His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church marked 120 years of Romanian Orthodox ministry in Vienna, praising the community’s role in preserving faith, identity and culture in the diaspora.
In a message addressed to Romanian Orthodox believers in the Austrian capital, the Patriarch of Romania highlighted the historical significance of the parish of the Holy Resurrection, founded in 1906, and its continued pastoral, cultural and social mission.
He noted that the church has served as a spiritual anchor for generations of Romanians living abroad, fostering unity and maintaining ties with their homeland.
The patriarch also underlined the responsibility of today’s faithful to pass on Orthodox traditions and values to future generations, describing the Vienna community as a lasting witness of Romanian spirituality and a centre of prayer, communion and cooperation.
Please find below the full text of Patriarch Daniel’s message.
120 Years of Romanian Orthodox Ministry in Vienna
Christ is risen!
With chosen joy, we address all Romanian Orthodox Christians in Vienna and its surroundings on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of ministry in the first Romanian Orthodox parish in Austria (1906–2026), the Parish dedicated to the Holy Resurrection.
In 1906, a group of Romanian faithful rented a residence in the Dietrichstein Palace (1, Löwelstrasse 8), where they arranged an Orthodox chapel that is still in use today. In 1967, the chapel was adorned with an iconostasis and mural paintings executed by the iconographer Eugen Profeta, and was called by Cardinal Dr. Franz König “the Sistine Chapel of the Viennese Romanians.”
In this chapel, numerous hierarchs of the Romanian Orthodox Church have served: patriarchs of Romania, metropolitans, archbishops and bishops. During the First World War, the relics of Saint John the New of Suceava were sheltered here from 23 September 1914 to 25 July 1918.
Over time, alongside thousands of Romanians, notable personalities have also worshipped here, including King Carol I of Romania, Queen Marie of Romania, Princess Ileana of Romania, as well as presidents of Romania, prime ministers, ministers, members of parliament, Romanian ambassadors to Vienna, and figures from political and cultural life.
Likewise, Roman Catholic hierarchs have prayed here in a spirit of Christian love, including Cardinals Franz König, Christoph Schönborn and others.
Throughout its 120 years of existence, this Romanian Orthodox parish has carried out a rich pastoral-missionary, cultural and social activity, as well as a representative role, highlighting the dedication of its clergy and Romanian faithful. Though far from their homeland, they have striven to preserve the Orthodox faith of their forebears, as well as Romanian spirituality and culture.
This parish has been the “leaven that leavens the whole lump” (1 Corinthians 5:6), and today there are four Romanian Orthodox communities in Vienna and 32 throughout Austria.
In the Romanian diaspora, the Church is the blessed space where Romanians living far from their homeland preserve their true ethnic and spiritual identity and express their communion with those in Romania. Often, longing for home, traditions, and the shared confession of the true faith brings Romanians in the diaspora to churches where services are celebrated in their native language.
This anniversary is not only an occasion of joy and gratitude for the clergy and faithful of the past, but also a moment of reflection on the present and future responsibility to preserve and pass on the Orthodox faith, values and traditions to the next generations. The Romanian Orthodox community in Vienna remains a landmark of Romanian spirituality and culture, a place where prayer and Christian love are united with pastoral and social work.
On this 120th anniversary of the founding of the first Romanian Orthodox parish in Vienna, we congratulate His Eminence Metropolitan Serafim Joantă, Archbishop of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Germany, Austria and Luxembourg; His Grace Assistant Bishop Sofian of Brașoveanul; as well as Father Professor Dr. Nicolae Dura (parish priest since 1993), a distinguished Romanian theologian with a rich pastoral, cultural and missionary activity, together with all the faithful of this parish in Vienna.
We pray to the merciful God to grant you all health and happiness, peace and joy, together with zeal for cultivating Romanian fraternal communion and cooperation, as well as good relations with other religious communities in Austria.
With deep esteem and paternal blessing,
† DANIEL
Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church
Photo: Holy Resurrection Parish in Vienna
