Beloved faithful, dear founders, benefactors, and donors of our parish,

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“Thus far the Lord has helped us.” (I Samuel 7:12)

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With profound gratitude to our Good God and thanksgiving to the Most Holy Theotokos, the protector of our holy church, we wish to share with you news of great joy for our entire community:

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With the help of our Good God, through the intercession and protection of the Mother of God, and through your sacrifice, love, and generosity, we have succeeded in paying off the bank loan of our church in full.

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Glory to God for all things!

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This accomplishment represents far more than simply paying off a financial debt. It is the fruit of many years of faith, prayer, work, patience, and sacrifice. Behind this moment stand people who believed that a holy church dedicated to the Mother of God should exist here; people who had the courage to begin, who gave from their abundance or from what little they had, who worked with their own hands, and who never ceased to hope when the road became difficult.

 

Therefore, our thoughts turn first and foremost to the founders of this holy church—to those who laid the foundation for this work and made it possible for the dream of a community to become a reality.

 

A founder is not merely someone whose name is inscribed on a plaque or in a document. A founder is someone who has placed a part of his or her heart into building the House of God. Every prayer, every donation, every hour of work, every meal prepared, every event organized, and every sacrifice made for this church has become, in a mysterious way, a brick in its construction.

 

From the depths of our hearts, we thank all the donors and benefactors who, throughout the years, have supported the parish with generosity and trust. Some were able to give more, others less, but before God, the value of a gift is measured not only in numbers, but above all in the love and sacrifice with which it is offered.

 

We thank the families who remained close to the church during difficult years; the volunteers; the ladies and gentlemen who worked at parish events; those who organized and supported festivals and community meals; those who helped maintain and beautify the church; and all those who, whether seen or unseen by others, have done something for this holy place.

 

God knows the name of each and every one, and no sacrifice made for His House is ever forgotten.

 

A remembrance filled with gratitude is also due to the founders, donors, and benefactors who have departed to the Lord and are no longer physically among us to witness this day. They sowed the seeds, and today we rejoice in the fruits of their labors. May the Lord grant them rest in His Kingdom, and may their memory endure from generation to generation!

 

And to all of you who stand beside this church today, we say from our hearts:

 

Thank you!
Thank you for your trust.
Thank you for your prayers.
Thank you for your patience.
Thank you for your work.
Thank you for every gift and every sacrifice.

This accomplishment belongs to you as well.

 

The church we see today is not merely a beautiful building. It is a testimony to the faith of an entire community. It is the place where our children are baptized, where our young people receive the blessing of Holy Matrimony, where we confess and receive Holy Communion, where we pray for the sick and commemorate those who have fallen asleep in the Lord. It is the place where we encounter Christ and where, under the protection of His Most Holy Mother, we become a spiritual family.

 

Therefore, the repayment of the loan should not be viewed as the end of a journey, but rather as the beginning of a new chapter in the life of our parish.

 

Until now, we have carried the burden of a debt. From this point forward, we are called to direct our strength, love, and generosity toward the future: toward our children and young people; toward their Orthodox Christian education; toward our pastoral and missionary work; toward helping those in need; and toward preserving our faith and our beautiful Orthodox heritage for the generations that will come after us.

 

In the coming period, a date will be established when His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae, Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of the Americas, will be able to be with us, so that together we may give thanks to God and to the Mother of God and celebrate this remarkable accomplishment in the life of our community.

 

On that occasion, Founder Certificates will also be presented as a sign of gratitude and appreciation to those founders whose sacrifice and contributions made possible the establishment, building, and continued support of this holy church.

 

We hope that day will not simply be a celebration, but above all a day of thanksgiving offered to God.

 

Let us come together before the Holy Altar and say:

 

“Lord, we thank You for everything You have given us. Most Holy Theotokos, we thank you for your protection. Receive this church as a testimony to the love and faith of the people who built it and preserved it.”

 

Dear founders and benefactors,

 

Perhaps many years from now, our names will no longer be known to those who enter through the doors of this church. But its bells will continue to call people to prayer. The Divine Liturgy will continue to be celebrated. Children will continue to be baptized. People will light candles before the icon of the Mother of God and seek her help. And for every soul that finds Christ here, a portion of the blessing will also return to those who made the existence of this holy church possible.

 

This is the true legacy of a founder.

 

It is not only the wall he or she helped raise, but the prayer that will continue within those walls long after he or she has departed from this world.

 

May our Good God reward a hundredfold the love and sacrifice of each and every one of you, bless your families and your children, and may the Most Holy Theotokos, the Life-Giving Fountain, cover you with her honorable Protection and intercede for you before her Son.

 

Glory to God for this great accomplishment!

 

Honor and gratitude to our founders!

 

Thanksgiving to all our donors, benefactors, and volunteers!

 

And may we, now freed from this burden, continue forward together—with peace, faith, and love—so that this church may remain alive and fruitful for our children, our grandchildren, and the generations that will come after us.

 

With sincere gratitude and paternal blessings,

Fr. Roman (Romanos) Galben
The Parish Council
The Romanian Orthodox Parish of the “Life-Giving Fountain”