On Pentecost Sunday, May 31, 2026, Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium and Exarch of the Netherlands and Luxembourg celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Parish of Saint Nektarios in Eindhoven.
This pastoral visit was a particularly joyful event for the parish, which, on this great feast of the Church, not only celebrated the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles but also had the grace to witness the ordination of a deacon within its midst.
During this festal Divine Liturgy, parishioner Mr. Andrei Rãdulescu was ordained to the diaconate. Following his, according to tradition, presentation to the faithful by the parish priest and their approval, he received, through the laying on of the Metropolitan’s hands, the grace of the diaconal order. Married and father of three children, the new deacon has for many years distinguished himself through his devoted commitment and spirit of service to the Church and to his parish.
In addition to the parish priest, Protopresbyter Fr. Josef Moes, other priests and deacons of the Holy Metropolis also participated in the Divine Liturgy. In his sermon and address on the occasion of the ordination, the Metropolitan emphasized the particular mission of the deacon as a servant of Christ and of His Church, called to live by serving, loving, and caring for all the faithful. He also highlighted the universal character of the Orthodox Church and the special mission of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which consists in gathering Orthodox Christians from different linguistic backgrounds, cultures, and traditions into the one common faith. This is expressed in the Parish of Saint Nektarios, where Orthodox faithful from many countries and traditions are gathered as one body in Christ.
After the Divine Liturgy, the Vespers of the Holy Spirit was celebrated, including the kneeling prayers that mark the end of the fifty days of Paschal joy. At the conclusion of Vespers, the Metropolitan congratulated the new deacon, his wife, and their children, expressing his gratitude for their willingness to undertake this new ministry in the Church. The parishioners, in turn, expressed their joy that Fr. Josef will now have Deacon Andrei’s assistance in the pastoral care of the ever-growing parish.
The celebration continued with a picnic in a nearby area of natural beauty, where the parishioners spent the afternoon in an atmosphere of brotherly fellowship, gratitude, and joy.
A living parish, deeply rooted in its history and looking toward the future
The Parish of Saint Nektarios was founded in 1988 by several Orthodox families under the spiritual care of the late Metropolitan Pantelis. What initially began as a small community developed, despite the many difficulties of the early years, into a flourishing Orthodox presence in the Eindhoven area.
Thanks to the dedication of the faithful and the support of numerous benefactors, the parish was able to establish itself in the former monastic chapel of the “Sisters of Charity” (Zusters van Liefde), located on Hoogstraat. Not even a devastating fire was able to halt its growth. After restoration, the parish continued to develop and was established as a dynamic center of Orthodox life, catechesis, and liturgical activity, pilgrimage, and diaconal work.
Over the years, an increasing number of people from various backgrounds have found there a true spiritual home. Today, faithful of Greek, Ukrainian, Russian, Serbian, Romanian, Georgian, Lebanese, Dutch, and many other origins gather in the parish, praying together and bearing witness to the unity of the Orthodox faith. The parish actively participates in the ecclesial and social life of Eindhoven, particularly through its representation in the “Council of Churches.”
As early as 2006, Bishop Athenagoras of Sinope, now Metropolitan of Belgium, had already celebrated in the same parish a deacon’s ordination as well as several priestly ordinations. The ordination of Deacon Andrei thus marks another important milestone in the history of the parish and a visible sign of its continued growth and vitality.
While giving thanks to God for nearly four decades of ecclesial life, the parish also turns its gaze toward the future. The current chapel has now become too small to accommodate the ever-growing number of faithful. For this reason, the parish is now seeking to acquire a larger church, capable of supporting the future development of this multicultural and missionary Orthodox community.
The joy of Pentecost and the ordination of a new deacon once again affirm that the Holy Spirit continues even today to act within the Church, to build it up, and to guide it in its mission to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to all peoples.
