This summer I had the opportunity to visit the Assumptionist communities in Romania and Bulgaria.  In the first part of my trip I was in Bucharest, Romania. An Assumptionist community there operates the St. Peter – St. Andrew Center, which is both a house of studies and a meeting place for Catholics and Orthodox. While there I learned about the work being done to foster relationships between Catholic and Orthodox believers. At a conference hosted by the center we had the opportunity to meet with the Orthodox Bishop of Bucharest and listen as he described the situation in the Orthodox world.

We did some traveling, too. In addition to visiting several ancient monasteries, we also explored the Danube Delta, where the Danube empties into the Black Sea.  During my stay in Bucharest (and Plovdiv) I also taught English to Assumptionists and Oblates of the Assumption, who were keen on practicing the language.  Finally, for a change of pace, we enjoyed watching the games of the World Cup together, each one rooting for a different team!

I also spent some time in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.  This is the home of the three Bulgarian Assumptionist martyrs, who were put to death by the Communist government of Bulgaria in 1952.  After the fall of Communism, the government returned the property they had expropriated from the Assumptionists, and it is once again a church of the Eastern Rite.  The large church is beautifully decorated with icons in the Byzantine style, and it was a pleasure to worship in that setting where we followed the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.    The fathers in Plovdiv, like in Bucharest, also serve the parish faithful in the area.

I’m fond of the culture and faith practices in the near east.  It was a pleasure to experience the life and work of Assumptionists there.  They exemplify the call of Pope St. John Paul II that the Church work towards the goal of once again breathing with both lungs, east and west.   May this work bear fruit in greater unity!