Romanians in Munich, Germany, marked the 10th anniversary of the consecration of St Mary Church of the Annunciation Parish at the end of last week.
Many faithful attended the celebrations, along with retired priest Fr Simion Felecan, who served the community for more than three decades and helped build the church.
The Annunciation Parish organised several anniversary events, including a conference, a book presentation and activities for children and young people from the community.
On Sunday, Assistant Bishop Sofian of Brașov of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Germany, Austria and Luxembourg celebrated the Divine Liturgy.
‘A true spiritual family’
The service was followed by a festive programme, during which Patriarch Daniel sent a message. The Patriarch described St Mary Church as a “place of communion, of confessing the faith and of preserving Romanian identity”.
“Over the years, the Annunciation Parish has become a true spiritual family for many Romanian Orthodox faithful who have settled, temporarily or permanently, in the Bavarian region of Germany.”
The Patriarch of Romania praised the community’s catechetical, educational, cultural and social activities, including its parish school, the Agapia mixed choir and programmes dedicated to children and young people.
“On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the consecration of St Mary Church in Munich, we extend our warmest congratulations to all the clergy and faithful of the Romanian Orthodox Annunciation Parish, together with our paternal blessings and wishes for growth in faith and in their fruitful work for the Church and the Romanian community in Bavaria,” His Beatitude said.
‘A jewel of the city of Munich’
Bishop Sofian of Brașov highlighted the anniversary’s importance in a social media post, describing it as an occasion “deeply filled with the joy and emotion of meeting again”.
The bishop recalled that, thanks to donors’ generosity, the parish purchased a plot of land in the early 2000s on which a former railway station stood. Between 2014 and 2016, the wooden church was built in the traditional Maramureș architectural style.
Bishop Sofian described the church as “a jewel of the city of Munich”.
“Churches are not only places of prayer, of gathering the community, and of service to God and our fellow human beings, but also places that shape identity and give life meaning, hope, strength, love and communion. They are the places where we are formed as sons and daughters of the Heavenly Father, as brothers and sisters to one another, as people with an eternal communal destiny.”
‘Keeps the connection with Romania alive’
The event was also attended by Miheia-Mălina Diculescu-Blebea, Consul General of Romania in Munich, and Florian Schuppe, responsible for ecumenical relations at the Catholic Archdiocese of Munich and Freising.
“For Romanians in Bavaria, communities such as these provide a place of belonging here, keep the connection with Romania alive and ensure continuity in the life of faith,” representatives of the Consulate General of Romania in Munich said in a social media post.
The Annunciation Parish in Munich was established in 1979 and officially recognised by the German authorities in 1986. The community is currently led by parish priest Fr Alexandru Nan.
St Mary wooden church, built in the traditional Maramureș style, became the community’s permanent place of worship in 2015 and was consecrated on 11 September 2016 by a synaxis of hierarchs.
Photo: Facebook / Bishop Sofian of Brașov
