“The obedience entrusted to me brings into my life a new experience, that of assuming responsibility for the flock, of bearing on my shoulders, with paternal responsibility, an extensive spiritual family, of which I am now ordained as shepherd, guardian, and servant,” said His Grace Bishop Nectarie on Saturday, at his enthronement ceremony as Bishop of Ireland and Iceland.
The historic enthronement of the first Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Ireland and Iceland took place in the “St. Columba” Church of the Dublin II Parish.
“The Church is a space of hope, light, and communion at all times, in every place, and in any circumstance. The path I start today is one of mission and giving, but also one of continuous service,” emphasized the hierarch.
In his message to the Romanians in Ireland and Iceland, Bishop Nectarie stressed that the primary characteristic of a bishop must be fatherhood.
“Thus, all his missionary work must be that of becoming a father, working with time and without time, for the flock entrusted to him. By the grace of the Lord, the gifts that help the bishop in his mission are patience, kindness, and paternal comfort.”
Romanian and foreign hierarchs attended the event, representatives of embassies and Irish state institutions, together with the faithful and clerics from Ireland and Iceland.
Full Text:
Your Eminence Metropolitan Iosif,
Your Eminence Hon Metropolitan Nifon,
Your Eminences, Your Graces, Your Excellencies, Revered and Most Reverend Fathers,
Revered sisters, Beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord,
With God’s help and by the election of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church on October 25, 2024, at the proposal of the Metropolitan Synod in consultation with the Diocesan Assembly, I was elected bishop of the newly established Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Ireland and Iceland. I have been sent to serve several times among the priests and believers in Ireland by our Father, His Eminence Metropolitan Iosif.
The obedience entrusted to me brings, however, into my life a new experience, that of assuming responsibility for the flock, of bearing on my shoulders, with paternal responsibility, a very large spiritual family, of which I am now ordained as shepherd, guardian, and servant.
The Church is a space of hope, light, and communion at all times, in every place, and in any circumstance.
The path I am starting today is one of mission and dedication, but it is also one of continuous service to our Lord Jesus Christ, and I am fully aware of this.
The primary characteristic that defines a Bishop must be fatherhood. Thus, all his missionary work must be that of becoming a father, working with time and without time for the flock entrusted to him. By the grace of the Lord, the gifts that help the bishop in his mission are patience, kindness, and paternal consolation.
He must be the balance but also the bond that leads to “thinking the same way about one another, according to Jesus Christ,” as Saint Paul says in the Epistle to the Romans (15:5). The bishop is continuously in a state of vigilance, always between Golgotha and Resurrection.
It is not easy, but I firmly believe that together with you, clergy and believers, God gives us strength and the saints come to our aid. The foundation of my activity is the holy ideal of the spiritual edification of the believers. Under the guiding shadow of the Holy Spirit, I call upon the priests and deacons of this diocese for joint service and work, whom I wish to remain diligent and devoted servants of our Savior Christ, and through this, I am confident in the future, full of holy hope.
I thank His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel for the paternal love and care he has always shown me. To His Beatitude and the entire Holy Synod of our Church, I express my gratitude for the trust placed in me, and I commit myself to your prayers, especially now that I am at the beginning of this path.
I thank His Eminence Metropolitan Iosif for always being by my side. In all situations and stages of my service, His Eminence has been a true father to me, a source of inspiration, and a life model.
I warmly thank His Eminence Hon Metropolitan Nifon, the delegate of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, and I thank all Your Eminences and Graces for making the effort to be here with me today.
I thank Your Excellencies for making the effort to participate in this significant event for the Diocese of Ireland and Iceland and for me personally.
I thank the Very Reverend and Reverend Fathers, the Revered sisters, and last but not least, you, beloved believers, for being here with me.
From the bottom of my heart, I thank my parents and siblings, the roots from which I grew, for their love, support, and prayers for me, for teaching me from childhood in the family about brotherly and paternal love, sacrificial love, and communal joy.
I pray to our Good Lord, His Most Pure Mother, Saint Patrick, Apostle and protector of Ireland (March 17), the Holy King-Martyr Olaf, enlightener of Iceland, and his wife, Queen Astrid (July 29), Saint Nectarios of Aegina, my spiritual protector, Saint Theodosius the Cenobiarch, founder of communal life, and Saint Vitalis, whom we celebrate today, as well as all the saints of these lands, to help me and strengthen me in the service to which I have been called.
Thank you all once again, from the bottom of my heart, for coming to share in this blessed moment. May the peace and light of Christ always accompany and guide us on the path of His service!
Thank you all! May God bless you all!
†Nectarie
Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Ireland and Iceland
Photo: OviShoot Media
