Father Nicolae Bulat combines weekend pastoral ministry with building site work during the week. He serves the parish of St Joseph the Merciful in Corby, UK, which brings together Romanian and Moldovan communities living in the area.
The priest told Basilica.ro that the experience helps him better understand the lives and challenges faced by Romanians living in the diaspora.
Father Nicolae Bulat is originally from Cojușna, in the Republic of Moldova, and is the third of four sons in his family. His desire to become a priest began in childhood.
“For me, the path to the priesthood began with going to church from a very young age, although at the time I did not know that I would one day become a priest,” he said.
Moving to the United Kingdom
He first arrived in the United Kingdom in 2015 while studying theology.
“I came to the United Kingdom in 2015 when I was 18. I was in my first year at university and worked only during the summer so that I could support myself during the academic year,” he explained.
After graduating, he continued working in England while remaining closely connected to church life.
“Wherever I was, I never missed church on Sundays,” he said.
“With God’s help, in February 2022 I was ordained a deacon by Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia, and a year later I was ordained a priest, trying to be useful wherever I found myself.”
Working on building sites
Alongside his pastoral work, the priest continues to work during the week. In his early years he worked as an unskilled labourer on building sites, later learning several trades in construction.
“I learned the job of a mastic man, applying silicone around windows, doors, kitchens and bathrooms. It is a job you need to enjoy because it is finishing work that everyone can see,” he said.
Because of the difficult working conditions during the winter, he decided to retrain.
“I decided to change direction and obtained a qualification to operate a telehandler, a telescopic machine used for loading and unloading goods from lorries.”
His colleagues are often surprised to learn that he is also a priest.
“Most of the time they cannot believe it. They are very surprised, thinking that a priest is only a priest and does nothing else,” he said.
Many ask him why he works on a building site, and he explains that priestly ministry is not incompatible with manual labour.
The only Orthodox priest on Jersey
Beginning in 2023, Father Nicolae Bulat also served Romanian faithful on Jersey, travelling regularly to the island located off the French coast in the English Channel.
He said the journey was challenging, as he had to fly each time in order to reach the church.
“Until August 2025 I travelled once a month to be among the Romanians and Moldovans on the island,” he said, despite the difficult travel arrangements and high costs.
He noted that there was no other Orthodox presence on the island, making him the only priest serving all Orthodox believers there, regardless of nationality.
“People were eager to attend the Divine Liturgy. It eased their longing for Christ, for Holy Communion, for home and for their loved ones,” he said of the community on Jersey.
A message to Romanians abroad
Father Nicolae Bulat also offered a message to Romanians living and working overseas.
“If you are far from home and live only with longing, you cannot fully enjoy where you are, nor can you come to terms with being away from your country. If you are abroad, dedicate yourself to the place where you are. But if the longing for home becomes too strong, then return,” he said.
“It is important, however, that we do not forget the places we come from and the traditions we carry with us,” father Bulat concluded.
Photo: Basilica.ro
