The Romanian monastic settlement in Budapest marked its 15th anniversary last Sunday on its patronal feast of Saint John the Forerunner.
On this occasion, Bishop Siluan of Hungary presided over the Divine Liturgy. Concelebrants included the settlement’s superior Protosyncellus David Pop, Budapesta’s Dean Rev. Marius Maghiaru, and Archdeacon Emanuel Vaduva.
Among the faithful present at the service was Gabriela Elekeș, president of the Association of Romanian Orthodox Women in Budapest (AFORB).
The Romanian Bishop of Hungary spoke about the significance of the Lord’s Baptism and His Incarnation “for the redemption of man from his sins and his return to the communion of love with God the Father and with the entire Most Holy Trinity, which was revealed at the Jordan River.”
“In today’s confused world, it is all the more important to understand the God-announcing message of St. John the Baptist and know how to distinguish things, choosing God as the supreme value of our lives.”
“At the same time, in monastic life, in family life, or society, it is essential to understand the value of humility, that is, to know how to surrender our opinions in front of our neighbor, to save the communion between people, so important in ordinary daily life and before God,” the Bishop said in his homily on Jan. 7.
At the end of the service, Bishop Siluan awarded the anniversary diploma to the Protosyncellus David Pop and Fr. Marius Maghiaru.
The Romanian Monastic Settlement in Budapest is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. It has been operating in the Hungarian capital since 2009, alongside the Romanian Parish, active there for over a century.
Photography courtesy of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Hungary / archd. Emanuel Văduva
Source: basilica.ro