Vizite misionare pentru comunitățile ortodoxe românești din Mexic și Columbia
Missionary journeys for the Romanians communities in Mexico and Columbia

Summary/Abstract: Between March 18 to April 9, 2021, with the blessing of His Eminence Nicolae, Metropolitan of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas,Rev. Fr. Daniel Adrian Ene, the Diocesan Secretary and the Dean of New York,New England and the Eastern United States, took two missionary journeys in SouthAmerica and visited Mexico and Columbia. The visits took place at the invitationof His Excellency, Mr. Marius-Gabriel Lazurca, Ambassador Extraordinary andPlenipotentiary of Romania to the Mexican United States and Her ExcellencyClaudia Tușa, Chargée d’Affairs of Romania to the Republic of Colombia.In Mexico, on March 18, 2021, Father Daniel met with His Excellency Mr.Ambassador Lazurca and the members of the diplomatic team of the RomanianEmbassy in Mexico, the discussions were about the realities of the Romaniancommunity in Mexico and about the difficulties encountered during this pandemicperiod. On this occasion, Father Daniel presented, on behalf of His EminenceMetropolitan Nicolae, as a symbol of the appreciation and care of His Eminence to the Romanians living in Mexico, but also for the efforts of the Embassy, the Commemorative Icon of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas for the year 2021, the Solemn year of the pastoral care of Romanians from outside Romania in the Romanian Patriarchate. On Friday and Saturday, March 19-20, Father Danielaccompanied Mr. Lazurca to Cancun on the first working visit of the new ambassadorsince the beginning of his term. On Friday evening, an official meeting with theRomanian community took place and another one with Mr. Eduardo Albor, the Honorary Consul of Romania in Cancun. Saturday, March 20, was a real blessing on the occasion of the service of the first Divine Liturgy in Romanian in Cancun. The Divine Liturgy was held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Cancun (Santuario MariaDesatadora de Nudos). The Divine Liturgy was attended by Ambassador Marius Lazurca and Honorary Consul Eduardo Albor along with many Romanian believers living in Cancun and Playa del Carmen. They had the opportunity to confess in thisfirst week of Lent, to commemorate those asleep and to listen to the Divine Liturgyin Romanian for the first time in this part of the world. The Holy Mass was followedby several meetings with Father Luis Pablo Garza, pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Cancun, and with Monsignor Pedro Pablo Elizondo Cardenas, Catholic Bishop of Cancun. During these meetings, the idea of establishing a Romanian Orthodox parish in this area where there is no Orthodox church was discussed.On Sunday, March 21, 2021, Father Daniel celebrated the Divine Liturgy again in the midst of the Orthodox and Romanian community in Mexico City, this time atSt. Sophia Greek Cathedral with the blessing and participation of His EminenceArchbishop and Metropolitan Athenagoras of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Venezuela and the Caribbean, as well as ofBishop Isihios de Makrianis (Ecumenical Patriarchate). On Monday, March 22,at noon, Father Daniel and Ambassador Marius Lazurca had a meeting with His Eminence Metropolitan Ignatius (Samaán) of the Antiochian Orthodox Church of Mexico, Central America and Venezuela, who also received the Commemorative Icon of the Year 2021 from His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae and the album Pages of history of Romanian Orthodoxy in America.In Columbia, Father Daniel Ene travelled between March 25 and April 9 and he offered blessings and gifts from His Eminence Nicolae, the Romanian OrthodoxMetropolitan of the Two Americas, and had multiple meetings with Romanians and other Orthodox communities from this country. On Sunday, March 28, hecelebrated the first ever Romanian-language Divine Liturgy at the “Dormition ofthe Mother of God” Greek Cathedral in Bogota. He was joined in celebration by HE Timoteo Luis Antonio Torres Esquivel, Bishop of Assos – Auxiliary for Colombia and Venezuela of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Mexico, Central America,Colombia, Venezuela and the Caribbean Islands (Ecumenical Patriarchate). FatherDaniel Ene met the next days the Romanians from Barranquilla and Cartagena, where he discussed the opportunity of creating there a Romanian Orthodox parish, and, together with Ambassador Claudia Tușa and HE Timoteo of Assos, he also visited the city of Cucuta, where, in a former Catholic nunnery, the Greek OrthodoxDiocese of Assos will soon establish the first Theological Seminary and the firstOrthodox nunnery in South America.Through these missionary visits, the Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas wanted to bring a message of solidarity to the Romanian communities in Mexico and Columbia. In his words, Father Daniel Ene reminded the Romanians in Mexico and Columbia that they are not alone, His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae carries them in prayers, and that we must not forget our Romanian roots, ourOrthodox faith and our Romanian culture and traditions wherever our lives take us.

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