The Romanian Orthodox community in Heidelberg, Germany, will soon have a church of its own after the parish council of the local Roman Catholic community voted on Tuesday to transfer St Joseph’s Church in Eppelheim to the Romanian Orthodox Parish of the Holy Trinity.
Fr Marius-Adrian Călin, one of the parish’s priests, described the decision as a milestone for the community.
“We have not simply received a building, but the opportunity to offer a spiritual home to future generations.”
“Eleven years after the parish was founded, the prospect of acquiring our own church is a blessing we have awaited and prayed for over many years. This is not merely the fulfilment of an administrative project, but the answer to a hope carried by hundreds of faithful,” he told Basilica.ro.
A spiritual home for local Orthodox Christians
According to Fr Marius-Adrian Călin, negotiations with the Roman Catholic parish lasted more than five and a half years, “in a far from simple context, with other projects also interested in acquiring the property.”
The priest also highlighted the growth of the Heidelberg parish in recent years, noting that it brings together not only Romanian faithful but also Orthodox Christians from Greece, Georgia, and Ukraine, as well as an increasing number of Germans who have embraced Orthodoxy.
“We want this church to become more than simply a place of worship. It will be a spiritual home for all Orthodox Christians in the region and, at the same time, a place of encounter, dialogue, culture and the promotion of Romanian values. It will be a space where our faith, traditions and identity can be passed on to future generations.”
‘God is never late’
The parish is now preparing to sign the purchase agreement and hopes to become the legal owner of the church before the Feast of the Nativity. Work will then begin to adapt the building for Orthodox liturgical use.
Fr Marius-Adrian Călin said the achievement was the fruit of patience, dialogue and prayer.
“When there is patience, dialogue, mutual respect and much prayer, God opens doors that, humanly speaking, seemed impossible to open. For us, this church is proof that God is never late, but acts at the right time.”
The Holy Trinity Parish in Heidelberg was founded in the summer of 2015. Since 2017, the community has celebrated its services in St Joseph’s Church in Eppelheim.
Photo: Romanian Orthodox Parish in Heidelberg / Serafim Armanca
