The Agora Events Centre of the Archdiocese of Iași hosted on Saturday, May 9, the first edition of the Assembly of Orthodox Youth from Ethnic Minorities, an event organised by the CRESC Association in collaboration with the Archdiocese’s Minorities Department.
“Our faith unites us and helps us look upon one another with honour and love,” Assistant Bishop Nichifor of Botoșani told the 250 participants.
“May God grant you strength in faith, joy in meeting all the people whom the Lord places on your path, joy in the gift of life, and may you yourselves become people who enrich others, serving them with love and revealing to them your faith, the joy of your life and your hope in the Resurrection of the Lord. Let us understand that the true goal of our life is resurrection, not death.”
“Faith keeps us together”
Fr Alexandru Baciu, coordinator of the Minorities Department of the Archdiocese of Iași, expressed gratitude to Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina for blessing the organisation of the event, as well as to the auxiliary bishop for attending.
“I wish to thank the priests who responded to our invitation and sent young people from their communities to be present here, so that they may learn a fundamental truth: that it is not only culture that brings them together, but above all faith in God, which unites us and keeps us together,” Fr Alexandru Baciu added.
Lecture and dialogue
After the Divine Liturgy, the young participants attended the conference “How God Sees Me”, delivered by Lenuța Neacșu, a young Roma woman who graduated in theology and philology, is a reserve military officer and librarian at the Bacău County Library.
Participants then took part in discussion and networking sessions and enjoyed several artistic performances highlighting the identity and cultural values of ethnic communities.
“Today was a special day for us because more than 250 young people from Ukrainian and Roma communities, as well as our scholarship students from Africa, took part in this first edition of the Assembly of Orthodox Youth from Ethnic Minorities,” said Dan Zăhărescu, adviser within the Minorities Department of the Archdiocese of Iași.
The event aims to strengthen young people’s connection with the Church, build bridges of dialogue between communities and encourage the living out of the Orthodox faith.
Foto credit: Doxologia.ro / Flavius Popa
