Romanian Diaspora

Archbishop Atanasie: Romanian language is “the tongue in which we learned to call upon God”

“It becomes a choice, a heritage we preserve and, above all, a gift we are called to entrust to our children,” Archbishop Atanasie of Great Britain and Northern Ireland said in a message, marking Romanian Language Day. His Eminence explained that distance cannot erase the bond between language, family and homeland. “A person may travel…

18 hoursAurelian Iftimiu

Romanian church in Boian, Canada, consecrated three years after devastating fire

The Romanian community’s new church in Boian, Alberta, Canada, was consecrated on the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, three years after a fire destroyed the old place of worship. His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian of Canada described the occasion as “a new rebirth for the Boian community”, as well as a…

Aug 21, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Oldest Romanian Orthodox parish in the Netherlands celebrates first feast of St Maria Brâncoveanu

The Parish of St Gregory the Theologian and St Maria Brâncoveanu in Schiedam/Rotterdam, the oldest Romanian Orthodox parish in the Netherlands, celebrated on Sunday its first summer patronal feast dedicated to St Maria Brâncoveanu. Fr Ioan Dură, the dean and parish priest, celebrated the Divine Liturgy. Following the service, a procession took place with the…

Aug 20, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel urges support for Romanian families abroad on Migrants’ Sunday

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church has called for stronger spiritual and family ties with Romanians living abroad, saying Orthodox parishes in the diaspora have become places where migrants can preserve their faith, language and cultural identity. In a message for the Sunday of Romanian Migrants, observed this year on 16 August,…

Aug 12, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Orthodox Diocese urges faithful to declare Romanian identity in Australia’s 2026 Census

The Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand is encouraging Romanians living in Australia to declare both their Romanian ethnicity and their Orthodox Christian faith in the 2026 Australian Census. According to a press release issued by the Diocese, the census data helps provide an accurate picture of the Romanian and Orthodox communities in…

Aug 12, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian priest’s wife in Germany says diaspora ministry requires balancing parish mission and family life

Mihaela-Iuliana Păun is the wife of Fr. Ionuț Păun, the parish priest of the Romanian Orthodox Church dedicated to St. Parascheva and the Holy Martyrs Kilian, Coloman, and Totnan in Bamberg, Germany. She has lived there for almost seventeen years together with her husband and their four children. She teaches German in adult education, and…

Aug 11, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian initiative launches 40 diaspora events to strengthen ties with expatriates

Romanian entrepreneurs’ network RePatriot will organise more than 40 events for Romanians living abroad this August as part of its annual “Diaspora Days” initiative. According to a press release issued by RePatriot, the campaign, launched ten years ago, is based on the conviction that “Romanians living abroad should not be sought only when they return…

Aug 7, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Orthodox abbot in US: Monastic vocation is God’s gift, not human achievement

Archimandrite Ieremia Berbec, abbot of the Romanian Orthodox Monastery of St. Demetrius the New in Middletown, New York, recently gave an interview to a youth magazine edited by Putna Monastery. In his conversation with Iulian Tomeac, former president of ASCOR Suceava, the archimandrite reflected on the meaning of monasticism and how one discerns the calling…

Aug 3, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Mihail introduces Australia’s new assistant Bishop: ‘Together we will renew our ministry’

His Grace Bishop Mihail of Australia and New Zealand introduced the diocese’s first assistant bishop, Iachint of the Pacific, to the faithful on Sunday. The hierarchs concelebrated the Divine Liturgy at the “Life-Giving Spring” Monastery at the Episcopal Residence in Melbourne, Australia. “We hope that, together, we shall serve with great dedication and renew our…

Aug 3, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

A Romanian monastery in Canada: “Monastic life is not an escape from the world, but a journey towards God”

“Monastic life is not an escape from the world, but a journey towards God. A monk does not withdraw from people; rather, he seeks to carry everyone in his prayers. This calling is both a gift and a great responsibility,” says Hieromonk Policarp Athenagoras, abbot of the only Romanian Orthodox monastery in Canada. The Romanian…

Jul 28, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Orthodox parish in Venice Mestre buys its first church

The Romanian community in Venice Mestre, Italy, has acquired its own church building. The purchase documents were signed on Friday, 24 July, marking a milestone for the faithful of St. Agatha Parish. The property acquisition marks the culmination of an effort that started in 2023, when the community was compelled to leave its former place…

Jul 27, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu