With the blessing of Metropolitan Polykarpos of Italy, the Orthodox Parish of Saints Mina the Great and Ephrem the New Martyr – Miracle Workers of Sedegliano celebrated its Patron Saint on Sunday 12 May, in the presence of Athenagoras, Bishop Athenagoras of Therme, Auxiliary Bishop of the Metropolitan of Italy, who blessed the efforts of the priests and parishioners alike to keep the light of faith burning and to respect the commandments received from the Saviour Christ to love their neighbor.
The shepherd cares lovingly and gently for the sheep of his flock. They thus gathered for the Celebration of the feast of the patron saint, the young and old Orthodox faithful of the Parish, rekindling in their hearts the longing contours of the motherland.
With longing for homeland and faith, but together!
The Orthodox parish of Sedegliano is a multi-ethnic parish, where Romanians, Greeks, Ukrainians, and many others feel at home because they are understood and helped.
After the celebration of the Pontifical Divine Liturgy, a music concert took place where our community could enjoy tradition on the one hand and togetherness on the other. The concert featured Mrs. Lily Constantinescu with her band, a Romanian singer known and loved by the Romanian community in Italy, Mr. Dimitrios Vatikotis – the Cantor of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Venice – who delighted us with old Greek music, the group “I Crotz ta Palûd”, a quartet of folk and traditional Friulian music, and Mr. Gabriel from Dorna, who made the participants of this artistic event feel at home without borders. This artistic event aimed at promoting common spiritual values achieved its goal and brought joy, good cheer, and a sense of belonging to a family united in diversity.
United in joy
Representatives of local officials and citizens of Sedegliano welcomed the initiative and expressed their appreciation for the leadership of the Orthodox Community, represented by its spiritual father, Protopresbyter Petru Filipescu, supported by the Most Reverend Protopresbyter Dionysios Vidigh.
The Church is a beacon of stability and social harmony and contributes to the development of the community, and to the elimination of discrimination, and asperities in inter-ethnic relations, by mediating a better mutual knowledge. As in a garden, each member of a community is a unique person, with a story of life and faith that can be inspiring for others, and the Parish Park is the right place for meetings to prove how a slogan of the European Community can become reality: unity in diversity.
