These days, His Grace Bishop Macarie of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Northern Europe is on a pastoral visit to the Romanians in the Faroe Islands. On Sunday, March 10, 2019, the hierarch held the Divine Liturgy in the capital of the Faroe Islands, Torshavn. On this occasion, Father Bishop Macarie ordained reverend Iulian-Ioan Mindru into confessor and installed him as parish priest. The little children attending the ministry received the holy Sacraments as well as gifts from the hierarch, while the believers attending the service received icons, crosses, and many books for spiritual use.

In his word of teaching, His Grace Bishop Macarie said: “It is a great joy and a great event for all of us to serve together here in these remote places where we are far less than when we gather home, but I remember the word of the Savior: Do not fear little flock, because your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom “(Luke 12: 32). This state of alienation, simplicity and distance that we have assumed in the diaspora may be a blessed occasion to live life in Christ as it was lived in the first Christian communities. Those communities were strengthened with the bond of love and unity. They truly formed one Body, the one of the Church, each member of the community being honored, respected, loved in Christ. The goal was salvation, that is, access to the Kingdom of Heaven in Paradise. Life was, therefore, simpler, but happier. I wholeheartedly urge you to such a blessed simplicity, our only true goal being salvation. Our only true community is here in the Church. We have the other communities and we work to maintain them with the consciousness of their temporality. And because I mentioned the first Christian communities, I recall here a very beautiful word spoken by a Christian at the father Iulian’s  ordination service in Iasi. “Your Grace, send a priest among the dolphins of the Faeroe Islands.” The brother, of course, referred to the dolphins that are a common occurrence in these Atlantic waters, but know that the dolphin is one of the beautiful symbols of primary Christianity, imagining Christ, our salvation! By the fact that from now on you will have a priest and the Liturgy, you will now be able to say, “Christ in our midst!”, The Savior Jesus Christ being the nucleus and the foundation of the Eucharistic community!”

His Grace Bishop Macarie visited several families at home, performing the Sanctification of the house and giving comfort and encouragement to these Romanians far away from the country.

The Faroe Islands belong to the Kingdom of Denmark and are a group of islands situated in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean between Scotland, Norway and Iceland. In this area live over 200 Romanians.