“Romanian Saints’ Sunday is not a day of national pride to show that we are better than other Christian nations, but rather a day of holy joy to show what unites us with other nations, with whom we are called to bear witness to the glory of Christ’s Church,” emphasised His Grace Bishop Teofil of Iberia, Assistant Bishop to the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Spain and Portugal, on Sunday.
Assistant Bishop Teofil served at “Saint John Maximovitch” Parish in Las Rozas-Majadahonda, near Madrid, on the occasion of its patronal feast.
“Saint John Maximovitch, the protector of your parish, is a Russian saint who has become a gift and a blessing for the entire Church and the entire world. The Lord wants us all to be one, one flock with one shepherd, and therefore, everything He gives us is not to separate us, but to share with one another and to serve this unity,” the assistant bishop added.
The Las Rozas-Majadahonda parish holds a fragment of the relics of St. John Maximovitch, honoured by the Church on July 2.
Diaspora parishes celebrate their feasts that fall during the week on a nearby Sunday to allow participation from believers who are at greater distances.
The Synaxis of All Romanian Saints is marked on the second Sunday after Pentecost.
Photography courtesy of the Diocese of Spain and Portugal
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