His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel Consecrated the Church of the Falling Asleep of the Mother of God of Ploiesti
Romanian Orthodox Church
From 27 May 2012, the faithful of Ploiesti have a new church in Nuci district. The place of worship is dedicated to the “Falling Asleep of the Mother of God” and to “Saints Michael and Gabriel the Archangels” and it was consecrated this morning by His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
In the sermon delivered after the consecration service the Patriarch of Romania said that the consecration of a church is the time when the gifts of the Holy Spirit are bestowed both on it and on the faithful.
“This church is an architectural cover of the faithful community served by Orthodox canonical spiritual shepherds and this is why both the church, as the place of worship, and the community are named church namely an assembly of the people in the love of the Most Holy Trinity. The church is the assembly called by God to salvation, and those who answer the call keep in touch with Christ, the head of the Church, and take the way of salvation. The consecration of a church is a great blessing because it is an act of dignity too. When a church is consecrated we offer earthly gifts to God, so that the church is our gift for God. But after consecration it becomes the gift of God for the humans. It is filled with the grace of the Most Holy Trinity by which the forgiveness of the sins is granted”, said His Beatitude, as Trinitas Radio station informs us.
Then, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel celebrated the Divine Liturgy. After reading the evangelical pericope the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church spoke to the faithful present about keeping the Orthodox faith even in hard times.
“Only the Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of the truth and of the communion of love can keep together people of different natures, ages, professions, as an ethnic group. The Church of Christ of all nations and all places is kept in unity first of all through the work of the Holy Spirit, but because of the sin the Church is always is danger, namely to be divided. Especially the sin of pride makes people think not together but one against another which fact caused divisions throughout the centuries. Thus, only the Holy Spirit can defeat the sin of the humans’ pride, can renew and change their thought in order to make them think in unity, in communion, and pray and make good things together for the glory of God”.
The Patriarch of Romania also evoked the personality of the Bishops of the Ecumenical Synod I, remembered today by the Orthodox Christians, affirming that their example shows that the right faith is kept through unity and communion with the Church of all times.
“Only one man caused the Arian heresy, but 318 Bishops from all over the world gathered together to proclaim the true faith. The Ecumenical Synod, or universal, from Nicene shows us that the right faith is kept in communion, prayer, common council and confession. This is why the Creed in its original form was the plural formulation of “We believe in One God”. So, the faith is kept together with the Saint Apostles, with the Holy Fathers, with the Pious Saints, with the Martyr Saints throughout the centuries. The Holy Scriptures can be also read individually, but its interpretation or explanation is made together with the Church”.
After the Divine Liturgy, Rev. Stefan Musat, archpriest of Ploesti read the consecration document of the church of the “Falling Asleep of the Mother of God” and “Saints Michael and Gabriel the Archangels”. Patriarchal Counsellor Mihail Hau communicated the faithful the decision of the Standing Meeting of the Eparchial Council of the Archdiocese of Bucharest of 20 March 2012 to give the second saint patron to the church, as well as some church ranks and distinctions to those who contributed to the construction of the place of worship in Ploiesti city. So, parish priest Stan Dutu was licensed as iconom stavrofor, while the faithful who contributed to the construction of the church were awarded the Sanctus Stephanus Magnus order for laics and the Diploma of Honour of “Saint Andrew the Apostle”. Also awarded was the Distinction of worthiness of the image of Saint Dimitrios the New to the Parochial Council of the parish of the “Falling Asleep of the Mother of God” and “Saints Michael and Gabriel the Archangels” of Ploiesti city.
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel offered the parish a blessing cross made at the workshops of the Holy Patriarchate, the new edition of the Holy Gospel with colour icons, the Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, the Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great and the Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts, as well as the Service of the Holy Unction and Prayers for the sick, in the context of the dedication of 2012 as Homage year of the Sacrament of the Holy Unction and looking after the sick.
After the traditional passing through the Holy Altar for kissing the Holy Gospel, the Holy Cross and Holy Table, the faithful present at the consecration of the church were offered a small icon of the Falling Asleep of the Mother of God.
To end with, parish priest Stan Dutu thanked all the collaborators who contributed to the construction of the place of worship and announced that in the future a social centre will be built in the courtyard of the church. At the same time, the parish priest offered His Beatitude an icon of the Mother of God, the protector of the consecrated church.
The church of the “Falling Asleep of the Mother of God” and of “Saints Michael and Gabriel the Archangels” was built from 2003 – 2010, with the help of the people of Ploiesti, especially of the parishioners. Later on it was bedecked with fresco painting.
