as a series of images representing the Romanian village from the first half of the 20th century accompanied the presentation.
During the last session of the meeting, the activity reports of the Auxiliary associations of the Archdiocese were presented. Several projects are carried out annually by the Ladies' Association (AROLA): scholarships, financial aid for vulnerable people, spiritual camps, as well as a congress, while the Youth Association (ROYA) has organized several conferences, mission camps in Romania, activities, pilgrimages and a congress.
Father Daniel Ene presented the Sunday School program and educational resources to those in attendance, urging to be used in the parishes. The priests and the delegates voted the Deanery Consistory and established the details of the next meeting to be held in 2021. Metropolitan Nicolae thanked the parish community for hosting the meeting and the priests and delegates for participating.
On Sunday, October 20, His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae served the Divine Liturgy in the parish church together with Fr. Dean Daniel Ene, Fr. Nicolae Clempuș, parish priest, Fr. Teodor Regoș, and Fr. Marius Lazăr from the Holy Martyrs Brancoveni of Fairfield, Connecticut. In the sermon, His Eminence Nicolae spoke about the healing of the possessed person in the Gadarene region: "God Himself has come to save the one who was possessed by the power of the evil one. The miracle happened: the naked, the troubled in the mind and the darkened in the face regained his human face. From an almost lost person he has now found himself with a luminous human face and disciple of the Savior.” HE Nicolae then spoke of the life of St. Irodion of Lainici, whose holy relics and icon were brought for veneration. In the end he thanked the hosts for the special hospitality offered to the priests and delegates at the Deanery Assembly. Those who attended participated in a festive agape organized by the parish.
