HISTORICAL
The Romanian Orthodox Parish of “Saint Great Martyr Mina” in Leicester is a young community, yet one full of life and active involvement. Officially established on 1 May 2023, with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Iosif, the parish was entrusted from the very beginning with a parish priest for the pastoral care and spiritual guidance of the faithful: Fr. Ștefan Bogdan Topală.
The first Holy Liturgy was celebrated on 15 July 2023, marking the beginning of regular liturgical life for the Orthodox community in Leicester.
Fr. Ștefan Topală was born on 8 April 1987 in Bârlad, Vaslui County. A graduate of the “Saints Emperors Constantine and Helen” Theological Seminary and of the “Dumitru Stăniloae” Faculty of Theology in IaÈ™i, he pursued the Pastoral Theology program and married Presbytera Alexandra in 2009. Together, they have five children.
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The Topală family moved to the United Kingdom in October 2014, and Fr. Ștefan served as a chanter and choir coordinator of the local parish until 2019.
In July 2019, Fr. Ștefan was ordained to the diaconate by His Eminence Metropolitan Iosif, and in May 2023 he received priestly ordination in the Parish of Cambridge. At present, he is continuing his studies at master’s level in Orthodox Theology at the Faculty of Theology in Craiova, maintaining a close connection with the Romanian academic and pastoral tradition.
The Leicester parish carries out its activity at Saint John Bosco’s Church Hall, located at 88 Pasley Road, and welcomes its faithful with an adapted liturgical program: on Sunday mornings, Matins are celebrated followed by the Divine Liturgy, while on Saturdays the Divine Liturgy is served on special feast days, such as the Feast of the Holy Archangels and many others.
The detailed schedule is communicated to the community through the parish WhatsApp group, the Facebook page, and Romanian community groups in Leicester.
Beyond its liturgical life, the parish continually develops educational and charitable projects. Especially during the Christmas season, the community consistently supports initiatives dedicated to underprivileged children in the United Kingdom as well as in Romania. In addition, the parish children take part in creative workshops, producing greeting cards and drawings that are later sold, with the funds raised donated to the “Glasul VieÈ›ii” Foundation, coordinated by Fr. Dan Damaschin of IaÈ™i. The events also include small concerts of religious songs, with awards for the children, encouraging the active involvement of young people in the life of the community.
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Another significant project was the construction of the iconostasis, which contributed to arranging the liturgical space in accordance with Orthodox tradition. At the same time, the parish had the privilege of receiving the visit of His Eminence Archbishop Atanasie in November 2024, an important moment of blessing and encouragement for the entire community.
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Today, the Leicester parish represents not only a place of prayer, but also a cultural and social meeting point for Romanians in the United Kingdom, standing as an example of unity, dedication, and active involvement in community life.