The Romanian Orthodox parish in Düsseldorf, Germany, began pouring the foundations for its future church on Monday, following the blessing of the foundation stone by Metropolitan Serafim of Germany, Central and Northern Europe in May.
Construction work is under way at Werstener Feld 63 and was prepared by architect Bogdan Bărbulescu in cooperation with the contracting companies.
According to a post on the parish’s official Facebook page, the work is proceeding in line with the timetable agreed with members of the Parish Council. Once the foundations are complete, construction will proceed with the church’s structural shell.
Parish representatives described the start of construction as one of the most important moments in the community’s history: “The faithful have made possible the most eagerly awaited moment in the parish’s 80-year history.”
Fulfilling a divine calling
Father Iosif-Cristian Rădulescu, parish priest of the Romanian Orthodox community in Düsseldorf, highlighted the faithful’s role in bringing the project to fruition.
“Miracles happen wherever people listen attentively to God’s call. It is enough to believe and to put your faith into practice in order to become a witness to the grace that the Lord pours out abundantly upon His chosen ones.”
“I am deeply overwhelmed by the joy with which the faithful of our parish have set out to fulfil this divine calling,” the priest said.
History of the Düsseldorf parish
The Romanian Orthodox parish in Düsseldorf was founded in 1946 by Father Emilian Vasiloschi, who had previously served the Romanian parish in Berlin. After settling permanently in Düsseldorf in 1951, the community served as the central pastoral headquarters for Romanian Orthodox Christians in West Germany until 1966.
For 45 years, the Orthodox Centre in Wersten hosted liturgical services, and it was built in 1962. The parish purchased the building in 2018, but subsequent assessments identified serious structural problems with its wooden chapel, which was dismantled in 2021.
Architect Nicolae Tulban prepared the plans for the new church in 2022. Since 2010, Father Dean Iosif-Cristian Rădulescu of the North Rhine Deanery has served the Romanian Orthodox community in Düsseldorf.
Photo: Facebook / Romanian Orthodox Church Düsseldorf
