The new branch seat of “Saint Andrew the Apostle” of the “Basilica Travel” of the Romanian Patriarchate situated in 13 Ion Creanga St., Galati, was consecrated in the context of the manifestations organised on the occasion of the celebration of Saint Andrew the Apostle, protector of Galati city. The consecration service was celebrated by His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania and by His Eminence Casian, Archbishop of Lower Danube. His Eminence Ciprian, Archbishop of Buzau and Vrancea, His Grace Lucian, Bishop of Caransebes and His Grace Timotei Prahoveanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest were also present.
“We are glad because we have here, in Galati city, where the pilgrims used to leave from by ship long time ago, a new pilgrimage centre which will activate and intensify the pastoral work. One noticed that in several parishes where groups of faithful headed by parish priests organised pilgrimages more often the communion in the parish was intensified refreshing the relationship between priests and faithful, as well as among faithful. Every monastery and parish needs to organise a pilgrimage to the holy places in the country or abroad from time to time, especially to the Holy Land, because there is the risk of monotony and platitude, or pilgrimage takes the community out of monotony and gives it a certain dynamics. This is why a living, working, pastoral church is a church of pilgrimages which mean praying, and gratitude for the work of God in history, as well as knowing the places and people through whom God worked or where God answered to those who looked for Him”, His Beatitude said, according to Trinitas TV.
To end with, the Patriarch of Romania offered the deanery of Galati an icon of the Brancovean Saints Martyrs and several books published by the Romanian Patriarchate. All those present received small icons of Saint Andrew the Apostle.
His Eminence Casian, Archbishop of Lower Danube has also spoken about the importance of this new Pilgrimage Office: “We must organise, through these offices, pilgrimages within the Eparchies, to know our monasteries, the more important parishes and personalities, and the other eparchies too. I think the pilgrimage starts from one liturgical initiative first, and then from the solidarity we feel one to another. In fact, that was the vocation of the Eparchy from the mouth of the Danube, namely to be a centre of communion and of pilgrimages and we thought that the deanery had the necessary infra-structure, so that I think the priests will learn from the experience of some other priests that we are pilgrims and so, closer one to another.
Before consecrating the pilgrimage office, the Patriarch of Romania visited the church of “Saint Hierarch Nicholas and Saint Atanasie III of Constantinople” situated close to the deanery of Galati.
