Romanian Orthodox faithful in Serbia took part on Saturday in the first Palm Sunday procession organised within the Diocese of Dacia Felix. The event was held at the Romanian Orthodox parish in Alibunar.
Bishop Ieronim of Dacia Felix, all clergy of the diocese, and numerous faithful attended the procession.
“Our duty is to revive these ancient traditions, which belong to the whole of Orthodoxy,” Bishop Ieronim told Trinitas TV.
“In this sense, the Palm Sunday procession is important, as it marks the end of the 40-day fast and immediately announces the feast of the Entry of our Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem and the Holy Week of His Passions.”
Historic moment for the diocese
The bishop spoke to the faithful about the confessional dimension of the procession and the theological significance of the miracle Christ performed when He raised Lazarus four days after his death.
He explained that this miracle foreshadows the Resurrection of the Lord and serves as a call to every believer to strengthen their faith and to bear public witness to Christ through participation in such liturgical and spiritual events.
Fr Emanuel Tăpălagă, administrative vicar of the Diocese of Dacia Felix, underlined the historic character of the event, noting that while local traditions of processions exist in individual parishes, this was the first time such a manifestation brought together clergy and faithful from across the entire diocese.
In recognition of his contribution to organising the Palm Sunday procession, Bishop Ieronim elevated Fr Gabriel Simionesei, parish priest of Alibunar, to the rank of oikonomos-stavrophore.
The Diocese of Dacia Felix was established in 1997 to serve the pastoral and missionary needs of approximately 32,000 ethnic Romanians living in the regions of Vojvodina and the Timok Valley in Serbia. The parish of Alibunar is dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God.
Photo: Diocese of Dacia Felix
