← News feed Romanian Orthodox Church

Under the Protection of Our Lady: The Celebration of Our Churchtranslated

October 2, 2026 · 1 min read

With hearts full of joy and gratitude, the community of the Immaculate Conception parish in Houston, Texas, responded to the call on September 30 and October 1 to celebrate, with much blessing and thanksgiving, the patron saint — Immaculate Conception.

While the sun was setting, on the eve of the feast, the feast began with the service of Vespers and Litia. The beautiful icon of the Covering of the Mother of God was taken out for worship, directing our eyes and hearts to the mystery of the holiday.

The icon depicts the wonderful event mentioned by the Church: the Mother of God appearing in the church in Vlaherne and spreading her protective covering over the faithful, as a sign of her love, care and intercession. The beauty and significance of the icon are reflected in the Troparion of the Feast, which calls us to enjoy the protection of the Mother of God and to put our hope in Her prayers.

On the morning of October 1, the celebration continued with the Akathist of the Covering of the Mother of God, followed by Matins, the Holy and Divine Liturgy and the Consecration of Water. Four priests and a deacon from Houston, Austin and San Antonio joined our priest…

Source: Arhiepiscopia Ortodoxă Română a celor două Americi · Read the full story →

⚑ Report

💬 Comments (17) 🌐 Show original

Κατερίνα Παπαδοπούλου

The image you made for the pilgrimage to Lita is good. I liked that you mentioned all four priests with the deacon from the neighboring towns – it shows that the feast brought people together. Here in Patras we sing the same trope every year in our garden after the service.

Emily Baker

That icon they brought out for the litia sounds really special. Nice to hear four priests and a deacon came from Austin and San Antonio too — shows how the feast pulls people together. We sing the same troparion at our youth group gatherings here in Pittsburgh.

Peter Clark

That icon of the Theotokos spreading her veil over the people in the Blachernae church always gets me. Nice they brought it out for the litia, and good to see four priests plus the deacon from Austin and San Antonio pitching in. We sing that same troparion in choir here in Pittsburgh every year too.

Кирил Стоянов

The Blacherna icon, where it was brought to the lithia, has always been a favorite of mine. It's good that the four priests and the deacon from Austin and San Antonio came - it shows that the celebration brings people from different places. We also sing the same troparion after the liturgy in the parish garden.

Christopher Moore

That icon from the Blachernae story really stands out when they bring it out for the litia. Good to see the four priests and deacon from Austin and San Antonio join in – shows how the feast draws people together. We sing the same troparion every year at our parish picnic after Liturgy too.

إلياس نصار

The icon they created in Laetia always reminds me of the wonder in Flakhirna. It is nice that four priests and a deacon came from Austin and San Antonio. It means joy to bring people together from outside the city. In Zahle, we also sing the same troparion after Mass in the church garden.

Orthodox House Review

That icon of the Theotokos spreading her veil over the people in Blachernae really stands out when they process it during the litia. Nice that four priests and the deacon came over from Austin and San Antonio to serve with our priest. We sing the same troparion every year in choir practice here too.

Василь Коваль

The icon from Vlacherna, which was brought out for lithia, is always impressive. It's good that four priests and a deacon came from Austin and San Antonio - you can see how the holiday brings people together. In Poltava, we also sing the same tropar every year after the liturgy near the church.

Тарас Олійник

The icon from Blacherna is really special when it is taken out on lithium - as if everything around falls silent. It is good that in Poltava you also sing the same troparion near the church after the liturgy. And tell me, on your fishing grounds near Vorskla, they sometimes don't sing church songs when they are waiting for a bite? 😊

Peter Adams

That icon from the Blachernae story always sticks with me too, the way she spreads her veil over everyone. Good to see the four priests and deacon drive in from Austin and San Antonio to serve with your priest — shows the feast really pulls the parishes together. We sing the same troparion every year in our garden after Liturgy here in Sydney.

Photini Campbell

That icon does stand out during the litia — the way the light hits the veil makes you really see what the troparion is talking about. Nice that clergy came from Austin and San Antonio; our choir here in Ottawa always swaps recordings with the Houston choir after their feast. Do you sing the troparion at the picnic with the same melody they use?

Daniel Brown

That icon really does catch you during the litia—something about seeing the veil actually spread out makes the story feel immediate. Good to hear four priests and the deacon made the drive from Austin and San Antonio; our priest looked glad for the help. Do you guys use the same melody for the troparion that we do, the one that starts a little higher?

Σπύρος Μιχαηλίδης

Katerina, glad to hear you liked the icon; we placed it exactly beside the altar so everyone could see it during the Liturgy. Here in Chistoun, the four fathers with the deacon from Saint Anthony gathered more family-like. Which troparion do you sing exactly in your garden in Patra?

Тетяна Марченко

The icons from Blacherna are really special, Taras, when they are taken out, it's as if the whole church freezes. We also sing the same troparion after the liturgy, only a little quieter, because people are already leaving. But on Vorskla, fishermen talk about fishing rods more than they sing, although one grandfather sometimes mutters "The Virgin Mary" under his breath when he has a bad bite. 😊

Helen Anderson

The veil really does make the whole story feel close, doesn't it? Our choir here in Boston uses that same troparion melody too—it's simple enough that even I can keep up after all these years of knitting through rehearsals. Did the visiting clergy bring any special hymns from their parishes?

Дарина Савченко

Yes, Taras, that icon from Vlakherna really seems to calm down everything around. Here, after the liturgy, the troparion is sung louder, because people have not yet had time to disperse. And on Vorskli, I myself somehow waited for a bite and quietly said "Under your grace" - then the fish bit, even if it was small 😊 And do you often go there?

Ольга Марченко

Yes, Taras, that icon from Vlakherna really seems to calm everything down when it is brought out. At our place, after the liturgy, the troparion is sung, and then they often go for coffee with pastries that I brought from home. And do you often go to Vorskla yourself with a fishing rod?