Orthodox Young People On A Visit To The Patriarchal Palace

On 20 November 2011, over 60 young people, members of the Romanian Christian Orthodox Students’ Association (A.S.C.O.R. in Romanian) and of the Romanian Christian Orthodox Youth League (L.T.C.O.R. in Romanian) were received by His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church at the Patriarchal Palace. His Grace Mihail, Romanian Orthodox Bishop for Australia and New Zeeland was also present at the event.

The young people, accompanied by Rev. Vasile Gavrila, co-ordinator of the A.S.C.O.R and of the L.T.C.O.R. were received in Europa Christiana room by the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church who appreciated their missionary activity.

“It is in the meeting we had today that we have seen lots of ongoing projects (…), but best of all I enjoyed the presence, enthusiasm and desire of the young students to do mission. It is a missionary, cultural and spiritual work of various Universities because you are students not only of the Faculty of Theology, but also of various other faculties, while the programme you are implementing, especially in November, is a programme of thematic conferences focused on the young people’s lives, as well as on the activity of the Church, so that you unfold a rich missionary activity. This missionary activity is first of all the Christian presence and witness that you show wherever you study. Faith is not hidden under the bushel, because it is a personal and community deed, a praying witnessing, and we congratulate you for that”, the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church explained.

On this occasion Rev. Vasile Gavrila, co-ordinator of the young people members of the A.S.C.O.R. Bucharest branch, was awarded the rank of iconomos stavrofor.

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel showed that the homage to the Christian family is brought through the children and young people born and educated in the Orthodox righteous saving faith.

“This day is a moment of gratitude for us too, namely we must thank God for the gifts He bestowed over the Church through the children and young people born and grown in Christian families. In the Homage Year of the Christian family, of the Holy Baptism and of the Holy Matrimony, we bring homage to the Christian families that gave birth to you, grown you up and educated you in the Christian faith. An abstract homage would not be credible enough, but we bring homage, through the young people we have here, to the Christian family which give birth to children and grow them up in the Orthodox righteous saving faith”, also said His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel.

To end with, Rev. Vasile Gavrila thanked the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church on behalf of the young people, members of the Romanian Christian Orthodox Students’ Association, and of the Romanian Christian Orthodox Youth League, as well as for the distinction awarded.

To end with, the young people present received gifts on behalf of the Patriarch of Romania.

These days, the young people participated in the National Consultation of the branches of the Romanian Christian Orthodox Students’ Association (A.S.C.O.R.) and of the Romanian Christian Orthodox Youth League of Romania.

The Romanian Christian Orthodox Students’ Association was set up on 14 June 1990 in Bucharest, with the blessing of Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, at the initiative of the some students and post-graduate students from various faculties. The mission of the association is to promote the Christian faith and the Orthodox spirituality, especially in the pre-university or university environment. A.S.C.O.R. is also going to support the young people’s rights and make them aware of their duties in the Church, nation and family.

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