The new Romanian parish in Birmingham celebrated its patrons for the first timetranslated

The new Romanian parish in Birmingham celebrated on Sunday, for the first time, Saints Joachim and Ana, the patrons of the place of worship.

The Holy Liturgy was officiated by His Eminence Father Athanasius, Archbishop of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, on the occasion of the patron saint celebrated in advance.

The hierarch explained the Parable of the wedding of the king's son and spoke about man's call to communion with God through the Holy Liturgy: "Today, we are all called to the wedding of weddings, to the wedding of Christ with humanity."

"We are sons of the King" Archbishop Athanasius also highlighted the universal character of the call to salvation: "The Gospel lets us understand that there is still room in the eternal Kingdom, at the Emperor's table and in the company of the beloved of the Bridegroom, where all nations are called, to taste the mystery of faith and the good news".

"Arriving and experiencing the Divine Liturgy alive, we enter the House of God whom, in the mystery of the eternal wedding, we dare to call Him for eternity without condemnation: Our Father! We are no longer orphans, we are sons of the King".

The hierarch emphasized that the Lord is the One who called us and who is waiting for us at the sacramental feast...