AROLA Congress 2022
The Congress of the AROLA Association of Christian Women of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas took place on May 13-15. The congress was held simultaneously in two different locations Canada (Mono) and Allegan (USA) due to travel restrictions. It was also a hybrid form, a combination of in-person and virtual presence. Delegates from the parishes of the Metropolitan Church participated. Also present were His Eminence Nicolae, the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of the Americas, His Grace Ioan Casian, the Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Canada, Rev. Daniel Ene, Metropolitan Secretary, Archpriest Viorel Țencaliuc (Central Canada) and Hieromonk Polycarp.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy on Saturday, May 14, at the Exaltation of the Holy Cross & St. Ephrem the New Monastery, the host of the proceedings of the Congress in Canada, the Canadian hierarch said:
“This special period of the joy of the resurrection floods our souls. The event you all came to is a time of communion and joy. Here in Canada, we are trying to continue our mission to proclaim the Gospel of salvation. Clergy and believers are involved in this work. The Christian women in our parishes are like myrrh-bearing women who are always ready to go and serve the Lord. These are the ones that ensure the smooth running of community activities. That's why I wanted to thank all those who made the effort to come to the event and those who participate from afar.”
The presbytera Prof. Dr. Cristina Benga was invited to deliver the inaugural conference entitled Metacognition - the chance of a fulfilled life as a woman.
The administrative part of the AROLA Congress followed in the afternoon.
The presbytera Claudia Aileni, president, presented the rich agenda and current activity of the AROLA Association and the present and future projects, after which a review was made of the programs and scholarships that the association carries out with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae and His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian.
Next, the Activity Report for the years 2020-2022 for each deanery, the Financial Report and the Budget (2022-2024) for the USA and Canada were presented. Amendments to the statute were also approved. Following their unanimous approval, the new AROLA Governing Committee was elected.
Before the appointment of the new president of the Association, His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae offered to presbytera Claudia Aileni, the Metropolitan Cross for the activities carried out with much love and dedication within the association over the years.
During the presentation of this information, the ladies of the Executive Committee spoke about the post-pandemic opportunities to support and develop new projects by organizing several fundraising activities. After two years of pandemic, the meeting of the ladies’ auxiliary association of the USA and Canada at this Congress was a meeting full of love and enthusiasm.
The new positions are as follows: Elena Stan (USA) - President, Daniela Stroescu (Canada) Vice President, Cristina Kraițer (SUA) secretary, Adriana Obreja (USA) - Treasurer, Geta Slavei (Canada) - Treasurer, Mirela Manga - Public Relations Nicoleta Ștefan (Canada-Center), deaneries communication - Oana Grosuleac (Canada-East), Psa Elena Moldova (Canada-West), Ioana Coman (SUA-Est), Cornelia Oprea Pîrvulescu (SUA-Centre) and Crina Ghimpu (SUA-West)
The Exaltation of the Holy Cross Monastery & St. Ephrem the New from Mono and Father Polycarp were welcoming hosts through prayer and the warmth of the welcome.
During these difficult pandemic months, a family was built with a lot of patience and dedication. And not just any kind of family - but one in which, together with the other women from the parishes, they carry the burden of a cross on their shoulders. It is the cross of our times, in which the love of neighbor and family has been hard tried. Under this toil of the spiritual cross, a certain spiritual kinship was acquired. This cross polished and twinned the souls present at the meeting. Thus, after the end of the work of the Congress, an atmosphere of warmth and solidarity took over the souls of all, a joy of the natural flowed instantly in the hearts when together with Father Polycarp the paths of the forest around the monastery were crossed with great joy. Ilie Tudor, a confessor from the communist prisons, mentioned in his book From Under the Roller (Curtea Brâncovenească Publishing House, Bucharest, 2010) that after a period of imprisonment in which he had not seen the light of day, he saw a blade of grass in the prison yard. And in that blade of grass he saw "all the glory of Heaven!"
On Saturday evening at 8:00 pm all those present at the Congress participated in the Vespers Service officiated by Father Nicolae Codrea and Father Polycarp, after which the Akathist of the Holy Pious Parascheva was read, whose cover was brought for veneration on Friday, May 13, 2022.
The event ended on Sunday, May 15, with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy by Protosyngellos Corneliu Andrașco, Father Policarp Athenagoras and Father Emanuel Ionuț Țencaliuc.
It was also very encouraging that on Sunday morning, in addition to those present at the AROLA Congress, many believers from the province of Ontario attended the Divine Liturgy.
After the Divine Liturgy, a memorial service was held for the commemoration of the Holy Confessors in the communist prisons, followed by an agape in their memory.
(notes by Cornelia Poclid)
