The oldest Romanian parish in the Netherlands celebrated the first feast dedicated to the Holy Lady Maria Brâncoveanutranslated

The parish of "Saint Gregory the Theologian and Saint Maria Brâncoveanu" in Schiedam / Rotterdam, the oldest Romanian church in the Netherlands, celebrated the first summer feast dedicated to Saint Maria Brâncoveanu on Sunday.

The Holy Liturgy was celebrated by Fr. Ioan Dură, dean and parish priest of the community. After the service, there was a procession with the icon of the Holy Lady Maria Brâncoveanu, painted by the iconographer Marieta Rotariu.

"It is a special day for the parishioners, first of all as Romanians, by honoring the Holy Martyrs Brâncoveni, and then as parishioners, because the second patron of the community is dedicated to the Holy Lady Maria Brâncoveanu", the parish priest told Basilica.ro.

The community held memorial services for Mrs. Maria Brâncoveanu until last year and founded the Association of Romanian Orthodox Women "Holy Lady Maria Brâncoveanu" ten years ago.

The parish also supported cultural projects dedicated to it, including the "Doamna Maria Brâncoveanu" Tulip, the first Dutch tulip to bear a Romanian name.

The face of the saint, on a postage stamp Romfilatelia and the Romanian Post launched a philatelic issue dedicated to the canonization...