Blessing Of Saint Barnabas Social Canteen

Thursday, 10 September 2015, “Saint Barnabas” social canteen of Diaconia Association was blessed by His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. The social – philanthropic settlement situated in 28A Drumul Taberei Boulevard will provide every day a warm meal to the poor persons and children assisted within the Deanery of District 6 of Bucharest.

His Grace Timotei Prahoveanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest, Archimandrite Veniamin Goreanu, Eparchial Counsellor within the Church Administrative Department of the Archdiocese of Bucharest, Rev Aurel Mihai, administrative vicar to the Archdiocese of Bucharest, Rev Ionut Iordachescu, eparchial counsellor within the social philanthropic and missionary department of the Archdiocese of Bucharest, Rev Costel Burlacu, archpriest of deanery district 6 Bucharest, priests, deacons, as well as representatives of the local authorities attended the event.

“Saint Barnabas” social canteen is the third institution of social institution blessed this year in Bucharest, besides “Saint Ana” social canteen, and “Saint Mary” social settlement of districts 2 and 3 of Bucharest.

The involvement of the deaneries and parishes in the poor people’s assistance is a must

The Patriarch of Romania delivered a speech on the importance of the social work of the Church and emphasised the social philanthropic cooperation between parishes and city halls through deaneries.

“Cooperation is not only legal, but also necessary. Naturally, every deanery must have at least one canteen for poor people, the same as every city hall must have a social canteen. Cooperation is necessary because only one canteen for poor people used to be in the whole city, that of the Eparchial Centre, so that the old people had to cover very long distances to have a meal in the evening too. Thus, while re-organising the social-philanthropic work in Bucharest, we better meet the real needs of the poor faithful. At the same time, the involvement of the deaneries and parishes in the poor people’s assistance is a must”, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel said.

The social philanthropic work is the implementation of the sermon in the Church

The social programme initiated in Bucharest will be extended in the province, the Patriarch of Romania showed.

“We shall act in the province too according to the example of Bucharest, in the bigger cities and communes, because the charitable or social philanthropic work is not a fashion, but a must, it is the implementation of the sermon in the Church”, the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church said.

The social philanthropic work is a result of the Gospel of merciful love

His Beatitude has also shown that we resemble the Merciful God when we are merciful.

To end with, archpriest Costel Burlacu thanked the Patriarch of Romania and all those who supported the organisation of this canteen.

“Thank you very much for the blessing, presence and great support that you granted to our deanery, so that this canteen could be set up in the deanery district 6 of Bucharest, through Diaconia Association branch of District 6. We hope that it could meet, with the help of God, the needs of all the faithful, who are in real need, from all points of view”, archpriest Costel Burlacu.

Presents and distinctions

To end with, the Patriarch of Romania awarded, as a sign of appreciation, several distinctions to the persons involved in the arrangement and equipment of the social canteen, as well as in the provision of the financial resources needed for the activity of this settlement.

His Beatitude offered the canteen blessed today an icon of the Mother of God as a sign of appreciation and blessing. Archpriest Costel Burlacu offered the Patriarch of Romania an icon of Saint Hierarch Nectarie.

Mr Razvan Mironescu, delegate of the Mr Rares Manescu, mayor of district 6 of Bucharest, offered His Beatitude a plaquette as a sign of great appreciation and said: “District 6 is greatly involved in the social work and we shall always be near the Church and the Church near us”.

School supplies for the children from the Sportive Club of Saint Prince Steven the Great

After the blessing service, in the precincts of the church of the Protection of the Mother of God and Saint Prince Steven the Great located close to the canteen,the children from the parish Sportive Club of Saint Prince Steven the Great of the parish served by priest Sergiu Ristea, received satchels of school supplies and a book of prayers on behalf of the deanery of district 6. The children got the presents from the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church who blessed the children and young people present at the place of worship.

The Patriarch of Romania emphasised the fact that the young people and children are the joy of the Church and of the country and that we have a great responsibility to them.

“We ought to take good care of children because we baptised them. When the Church baptised the children she has also assumed a great responsibility to grow them up in the right faith together the family and school. This is why we encouraged parish – school partnerships so that the children should feel at home both in the Church and at school. This affective and effective investment in their formation is a blessing of God because we feel the blessing of God through children and also feel that while we give more to children, God will give us great joy in other respects. Aiding the children at the beginning of and during the school year must be intensified”, said the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

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From 2009 – 2014, the present seat of “Saint Barnabas” canteen hosted the social canteen of the social – philanthropic and missionary department of the Archdiocese of Bucharest, which served 50 beneficiaries. In 2012, capital repairs were done with the support of the City Hall District 6. On 1 August 2015, the building was included within the Diaconia Association District 6, and in August 2015, finishing and hygienic works were done in order to create best conditions for resuming the activity of the social canteen.

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