His Eminence Archbishop Nathaniel Visited the Pacific
Coast Deanery
Saturday 6 November (Los Angeles)
- from 6:30 p.m.
Great Vespers Service, with 11
priests and 1 deacon serving.
Blessing of the Chapel.
Memorial (Parastas) Service IMO
Church founders, and a Reception.
Sunday 7 November - Holy Trinity Church (Los Angeles)
The 60th Anniversary Matins Service and the Vesting of
Archbishop Nathaniel - at 9:45 a.m. Blessing of the New Iconostasis and other new
church furniture. Blessing of a "Reader" (drd Costin Popescu).
Hierarchical Liturgy - from 10:00 a.m., pontificated
by His Eminence, Archbishop Nathaniel, assisted by our parish priest and a
sobor of 12 priests and a deacon.
Anniversary Banquet and cultural program, with the
participation of over 300 people (see article in the "CHRISTIAN LIFE"
Vol.42, no. 3-4 (July Dec.1999, pages 13-18).
Monday 8 November - (services at the Holy Trinity,
Los Angeles) Synaxis of the Holy Archangels Michael & Gabriel
Matins Service - at 9:00 a.m. and the Divine
Liturgy - at 10:00 a.m. His Eminence the Archbishop Nathaniel celebrated,
helped by dean Constantin Tofan, and deacon Simonca, while Father Constantin
Alecse gave the strana responses.
Memorials at the gravesides at Hollywood
Memorial Park were officiated IMO Mihai Patrichi, Emil Tatu and Mircea Popa.
His Eminence, accompanied by V. Rev. Fr. Tofan visited St.
Innocent Orphanage in Mexico,
at the invitation of Greg Yova, as well as the "Project Mexico". His
Eminence also visited informally His Grace Bishop Boris, a retired Bishop from
Chicago in Escondido, San Diogo County and an informal visit at the Holy Virgin
Mary parish in Anaheim, California, on Thursday, November 11, accompanied by
Fr. Constantin Alecse of Los Angeles, Fr. Catalin Mitescu of Pomona, and
Archimandrite Nikodim (Remus) Bibartz, of Hollywood.
Thursday 11 November (Claremont/Pomona Valley) Visit at
St. Anne's Parish in Pomona
Vespers at St. Anne - Dinner and
meetings with Fr. Mitescu, Fr. Limbeson, community.
His Eminence, Archbishop Nathaniel, accompanied by V. Rev.
Fr. Constantin Alecse, traveled from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
San Jose/San Francisco
(arrangements by Fathers Grigorescu and Lapustea)
Visit & assessment of the newly purchased property.
Vespers at Holy Cross (San Jose), at 7:00 p.m. A
Very nice procession was organized by the serving clergy, with the
participation of the host priest. Some 75 people were in attendance. Dinner
& meeting with clergy, community members.
(Casa Romana & Capela, Hayward) - The 35th Church
Anniversary
Matins - at 9:00
am - Vesting of Archbishop and Great Blessing of the Church - at 9:45 am
Hierarchical Liturgy - 10:15 am.
Con-celebrating with His Eminence: Deans Constantin Tofan and Constantin
Alecse, and Reverend Fathers: Gheorghe Grigorescu, Constantin Lapustea and Fr.
Dumitru Ionescu. Some 150 people attended the Divine Liturgy. Fr. Alecse and
His Eminence Archbishop Nathaniel preached. At the Banquet and program some 120
people attended.
His Eminence, Archbishop Nathaniel, accompanied by V. Rev.
Fr. Tofan visited St. Innocent Orphanage in Mexico, at the invitation of Greg
Yova, Executive Director of "Project Mexico".
Some 15 orphans and abandoned children and teen-agers find
"Hope" at St. Innocent Orphanage and Project Mexico. The Project's
motto is: " Building homes and lives!", based on the Scriptural verse
" pure and undefiled religion is this: to visit orphans and widows in
their distress, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world" (James
1:27). Therefore, Project Mexico built, in the last 10 years nearly 100 homes,
helping hundreds of orphans and hopeless teens. If interested, the address of
the Project is: PROJECT MEXICO - P.O.BOX 120028, Chula Vista, CA 91912-3128.
Tel. (619) 216-4974. Web site: www.projectmexico.org.
(arrangements by Father Florin Mihalache)
His Eminence was accompanied by Very Rev. Fathers Deans
Constantin Alecse and Constantin Tofan, and Father Dumitru Ionescu of Hayward.
The Vespers Service was held at 7:00 p.m., with a
participation of some 75-100 people. The Church is beautifully painted. During
the service both Deans were invited to speak, and His Eminence pleaded for
Unity among the brothers during his inspiring Sermon. After the service a
Dinner & an informal meeting was held with clergy and the community
members.