Sts. Joachim and Anne Parish in Seattle, WA celebrated Sunday, December 4, 2022, the National Day of Romania and the 10th anniversary of the founding of the parish. The festivities began with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy during which prayers were offered for the good health of all members of the Romanian community. The Divine Liturgy was followed by the memorial service for the fallen asleep founders and the Te Deum service for the celebration of the National Day of Romania.
After the end of the service, the festivities moved to the social hall and continued with the artistic program performed by the Datina Folk Group, which delighted us with patriotic songs and Romanian folk dances. The children attending the parish Sunday school also enthusiastically performed a recital of songs and poems, recalling their longing for their motherland and native places. All the children present received gifts from Saint Nicholas. After the spiritual feast followed a hearty meal of fish products prepared by the skillful hands of the ladies of the parish.
Towards the end, Gabriela Radu performed a suite of folk songs from her own repertoire. Before the conclusion of the celebration, Fr. Ștefan Daniel Drăgoi, the parish priest, thanked the participants and evoked the importance of attending church and keeping a living link with the country where we were born and which marked our cultural, spiritual and emotional growth.
The celebration ended with the Hora Unirii, in which the participants were overcome with emotion and nostalgia!
Fr. Ștefan Daniel Drăgoi
