Quebec Monastery Prepares for Romanian Orthodox Monastic Gathering

The Monastery of the Holy Protection in Wentworth, Quebec, is preparing to host a gathering of the abbots and monks of the various monastic communities under the jurisdiction of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of the Two Americas. During their time in Wentworth the monks will meet with Archbishop Nicolae (Condrea) of Chicago and also discuss the various cultural, disciplinary, financial, and spiritual challenges facing them in North America. More (in Romanian) here.

Romanian Orthodox Church in Metro Atlanta Suffers Fire Damage

The consecration of the newly completed Church of St. Mary in [], Georgia, has had to be postponed due to a fire that significantly damaged the new church. More here.

Relics of St. Nectarius Visit North America

From the end of May through early June relics of St. Nectarius of Pentapolis normally enshrined in Bucharest's Radu Voda Monastery will be visiting the parishes and monasteries of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of the Two Americas. The relics will begin their travels with the celebration of the new style feast of Sts. Constantine and Helena at the cathedral dedicated to their memory in Chicago. More here.

Romanian Orthodoxy in North America

So it appears that the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate in America (ROEA) of the American Orthodox Church and the patriarchal Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of the Two Americas (ROAA) are ready to unite. I'm not entirely sure what convictions are guiding Archbishop Nathaniel of the ROEA in endorsing the standing proposal for union with the Bucharest Patriarchate, but if it's the dream that the new episcopal assemblies and the supposedly imminent "great and holy council" are months away from resolving the canonical issues in our existing ecclesiastical structures in the West, then I fear he's setting himself and the pro-unity clergy and faithful of his diocese up for great disappointment.

God grant me to be wrong! I do find it sad, however, that the ROEA is prepared to give away its self-governance as a part of the OCA for an autonomy under the Bucharest Patriarchate that can be rescinded at any time by its holy synod. It is by far the larger of the two Romanian Orthodox jurisdictions in North America and the original Romanian Orthodox diocese in the New World and it is ignoring both facts for a union with the diocese whose past hierarchs viciously attacked the ROEA in the press, in the courts, and in the Church at large.

God guide us all to unity...