A group of Romanian pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Roman and Bacău safely returned home on Tuesday morning after experiencing tense moments during their pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
Fr. Valentin Chircu, who accompanied the group, told Basilica.ro that the situation escalated on the final day of the pilgrimage. “While we were participating in the Divine Liturgy at the Romanian Settlement in Jerusalem, warning sirens began to sound and explosions could be heard outside,” he said.
Following the service, the pilgrims received assistance from Archimandrite Ioan Meiu, the representative of the Romanian Patriarchate at the Holy Places. The group was temporarily accommodated in Bethlehem while discussions took place among travel agencies and pilgrimage groups still in Israel.
“We decided to travel by land to Egypt, so that from there we could take flights back home,” Fr. Chircu explained.
He also noted that the Archdiocese of Roman and Bacău established a special fund to ensure that all members of the pilgrimage group would return safely to Romania.
The crossing procedures at the Egyptian border took approximately five hours, as many groups were attempting to leave Israel. After entering Egypt, the pilgrims continued their journey to Cairo, accompanied by representatives of the Romanian Embassy in Egypt and supported by local authorities.
Fr. Chircu expressed gratitude to the hierarchs of the Archdiocese of Roman and Bacău for closely monitoring the group’s situation, as well as to Romanian authorities for their assistance in facilitating the pilgrims’ safe return.
“We give thanks to God that we arrived home safely and we thank everyone who kept us in their prayers and supported us in every possible way during these days,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Representation of the Romanian Patriarchate at the Holy Places continues to provide material and spiritual support to pilgrims who remain in Israel amid the security tensions that erupted on February 28.
Source: Basilica.ro Photo: pr. Chircu Valentin