On the Sixth Sunday after Pascha, the Sunday of the Healing of the Man Born Blind, His Eminence Atanasie celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Parish of ‘Saints Constantine and Helen’ in Bristol, surrounded by a council of priests and deacons, in the presence of the young people and faithful participating in the NEPSIS UK 2026 Congress, held between 15–17 May within the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The hierarchical service marked the conclusion of the congress dedicated to Romanian Orthodox youth in the United Kingdom, an event which brought together particpants from different regions of the country around prayer, spiritual dialogue and brotherly communion.
Fr Pimen Vlad, Abbot of the Cell ‘The Entrance of the Mother of God into the Temple’ at the Lacu Skete on Mount Athos, also took part in the congress events, leading several spiritual meetings and conferences dedicated to young people and Romanian faithful in the United Kingdom. In the preceding days, Fr Pimen Vlad had also participated in the events organised at the Archdiocesan Cathedral in London on the occasion of the first anniversary of the enthronement of His Eminence Atanasie.
The Light Opened Within the Human Heart
In his homily, His Eminence Atanasie spoke about the Gospel of the Healing of the Man Born Blind, showing that the miracle performed by Christ concerns not only the restoration of physical sight, but also reveals the inner enlightenment of the human person and the birth of living faith.
The hierarch emphasised that man’s true blindness is not the lack of bodily sight, but the closing of the heart towards God and towards light. In the Gospel, the blind man gradually receives not only the sight of his eyes, but also the opening of his soul, until he reaches the full confession of Christ. In this light, the Christian life is revealed as a continual journey of healing and illumination of the heart.
Referring also to the feast of Saints Constantine and Helen, the patrons of the Bristol parish, His Eminence highlighted their providential role in the history of the Church, showing that through faith, courage and responsibility they transformed the Cross of Christ from a sign of suffering into a sign of victory and hope for the entire Christian world.
Young People – A Living Witness of Communion and Responsibility
A special moment of the congress was the charitable marathon organised by the young people of NEPSIS Bristol, at the initiative of Fr Dean Ioan Claudiu Moldovan, parish priest of the community, in support of the Archdiocese’s philanthropic projects and especially of the long-distance sponsorship programme ‘One Child, One Light’, dedicated to children from disadvantaged families.
Through this initiative, the young people showed that Christian life is not limited merely to participation in events or conferences, but is fulfilled through concrete responsibility, solidarity and active love towards those in need.
The NEPSIS UK 2026 Congress included conferences, spiritual gatherings, moments of prayer and community activities, becoming for the participating young people a space of spiritual strengthening, dialogue and rediscovery of belonging to the Church within a society increasingly marked by individualism and secularisation.
Word of Gratitude
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, Fr Dean Ioan Claudiu Moldovan addressed a word of thanks to His Eminence Atanasie for his presence and blessing offered to the young people and the Bristol community, as well as to Fr Pimen Vlad for the conferences and spiritual meetings that brought much joy and spiritual benefit to those participating in the NEPSIS UK 2026 Congress.
Also present at the service were His Excellency Mr Robert Marin, Consul General of Romania in London, and Mrs Peaches Golding, Lord-Lieutenant of the County and City of Bristol, the official representative of the British Crown in the region, who, at the conclusion of the service, addressed a few words of appreciation for the Church’s work among young people and for the contribution of the Romanian communities to the social and cultural life of the United Kingdom. Mrs Peaches Golding also conveyed the greetings of His Majesty King Charles III, whom she described as “a faithful man and a supporter of those who rejoice in God”, expressing her joy at having been invited as a friend of the parish.
In their speeches, the two officials highlighted the importance of cooperation between the Church, Romanian diplomatic institutions and the British authorities, appreciating the way in which Romanian Orthodox communities contribute to preserving identity, promoting Christian values and strengthening dialogue and harmonious coexistence within British society.
Following this, His Eminence Atanasie expressed appreciation for the involvement of the NEPSIS youth and the efforts of the organisers, underlining that the future of Romanian Orthodoxy in the diaspora is built through communion, through the formation of a spiritually living generation and through cultivating a faith active through love and responsibility towards one’s neighbour.
On this occasion, His Eminence awarded Fr Pimen Vlad, on behalf of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Cross of Great Britain for monastics, as a sign of esteem and gratitude for his rich spiritual and missionary work in the service of the faithful and for the authentic witness of Athonite life which he shares with much love and discernment.
The hierarch emphasised that Fr Pimen’s presence among the young people and Romanian communities in the United Kingdom brought much spiritual strengthening and joy, becoming for many an opportunity to draw closer to the Church and to deepen their life in Christ.