We are definitely in an Orthodox Country...
We were driven this morning into the nearby village of Valea Plopului for Divine Liturgy. We were in the "winter church" which is slightly smaller, and thus warmer when you pack many people into it along with 5 priests and a Deacon.
The church itself was beautiful. The iconography decorated the walls and my favorite icon was that of the Virgin Mary protecting and blessing what seemed to be the saints of Romania.
I was amazed by the devoutness and piety of every age in the church. It was crowded, but no one was talking. People were chanting with the chanters and continually doing prostrations. Even all the little kids greeted each icon with at least three prostrations. We knelt so many times during church, proving to myself that I am completely out of shape both physically and spiritually.
After the service, there were two smaller sermons. One explaining to the people that there was an Orthodox group of college students visiting, the other was the Deacon who had what seemed to be a very powerful sermon, though we understood nothing other than "St. Gregory Palamas," and Fr. Robert telling the congregation about his parish and Orthodoxy in America. It's amazing that each Orthodox Church around the world is also celebrating this Sunday of St. Greogory Palamas of Great Lent. At this moment, soon in the United States Matins will be beginning...At some point of the Liturgy, they did two or three petitions in English which was really cool :)
After church, there was a mini coffee hour outside where we were served bread with a garlic spread and hot red wine, which was amazing.
Back at the Orphanage, we were brought into a different room for lunch where many of the priests came after Liturgy with other parishioners. At the end of our meal, Father Marius joined our table and asked us what we knew about Romania. I mentioned that some of my friends told me that Romanians only eat pork. Father answered that it was because when the Turks were invading, since as Muslims they did not eat pork, the Romanians were only left with pork and adapted to it. We continued talking about icons on glass that we had seen at Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Ellwood City where our Romanian in residence friend explained the history of such icons. Fr. Marius was telling us that those icons are from the other side of the Transylvanian mountains.
Father Marius also spoke French, so I got to speak with him in French about the education that is offered here in Romania, especially for languages. It was amazing! We could both understand each other fully and it was so cool to have a common language (besides English)!!
Father then also told us that there is a tradition in Romania on March 9th to commemorate the Saints of Romania. The girls usually bake bread called kotiva (probably spelled that very wrong) and usually they make 40 loaves for the Saints who were soldiers. Each loaf is shaped like a soldier and is covered in honey and nuts. While baking them, the girls put the "qualities" of the Saints into the breads, so that when the bread is eaten after church, the faithful also get to partake in the qualities of the Saints.
Father Marius and his wife teach religion at the school in their village. It was super cool being about to speak with him and learn much about Romanian history and geography!
~ Survival of the fittest to get anointed and to receive Communion... Just like in Greece everyone mobs at once to get to the front
In the Church (their winter church since it's warmer)
Father Tenasea
The Narthex
Enjoying our bread and hot wine
In Church
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