About Us#

Brief History#

The Romanian Orthodox Community in Düsseldorf is the oldest Romanian Orthodox community in Germany with uninterrupted activity for over 70 years. It was founded in the 1950s by Archpriest Emilian Vasiloschi, the former pastor of the Romanian Orthodox community in Berlin, who took refuge in Düsseldorf due to the consequences of the war.

Our parish is canonically under the Romanian Orthodox Metropolis of Germany, Central and Northern Europe (public law corporation).

For 45 years, our parish celebrated its services at the Orthodox Center in Wersten, which was built in 1962 by the Evangelical Church in cooperation with the city of Düsseldorf for the post-war Orthodox refugees. The center consisted of a wooden chapel and a community center.

In 2018, our parish purchased the Orthodox Church Center in Wersten. Immediately after taking over the property, our parish began a renovation process that required many resources. Due to its protected monument status, the wooden chapel could not be renovated without consultation with the heritage protection authorities. In continuous consultation with the monument protection authority of the city of Düsseldorf, we commissioned all necessary professional investigations for a renovation concept.

Unfortunately, the extensive professional investigations showed that the wooden chapel, which had been under an access prohibition imposed by the Düsseldorf building authority since March 2021, had severe damage to the load-bearing structure that seriously affected both structural safety and its monument value.

For this reason, the church had to be demolished in 2021. Our parish commissioned architect Dr. Nicolae Tulban to create a plan for a new church in 2022, which is currently being implemented.

Leadership#

Our parish is under the jurisdiction of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolis of Germany, Central and Northern Europe, whose Archbishop and Metropolitan is His Eminence Dr. Serafim Joantă.

Our Pastor#

Since 2010, our parish has been led by Archpriest Dr. Iosif-Cristian Rădulescu, Dean of the Romanian Orthodox Deanery of North Rhine, and a parish council.

Our parish priest is a graduate of the Faculty of Philology and the Orthodox Theological Faculty in Sibiu. He is a book author who enjoys writing poetry and stories. The Karl Franzens University in Graz awarded him the academic title of Doctor of Theology in 2016 after successfully completing his doctoral studies. He is also involved in ecumenical and pan-Orthodox dialogue in Düsseldorf.

Our parish priest Dr. Iosif-Cristian Rădulescu carries out his liturgical and pastoral work in collaboration with Hieromonk Siluan Cârstea and Deacon Ovidiu Marius Cioară.

Parish Council#

Rev. Dr. Iosif-Cristian Rădulescu - Chairman Dr. Laurențiu Benga, Lecturer at UKD, Vice-Chairman Hieromonk Siluan Cârstea, Pastoral Advisor Deacon Ovidiu Cioară, Pastoral Advisor Dr. Laurențiu Gafencu, Cultural Advisor Dipl. Ionuț Popescu, Financial Advisor Dipl. Eng. Sebastian Vulcan, Media Advisor Dipl. Adrian Bâgu, Financial Advisor

Department Coordination#

Library: Ruxandra Grou, Luiza Antonescu Building Management: Ovidiu Marius Cioară Parent Communication: Ruxandra Bâgu Women's Parish Council: Mihaela Rădulescu Church Construction Council: Parish Council, Architect Dr. Nicolae Tulban, Gehlen Partnership, General Construct Children's Choir: Cezar Dima, Tenor at the Opera am Rhein Children's Workshops: Adina Popescu, Ruxandra Bâgu, Tatiana Chelaru Culture: Dr. Laurențiu Gafencu Sunday School: Teachers: Ioana Pașca, Simona Ilea Pop, Miruna Sandu Social Service: Dr. Jemina Benga Dance School: Dr. Lecturer Raluca Mincu, University Hospital Essen Events: Mihaela Rădulescu

Our Vocation#

The Romanian Orthodox Parish "Holy Trinity" and "St. Nicholas" is a place of growing together in the spirit of the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here we strengthen one another on the path of spiritual growth so that we can serve God and our neighbor.

Our community is committed to promoting Christian values, cultural exchange, responsibility, and social peace.

Our contribution to social life in Düsseldorf is reflected in the good relationships we have with other communities and associations, with whom we carry out projects to promote Christian values, the common good, and understanding among peoples.

Activities#

The source of our parish life is the Divine Liturgy. It is the source of our spiritual development and the source of our strength, which we put at the service of God and our neighbor. We fulfill our Christian social and cultural commitment through:

• Liturgical service
• Spiritual counseling
• Counseling for new members for initial orientation upon arrival in Germany (support in finding a job, learning German, etc.)
• Pastoral care for the sick in all hospitals in Düsseldorf
• Regular pastoral care in prisons in Düsseldorf
• Donation campaigns for refugees, poor children, people in need
• Counseling members regarding return to Romania
• Medical prevention workshops in collaboration with the Association of Romanian Doctors in NRW
• Running Sunday school to promote spiritual and cultural growth of children in the community
• Managing a library and reading club to promote reading and cultural exchange
• Cultural events to promote identity and understanding among peoples
• Leading the parish children's choir and parish dance school
• Language and reading promotion events together with the Association of Romanian Teachers in NRW
• Collaboration with other Christian churches in Düsseldorf within the Working Group of Christian Churches (ACK)
• Cooperation with other Orthodox parishes in Düsseldorf within the Orthodox Parish Conference Düsseldorf