Idanha-a-Nova, Portugal, November 20, 2019
Photo: arhiepiscopiaramnicului.ro
The Orthodox faith is growing in Portugal, with several parishes being opened in recent years. Another sign of this growth is the recent consecration of the first Romanian Orthodox monastery in the Iberian state.
Photo: arhiepiscopiaramnicului.ro
Four hierarchs of the Romanian Orthodox Church came together on Sunday, November 17 to consecrate the church at the new monastery in the Aldeia de Santa Margarida section of Idanha-a-Nova and to celebrate the first Divine Liturgy on the consecrated altar, reports the Archdiocese of Râmnic.
The concelebrating hierarchs were Metropolitan Joseph of Western and Southern Europe, Archbishop Barsanuphius of Râmnic, Bishop Timothy of Spain and Portugal, and Bishop Theophilos of Iberia.
Photo: arhiepiscopiaramnicului.ro
Following the consecration of the church and before the Divine Liturgy, Abp. Barsanuphius instructed the faithful on the significance of the consecration of a church and the importance of attending church every Sunday.
Photo: arhiepiscopiaramnicului.ro
Construction work on the monastery began in February of this year.
In 2017, the Ukrainian Church opened two parishes in two months in Portugal. In January 2018, the Russian Church was given use of a church building in Lisbon.
In October 2018, the feast of 200 saints of Spain and Portugal was celebrated for the first time by Romanian and Russian hierarchs in Spain, and in December of that year, the Russian Church added 80 of the Iberian saints to its calendar.
The Philokalia was published in Portuguese in 2017.
