Castel Gandolfo, Italy, February 12, 2025
Photo: theofania.ro
Italy is home to nearly 1.1 million Romanians—the largest immigrant group in the country, and the Romanian Orthodox Church is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its pastoral work in Italy this year
Over the years, the Italian Diocese has grown to 295 parishes throughout the Catholic country. It showed impressive growth throughout 2024, with thousands of Baptisms and relatively few funerals served.
Official statistics were reported at the Diocesan Assembly in Castel Gandolfo yesterday. Throughout the previous year there were 4,750 Baptisms, 167 receptions or re-receptions into Orthodoxy, 1,171 weddings, and 393 funerals, reports the Basilica News Agency.
According to the report, in 2024, 15 new properties were acquired for worship, catechism, and social activities, as well as four plots of land where churches will be built. Additionally, 8 new parishes were established, and 15 priests and 14 deacons were ordained, bringing the totals to 319 priests and 26 deacons.
The Rome extension of the Patriarch Justinian Faculty of Orthodox Theology currently has 150 students, including 51 in the master’s program.
The Romanian Diocese of Italy continued numerous social-philanthropic projects in 2024. The total amount of aid provided during the year was $1,388, 574 (1,340,106 euros).
Through the social project Parental Arms, 656 children from Romania, Moldova, and Italy received social assistance worth $263,808 (254,600 euros). At the same time, 139 elderly people received monthly support through the Staff of Hope program.
Additionally, the Diocesan Center in Rome provided aid and donations worth $204,135 (197,010 euros), while various collections and special funds, including for disaster victims in Galați and Huși, totaled $422,093 (407,360 euros).
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