Between January 18^th and 20^th, 2019, HE Metropolitan Nicolae visited the Ascension of the Lord Mission of Hayward, CA. On Friday January 18^th, HE Nicolae served the Holy Unction service along with Fr. Gabriel Curpene, the parish priest, Fr. Alin Gârlonța from the Holy Resurrection parish in Sacramento, and Fr. Florin Lăpuştea from the Holy Cross Parish of San Jose, CA. At the end of the service, HE Nicolae explained the meaning of the repetition seven times of the prayer of blessing the oil, readings from the Apostle and the Holy Gospel, the litany and prayer asking for the healing of the soul and body.

On Sunday, January 20, 2019, on the 29th Sunday after Pentecost, HE Metropolitan Nicolae served the Divine Liturgy in Hayward along with Fr. Gabriel Curpene and Fr. Florin Lăpuştea. In his sermon, HE Metropolitan Nicolae spoke about the Gospel of the Day, of the 10 lepers. The lack of gratitude of the 9 lepers is an opportunity for reflection on our own ingratitude towards God’s gifts. The healed Samaritain’s example of gratitude is an exhortation to imitate it in order to further receive the gifts of God. Returning to the theme of the Church, HE Nicolae recalled that the Divine Liturgy is the complete way of expressing our gratitude to God, it is “just and right” to be thankful, according to the words of the prayers during the Divine Liturgy. In conclusion, HE Nicolae invited the priest and faithful to reflect on the 10-year mission (2009-2019) they accomplished, and to show their gratitude to God by using, according to the Orthodox customs, the generous space available to them by serving the divine services, catechism and biblical studies, and having activities for children. A brotherly meal concluded this pastoral visit.