Last weekend, 26 – 28 May 2023, a new page in the history of the St. Joseph of Partoș Romanian Orthodox Mission in Quito, Ecuador was written. With the help of the Good Lord and with the blessing of His Eminence Nicolae, Metropolitan of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas (Romanian Patriarchate), Father Daniel Ene, Dean of New York, New England and Eastern USA returned to the Romanian Orthodox faithful, Ecuadorians and other nationalities.
With small but sure steps, the desire to have a stable canonical Orthodox Church in Quito is coming closer to fulfilment. Father Daniel's presence, his innumerable deeds, his patience, and the determination with which he is taking on this project despite all the vicissitudes and trials that arose along the way has not gone unnoticed. This time, in addition to the gift of the Divine Liturgy that he offers to the faithful each time, he came laden with countless gifts of extreme importance: books and objects of worship that he donated to the St. Joseph Romanian Orthodox Mission in Partoș. Thanks to his generosity, Quito now has everything needed for the celebration of all the Holy Mysteries, which will surely bring great blessings in the lives of the faithful in the Ecuadorian lands.
To these gifts he added four icons, depicting our Lord Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, St. Nicholas, and the patron of the Quito mission, St. Joseph of Partoș. These were given the practical function of representing the Orthodox Church’s own iconostasis and making it possible to delimit the sacred space of the altar. Their impressive presence, together with other organizational details, gave the more than forty faithful who attended Divine Liturgy in the Capilla Católica de la Resurrection the feeling of a familiar space in which, through Father Daniel's intercession, the Kingdom of Heaven is more accessible.
The religious program began with the blessing of the new icons, continued with the Divine Liturgy, and ended with a Panikhida service. The Orthodox community, which grows with each visit of the Father, was strengthened, and this time it received new members: the first confirmation in our Mission was made through Miguel, a former Roman Catholic believer, who embraced the Orthodox faith. Towards the end of the meeting, dishes prepared by a few Romanian ladies were given and received with the same joy.
Shortly after the service, Father Daniel ended his visit to the Ecuadorian capital with a positive financial balance, for in less than three days he gave, in addition to the valuable items mentioned, things as priceless as his time, effort and endeavor to be with many of the members of the community in meeting their spiritual needs, both in various parts of Quito and in the surrounding areas. Furthermore, on Saturday, May 27, a new meeting with the Romanian community took place, during which topics related to the organization and future of the mission in Quito were discussed.
Father Daniel's next visit has been scheduled at the request of the community with the help of the Good Lord for July 16th, when he will perform the Sacrament of Baptism for 7 Ecuadorian catechumens.
Written by
Mădălina Chirilă
Member of the Romanian community in Quito
