On Sunday, September 22, 2024, His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae re-consecrated the parish church of "Saint Archdeacon Stephen" in South Saint Paul, Minnesota. The place of worship, which celebrated 100 years since its first consecration, also received Saint Voivode Stephen the Great as its Patron Saint.
After the reconsecration service, His Eminence Nicolae, surrounded by a group of priests, celebrated the Divine Liturgy and a memorial service for the benefactors of the place of worship who passed to the Lord. Father Ioan Poptelecan, the parish priest of the Church, Father Dean Călin Barbolovici, Father Timotei Sas, Father Mircea Vasiu and Father Paul Hodge were part of the ministering fathers.
In the teaching word, the Metropolitan Nicolae emphasized the importance of the consecration of a church:
The significance of this service of consecration is not only about the walls, but also about us. It is an invitation to renew our lives in Christ. According to the Romanian tradition, on this day, all believers, men, women, children, can enter through the Holy Altar, to venerate the newly consecrated Holy Table. This is our Christian journey, from outside the church to the church, which we do, in fact, every Sunday, from the door, in front of the altar, to receive Holy Communion.
His Eminence also spoke to those present about the responsibility of education in the Christian spirit that Romanians have towards their children.
This moment in the life of a community is a very important one, because we do not rededicate the church every few years. I remind you what is the responsibility for today's generation, 100 years after the foundation of the church, for our children and grandchildren, because our mission is about this Christian education, which is becoming more and more complicated for children and grandchildren.
As a sign of appreciation for the Romanian community in South Saint Paul Minnesota, His Eminence offered to the parish an icon with Saint Archdeacon Stephen and Saint Voivode Stephen the Great. For his entire activity in the service of the Church, Father Parish Priest Ioan Poptelecan received the Order of "Saint Voivode Stephen the Great ".
The miracle for me was working together with the people of this parish. I saw people working together, I saw people unpacking the iconostasis, I saw the ladies in the kitchen, I saw people cleaning the church. This made me understand that God works through people. It was an extraordinary day! - Father Ioan Poptelecan
The "Saint Voivode Stephen the Great " Order was also awarded to those who were involved in the restoration of the place of worship, but also in the organization of the anniversary events: the Bartolomei family, Mr. Iulian Alexandru Borza and the Ladies' Auxiliary association of the parish, led by Isabella Constantin and Cristina Oltean. After the Divine Liturgy, all those present participated in a picnic with traditional Romanian food. The atmosphere was maintained by Petru Paladi, folklore performer, but also by the members of the Izvorașul Group.
The anniversary events began on Saturday, September 21, with the Vespers Service, officiated by His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae. On Saturday evening, His Eminence also attended an anniversary gala in honor of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the parish. The Romanian Ambassador to the U.S., Andrei Muraru, was also present at the event:
I came especially for this occasion to be with the Romanians from Minnesota, at this celebration. It is one of the oldest Romanian churches in the United States of America. When the Romanians came here in Minnesota at the beginning of the 20th century, they did a remarkable thing. Congratulations!
With our cultural music, a parade of national costumes from all areas of the country and Romanian cuisine, the anniversary event gathered people who, over the years, have been with the church, got involved and understood that for God and His Church no effort is too great.
For the last two years we worked on the restoration of our dear church. We are happy from the bottom of our hearts that we are celebrating 100 years and we hope that our Church will last for years to come. A century ago, Romanians made extraordinary efforts to be able to pray in the Romanian language. We are grateful to them for the great sacrifice they made. - Cătălin Constantin, President of the Parish Council.
A hundred years ago, Romanians arriving in the United States of America had only one dream: to return home with 1000 dollars and buy a piece of land. They worked on the banks of the Mississippi River in slaughterhouses where they were paid 50 cents an hour. Of these, 19 cents were donated for building a church. Thus was built the "Saint Archdeacon Stephen" Church in South Saint Paul, Minnesota. The first consecration of the place of worship took place on September 28, 1924.
Raluca Mihalache
