Let Us Keep the Orthodox Faith and Romanian Communion

Sunday, August 16, 2009, the Romanian Orthodox Church is celebrating, for the first time in the entire Romanian Patriarchate, the Sunday of Romanian Migrants. On this occasion, the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church has addressed the Romanian migrants and their families the following message:

The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, treasuring the Christian and Romanian witness of its spiritual sons and daughters who work or study abroad, in its working session of February 25-26, 2009, has decided that, each year, the first Sunday after the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos (August 15), will be celebrated as the Sunday of Romanian Migrants. The date was inscribed in the Church calendar under the 'Important Dates' section and included in the liturgical and pastoral-missionary programs of each diocese.

The main role of this special Sunday, celebrated this year for the first time in the entire Romanian Patriarchate, is to strengthen Christian love and brotherly cooperation, thus avoiding that work or study far away from the country, abroad, becomes spiritual alienation between Romanians in the same family or the same parish in Romania. On the Sunday of Romanian migrants this year, celebrated on August 16, those at home and those who came from abroad have the opportunity to pray together during the Holy Liturgy. Thus, all priests from parishes and monasteries are called upon to pray for Romanians abroad, who are now here on vacation, in order for our Savior Jesus Christ to save them from tribulations and difficulties, to help them to keep their Orthodox faith and Romanian identity, and to cultivate brotherly help.

Through its specific means, the Church expresses its care for the spiritual and material needs of those who are left at home, in Romania, especially the children, the elderly, the sick and the poor. We are thinking about how hard it must be for the families who, due to material poverty or from other reasons, are being separated, either through the departure for work abroad of one of the parents, or through the departure of both parents, leaving behind the children in the care of grandparents and relatives in Romania or, sometimes, in nobody's care. Cultivating the joy of the return home, the Church encourages all its spiritual children to pray so that all those who are in this situation may see their family reunited as soon as possible.

We are asking the All-merciful God to bless all Romanian migrants so that their stay and activity abroad may complete in peace and health, in good relationships with those around them and in the defense of the good Christian and Romanian name.

With the utmost appreciation, fatherly blessings and enduring prayer to God,

† DANIEL
Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church