Bishop Macarie of Northern Europe, delegated by Patriarch Daniel of Romania, installed Fr. Alexandru-Leonard Zaciu last Sunday as the new parish priest of the Romanian Orthodox community in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
The bishop celebrated the Divine Liturgy with an assembly of clergy from Romania and the diaspora and offered a homily on the Parable of the Sower, reflecting on faith, perseverance, and spiritual growth.
Patriarch Daniel’s message
At the end of the service, Fr. Costin Spiridon, Patriarchal Counsellor for Romanian Communities Abroad, delivered Patriarch Daniel’s message, conveying blessings and encouragement to the newly installed priest:
“We wish the new parish priest, Fr. Alexandru-Leonard Zaciu, to serve with patience, sacrifice, dignity, and responsibility, becoming a living example for the entire community. Together with the faithful, may he cultivate peace, communion, and brotherly love, spreading the light of the Gospel in a world increasingly marked by secularisation,” Patriarch Daniel said in his message.
The Romanian Orthodox Parish of Ljubljana was established by decision of the Permanent Council of the National Church Council on June 4, 2021, and bears the patronal feasts of the Ascension of the Lord (Romanian Heroes’ Day), Saint Agnes of Rome, and Holy Confessor Priest Dumitru Stăniloae.
The community conducts its liturgical life in a worship space provided by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ljubljana, for which Patriarch Daniel expressed gratitude in his message.
Gratitude and distinctions
His Excellency Mihai Alexandru Grădinar, Ambassador of Romania to the Republic of Slovenia, received the Patriarchal Cross, the highest distinction of the Romanian Patriarchate, for his support of the Romanian Orthodox community in the Slovenian capital.
The ambassador attended the service together with his wife, Andreea, and their two daughters.
The event was also attended by the ambassadors of Georgia, North Macedonia, and Montenegro, as well as a delegation of Romanian parliamentarians.
Fr. Pavel Goreanu, the former parish priest, and Fr. Alexandru-Leonard Zaciu, the new one, both offered words of gratitude to God and to all participants.
They emphasised that the young Romanian Orthodox community in Ljubljana continues to uphold its national and spiritual identity on Slovenian soil, while honouring the memory of Romanian soldiers who fell in World War I on Slovenian battlefields — a key part of the parish’s identity.
Bishop Macarie has supported the Ljubljana parish since its foundation, strengthening ties between Romanian Orthodox believers in Northern Europe and the Balkans.
Photo: Diocese of Northern Europe
