Carollers From Bucharest, Ilfov And Maramures Received By The Patriarch Of Romania

Friday, 12 December 2014, and Saturday, 13 December 2014, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church received several groups of carollers at the Patriarchal Residence. The first ones who announced the Nativity of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, were the members of the “Pilgrim” chorus of “Basilica Travel” Pilgrimage Agency of the Romanian Patriarchate.

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel received the chorus members with presents and blessed them in the end: “We congratulate you and wish you the help of God in the activity you unfold which is a delight for the pilgrims even if you do not sing for them all the time. We are very glad because this chorus made progress and is full of enthusiasm. Thus, this desire to accompany the preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of the Lord with chants and carols is an artistic, spiritual, and missionary work. We wish you many blessed years of life, and may the season’s feasts be a blessing, light and joy for you in order to receive the grace and help of God in the activity you unfold!”

Friday, too, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel was carolled by the young people from the Romanian Christian Orthodox Students’ Association of Bucharest and by the students of the Orthodox Theological Students’ Association.

“We thank you, congratulate you and wish you much help of God in the activity you unfold in the educational and parochial environment because many of you are singers in your parishes helping at certain religious services, so that you have a spiritually rich youth, bringing joy to many young people, families and persons from various institutions.

We wish you good health, joy and blessed feasts of Christmas, New Year, and Baptism of the Lord!”, His Beatitude said.

The carollers were rewarded with presents according to tradition.

Saturday, 13 December 2014, His Beatitude Daniel received, at the Patriarchal Residence, carollers from Ciocotis, county of Maramures.

The carollers announced the Nativity of the Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, through chants specific to the region. To end with, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel congratulated them for observing the tradition and wearing national costumes: “We always appreciate Maramures when it shows us the richness, beauty and spiritual brightness of our traditional chants, as well as creativity. Every year the carollers from Maramures and from Bucovina add something new, proving their folk creativity. We pray Jesus Christ, God-the-Infant, to bless your families and activity. We are glad when children and young people of various ages are here playing instruments and accompanying the carollers’ chorus”. His Beatitude offered presents to the group of carollers.

The last group of carollers who announced the Nativity of Infant Jesus to the Patriarch of Romania were the members of “Saint Pious Parascheva” chorus of Cornetu parish, deanery of South Ilfov.

To end with, His Beatitude blessed them and offered them presents: “We wish you blessed feasts on the occasion of the feasts of the Nativity of the Lord, of the New Year, and of the Baptism of the Lord! We congratulate you for your chants, as well as for these very beautiful national costumes. In general, the carollers from Bucovina and from Maramures who come here wear very beautiful costumes, but now those from Ilfov county do the same. We wish you good health and much help of God!”

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