From 9 – 13 April 2011, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church pays a canonical visit to Strasbourg, at the invitation of His Eminence Iosif, Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of Western and Meridional Europe.

On this occasion, His Beatitude celebrated tonight, assisted by His Eminence Iosif, Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of Western and Meridional Europe, by His Eminence Casian, Archbishop of Lower Danube, as well as by priests and deacons, a memorial service for the Romanian heroes of Huguenau locality, France, who died as prisoners during the World War I.

To end with the service, Rev. Vasile Iorgulescu, parish priest of the Romanian church of “Saint John the Baptist” of Strasbourg mentioned that the memorial crosses that His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel consecrated had been offered by the National Office for the Cult of the Heroes of the Romanian Ministry of National Defence and installed in the Romanian military cemetery of Huguenau, because 472 soldiers who died as prisoners during the World War I were buried here.

His Eminence Casian, Archbishop of Lower Danube, evoked the time when 30 years ago, when he was the first parish priest of the Romanians of Strasbourg and came together with the faithful to this cemetery, this one was not in a very good state.

His Eminence also underlined the fact that the faithful of the Romanian Orthodox parish of Strasbourg began to rearrange it one year ago. On this occasion, His Eminence Casian offered parish priest Vasile Iorgulescu an album of photos of the first years of the Romanian Orthodox parish of Strasbourg, as George Valcu, correspondent of Trinitas TV channel at Strasbourg informs us.

Further on, the message on behalf of the Romanian Minister of Defence, Mr. Gabriel Oprea was read, who appreciated the involvement of the local community in the preservation of the Romanian national identity.

To end with, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel thanked the local authorities present at the event and spoke to those present about the fact that the heroes remembered today convey in quite a personal manner what the Orthodox faithful will experience at the feast of the Holy Easter, because whoever loves is alive and whoever does not love any more is dead even if he is alive.

Many Romanian theological students as well as a few of the veteran faithful of the Romanian Orthodox parish of “Saint John the Baptist” of Strasbourg were also present at the event.