Archpastoral Visits to Düsseldorf#

Published on 15 April 2019

During this year’s Great Lent, the Düsseldorf parish was greatly blessed to receive the archpastoral visits of all the hierarchs of the Metropolis of Germany, Central and Northern Europe.

The first to bring an archpastoral blessing to our faithful this year was His Grace Bishop Vicar Dr. Sofian Brașoveanul. His Grace celebrated the Sacrament of Holy Unction with a concelebration of priests on 8 March 2019 and led a spiritual evening, speaking about the importance of community in our spiritual growth and about the solidarity shown by the members of the Düsseldorf parish in acquiring their own place of worship.

On 5 April 2019, the Düsseldorf parish rejoiced at the archpastoral visit of His Eminence Metropolitan Dr. Serafim Joantă. His Eminence celebrated Holy Unction with a concelebration of priests and offered a teaching on the impact of prayer and fasting on the health of soul and body, later answering the questions of the faithful present.

His Eminence also congratulated the faithful who contributed to the purchase of the church in Düsseldorf, considering the fulfillment of the great ideal of the old Romanian Orthodox community in Germany—active for nearly six decades—a great blessing from God.

A week later, on Friday, 12 April 2019, the Düsseldorf parish received a word of spiritual strengthening from His Grace Bishop Macarie of Northern Europe. His Grace gave a conference titled “How Can We Cultivate Repentance in a World Growing Harder?”, urging the faithful to pay greater attention to today’s spiritual context and to the temptations that steal from modern people the time for repentance and, more generally, for the care of the soul.