The Romanian Orthodox Parish ‘Meeting of the Lord’ in Glasgow celebrated its patronal feast

Sunday, February 2, 2025, Archbishop-elect Atanasie, with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Iosif of Western and Southern Europe, celebrated the Divine Liturgy on the patronal feast of the ‘Meeting of the Lord’ Parish in Glasgow. The parish is entrusted to the pastoral care of the Reverend Father George Bliorțu.

At the designated moment, Reverend Father Andrei Brișca, from the ‘Nativity of the Mother of God’ Parish in Carlisle was appointed as confessor by Archbishop-elect Atanasie.

In his sermon, the hierarch highlighted the significance of the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord, a celebration of Christ’s revelation as the Savior of all nations and fulfilling God’s promises. The moment when Baby Jesus encounters Righteous Simeon symbolises the transition from the Old to the New Covenant and the call for all people to welcome Christ into their hearts.

Furthermore, His Grace emphasized that if we do not bear the seal of fruitful virtues revealed to us today through Simeon and Anna, as well as through the prophecy received by the Mother of God – faith, unwavering hope, prayer, and especially love, which bears grace upon grace – we cannot truly draw near to God, whether we are young or old, monks, or descendants from a high family.

You can listen to the panegyric by clicking on this link: Archbishop’s-elect Atanasie Panegyric at the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord – February 2, 2025

The Panegyric can be read by clicking on this link: Meeting of the Lord – The true Light for revelation to the Gentiles

The ‘Meeting of the Lord’ Parish in Glasgow was established following a missionary visit done at the end of 2008 by Father Marcel Oprișan. His meetings with members of the Romanian communities in the main cities of Scotland led to the formation of the first Romanian Orthodox parish in this area. In 2015, Father George Bliorțu was appointed as the parish priest.

The official inauguration of the parish took place on January 18, 2009, in the presence of several hierarchs from the Romanian Orthodox Church, Romanian and Scottish authorities, as well as numerous faithful. The event was marked by the participation of several church choirs from Romania and by moments of Romanian tradition.

On June 1, 2011, the parish was officially registered as a charity organization in the Scottish Charity Register, with the objectives of promoting the Orthodox faith, supporting the Romanian community, and facilitating its integration into Scottish society.

In 2010, the ‘Ioan Alexandru‘ (writer) Library was inaugurated within the parish, becoming one of the largest Romanian libraries in the diaspora, with over 3,000 volumes in various fields. This library was created in collaboration with cultural institutions from Romania and represents an important centre for promoting Romanian culture and identity in Scotland. Additionally, ‘Saint Nicholas‘ Romanian School – established in 2023, operates within the parish and has over 100 children enrolled. The school offers courses in Romanian, Orthodox teaching, creative workshops, and participants take part in numerous competitions. The school also promotes Romanian values and traditions.

In 2024, the church was acquired by the parish community. The new church, where the parish school will also operate, is placed under the protection of Saint Columba of Iona.

The church address is: 24 Amochrie Rd, Paisley PA2 0JR.

Text credit: Department for Communication and PR of EORI