Dublin, September 11, 2025
The Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Ireland and Iceland has purchased Christ Church in Leeson Park, Dublin, which will now serve as the diocesan cathedral. The announcement was made Tuesday, September 9, in a joint statement by the diocese and the Romanian Orthodox Parish of the Holy Cross in Dublin.
The acquisition of the former Anglican church building, constructed in the 19th century, was funded through a 10 million lei ($2.3 million) non-reimbursable grant from Romania’s Department for Romanians Abroad, along with donations from hundreds of believers. The Romanian Orthodox community in Dublin had been running a GoFundMe campaign to help raise funds for the purchase.
The property, described as a heritage Anglican church, will become a permanent home for the Romanian Orthodox community in Ireland after nearly two decades of temporary arrangements. According to the press release, the church had continuously hosted services and activities of the Romanian community until it was put up for sale in February 2025.
“This is not just a real estate acquisition, but a restoration of the sense of home for thousands of Romanians in Ireland,” said rector Fr. Călin Florea.
The Diocese of Ireland and Iceland was established in February 2024, with His Grace Bishop Nectarie installed as its first hierarch in February of this year. The cathedral will serve as “the heart of Romanian Orthodoxy in Ireland and Iceland, a place of prayer, communion, and hope, and a symbol of unity and of the living presence of our ancestral faith in these lands,” according to the official statement.
The first service in the new cathedral will be held on Sunday morning, September 14, on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The diocese has invited all Romanians in Dublin and the surrounding area to attend this historic celebration.
The Romanian Orthodox Church has been experiencing significant expansion in the British Isles in recent years. Previous developments include the establishment of a new parish in England in May 2024, the acquisition and restoration of buildings in March and April of this year, and the opening of a new parish in Greater London earlier this month.
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