Saturday, June 10, 2017 was a great day of celebration for the Romanian community in northern Virginia. The occasion of joy was the first pastoral visit of the His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae to St. Hierarch Callinicus of Cernica Mission in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
The beginning of St. Callinicus Mission is related to the day of December 2, 2015, when the first meeting of the Romanians in the Fredericksburg area was held, meeting led by Father Daniel Ene, then eparchial secretary and delegate of H.E. Nicolae. For a year, the Mission was organized administratively, received legal endorsements, and began the liturgical program, having as celebrants Fr. Daniel Ene and Fr. Timothy Avram. By the decision of the Eparchial Council of June 30, 2016, the Mission was received into the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in the Americas and Fr. Daniel Ene was appointed administrator. The holy services were performed at the Orthodox Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Fredericksburg through the kindness of Fr. John Katsoulis and the Greek local community, as well as the blessing of H.E. Metropolitan Evangelos.
HE Metropolitan Nicolae’s visit to Fredericksburg began Friday night when a meeting of His Eminence with the members of the parish council took place at the Greek church. There were discussed aspects of the activities carried out by the Mission from the beginning to the present, and especially plans for the future. The presence of a permanent priest in the middle of the community was the focus of the discussion. Also Friday, the local newspaper in Fredericksburg sent a team of journalists and photographers to gather opinions and photos from those who were preparing the arrival of H.E. Nicolae. The result of this unexpected visit from the local newspaper "The Free Lance Star" was an extensive article titled "Seeking Church that's like Home" on the front page of the newspaper Saturday, June 10, 2017. The newspaper reaches more than 50,000 readers in ten counties of Northern Virginia and two counties of Maryland.
Saturday was a day full of excitement, joy and blessings. His Eminence Nicolae, Archbishop of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of the United States of America and Metropolitan of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas, celebrated the Divine Liturgy on the first Saturday after the feast of Pentecost, accompanied by a group of priests: Fr. Daniel Ene, Dean of New York and the East of the United States, and administrator of the St. Callinicus Mission, Fr. John Katsoulis, parish priest of the Nativity of the Mother of God Greek Church of Fredericksburg, Fr. Cosmin Antonescu of St. Andrew's Church in Potomac, MD and Fr. Daniel Florin Turc.
In the sermon, H.E. Metropolitan Nicolae emphasized the importance of holiness and the role of the saints in the life of each Christian, but also the responsibility of each of us to follow the apostles, to preach the Orthodox faith by word and deed, by our presence at the holy services, and the education we give to our children. The sermon ended with an urge for the faithful of the St. Callinicus Mission to actively participate in the life of the Church.
After the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, a festive banquet was held in the social hall of the Greek church in honor of H.E. Metropolitan Nicolae. A program of Romanian folk dances was performed by a few members of the parish. H.E. Nicolae awarded on this occasion the winners of the eighth edition of the Religious Olympics of the Metropolia. More information, photos and videos of H.E. Nicolae visit can be found at www.sfantulcalinic.org.
On Sunday June 11, the Sunday of All Saints, H.E. Nicolae served the Divine Liturgy in the parish of St. Nicholas and St. Great Martyr George of New York. Along with H.E. Nicolae served Fr. Marius Dumitrescu, parish priest, and Protosinghellos Irineu, abbot of Ponor monastery, Alba County. At the time of the sermon, H.E. Nicolae spoke of the groups of saints we honor this Sunday, and about the calling to holiness of each Christian; this calling can be accomplished by knowing, living, and confessing the Christian faith. He also talked about the new mission of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas inaugurated by the events of Chicago and Montreal on April 30 and May 7, 2017. A brotherly meal ended the pastoral visit of H.E. Metropolitan Nicolae.
