“The Meeting Of Our Lord” Parish in Glasgow organizes varied activities attended by the many children from our community. These activities are organised both independently and in partnership with other associations and institutions.
Year on year, children have participated in numerous celebrations, such as those organized on the occasion of the church’s dedication, The Sunday of Orthodoxy, St. Nicholas Day and Christmas. Children have also been involved in painting activities and drawing exhibitions on the occasion of Romania Day, The Sunday of Orthodoxy and Christmas.
Many of our children participated in two special projects organized in partnership with schools and parishes in this country. The first project, “Joys from the Romanian heart” was part of the National Catechetical Competition “The Church – the Family of Romanians Everywhere”, with the aim being to contribute to creating links or twinning between communities in the country and those in the diaspora.
The contest was organized by the Romanian Patriarchate in 2021, a year dedicated to “The Homage Year of the Pastoral Care of Romanians Outside Romania”. Our parish, “The Presentation of our Lord” in Glasgow is twinned with the parish “Holy Archangels” in Braila and the participating children from both cities had the opportunity to meet and participate in numerous activities together.
The second project, ‘Roots. The memory of generations’ is organized by Bratca Theoretical High School in Bihor and is ongoing this year. The aim of the project is to develop feelings of pride towards the historical past of the Romanian people, especially towards the heroic deeds of their ancestors.
Other activities very well received by parents in Glasgow were Romanian language courses. Children participating in numerous courses organized voluntarily by a Romanian teacher in the community, but also in courses organized with the support of other institutions. Thus, the project ‘Hello! Do you want us to be friends?’ was organized by “Tales told in Romanian” and was funded by the Department for Romanians Abroad, attended weekly by 17 children.
Other children also attended Romanian language courses organized by the “Romanian Cultural Institute in London” in 2020 and 2021.
Among other events in which our children participated, we mention: meeting writer Marina Debattista, part of the project “Hello! Do you want us to be friends?” funded by the Department for Romanians Abroad in 2022. This meeting was greatly appreciated both by the children and their parents, as well as by Mrs. Marina Debattista.
The children participated with their creations in events organized by the Romanian Embassy in London on the occasion of Romanian Language Day, in a workshop with activities inspired by dramatic arts organized by the drama association. There was also an an activity organized by the Romanian Cultural Institute in London on the occasion of Romanian Culture Day and in an online meeting with Ambassador Laura Popescu, who wanted to meet the students of the Romanian Language course program organized by ICR London.
The children also participated in competitions organized by the Romanian Orthodox Metropolis of Western and Southern Europe in 2021.
All these events illustrate the experience we have in organizing activities for children and their families, as well as in our organization’s ability to link collaborations and partnerships, in a way that develops the civic and community spirit of the Romanian community in Glasgow, Scotland.
Parents expressed their wish in requesting religion and Romanian language courses for their children, in order to better understand the Romanian faith, tradition and culture.
Further, an opinion poll we conducted in December 2022 showed the desire of many members of the Romanian community in Glasgow to have a Romanian school here, where children learn the Romanian language and preserve and understsand Romania’s traditions and culture.
As one mum said:
“Preserving Romanian traditions and language and passing them on to our children is the most beautiful thing we as parents/community can do for them!”
We want the establishment of the “St. Nicholas” Romanian School for Romanian children in and around the community of Glasgow to promote the religious, cultural and traditional values of the Romanian people.
We want the establishment of the “St. Nicholas” Romanian School for Romanian children in and around the community of Glasgow to promote the religious, cultural and traditional values of the Romanian people..