Dorinel Preotescu News
As one year has passed since the enthronement of His Eminence Atanasie as the first Romanian Orthodox Archbishop of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (10 May 2025 – 10 May 2026), the life of the newly established Archdiocese is now revealing itself as a work of consolidation, maturation and strengthening of the Romanian Orthodox communities throughout this region.
In a context marked by mobility, fragmentation and the many challenges specific to diaspora life, the establishment of the Archdiocese represented not merely an administrative act or canonical reorganisation, but a natural response to the need for closer, more organic and more stable pastoral care for Orthodox Romanians living in the United Kingdom.
This first year has shown that the purpose of an eparchy lies not only in the development of institutional structures, but above all in its capacity to transform communities into genuine places of communion, healing and spiritual belonging. In many places, the Church has become for Romanians in the diaspora not merely the place of Sunday worship, but also the place where people rediscovered their roots, their language, solidarity and inner peace.
A New Stage in the Life of Romanian Orthodoxy in the United Kingdom
Throughout this year, the life of the Archdiocese has experienced steady and balanced growth. New parish and missionary communities were established, particularly in areas where the Romanian population has grown significantly and where the presence of the Church had become an urgent pastoral necessity. Today, the Archdiocese comprises 109 communities and 128 clergy actively engaged in pastoral and missionary ministry.
At the same time, the administrative and legal organisation of the Archdiocese continued to develop, with the approval of the fundamental structures necessary for its functioning within the complex and distinct British context. These efforts sought not only institutional efficiency, but above all the consolidation of a coherent and enduring ministry for future generations.
This first year has also highlighted ever more clearly the missionary and catechetical character of Romanian Orthodoxy in the United Kingdom. The Archdiocese has become one of the Romanian diaspora dioceses with the highest number of receptions into Orthodoxy, reflecting the growing interest within British society towards Orthodox spirituality and the Church’s responsibility to offer authentic and profound catechesis.
In this context, catechetical and formative programmes were developed in collaboration with the IOCS – Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies in Cambridge, alongside meetings dedicated to new converts, students and those interested in the Orthodox faith. Through conferences, courses, catechetical evenings and spiritual discussions, the Archdiocese sought to respond to an increasingly evident need for a deeper understanding of the faith within a society marked by secularisation and intense spiritual searching.
This missionary openness demonstrates that Orthodoxy in the diaspora is no longer solely an ethnic presence intended exclusively for Romanians, but is increasingly becoming a living and accessible witness for all those seeking the authenticity of the faith and the experience of a profound spiritual life.
The Archdiocese also carried out sustained cultural, educational and pastoral activity. At diocesan level, the following were organised:
16 theological, pastoral and cultural conferences and thematic meetings;
10 commemorative and anniversary events dedicated to personalities and themes proposed by the Romanian Patriarchate;
7 major cultural events.
The Archdiocesan Cathedral – A Sign of Stability and Continuity
One of the most important moments in the life of the new Archdiocese was the consolidation and development of the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Great Martyr George in Enfield, London, a church acquired in December 2023 and which, following the establishment of the Archdiocese, became the principal liturgical and spiritual landmark of Romanian Orthodoxy in the United Kingdom.
Around the Cathedral, a true diocesan centre has gradually begun to take shape through the arrangement of administrative spaces, the development of liturgical and catechetical programmes, and the organisation of spiritual, cultural and educational events dedicated to the Romanian community.
At the same time, the year 2025 witnessed unprecedented patrimonial development within Romanian Orthodox communities in the United Kingdom. Four new churches were acquired, while in Scotland one church was received as a donation, with further efforts initiated in 2026 for the reception of another church building.
By the end of 2025, the Archdiocese and its communities owned 16 churches, reflecting not only administrative consolidation, but also the desire of Orthodox Romanians to establish the Church’s presence in this land in a stable and lasting manner.
Liturgical and Pastoral Life – The Centre of the Archdiocesan Ministry
Throughout this period, the true centre of diocesan life remained liturgical ministry and direct encounter with people. Almost every week, His Eminence Atanasie was present among communities throughout the Kingdom, celebrating services, catecheses, conferences, ordinations, blessings and pastoral meetings, in a constant effort to strengthen the bond between the Archdiocese and the faithful.
Many young communities received new clergy, while numerous parishes strengthened their liturgical life and pastoral organisation, becoming living spaces of communion and spiritual support for Romanians in the diaspora. At the same time, there has been a growing involvement of young families in parish life, with communities increasingly developing catechetical, cultural and communal activities adapted to the realities of generations raised in a Western context.
The Archdiocese also gave particular attention to clergy formation and the development of a pastoral approach adapted to the challenges of contemporary society, organising training sessions, ordination qualifying examinations and pastoral and liturgical formation programmes for clergy.
Young People – A Pastoral Priority and an Investment in the Future
An essential direction of this first year has been the strengthening of ministry among children and young people, recognising that the future of Romanian Orthodoxy in the diaspora depends upon the Church’s ability to transmit the faith and ecclesial identity to new generations.
In this regard, the Archdiocese currently includes 38 parish schools attended by 1,685 children and young people, while more than 1,100 individuals participate in catechetical and Bible study programmes.
The NEPSIS UK Congress, diocesan camps, spiritual gatherings and formative programmes organised throughout various regions of the United Kingdom have created genuine spaces of communion, dialogue and formation for Romanian youth growing up between two cultures and two worlds.
Through all these initiatives, the Archdiocese sought not merely to organise educational activities, but to cultivate a generation capable of preserving simultaneously the Orthodox faith, the Romanian language and the awareness of belonging to the Church within a society increasingly marked by individualism and secularisation.
Social and Philanthropic Ministry – The Expression of a Living Faith
During this first year of the Archdiocese’s existence, its social and philanthropic dimension experienced significant development. Through the social-philanthropic sector and parish communities, numerous humanitarian and social projects were carried out in support of vulnerable families, children, people in difficulty and Romanians facing crisis situations.
Substantial material and financial assistance was provided both in the United Kingdom and Romania, supporting medical cases, disadvantaged families, children and individuals affected by various social difficulties. In many communities, the Church became not only a place of prayer, but also a concrete space of solidarity and mutual support.
This philanthropic dimension demonstrated that the mission of the Church in the diaspora is not limited to preserving religious and cultural identity, but also involves assuming responsibility for the concrete suffering of people.
The social dimension of the diocesan mission included:
6 major philanthropic projects;
1,225 people financially supported by the Archdiocese;
£246,231 (€285,430) directed towards social-philanthropic activities;
material aid worth £141,366 (€163,872) offered to 3,647 beneficiaries;
support provided for over 820 children in Romanian placement centres during 2025, with a further 100 children sponsored remotely during 2026;
pastoral ministry organised in prisons (23 permanently involved priests) and hospitals (19 permanently involved priests).
A Living Presence within British Society
At the same time, the Archdiocese strengthened its presence within British public and institutional life, developing collaborative relationships with local and national authorities, Romanian diplomatic institutions and other Orthodox jurisdictions and Christian communities in the United Kingdom.
Participation in inter-Christian dialogue, academic meetings and joint initiatives expressed the desire for a Romanian Orthodox presence that is balanced, responsible and open to dialogue and cooperation.
At the same time, the development of media platforms and the ROARCH mobile application contributed to strengthening communication and fostering closer connections between Romanian communities spread throughout the United Kingdom.
A Ministry Built Through Time and Patience
Looking back upon this first year of hierarchical ministry, it may be said that the true achievement of the new Archdiocese lies not merely in projects or structures, but in the fact that increasingly more people have begun to feel that the Church is close to them.
In the diaspora, where loneliness, insecurity and uprootedness can become burdensome experiences, the Church is called to be a place of presence and communion. It is precisely this pastoral closeness and continuity of ministry that has begun to shape the identity of the new Archdiocese.
This first year has not merely been one of outward achievements, but one of establishment and organic growth — a ministry that continues to be built through patience, sacrifice and faithfulness to the Gospel, with the awareness that the true vocation of the Church lies in its capacity to bring people light, peace and spiritual stability.
And if there is one sign of the fruitfulness of this beginning, it is perhaps discovered most clearly in the fact that increasingly more Romanians throughout the United Kingdom have begun to rediscover in the Church not merely an institution or liturgical space, but a true spiritual home.