Martyered Bishops, Martyred Faith in Transylvania Romania

The communists have won in Romania. There are twice as many funerals as baptisms in the Romanian Greek-Catholic churches. This is due to a low birth rate but also leaving the Greek Catholic churches for Orthodoxy, the Roman-rite, and various Protestant denominations as well as the 'church of the mall and sports' like in the West. Do the martyred bishops and other saints weep from heaven? 

Stolen Churches, Stolen Faith in Transylvania Romania

My husband's great grandfather helped build this formerly Greek Catholic church before the second world war. The entire village was Greek Catholic. It was given to the Orthodox by the communist government and so remains. A neighboring village with two churches (Greek Catholic for Romanians, Roman-rite Catholic for the German minority)- the Greek Catholic church was given to the new Orthodox and the Germans moved back to the West. The Roman-rite church remained empty. After 1989, the Germans rent the Roman rite church to the Greek Catholics and the Orthodox still worship in the formerly Greek Catholic church. Before the second world war, there were no Orthodox in the area, but people- understandably- wanted to stay out of the labor camps so they 'converted.' Now? People go the church that is closest and attend services where they will see their friends and co-workers. They worship t the church of their fathers- not great-grandfathers- so they attend the Orthodox church.

We are from Nazareth

The persecutions have been happening for a long, long time. Now- it is getting worse. How can we Westerners even begin to understand- a 1,800 year old church being burnt to the ground? 

We are in Romania now- land of persecution under communism that still happens today. Perhaps I will write more when I feel I have something  constructive to say. For now, for all Christians, remember that the Muslims are becoming the majority in Europe. If we bother to attend church at all, we grumble when a priest preaches for longer than ten minutes. We married folks decide to have our first and only child after ten years or so of marriage. We cannot be bothered to turn off the video clips, smart phones and television news in order to help our family and friends with a crisis or harvest or building project. 

We are out for ourselves. Is it any wonder that the devout, prayerful, family-centered Muslims will overtake the Christians any day now? They really do not need to actively exterminate the Christians, but I suppose it speeds the process a bit. 

Holy Prophet Elijah

 An angel in the flesh and the cornerstone of the prophets, the second forerunner of the coming of Christ, Glorious Elijah sent grace from on high to Elisha, to dispel diseases and to cleanse lepers. Therefore, he pours forth healing on those who honor him.

from icons and echoes