On these days His Grace Bishop Macarie of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Northern Europe was on a pastoral visit to the Romanians in southern Sweden. On Saturday, March 30, 2019, Father Bishop Macarie celebrated the Divine Liturgy and the Remembrance for those who are asleep in the Lord in the Romanian church in Jönköping, Sweden. In the service, the hierarch ordained the young Ciprian Luca into deacon. On the third Sunday of the Great Lent, March 31, 2019, His Grace Macarie performed the Divine Liturgy in the town of Växjö in the church of the Romanian Orthodox Parish “The Ascension of the Holy Cross and the Holy Hierarchs Joseph the Confessor of Maramures and Sigfrid of Växjö, the Enlightener of Sweden”, and also served a remembrance service for the priest Milica Văsuianu, the parish priest of this community, who at the beginning of February passed to the eternal life after a tragic road accident. After the service, the hierarch installed Rev. Laurentiu Drăghicenoiu in his ministry. The gathering of priests was formed by ministers Ovidiu-Teodor Bancilă, Octavian-Horaţiu Mureşan, Alin-Silviu Iosif, the priests Alin-Ioan Popa, Justin-Constantin Gherasim, Andrei-Valerian Dănilă, Laurenţiu Draghicenoiu and Deacons Sorin Luckily, Lucian-Raul Marc and Ciprian Luca.

In the word of preaching, His Grace Macarie referred to the significance of the third Sunday dedicated to the Holy Cross. “The joy of the Resurrection came after the pains and sufferings of Golgotha. We can only acquire the joy of Resurrection in our heart unless we do not leave the painful path of Golgotha, the crucifixion. We have to stay on the Cross. The way of fasting is the way of the Cross that finishes on Golgotha ​​where we crucify ourselves with Christ to resurrect with Him. The Savior did not turn away from the Cross. He suffered all the pains and humiliations as he ascended the Golgotha ​​to the Cross, then He ascended to the Cross. In our turn, we also behave like the Lord on the Cross, and then we climb on it. From this Cross, we can no longer descend, even if we are tempted, even if we are humiliated, even if we are denigrated, even if we are struck and tortured, suffering like the Crucified One. If we remain to the end on the painful path of Golgotha, ascending to the Cross and remaining on the Cross, we will rise with Christ, acquiring the joy of the Resurrection, the joy of victory.”

During his pastoral visit, the hierarch spoke and guided spiritually the priests and the many believers in the parish communities, and the little children received crosses.