HISTORICAL
The Romanian Orthodox Church of Hull was established on December 25, 2022 with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, following the request of the Romanian Orthodox community of Hull, eager to have the church in their midst. The activity of our church began on the same date, December 25, 2022, the holy day of Christmas, when the community rejoiced and celebrated the holy day of the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ by participating in the Holy Liturgy in the church of St. Peter in Wawne, Hull, where our church continued to serve the Holy Liturgies every Sunday until October 1, 2024.
Due to the fact that St. Peter's Anglican Church in Wawne was only able to receive us in their church on Sunday, the other religious services requested by the community were held on Saturday at St. Mary's Church in Cottingham.
These two locations available for our church were outside the city of Hull, and this made it difficult for community members to come to church due to the lack of direct transportation.
By the grace of God, on October 1, 2024, our church entered into a lease agreement with the St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, which is located in the center of Hull, and this facilitated the community's access to participate in religious services.
Starting with March 24, 2025, our church received the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Athanasius when the feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God was assigned to it as the patron saint of this parish, having its patron saint on September 8. On August 31, 2025, the community of our church enjoyed the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Athanasius by celebrating the first Holy Liturgy of the Archdiocese.
Like any beginning, the establishment of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Hull encountered difficulties that were overcome thanks to the efforts of the group of young Romanian Orthodox gathered around the church who, through their faith and devotion, make the existence of our church possible, as well as thanks to all those who help our church through constant participation and support, shepherded with love and dedication by Father Ioan Ștețco as the first parish priest of this community.
Priest Ioan Ștețco was born on January 30, 1972, in Vișeu de Sus, Maramureș, into a family of Orthodox believers where preserving the faith was always put first, as evidenced by the 8 Orthodox priests, members of the family, of which 5 priests currently serve.
Father Ioan thus became acquainted with the Orthodox faith as a child, actively and constantly participating, together with his family, in the religious life of the Orthodox church in his hometown. Later, he attended the Faculty of Theology in Cluj, and then, on February 17, 2000, was ordained a priest in the Vișeu de Sus Deanery, Maramureș, where he served for 18 years. Father Ioan is married to Lavinia and was blessed with a daughter, Patricia. Father Ioan also pursued master's studies in theology, and in December 2022, already living in England, he received the mission of establishing the Romanian Orthodox Church in Hull with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Iosif. Since then, Father Ioan has continued his pastoral work at the Nativity of the Virgin Mary Orthodox Church in Hull, encouraging the Romanian Orthodox community to join the church and give the church and the Orthodox faith a priority place in their lives.
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The Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Hull has its doors open to both the Romanian Orthodox community in Hull and the surrounding area, as well as to all Orthodox Christians here, as well as to those who want to know and embrace the Orthodox faith.