With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae, the US West Coast Deanery Assembly was hosted this year on November 3rd and 4th by the Parish of Saints Michael and Gabriel Archangels in Torrance, California. All in attendance, priests and lay delegates enjoyed the reunion with our Metropolitan. The spirit of communion and prayer was alive amid many participants during these early November days.
In addition, under the leadership of His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae, the work of the Deanery Assembly began on Friday, November 3rd, with the prayer O Heavenly King and with greetings from our hierarch and from the parish priest Mihai Cărpenișeanu. On the agenda of the first day there were rich, significant themes, both for the Orthodox Christian in general, and for the life of the Romanian Orthodox on the North American continent, more precisely for the parishioners of our parishes in the USA. In presenting the work in the parishes, the priests and delegates participating in the meeting listed the problems that their parishes faced from 2021 to the end of this year, as well as projects for the future.
Furthermore, 2023 has been proclaimed in the Romanian Patriarchate as the Memorial Year of the Pastoral Care of the Elderly and the Commemorative Year of Hymnographers and Church Singers (Psalters). Celebrating the beauty and blessing that our elders give us, Father Ștefan Drăgoi presented the paper, "The role of the of the experience of the elderly in the life of the parish; The collaboration of the parish priest with specialists (doctors, psychologists, social workers and authorities) to help the elderly". Highlighting the role of the elderly in contemporary and secular society, Fr. Drăgoi invoked a series of age-old and new-testamentary exhortations to honor and cherish the elderly, who are portrayed in Holy Scripture as full of wisdom. This subject must be approached with great care by the ministers of the Church who must work together with the family of the elderly and with specialists so that our elders may be accompanied with love in the last years of their earthly existence and as they move towards a "Christian end, untroubled, in peace," as the crucial moment of their passage from this life.
In the second part of the day, Miss Teodora Gîrlonța, representative of the Youth organization ROYA (Romanian Orthodox Youth of the Americas), presented the organization’s report, bringing to our hearts the joy that young Romanians in the United States share in the summer and winter camps in the United States, Canada, and Romania. For example, their presence with Father Nicolae Tănase at Valea Plopului or at Oașa Monastery was a blessed opportunity for the edification of their souls and communion with the Fathers and other young participants at these places.
The report of the Education Department was presented by Father Deacon Valentin Despoiu. The report highlighted the curriculum for the three groups of students translated into English and Spanish. The Metropolia of America has a project underway to expand the teaching of religion classes in three Spanish-speaking parishes in Latin America, which is existing or in the process of formation and official recognition.
The first day of work concluded with a pastoral consultation between His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae and the priests present. His Eminence emphasized that the success of the pastoral ministry lies in the energy and attention that priests must invest in to bring the Orthodox faithful closer and keeping them in our churches, especially through explaining the Holy Mysteries. His Eminence gave examples worthy of following, such as the correct explanation and celebration of the Holy Sacrament of Confession, from the book of Father Professor Ene Braniște, "Vocation and Responsibility in the Priestly Ministry" and from the book, "God does not want human suffering" written by the French theologian Jean-Claude Larchet.
Additionally, the Akathist of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel opened the second day of the Deanery Assembly. The first guest speaker of the day was Father Timothy Sas from St. Mary's Greek Orthodox Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, who presented the lecture, "Stewardship: the practical manifestation of Christ's hands-on ministry in parish life”. His Eminence emphasized three components that both the priest and the dedicated and conscientious parishioner must take into account when energetically and consistently engaging in parish life in these lands: the time dedicated to the church for ministry, the talent or skill he wishes to offer in ministry (as administrator, event planner, bookkeeper, Sunday school teacher, etc.), and their treasury, i.e. a well-planned and consistent financial contribution. These three aspects, as His Eminence has pointed out, are very important in the proper functioning of the parish and of the Orthodox Christian community that wishes to enjoy the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Church.
The second guest of the day was Monk Efrem Ancuței, who presented the work, "The Triad of God's Love through Word and Music: St. Gregory the Domestic, St. Theodore the Studite and Ion Popescu Pasărea." Father Efrem underlined the contribution that these ecclesiastical and lay personalities have made to the formation, enrichment and embellishment of church music over time. Father Efrem together with Mr. Veniamin Chira, the pew singers of the Church of the Ascension of the Holy Cross in Upland, CA, delighted our souls with the performance of the Cherubic Hymn in the eighth tone, composed by Ion Popescu Pasărea, and the whole church sang the Axion of the Holy Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, "Of thee rejoice," composed by St. Gregory the Domestic in the fourteenth century.
Furthermore, Mrs. Roxana Despoiu, parishioner of the Ascension of the Holy Cross Parish in Upland, CA, presented the AROLA report prepared by the AROLA Committee. A number of activities that the ladies of our parishes have carried out over the past two years were listed. These included meetings, prayer evenings, spiritual conferences, educational and charitable activities, scholarships and awards to ladies who are outstanding Christian mothers. The last spiritual stop was the viewing of a very interesting documentary on the mosaic painting of the Cathedral of the Salvation of the Nation, made by Trinitas TV.
Finally, the Deanery Consistory was elected. Constantin Alecse, parish priest of the Holy Trinity Church in Los Angeles, expressed his wish that the next Deanery Assembly in 2025 will be held in the church where he serves. The proposal was accepted and blessed by His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae. His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae thanked Father Mihai Cărpenișeanu, the priests, delegates and the faithful of the parish of Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel for their participation and for organizing this event. The service of the Panihida for all the servants, founders, and benefactors of the Archdiocesan parishes on the Saturday of the dead (autumn services) concluded the work of this Assembly of the Deanery.
On Sunday, November 5th, 2023, His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae served in the parish of the Elevation of the Holy Cross in Upland, CA. At the time of his sermon, His Eminence Nicolae spoke about how a Christian should view their relationship with God through the lens of material wealth:
Today's Gospel tells us of a rich man who thought himself to be a master of himself, who did not want to see in wealth the gift of God and, as a result, to thank and be grateful to God, to return the gift to God and to his fellow men. We see that, after death, he was punished for this attitude. The Savior tells us, "Seek first the kingdom of God." He tells us not to hoard our treasure on this earth; He tells us that where our treasure is, there our heart is also. If we think that our relationship with God is exhausted on this earth, we deceive ourselves. Life continues after death, continuing as we began it on earth, with God or by refusing God.
Finally, this relationship of ours with God can be shown by the way we consider material goods, the riches of this world. Being present in church, we should enter a dialogue with God, a rewarding dialogue, a dialogue of one who recognizes himself as God's creation, given by God, enriched by God to live on this earth. For these gifts we should give thanks and be grateful to God and return the gifts back to God and to our fellow human beings. God is not poor, God does not expect from us because He does not have them, but God wants to see His face on our face, God wants to see us give as He is. God wants to see us strive to be His creation, to be God's children, to be grateful, magnanimous, rich, and generous like God Himself.
The agape meal concluded this blessed Sunday.
Deacon Valentin Despoiu