South Saint Paul, Minnesota, September 30, 2024
Photo: mitropolia.us
A Romanian Orthodox parish in South Saint Paul, Minnesota, celebrated its 100th anniversary a week ago.
The Church of St. Archdeacon Stephen, one of the oldest Romanian parishes in America, was reconsecrated by His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae in honor of the occasion on September 22, reports the Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas.
The church received a second patron with its second consecration: St. Voivode Stephen the Great.
After the consecration, Met. Nicolae and a group of priests celebrated the Divine Liturgy and a memorial service for the church benefactors.
In his homily, Met. Nicolae emphasized the importance of the consecration of a church:
The significance of this service of consecration is not only about the walls, but also about us. It is an invitation to renew our lives in Christ. According to the Romanian tradition, on this day, all believers, men, women, children, can enter through the Holy Altar, to venerate the newly consecrated Holy Table. This is our Christian journey, from outside the church to the church, which we do, in fact, every Sunday, from the door, in front of the altar, to receive Holy Communion.
Photo: mitropolia.us
He also emphasized the importance of raising children in a Christian spirit.
The Metropolitan offered the parish community an icon with its two patrons, and parish priest Fr. Ioan Poptelecan received the Order of St. Voivode Stephen the Great.
After the Liturgy, a picnic with traditional Romanian food was offered, with folk performances.
The report ends with a note on the history of the parish:
A hundred years ago, Romanians arriving in the United States of America had only one dream: to return home with 1000 dollars and buy a piece of land. They worked on the banks of the Mississippi River in slaughterhouses where they were paid 50 cents an hour. Of these, 19 cents were donated for building a church. Thus was built the Saint Archdeacon Stephen Church in South Saint Paul, Minnesota. The first consecration of the place of worship took place on September 28, 1924.
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