The AROLA Congress was held between May 24-26, 2024 in the presence of His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae, His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian, V. Rev. Fr. Daniel Ene, the spiritual advisor of the organization and of other priests from our Metropolia. The Congress was organized in two locations: The Protection of the Mother of God Monastery in Allegan, MI (USA) and the Elevation of the Holy Cross and St. Ephrem the New Monastery in Mono, ON (Canada). 43 ladies from our Metropolia participated (25 from Canada and 18 from the USA), representing 19 parishes.
The Congress began on Friday evening in an atmosphere of peace and joy, caused both by praying together and by catching up with old and new friends. In the USA, V. Rev. Fr. Daniel Ene brought the Holy relics of Saint Anna, protectress of our organization, in our midst, giving us great joy, while the delegates from Canada had the great blessing of venerating the Holy relics of St. John Maximovich, brought by the V. Rev. Fr. Viorel Ţencaliuc.
In a festive atmosphere, with most of the participants wearing Romanian traditional costumes, the Congress continued Saturday morning with the Holy and Divine Liturgy followed by the memorial service for the AROLA members who reposed in the Lord.
The conference “Love - the Ladder that Leads to Perfection” was held during the AROLA Congress, having as special guests Mrs. Alina Petre, MD, Mrs. Iulia Bora, MD, and Miss Adriana Căruntu, manager at the Saint Nectarios Palliative Care Center, Bucharest. The speakers presented important aspects of palliative care for both oncologic and non-oncologic patients, as well as the important role of the Holy Mysteries and Saints in relieving the suffering of patients and their families. The presentation made by the three guests was received with great interest and led to a lot of questions from the participants. At the end of the conference, HG Bishop Ioan Casian offered some remarks based on His Grace's rich experience in the field, encouraging the ladies present to do their best to support the sick.
After lunch, HE Metropolitan Nicolae offered a few words of encouragement to all the delegates present, urging them to lead a life as close to the church as possible, so that together they can bring much spiritual benefit to the parishes to which they belong. His Eminence also emphasized the importance of staying united, because that's the only way we can grow in faith and good deeds.
This was followed by the presentation of the 2022-2024 activity report, as well as the presentation and approval of the financial and budget reports for the USA and Canada. During the presentation of this information, the ladies from the Executive Committee explained the influence that AROLA had on them, emphasizing the family atmosphere in which the meetings take place and expressing their gratitude for having the opportunity to practice love of neighbor through AROLA projects.
The next item on the agenda was the election of the new Executive Committee:
- President: Nicoleta Ştefan (St. Stephen the Great and St. Nectarius, Oshawa, ON)
- Vice President: Elena Alina Stan (Protection of the Mother of God, Houston, TX)
- Secretary: Ioana Coman (Holy Three Hierarchs, Syracuse, NY)
- US Treasurer: Adriana Obreja (Sts. Constantine and Helen Cathedral, Chicago, IL)
- Canada Treasurer: Geta Slavei (All Saints, Toronto, ON)
- Public Relations: Mirela Manga (Holy Trinity, Troy, MI)
- Communication Advisors:
- Eastern USA Deanery – Mara Robu ( Gregory the Theologian, Easley, SC)
- Central USA Deanery – Pb. Nicole Neaga (Buna Vestire Cathedral, Olmsted Falls, OH)
- Western USA Deanery – Simona Ghilezan (Entrance into the Temple of the Mother of God,Troy, MI)
- Eastern Canada Deanery – Amalia David ( Demetrios the New, Montreal, QC)
- Central Canada Deanery – Zorica Fanea ( George and St. Andrei Șaguna Cathedral, Windsor, ON)
- Western Canada Deanery – Ileana Gavriş ( Constantine and Helen, Edmonton, AB)
Next, V. Rev. Fr. Daniel Ene presented the situation of the parishes in Latin America and the profound need to support programs that help people in the respective regions, who are faced with severe poverty. He encouraged the AROLA organization to be actively involved in raising funds for the weekly meals offered by the Churches of our Metropolia in Latin America.
At the end of the proceedings of the Congress, V. Rev. Father Daniel Ene thanked the ladies who were part of the Executive Committee 2022-2024 and urged the new Committee to ask God for patience and strength in order to fulfill their mission.
On Saturday evening we had the joy and honor of witnessing the oath of the new AROLA Committee. In this solemn moment we remembered the words of the Holy Apostle Paul who urges us to be united in spirit and to work wholeheartedly for the Lord (Colossians 3:23). Each committee member has assumed a sacred responsibility, pledging to contribute to the growth and strengthening of our community through love, faith and good works. Taking this oath is not just a formal act, but a deep commitment to serve with devotion and sincerity. It is necessary for the ladies on our committee to be pillars of support to all those in need, spreading kindness, compassion and wisdom.
On Sunday morning, after Matins and the Divine Liturgy, HE Metropolitan Nicolae explained the Sunday Gospel about the healing of the paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda, urging us once again to care for those who are sick and who need help:
“We must also examine our relationship with God, our desire to receive guidance and salvation, our prayer, our patience, our repentance, so that we are prepared to be worthy of the healing and salvation that come from Christ. The Savior's warning "Take heed that ye sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto you" also refers to us. What could be worse for this man who was sick for 38 years? Hadn't he suffered enough? Even worse than the bodily suffering is the spiritual suffering or even spiritual death, that is, straying away from God. We now understand that God, Who came down and healed this man, healed him not only of the physical disease, but also of the spiritual one. In the same way, we must seek healing from physical and spiritual illness. If we listen to the words of St. Simeon the New Theologian, we understand what this sickness of the soul or even death of the soul would be: the absence of the Holy Spirit. St. Simeon says that just as a body without a soul is completely lifeless, so the soul without the Holy Spirit is devoid of spiritual life. All those who are baptized, but do not continue to ask for the sending of the Holy Spirit are in danger of lacking of the Holy Spirit, of lacking of spiritual life.”
It was a wonderful Congress in which we rejoiced at being with our Hierarchs and Fathers and for all the grace that we felt at every step. We would like to thank our Hierarchs, HE Metropolitan Nicolae and HG Bishop Ioan Casian, for all the support and trust given during this period, V. Rev. Father Daniel Ene, our spiritual advisor, for the love and patience with which he guides us, V. Rev. Fr. Viorel Ţencaliuc for all the support, Mrs. Alina Petre, MD, Mrs. Iulia Bora, MD, and Miss Adriana Căruntu, manager, for the information shared and the advice given with so much love, V. Rev. Hieromonk Paisie of the Protection of the Mother of God Monastery in Allegan MI and V. Rev. Hieromonk Polycarp of the Elevation of the Holy Cross and St. Ephrem the New Monastery in Mono, ON and to all those involved in the organization of the Congress for the accommodations and hospitality with which they received us, to the parish priests for the support they give us day by day, and last but not least to all the ladies of our Metropolia. Dear sisters, without you, we could not have accomplished anything!
As a conclusion and a continuation of the conference “Love - the Ladder that Leads to Perfection”, we would like to share with you a thought inspired by the teachings of Saint Nectarios.
Saint Nectarios reminds us that love is the surest and most uplifting path to perfection. This love he speaks of is not just a fleeting feeling, but a divine force that transforms our lives. Through love, we draw closer to God, purify our souls and prepare for eternal life. Genuine love, as Our Savior Jesus Christ showed us through His sacrifice, means giving ourselves to others, loving them unconditionally and forgiving them with all our hearts. It is the love that overcomes all barriers and brings peace, healing and salvation. Every day, we are called to climb this ladder of love through our good deeds, through prayer and through serving our neighbor. Let us remember that every act of love brings us closer to spiritual perfection, to the likeness of Christ.
We urge you, therefore, to embrace this sacred calling together. Let us reveal love in all aspects of our lives and be living examples of our faith. In all things, let us seek to do the will of God, so that through our love we may bring light to the world and come closer to perfection.
May God's grace and peace be with us and accompany us on the path of love and salvation!
AROLA Committee