Dorinel Preotescu News
On the Fifth Sunday after Pascha, dedicated to the Samaritan Woman, 10 May 2026, His Eminence Atanasie celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the ‘Holy Great Martyr George’ in Enfield, London, surrounded by a host of priests and deacons, in the presence of numerous faithful.
This day held particular significance for the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, marking one year since the enthronement of His Eminence Atanasie as the first Archbishop of this Diocese, an event which took place on 10 May 2025 at the Archdiocesan Cathedral in London.
The anniversary events began in the preceding days with the service of the Supplicatory Canon to Saint Ephraim the New, whose holy relics are also venerated at the Archdiocesan Cathedral. They continued with the celebration of Great Vespers and a spiritual gathering led by Archimandrite Iustin Miron, Abbot of Nicula Monastery, and concluded on Sunday evening with the conference delivered by Fr Pimen Vlad from Mount Athos, attended by faithful from London and the surrounding areas.
The Living Water and the Soul’s Thirst for God
In his homily, His Eminence Atanasie spoke about the profound spiritual meaning of the encounter between Christ and the Samaritan Woman, showing that the Gospel of this Sunday reveals the deepest thirst of the human person – the thirst for God.
At Jacob’s well, Christ does not merely respond to a human need, but reveals the living water of grace, which transforms the whole existence of the human person. The Samaritan woman comes to draw water from an earthly well and departs carrying within her heart the beginning of a new life.
His Eminence underlined that contemporary man often lives surrounded by many springs that cannot quench the inner thirst of the heart. Only the encounter with Christ can transform this thirst into living communion and illumination of the whole existence. In this light, the Samaritan woman becomes the image of the soul that passes from searching to encounter, from restlessness to confession, and from loneliness to communion.
At the same time, His Eminence showed that the water of grace is not an abstract idea, but the very life of God shared with man in the Church through prayer, the Holy Mysteries, and the authentic living of the faith.
Spiritual Gatherings and Ecclesial Communion
The presence of Archimandrite Iustin Miron, Abbot of Nicula Monastery, and Fr Pimen Vlad, a well-known Athonite spiritual father, gave these days a strong spiritual character, as the meetings and conferences organised at the Cathedral became occasions of spiritual strengthening and communion for the Romanian faithful in the United Kingdom.
A Gift for the Cathedral – the Icon of the Mother of God ‘Panaghia Kykkotissa’
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the Archdiocesan Cathedral received, on the occasion of the first anniversary of the enthronement of His Eminence Atanasie, an authentic copy of the icon of the Mother of God ‘Panaghia Kykkotissa’, one of the most venerated icons of the Mother of God in Cyprus, preserved at the historic Kykkos Monastery.
The icon was offered as a gift by the Parish of the “Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple” in Belfast, through the care and dedication of the parish priest, Father Romeo Toma Puiu, and with the support of a donor from the community, as a sign of esteem and fraternal communion on this anniversary moment in the life of the Archdiocese.
This icon was offered for the blessing and veneration of the faithful who enter the Archdiocesan Cathedral, as a sign of the protection and intercession of the Mother of God for the Romanian Orthodox community in the United Kingdom.
Words of Gratitude
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the clergy serving at the Cathedral addressed a word of congratulations to His Eminence Atanasie on the occasion of the first anniversary of his enthronement as Archbishop of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
On this occasion, Fr Constantin Popescu, Archdiocesan Administrative Vicar, highlighted the rich activity carried out during the first year of His Eminence’s hierarchical ministry, marked by the intensification of pastoral and missionary life, the development of parish communities, the strengthening of diocesan life, and the organisation of the Archdiocesan Cathedral as a landmark of Romanian Orthodoxy in the United Kingdom.
Also among the distinguished guests present at the event was Her Excellency Mrs Laura Popescu, Ambassador of Romania to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, who delivered a word of appreciation on the occasion of the first anniversary of the enthronement of His Eminence Archbishop Atanasie, recalling with joy her participation in the solemn enthronement ceremony which took place one year ago.
His Eminence Atanasie then addressed a word of thanks to all those who contributed to the organisation of these anniversary days: the Cathedral clergy, the guests who came from Romania and from Mount Athos, the local authorities, and the faithful present, for the communion and love shown during this moment of celebration and gratitude.
One Year Since the Enthronement of Archbishop Atanasie
The enthronement of His Eminence Atanasie as the first Romanian Orthodox Archbishop of Great Britain and Northern Ireland took place on 10 May 2025 at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the ‘Holy Great Martyr George’ in Enfield, London. The Divine Liturgy and the enthronement ceremony were celebrated by His Eminence Metropolitan Iosif together with a host of hierarchs from Romania and abroad, in the presence of numerous faithful and representatives of Romanian and British institutions.
The delegate of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel for this solemn occasion was His Eminence Nifon, Archbishop of Târgoviște and Patriarchal Exarch.
During the ceremony, official messages were conveyed on behalf of the Patriarch of Romania, as well as from His Majesty King Charles III, who highlighted the strong ties between Romanians and the United Kingdom and the importance of this moment for the life of the Romanian Orthodox community in the diaspora.