{"id":368849,"date":"2022-05-06T14:28:11","date_gmt":"2022-05-06T11:28:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/?p=368849"},"modified":"2022-05-06T14:28:11","modified_gmt":"2022-05-06T11:28:11","slug":"romanian-metropolitan-of-the-two-americas-consecrates-wooden-church-in-long-valley-new-jersey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arhiva.basilica.ro\/en\/romanian-metropolitan-of-the-two-americas-consecrates-wooden-church-in-long-valley-new-jersey\/","title":{"rendered":"Romanian Metropolitan Nicolae of the Americas consecrates wooden church in Long Valley, New Jersey"},"content":{"rendered":"

His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae of the Americas consecrated<\/a> the “Life-Giving Spring” Church in Long Valley, New Jersey on Sunday. The wooden church, built by parish priest Ionu\u021b Voicu in a style specific to the Romanian northern region of Maramure\u0219, marks the Centennial of the Great Union of all Romanians in a single state. The event was attended by Bishop Iustin of Maramure\u0219 and S\u0103tmar and Bishop Ioan Casian of Canada.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The consecration service was preceded by the Blessing of the Waters, officiated outside the place of worship, and the Divine Liturgy.<\/p>\n

The three hierarchs were joined by Father Daniel Ene, Dean of New York, New England and East of US, Protosyncellus Ieremia Berbec, Abbot of the Middletown Monastery in the state of New York, Archimandrite Casian Filip, Social-Philanthropic Counselor of the Maramure\u0219 and S\u0103tmar Diocese in Romania, Fr. Ioan Socolan, Dean of S\u0103tmar, Fr. Gabriel Gorgan from Satu Mare, Romania, Archd. Teodosie Bud, Economic Counselor of the Maramure\u0219 Diocese, Archd. Nifon Motogna, administrator of the Baia Mare Cathedral in the Romanian county of Maramure\u0219.<\/p>\n

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Metropolitan Nicolae of the Americas consecrates the altar table of the Romanian wooden church in Long Valley, New Jersey, on Sunday, May 1, 2022. Photo: Diocese of Maramure\u0219 and S\u0103tmar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

His Excellency Dan-Andrei Muraru, Ambassador of Romania to the United States, participated in the inauguration of the church.<\/p>\n

“God does not force anybody to believe. Here we realise that Jesus Christ shows Himself only to those who have loved and cherished Him during His earthly activity,\u201d His Grace Bishop Iustin of Maramure\u0219 and S\u0103tmar explained in his homily after the proclamation of the Gospel.<\/p>\n

“For this reason, He shows Himself to the disciples in the Cenacle, entering through the locked doors and accepting a ‘check-in’ from Thomas. Why? Because the Saviour’s Resurrection from the dead needed additional testimony from the apostles.”<\/p>\n

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The commemoration of the founders after the consecration rite of the Romanian wooden church in Long Valley, New Jersey, on Sunday, May 1, 2022: Metropolitan Nicolae of the Americas (centre), Bishop Iustin of Maramure\u0219 and S\u0103tmar (right) and the Romanian Bishop of Canada (left). Photo: Diocese of Maramure\u0219 and S\u0103tmar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the end, Metropolitan Nicolae briefly explained the meaning of the consecration service:<\/p>\n

“It is the baptism of a church as a place containing all the baptised persons, who gather in the name of Christ, of the Most Holy Trinity, in order to bring thanksgiving and a bloodless sacrifice by celebrating the Divine Liturgy. The names of the founders and benefactors placed inside the foot of the Holy Altar Table share in the sanctity of the holy relics of the martyrs,\u201d His Eminence said.<\/p>\n