The Hieromartyr Autonomus was a bishop in Italy. During the time of the persecution against Christians under the emperor Diocletian (284-305), Saint Autonomus left his own country and resettled in Bithynia, in the locality of Soreus with a man named Cornelius.
Saint Autonomus did his apostolic duty with zeal and converted to Christ so many pagans, that a large Church was formed, for which he consecrated a temple in the name of the Archangel Michael. For this church, the saint at first ordained Cornelius as deacon, and then presbyter. Preaching about Christ, Saint Autonomus visited also Lykaonia and Isauria.
The emperor Diocletian gave orders to arrest Saint Autonomus, but the saint withdrew to Claudiopolis on the Black Sea. In returning to Soreus, he had the priest Cornelius ordained bishop. Saint Autonomus then went to Asia, and when he had returned from there, he began to preach in the vicinity of Limna, near Soreus.
Once, the newly-converted destroyed a pagan temple. The pagans decided to take revenge on the Christians. Seizing their chance, the pagans rushed upon the church of the Archangel Michael when Saint Autonomus was serving Divine Liturgy there.
After torturing Saint Autonomus they killed him, reddening the altar of the church with his martyr’s blood. The deaconess Maria removed the body of the holy martyr from beneath a pile of stones and buried it.
During the reign of Saint Constantine the Great, a church was built over the tomb of the saint. In the year 430, a certain priest had the old church pulled down. Not realizing that the martyr’s body had been buried beneath the church, he rebuilt the church in a new spot. But after another 60 years the relics of the saint were found incorrupt, and a church was then built in the name of the Hieromartyr Autonomus.
]]>Troparion — Tone 4
By sharing in the ways of the Apostles, / you became a successor to their throne. / Through the practice of virtue, / you found the way to divine contemplation, O inspired one of God; / by teaching the word of truth without error, / you defended the Faith, even to the shedding of your blood. / Hieromartyr Autonomus, entreat Christ God to save our souls.
She lived with her husband in Alexandria, Egypt. Love and harmony ruled in their family, and this was hateful to the Enemy of salvation. Goaded on by the devil, a certain rich man was captivated by the youthful beauty of Theodora and began with all his abilities to lead her into adultery, but for a long time he was unsuccessful.
Then he bribed a woman of loose morals, who led the unassuming Theodora astray by saying that a secret sin, which the sun does not see, is also unknown to God.
Theodora betrayed her husband, but soon came to her senses and realizing the seriousness of her fall, she became furious with herself, slapping herself on the face and tearing at her hair. Her conscience gave her no peace, and Theodora went to a renowned abbess and told her about her transgression.
The abbess, seeing the repentance of the young woman, spoke to her of God’s forgiveness and reminded her of the the sinful woman in the Gospel, who washed the feet of Christ with her tears and received from Him forgiveness of her sins. In hope of the mercy of God, Theodora said: “I believe my God, and from now on, I shall not commit such a sin, and I will strive to atone for my deed.”
At that moment Saint Theodora resolved to go off to a monastery to purify herself by labor and by prayer. She left her home secretly, and dressing herself in men’s clothes, she went to a men’s monastery, since she feared that her husband would find her in a women’s monastery.
The hegumen of the monastery, in order to test the resolve of the newcomer, would not even bless her to enter the courtyard. Saint Theodora spent the night at the gates. In the morning, she fell down at the knees of the hegumen, and said her name was Theodore from Alexandria, and entreated him to let her remain at the monastery for repentance and monastic labors. Seeing the sincere intent of the newcomer, the hegumen consented.
Even the experienced monks were amazed at Theodora’s all-night prayers on bended knee, her humility, endurance and self-denial. The saint labored at the monastery for eight years. Her body, once defiled by adultery, now became a vessel of the grace of God and a receptacle of the Holy Spirit.
Once, the saint was sent to Alexandria to buy provisions. After blessing her for the journey, the hegumen indicated that in case of a delay, she should stay over at the Enata monastery, which was on the way. Also staying at the guest house of the Enata monastery was the daughter of its igumen. She had come to visit with her father.
Attracted by the comeliness of the young monk, she tried to seduce the monk Theodore into the sin of fornication, not knowing that it was a woman standing before her. Meeting with refusal, she committed sin with another guest and became pregnant. Meanwhile, the saint bought the food and returned to her own monastery.
After a certain while the father of the shameless girl, realizing that a transgression had occurred, began to question his daughter about the father of the child. The girl indicated that it was the monk Theodore. The father at once reported it to the Superior of the monastery where Saint Theodora labored in asceticism.
The hegumen summoned the saint and repeated the accusation. The saint firmly replied: “As God is my witness, I did not do this.” The hegumen, knowing of Theodore’s purity and holiness of life, did not believe the accusation.
When the girl gave birth, the Enata monks brought the infant to the monastery where the ascetic lived, and began to reproach its monks for an unchaste life. But this time even the hegumen believed the slanderous accusation and became angry at the innocent Theodore. They entrusted the infant into the care of the saint and threw her out of the monastery in disgrace.
The saint humbly submitted to this new trial, seeing in it the expiation of her former sin. She settled with the child not far from the monastery in a hut. Shepherds, out of pity, gave her milk for the infant, and the saint herself ate only wild vegetables.
Bearing her misfortune, the holy ascetic spent seven years in banishment. Finally, at the request of the monks, the hegumen allowed her to return to the monastery with the child, and in seclusion she spent two years instructing the child.
The hegumen of the monastery received a revelation from God that the sin of the monk Theodore was forgiven. The grace of God dwelt upon the monk Theodore, and soon all the monks began to witness to the signs worked through the prayers of the saint.
Once, during a drought, all the wells dried up. The hegumen said to the brethren that only Theodore would be able to reverse the misfortune. Having summoned the saint, the hegumen bade her to bring forth water, and the water in the well did not dry up afterwards. The humble Theodore said that the miracle was worked through the prayer and faith of the igumen.
Before her death, Saint Theodora shut herself in her cell with the child and instructed him to love God above all things. She told him to obey the hegumen and the brethren, to preserve tranquility, to be meek and without malice, to avoid obscenity and silliness, to love non-covetousness, and not to neglect their communal prayer.
After this, she prayed and, for the last time, she asked the Lord to forgive her sins. The child also prayed together with her. Soon the words of prayer faded from the lips of the ascetic, and she peacefully departed to a better world.
The Lord revealed to the hegumen the spiritual accomplishments of the saint, and also her secret. The hegumen, in order to remove any dishonor from the deceased, in the presence of the igumen and brethren of the Enata monastery, told of his vision and uncovered the bosom of the saint as proof.
The Enata hegumen and brethren shrank back in terror at their great transgression. Falling down before the body of the saint, with tears they asked forgiveness of Saint Theodora. News of Saint Theodora reached her former husband. He received monastic tonsure at this same monastery where his wife had been.
And the child, raised by the nun, also followed in the footsteps of his foster-mother. Afterwards, he became hegumen of this very monastery.
Troparion — Tone 8
The image of God was truly preserved in you, O Mother, / for you took up the Cross and followed Christ. / By so doing you taught us to disregard the flesh for it passes away / but to care instead for the soul, since it is immortal. / Therefore your spirit, venerable Theodora, rejoices with the angels.
He was from one of the Palestinian monasteries, and his obedience was to work in the kitchen as a cook. Toiling away for the brethren, Saint Euphrosynus did not absent himself from thought about God, but rather dwelt in prayer and fasting. He remembered always that obedience is the first duty of a monk, and therefore he was obedient to the elder brethren.
The patience of the saint was amazing: they often reproached him, but he made no complaint and endured every unpleasantness. Saint Euphrosynus pleased the Lord by his inner virtue which he concealed from people, and the Lord Himself revealed to the monastic brethren the spiritual heights of their unassuming fellow-monk.
One of the priests of the monastery prayed and asked the Lord to show him the blessings prepared for the righteous in the age to come. The priest saw in a dream what Paradise is like, and he contemplated its inexplicable beauty with fear and with joy.
He also saw there a monk of his monastery, the cook Euphrosynus. Amazed at this encounter, the presbyter asked Euphrosynus, how he came to be there. The saint answered that he was in Paradise through the great mercy of God. The priest again asked whether Euphrosynus would be able to give him something from the surrounding beauty. Saint Euphrosynus suggested to the priest to take whatever he wished, and so the priest pointed to three luscious apples growing in the garden of Paradise. The monk picked the three apples, wrapped them in a cloth, and gave them to his companion.
When he awoke in the early morning, the priest thought the vision a dream, but suddenly he noticed next to him the cloth with the fruit of Paradise wrapped in it, and emitting a wondrous fragrance. The priest, found Saint Euphrosynus in church and asked him under oath where he was the night before. The saint answered that he was where the priest also was. Then the monk said that the Lord, in fulfilling the prayer of the priest, had shown him Paradise and had bestown the fruit of Paradise through him, “ the lowly and unworthy servant of God, Euphrosynus.”
The priest related everything to the monastery brethren, pointing out the spiritual loftiness of Euphrosynus in pleasing God, and he pointed to the fragrant paradaisical fruit. Deeply affected by what they heard, the monks went to the kitchen, in order to pay respect to Saint Euphrosynus, but they did not find him there. Fleeing human glory, the monk had left the monastery.
The place where he concealed himself remained unknown, but the monks always remembered that their monastic brother Saint Euphrosynus had come upon Paradise, and that they in being saved, through the mercy of God would meet him there. They reverently kept and distributed pieces of the apples from Paradise for blessing and for healing.
Troparion — Tone 4
You lived in great humility, / in labors of asceticism and in purity of soul, / O righteous Euphrosynus. / By a mystical vision you demonstrated most wonderfully the heavenly joy which you had found. / Therefore, make us worthy to be partakers of it also, by your intercessions.
Huedin Romanian Martyrs Day is being observed for the first time on 10 September, following its establishment under Law No. 156/2026. The commemoration brings renewed attention to the suffering of Romanians in northern Transylvania under the Horthy regime.
Following the Second Vienna Award of 30 August 1940, Romania was compelled to cede northern Transylvania to Hungary. As a result, the country lost more than 43,000 square kilometres of territory and 2,667,000 inhabitants, the majority of whom were Romanian.
The decision, imposed under the arbitration of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, provoked a strong reaction in Romanian society, followed by demonstrations against the loss of the territory, according to an article published by Historia.
Constantin Virgil Gheorghiu described the atmosphere of those days in his memoirs:
“The terrible news came in the middle of the night like a lightning bolt. Like thunder. It was like an earthquake. People went out into the streets. They gathered together. The crowds lamented, marched in procession and gathered at crossroads and in public squares.”
Historian Nicolae Iorga likewise recorded on 3–4 September 1940: “Large demonstrations against the cession in Cluj (in support of Maniu, proclaimed leader of the nation), Sibiu, Bucharest and Timișoara.”
The withdrawal of the Romanian administration and the installation of the Horthy authorities in the ceded territory were followed by reprisals and acts of violence against the Romanian population.
Huedin was among the towns where the change of administration was accompanied by violence. Horthy troops entered the town on 8 September 1940, and two days later Archpriest Aurel Munteanu and Gendarmerie Sergeant Gheorghe Nicula were killed. In just 11 days, approximately 1,000 Romanians were killed in several localities across north-western Transylvania.
Fr Mircea-Gheorghe Abrudan explained in an article published by BASILICA in 2021 that the first Archpriest of Huedin was regarded as undesirable by the Horthy troops occupying Transylvania and “was physically eliminated in order to instil fear, terror and despair within the Romanian community, to intimidate and subdue its members and compel them to take the path of refuge, abandoning their ancestral homes”.
In the following years, more than 12,000 Romanians were placed in labour detachments and sent to work in mines, on railway construction, in forestry, on airfield construction and in other forms of heavy labour under harsh conditions.
Eighty-six years after those events, the memory of the two martyrs has been officially enshrined through Law No. 156/2026. The legislation declares Archpriest Aurel Munteanu a martyr and hero of the Romanian nation in recognition of his cultural, national, social and ecclesiastical activity.
“Granting Archpriest Aurel Munteanu the title of Hero and Martyr of the Romanian Nation by law is an act of historical justice through which the Romanian state pays tribute to a personality who devotedly served the Church and the Romanian people,” Fr Dan Lupuțan, Archpriest of Huedin, told BASILICA when the law was adopted by the Chamber of Deputies.
Auxiliary Bishop Samuel of Bistrița of the Archdiocese of Vad, Feleac and Cluj took part in the commemorations for the Romanian martyrs of Huedin.
The programme in Huedin included the Divine Liturgy and a memorial service for the martyred heroes at the Cathedral of the Moți, followed by a procession, the unveiling of a commemorative bronze plaque and the laying of wreaths at the statue of Martyr Archpriest Aurel Munteanu.
Photo: BASILICA archive / archdn. Nicolae Iftimiu
]]>Assistant Bishop Timotei of Prahova of the Archdiocese of Bucharest said on Wednesday that the presence of St Anne’s relics in the Romanian capital represents “a great blessing for the entire country and especially for families who do not have children but hope to have them”.
The Divine Liturgy was celebrated at St George the New Church in Bucharest, where the faithful can venerate a fragment of the relics of the Holy and Righteous Anne brought from Koutloumousiou Monastery on Mount Athos.
His Grace spoke about the lives of the Holy and Righteous Ancestors of God Joachim and Anne and the patience with which they awaited the fulfilment of their prayer.
“We should remember God’s wonderful work in the lives of these two righteous, God-fearing and long-suffering people.”
The Assistant Bishop recalled that, according to Church tradition, Sts Joachim and Anne prayed for many years to be granted a child and emphasised their steadfastness in faith.
“Both of them were therefore of noble descent, but more than that, through their lives they demonstrated profound faith in God.”
“Who among us would wait with such patience, without losing hope, 50 years after marriage, believing that they might still be granted a child?” Bishop Timotei of Prahova said.
The hierarch highlighted the model of family life offered by Sts Joachim and Anne.
“Their desire was fulfilled, and they lived a beautiful life. What does it mean to be a family living in such a way? What a beautiful example they offer to families today and throughout the ages.”
“St Anne is now, after so much time, alongside one of the holiest families our Romanian land has known, the family of St Constantine Brâncoveanu,” His Grace said, referring to the relics of the Brâncoveanu Martyrs and St Maria Brâncoveanu kept at the Bucharest church.
The fragment of St Anne’s relics arrived in Bucharest on Saturday. The reliquary was first brought to the Patriarchal Residence, where it was welcomed by His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, before being transferred to St George the New Church.
The faithful can continue to venerate the holy relics until approximately 22:00 on Thursday, when the delegation from Koutloumousiou Monastery is due to depart from Bucharest.
For more pictures, please visit our Photo gallery section.
Photo: BASILICA / Raluca-Emanuela Ene
]]>His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel highlighted St Pachomius the Great as a model of communion in Christ in a message sent to the 32nd International Conference on Orthodox Spirituality, being held from 8 to 12 September at Bose Monastery in Italy.
The Patriarch of Romania said the legacy of St Pachomius, to whom this year’s conference is dedicated, shows that Christian community is built through prayer, obedience, service and sacrificial love.
“The legacy of St Pachomius teaches us that every ecclesial community — parish, monastery or family — finds its unity in Christ and is built up through prayer, obedience, service and sacrificial love, while those who serve God with faith live according to the teaching of the Holy Scriptures,” His Beatitude said.
We publish below the full text of the message in English and Italian.
Rev. Prior Sabino Chialà,
Distinguished participants,
We received with particular joy the invitation to participate in the 32nd International Conference on Orthodox Spirituality, being held from 8 to 12 September 2026 at Bose Monastery in Italy.
For more than three decades, this event has promoted knowledge and a deeper understanding of the teachings of the Holy Church Fathers, providing a blessed opportunity for dialogue, closer relations and mutual enrichment among Christian traditions, in a spirit of respect for the common heritage of the first centuries of Christianity.
The theme of this year’s conference, Abba Pachomius: At the Origins of Community Life, invites us to rediscover an outstanding figure of Eastern Christian monasticism who understood that human perfection is not merely a personal search for God, but also a work undertaken in communion, brotherly love and mutual responsibility.
St Pachomius the Great is honoured as the founder of cenobitic monastic life (koinonia), having organised for the first time communities in which prayer, obedience, work and service to one’s neighbour were woven together in a harmony inspired by the Gospel and by the model of the first Christian community in Jerusalem (cf. Acts of the Apostles 2:42–47; 4:32–35).
According to the teaching of St Pachomius that “love is the fulfilment of the law”, true knowledge of God bears fruit through love for one’s neighbour and through a life lived in communion. This truth is all the more relevant today in a society marked by individualism, isolation and social fragmentation.
The model of the Pachomian community reminds us that true freedom is not attained through self-sufficiency and selfishness, but through communion with God and our fellow human beings, and that ascetic struggle is not an end in itself, but the path by which a person purifies the heart and prepares for the Kingdom of God.
Monastic communities inspired by St Pachomius continue to bear witness today to the fact that the Gospel is the foundation of a way of life in which prayer, work, hospitality, forgiveness and mutual responsibility give rise to an authentic culture of communion.
The legacy of St Pachomius teaches us that every ecclesial community — parish, monastery or family — finds its unity in Christ and is built up through prayer, obedience, service and sacrificial love, while those who serve God with faith live according to the teaching of the Holy Scriptures.
We hope that this year’s conference will offer all participants the opportunity to gain a deeper spiritual understanding of the legacy of St Pachomius, so that the witness of communion in Christ, prayer and service to one’s neighbour may become a source of light and hope for the Church and for today’s world.
We pray to our Lord Jesus Christ that, through the intercession of St Pachomius the Great, founder of cenobitic monastic life, He may bless the proceedings of this conference and grant everyone strength in faith, peace and spiritual joy, to the glory of the Most Holy Trinity and for our salvation.
† Daniel
Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church
Padre Priore Sabino Chialà,
Cari partecipanti,
Ho accolto con grande gioia l’invito a partecipare al XXXII Convegno internazionale di spiritualità ortodossa, che si terrà dall’8 al 12 settembre 2026 presso il Monastero di Bose, in Italia. Questo evento, che da oltre trent’anni promuove la conoscenza e un più profondo approfondimento degli insegnamenti dei Santi Padri della Chiesa, offre una preziosa opportunità di dialogo, di avvicinamento e di arricchimento reciproco tra le tradizioni cristiane, nello spirito di rispetto per il patrimonio comune dei primi secoli del cristianesimo.
Il tema della conferenza di quest’anno, “Abba Pacomio – Alle origini della vita cenobitica”, ci invita a riscoprire una figura remarcabile del monachesimo cristiano orientale, il quale comprese che la perfezione umana non è soltanto una ricerca personale di Dio, ma anche un’opera da compiere nella comunione, nell’amore fraterno e nella responsabilità reciproca.
San Pacomio il Grande è venerato come il fondatore della vita monastica cenobitica (koinonia), organizzando per la prima volta le comunità in cui la preghiera, l’obbedienza, il lavoro e il servizio al prossimo si intrecciavano in un’armonia ispirata al Vangelo e al modello della prima comunità cristiana di Gerusalemme (cfr. Atti degli Apostoli 2, 42–47; 4, 32–35).
Secondo l’insegnamento di San Pacomio — per cui “l’amore è il compimento della Legge”, la vera conoscenza di Dio porta frutto attraverso l’amore per il prossimo e una vita vissuta nella comunione. Tale verità è quanto mai attuale oggi, in una società segnata dall’individualismo, dall’isolamento e dalla frammentazione sociale.
Il modello della comunità pacomiana ci ricorda che la vera libertà non si raggiunge attraverso l’autosufficienza e l’egoismo, bensì mediante la comunione con Dio e con gli altri esseri umani, inoltre, la lotta ascetica non è un fine in sé, ma il cammino attraverso il quale la persona purifica il proprio cuore e si prepara al Regno di Dio.
Le comunità monastiche ispirate a San Pacomio continuano oggi a testimoniare che il Vangelo è alla base di una vita in cui la preghiera, il lavoro, l’ospitalità, il perdono e la responsabilità reciproca danno vita a un’autentica cultura di comunione.
L’eredità di San Pacomio ci insegna che ogni comunità ecclesiale — parrocchia, monastero o famiglia — trova la propria unità in Cristo e si edifica attraverso la preghiera, l’obbedienza, il servizio e l’amore sacrificale, e che, chi serve Dio fedelmente vive in conformità con gli insegnamenti delle Sacre Scritture.
Ci auguriamo che l’edizione di quest’anno offra a tutti i partecipanti alla conferenza l’opportunità di acquisire una più profonda comprensione spirituale dell’eredità di San Pacomio, affinché la testimonianza di comunione in Cristo, di preghiera e di servizio al prossimo possa diventare fonte di luce e di speranza per la Chiesa e per il mondo di oggi.
Preghiamo il nostro Signore Gesù Cristo, per intercessione di San Pacomio il Grande, fondatore della vita monastica cenobitica, di benedire i lavori di questo convegno e di concedere a tutti il rafforzamento nella fede, la pace e la gioia spirituale, per la gloria della Santissima Trinità e per la nostra salvezza.
† Daniel
Patriarca della Chiesa Ortodossa Romena
Photo: BASILICA archive / Mircea Florescu
]]>Estonian composer Arvo Pärt has been awarded the 2026 Goethe Medal for his outstanding contribution to contemporary culture. Orthodox spirituality is an essential part of his creative work, with his music deeply connected to faith and sacred texts.
The distinction was presented at the end of August during a ceremony in Weimar and was accepted on the composer’s behalf by his son, Michael Pärt.
The Goethe Medal is an official distinction of the Federal Republic of Germany, awarded since 1955 to foreign figures in education and culture for their contribution to promoting the German language and culture.
The jury comprises representatives of major German cultural institutions, the Federal Foreign Office and the Goethe-Institut.
In his laudatio, musicologist and journalist Björn Gottstein highlighted Arvo Pärt’s ability to reach people from different backgrounds and cultures through his music.
“Through his music, he reaches people from all backgrounds and cultures and moves them, (…) even when they do not share Pärt’s religious convictions, which always underpin his music.”
“There is an unshakeable truth in this music. It offers consolation and teaches us humility,” Björn Gottstein said.
The musicologist also recalled the period when Arvo Pärt faced pressure from the Soviet regime.
“We can only try to imagine what it means to live as an artist in a country that imposes a ten-year ban on performances of your works because you are unwilling either to submit to the interests of the state or to abandon your faith in God.”
Michael Pärt spoke about the role that words and sacred texts play in his father’s compositional process.
“For my father, words, particularly those from sacred texts, are often the source from which the music is born.”
The composer’s son explained that “what the text conveys can, through music, speak to us beyond the boundaries of language and religious context”.
“What is communicated to us through music is sometimes as simple as it is difficult to explain: peace, the fullness of love, a sense of unity in communion,” Michael Pärt added.
The speeches by Björn Gottstein and Michael Pärt are available in full in German on the Goethe-Institut website.
The Goethe-Institut has also produced a video about the Estonian composer, presenting his spiritual and artistic journey.
The video recalls that during his period of searching in the 1970s, Arvo Pärt discovered Gregorian chant and the writings of St Silouan the Athonite, and that he converted to Orthodoxy at the beginning of the same decade.
The Soviet communist regime subsequently intensified pressure on him, and in 1980 the composer left Estonia with his family, settling first in Vienna and later in Berlin.
“He lives his spirituality and expresses himself through his music,” Jaan-Eik Tulve, artistic director of the Arvo Pärt Centre, said in the video.
Arvo Pärt is the creator of the tintinnabuli compositional style and the author of numerous celebrated works. Following his permanent return to Estonia, the Arvo Pärt Centre was established in Laulasmaa, where the composer’s personal archive and creative legacy are preserved.
Arvo Pärt will celebrate his 91st birthday on 11 September.
Photo: Arvo Pärt Centre / Birgit Püve
]]>A new edition of the International Ecumenical Conference on Orthodox Spirituality is taking place at Bose Monastery in Italy from 8 to 11 September. This year’s conference is entitled Abba Pachomius: At the Origins of Community Life.
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel sent a message to the conference on Wednesday, while Patriarch John X of Antioch is due to address participants on Friday.
“Monastic communities inspired by St Pachomius continue to bear witness today to the fact that the Gospel is the foundation of a way of life in which prayer, work, hospitality, forgiveness and mutual responsibility give rise to an authentic culture of communion,” Patriarch Daniel noted in his message.
“The legacy of St Pachomius teaches us that every ecclesial community — parish, monastery or family — finds its unity in Christ and is built up through prayer, obedience, service and sacrificial love, while those who serve God with faith live according to the teaching of the Holy Scriptures.”
Assistant Bishop Maxim of Danubius, of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Italy, represented Patriarch Daniel at the event.
The conference opened on Tuesday with an address on behalf of the hosts by Sabino Chialà, the Roman Catholic prior of Bose Monastery.
Ioannis K. Grossmann, a researcher at the University of Vienna, then presented a brief biography of the “Father of Cenobitic Monasticism”, while Fr Armand Veilleux of Scourmont Abbey in Belgium gave a presentation on the characteristics of the Pachomian monastic experience.
On Thursday at 09:00, Archimandrite Hrisostom Rădășanu of the Dumitru Stăniloae Faculty of Orthodox Theology at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași will deliver a presentation entitled St Pachomius the Great in Orthodox Iconography: The Case of Sucevița Monastery in Bucovina.
Papers were submitted in Italian, English, French and Greek, with simultaneous interpretation provided in Italian, English and Greek.
The International Ecumenical Conference on Orthodox Spirituality at Bose has reached its 32nd edition this year.
Last year’s conference was dedicated to St Anthony the Great, regarded as the founder of eremitic monasticism, a form of monastic life characterised by withdrawal into the desert and solitude.
Photo: Facebook / Monastero di Bose
]]>“The feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God should be an encouragement to all parents who have children and to those who do not, but hope to have them,” His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel said on Tuesday at the historic St George the Great Martyr Chapel of the Patriarchal Residence.
The Patriarch of Romania explained why the feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God is placed at the beginning of the Church Year and why it is celebrated on 8 September: “Because the number eight symbolises eternity or eternal life.”
“The Nativity of the Mother of God is therefore celebrated because through her the eternal Son of God comes into the world as man to save the world from sin and death and to grant people eternal life.”
His Beatitude presented the example of the Holy and Righteous Ancestors of God, Joachim and Anne, who prayed for many years to be granted a child.
“From the parents of the Mother of God, we learn how great the power of humble prayer, patience and waiting is, especially when it concerns the gift of having children.”
“There are many people today who suffer because they do not have children. Others have adopted children and have become parents through affection, even though they were not parents according to the flesh,” Patriarch Daniel emphasised.
The Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church stressed that parental responsibility involves more than bringing a child into the world.
“It is not enough to give physical birth to a child if you do not also raise the child spiritually.”
“A true parent is one who helps and forms a child, educates them, shows parental care and constant love through their physical upbringing and spiritual education,” the Patriarch emphasised.
His Beatitude also called for support for families with several children, “because through faith and a holy life, children and their parents can become saints”.
His Beatitude linked the feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God with the beginning of the new school year, highlighting the importance of children’s formation.
“A person’s greatest wealth is their spiritual and intellectual formation.”
“In other words, great shall be called the nursery teachers, primary school teachers and secondary school teachers who enlighten and enrich the souls of children and young people, who, when well educated, will bring joy to their families, their schools, the Church and the Romanian people.”
Patriarch Daniel also spoke about the priest’s role in forming children and young people.
“The priest who works as a spiritual father with all children and young people has a particularly important role in their spiritual growth and formation.”
In conclusion, the Patriarch of Romania congratulated the more than 2.6 million Romanians who bear the name of the Virgin Mary.
“We wish them growth in prayer, faith and good works, and may they be protected by the Mother of God.”
Photo: Lumina Newspaper
]]>The Holy Virgins Menodora, Nymphodora, and Metrodora (305-311) were sisters from Bithynia (Asia Minor). Distinguished for their special piety, they wanted to preserve their virginity and avoid worldly associations. They chose a solitary place for themselves in the wilderness and spent their lives in deeds of fasting and prayer.
Reports of the holy life of the virgins soon spread, since healings of the sick began to occur through their prayers. The Bithynia region was governed at that time by a man named Frontonus, who ordered that the sisters be arrested and brought before him.
At first he tried to persuade them to renounce Christ, promising great honors and rewards. But the holy sisters steadfastly confessed their faith before him, rejecting all his suggestions. They told him that they did not value the temporal things of this world, and that they were prepared to die for their Heavenly Bridegroom, for death would be their gateway to eternal life.
Flying into a rage, the governor took out his wrath on Saint Menodora, the eldest sister. She was stripped of her clothes and beaten by four men, while a herald urged her to offer sacrifice to the gods. The saint bravely endured the torments and cried out, “Sacrifice? Can’t you see that I am offering myself as a sacrifice to my God?”
Then they renewed their torments with even greater severity. Then the martyr cried out, “ Lord Jesus Christ, joy of my heart, my hope, receive my soul in peace.” With these words she gave up her soul to God, and went to her Heavenly Bridegroom.
Four days later, they brought the two younger sisters Metrodora and Nymphodora to the court. They showed them the battered body of their older sister to frighten them. The virgins wept over her, but remained steadfast.
Then Saint Metrodora was tortured. She died, crying out to her beloved Lord Jesus Christ with her last breath. Then they turned to the third sister, Nymphodora. Before her lay the bruised bodies of her sisters. Frontonus hoped that this sight would intimidate the young virgin.
Pretending that he was charmed by her youth and beauty, he urged her to worship the pagan gods, promising great rewards and honors. Saint Nymphodora scoffed at his words, and shared the fate of her older sisters. She was tortured and beaten to death with iron rods.
The bodies of the holy martyrs were to be burned in a fire, but a heavy rain extinguished the blazing fire, and lightning struck down Frontonus and his servant. Christians took up the bodies of the holy sisters and reverently buried them at the so-called Warm Springs at Pythias (Bithynia).
Part of the relics of the holy martyrs are preserved on Mt. Athos in the Protection cathedral of the Saint Panteleimon Russian monastery, and the hand of Saint Metrodora is on the Holy Mountain in the monastery of the Pantocrator.
Troparion — Tone 4
O Holy Martyrs, / you wisely exchanged horrible torture and bitter death for Eternal Life! / Three virgins, you confessed the unoriginate Trinity at an evil council, / and for this reason were slain by the sword, / following the way of the Lamb who was slain! / Now ever pray for us / Who commemorate your holy memory!
Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești consecrated a chapel on Saturday at the Central Detention Centre of the Bucharest General Directorate of Police (DGPMB).
Concelebrating were Archimandrite Ciprian Grădinaru, ecclesiarch of the National Cathedral Chapel; Fr Ciprian Ion Ioniță, patriarchal adviser; Fr Mihai Hau, honorary patriarchal adviser; Fr Ionuț Bărbulescu, Archpriest of Bucharest’s Sector 4; and Fr Felix Iulian Radu, military priest and chaplain of the DGPMB Central Detention Centre.
Representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Bucharest General Directorate of Police attended the event.
“With the help of the Good God and with the blessing of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, today we celebrated the consecration of this chapel, which will become the spiritual heart of the Capital’s Central Detention Centre and will be a place whose benefits are difficult for us, as human beings, to quantify,” Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești said at the conclusion of the service.
“First of all, I congratulate the director-general on this initiative to establish such a chapel within the detention centre.”
The Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop recalled that the Romanian Orthodox Church has a longstanding tradition of assigning spiritual fathers to prisons and emphasised that this was the first time a chapel had been established in a pre-trial detention facility.
“Here, in pre-trial detention, people undergo unprecedented emotional and psychological turmoil, and therefore divine and spiritual support is greatly needed.”
“When we find ourselves at crossroads in our lives, in moments of crisis, in moments that are decisive for our lives, the presence of a sacred place where we can encounter God through prayer, the reading of Scripture, reflection and counsel with a spiritual father is extraordinarily beneficial.”
The hierarch noted that the place of worship would also be important for staff at the Central Detention Centre.
Ioana Dorobanțu, Deputy Secretary-General of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Police Chief Quaestor, spoke about the importance of the new place of worship.
“The opening of this space represents more than the completion of an administrative or institutional project. Above all, it expresses care for the human person, respect for human dignity and recognition of the need for spiritual support, especially in times of trial and profound reflection,” she said.
“The Ministry of Internal Affairs has the fundamental mission of safeguarding the rule of law, public safety and compliance with the law. In carrying out this responsibility, however, it remains essential that every institutional action be accompanied by respect for human values, fundamental rights and the dignity of every person.”
At the conclusion of the event, Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești presented, on behalf of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, ecclesiastical orders to those who supported the renovation of the building and the establishment of the new place of worship.
The Sanctus Stephanus Magnus Order for laypeople was awarded to Bogdan Berechet, Director-General of the Bucharest General Directorate of Police and Police Principal Quaestor. The Order of St John Chrysostom was awarded to Police Chief Quaestor Valentin Minoiu; the Order of St Neophytos the Cretan, Metropolitan of Wallachia, to Cristian Stancu; and the Order of St Maria Brâncoveanu to Elena Casandra Nițulescu, director of the Independent Detention and Pre-Trial Arrest Service.
Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești and Archimandrite Ciprian Grădinaru received diplomas of gratitude and appreciation from the Bucharest General Directorate of Police.
Extensive rehabilitation work was carried out on the building housing the chapel, including structural treatment of the walls and the complete replacement of its utilities, joinery and roof covering.
The chapel was painted last year, when we also acquired its liturgical furnishings and objects.
The chapel of the DGPMB Central Detention Centre is dedicated to St Moses the Ethiopian and St Demetrius the New.
For more pictures, please visit the Photo gallery.
Photo: BASILICA / Mircea Florescu
]]>“What, then, does the Church mean? It is the community of believers in which God’s work and His grace dwell, and in which the Holy Trinity is reflected,” Bishop Ioan Casian of Canada said on Saturday during the patronal feast of the Romanian Orthodox parish in Gatineau, Quebec.
The occasion marked the completion of an important stage in the parish’s history: the church mortgage has been paid off in full.
Against the background of the patronal feast and the recognition of the church’s founders and benefactors, the hierarch also spoke about the true meaning of the Church. A place of worship is not merely a physical structure, but the place where the community of believers gathers and where the grace of God is at work.
“When the Holy Apostle Paul speaks about the Church, he speaks about the living community,” His Grace recalled.
The fulfilment of the church’s financial obligations does not, however, mark the end of the community’s work of building for the future.
During the patronal feast, Phase II – Adorning the Church was officially launched under the motto: “Today we build in faith. Tomorrow we adorn for generations.”
The new phase seeks to continue the work begun by generations of founders and benefactors and to prepare the place of worship for the generations to come.
In his homily, Bishop Ioan Casian spoke about the Mother of God’s role in the economy of salvation and in drawing humanity closer to Christ.
“The Virgin Mary, as the fruit of the work of the human race, is the result of prayer and sacrifice across generations,” the hierarch recalled.
“The Church Year is framed by two feasts of the Mother of God. Why? I would say this is because she is the one who introduces us — or has already introduced us, through the humanity that Christ the Saviour took from her — into closeness with her Son.”
Interpreting the Gospel parable of those invited to the wedding feast of the king’s son, the Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Canada explained that coming to church is, first and foremost, humanity’s response to God’s call and an expression of the desire to enter into communion with Him.
“The first and foremost reason we come to church is to speak to God and to meet Him. In the Church, we meet God,” the hierarch emphasised.
This encounter with God reaches its fullness in the Divine Liturgy and the Holy Eucharist, through which the faithful are given the possibility of remaining in communion with Christ.
At the end of his homily, the Bishop of Canada encouraged the faithful to pay particular attention to family life and to pass on the faith to their children and future generations.
“I encourage you to speak to your children and to those you know about the importance of the family and the joy of being able to establish a family, because it is blessed by God, especially when it receives its blessing in the Church,” His Grace said.
Following the Divine Liturgy, Bishop Ioan Casian presented diplomas and distinctions to the church’s principal founders and benefactors in recognition of the contributions, sacrifices and steadfast support through which they have helped build and develop the parish community.
Photo: Diocese of Canada
]]>Assistant Bishop Maxim of Danubius of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Italy was ordained on Tuesday at the Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste Parish in Moncalieri, Italy. “I want the ministry I am beginning to be one of working together, in unity and obedience, for the good of the clergy and faithful,” the new hierarch said.
Metropolitan Iosif of Western and Southern Europe presided over the Divine Liturgy.
Concelebrating were Archbishop Atanasie of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Bishops Benedict of Sălaj, Siluan of Italy, Timotei of Spain and Portugal, Macarie of Northern Europe and Nectarie of Ireland and Iceland; Assistant Bishops Nichifor of Botoșani of the Archdiocese of Iași, Nectarie de Bogdania of the Archdiocese of Chișinău, Marc of Neamț of the Archdiocese of Western Europe, and Assistant Bishop Teofil of Iberia of the Diocese of Spain and Portugal.
The episcopal ordination took place during the Divine Liturgy. At the conclusion of the service, Assistant Bishop Maxim of Danubius received the episcopal insignia from Metropolitan Iosif.
The patriarchal act confirming the new hierarch was presented by Assistant Bishop Teofil of Iberia.
“He is to work in communion with the other hierarchs and responsibly fulfil the mission to which he has been called as Assistant Bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Italy; to show love for the Church and the Romanian people; and to defend and promote the values of the Orthodox Christian faith.”
“He is to show paternal care for parishes and monasteries, support Christian culture and safeguard the Church’s heritage, demonstrate paternal love towards the clergy and Orthodox Christian laity, young and old, and cooperate with state authorities for the good of the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Romanian people,” the act of confirmation further stated.
Metropolitan Iosif encouraged the new hierarch to remain close to the clergy and faithful of the Diocese of Italy and to undertake his ministry in a spirit of love for the community.
“We ask you to be wholly obedient, to be a listening ear and a compassionate heart, and to embody the love of Christ, always directed towards the priests, deacons, monks, nuns, faithful, children and young people of this Diocese of Italy.”
The Metropolitan also spoke of the Church as a mother, calling on the new hierarch to preserve this paternal dimension in his ministry.
“The Church is our mother. The Church is the one who gives birth to us for eternity, just as the Mother of God gave birth to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, so that we human beings might inherit the Kingdom of God,” Metropolitan Iosif said.
Bishop Siluan of Italy, for his part, explained that the election of an Assistant Bishop responded to the need for additional support in the pastoral ministry of a diocese that has experienced significant growth.
“In Bishop Maxim of Danubius, we identified a fellow labourer who could join us in bearing the yoke of the episcopate and become an interlocutor for both our clergy and our faithful,” Bishop Siluan said.
Ciprian Olinici, Romania’s State Secretary for Religious Affairs, also attended the ordination. He emphasised that ordaining a bishop opens a new chapter of responsibility rather than simply marking the culmination of a personal journey.
“The ordination of a bishop is not merely the conclusion of an endeavour, a personal or professional journey, but is first and foremost the beginning of a responsibility towards the Church and the community,” the State Secretary for Religious Affairs said.
The official also encouraged Bishop Maxim to serve as a source of cohesion among Romanian communities across Italy.
“You are called first and foremost to be a servant of unity, because the bishop is the person who gathers people together.”
Referring to the Church’s mission among generations born outside Romania, Ciprian Olinici highlighted its role in preserving identity and belonging.
“The Church has this mission of fostering and creating, in a different geographical setting far from home, the very meaning of the word ‘home’.”
Bishop Maxim of Danubius delivered an address of gratitude, reflecting on the mystery and responsibility of his new calling.
“What I have received is not the fruit of any personal merit, but a gift and a calling which I cannot fully comprehend, but can only receive with humility, gratitude and reverent awe,” His Grace said.
Drawing on the example of the Saviour, who washed His disciples’ feet before His Passion, the hierarch emphasised that episcopal ministry entails lowering oneself towards others and taking on their burdens.
“If this is the image of the Shepherd, then I understand that episcopacy can only begin here: by lowering oneself towards the other, through service, listening and a willingness to bear one’s brother’s burden.”
In his address, the new Assistant Bishop thanked His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel and all who contributed to his spiritual, academic, and ecclesiastical formation and journey, from hierarchs and spiritual fathers to monastic communities, his family, teachers and mentors, as well as the clergy and faithful who attended the service.
Bishop Maxim of Danubius was elected Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of Italy by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church at its meeting on 2 July 2026.
On Monday evening, following Great Vespers, the formal proclamation of the bishop-elect took place at the parish church in Moncalieri.
Photo: Lumina Newspaper
]]>Assistant Bishop Iachint of the Pacific of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand emphasised on Tuesday, the feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God, that “holiness is cultivated within the family, and the Mother of God was born into the family of two faithful people who prayed together”.
Bishop Mihail of Australia and New Zealand and Assistant Bishop Iachint of the Pacific celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Life-Giving Spring Monastery in Melbourne, Australia.
Bishop Iachint spoke about the Holy and Righteous Ancestors of God, Joachim and Anne, and their long wait to have a child: “This period was one of waiting and complete trust in the will of God.”
Drawing on their example, the Bishop emphasised that God’s response to prayer does not always follow human expectations.
“Although, from our perspective, God seems to postpone His answer and delay His work with us, according to His divine reasoning and providence, God never delays.”
“God also reveals His love through this: He allows us to wait, prepares us over the course of time and thereby shapes within us a stronger faith,” Bishop Iachint said.
His Grace also highlighted how Sts Joachim and Anne received the gift of the Virgin Mary’s birth, whom they subsequently dedicated to God.
“They understood that the more precious the gifts received from God are, the more fitting it is that they should be offered back to God.”
The hierarch explained that family life should become a place of encounter with God.
“The home is not a place where we can sin in secret, where we can judge, gossip or do other evil things; rather, it is the mystery of our encounter with God and the saints.”
“That is why our homes and our families are the little Church, in which we experience each day the mystery of our personal salvation in Christ.”
“Let us learn to pray with faith, entrusting ourselves entirely to the will of God, who knows and sees all things,” Assistant Bishop Iachint of the Pacific said in conclusion.
Photo: Diocese of Australia and New Zealand
]]>The Archdiocese of Râmnic has dedicated September to St Anthimos the Iberian and to fellowship between the Romanian and Georgian peoples. Cultural, sporting and artistic events, as well as pilgrimages, are being organised throughout the month.
According to the diocese, the events held during this period recognise St Anthimos’ spiritual, cultural and administrative contribution as Bishop of Râmnic.
They also highlight the saint’s missionary contribution through his support for Christian culture and spirituality both in his native Georgia and among other Orthodox Christian communities.
The activities include the Faces of Holiness exhibition of icons on glass, organised by the Archdiocese of Râmnic in partnership with the Vâlcea County Centre for the Preservation and Promotion of Traditional Culture.
“The opening at the Vâlcea Cultural Centre is also an expression of appreciation for Romania’s spiritual and cultural heritage and a testimony to our responsibility to preserve the values of faith and tradition and pass them on to future generations,” the organisers said.
The programme will conclude with the Divine Liturgy on the feast of St Anthimos the Iberian on 27 September.
The Holy Hieromartyr Anthimos the Iberian was born in Iberia (present-day Georgia) around 1650. He arrived in Wallachia around 1690, where he was entrusted with printing liturgical books. He later established a printing school at Snagov Monastery.
Metropolitan Anthimos’ most important work is the Dydaches (Sermons), a collection of 28 homilies delivered during his episcopal ministry.
On 16 March 1705, he was elected Bishop of Râmnicu Vâlcea. During his three years there, he printed nine books.
In 1708, he was enthroned as Metropolitan of Wallachia and continued his printing activity. Between 1713 and 1715, he founded Antim Monastery.
In 1716, following the establishment of the Phanariot regime, he was arrested and sentenced to imprisonment at St Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai. On the journey there, however, he was killed and his body thrown into the waters of the Tungia River near Adrianople.
In 2016, which marked 300 years since the death of St Anthimos the Iberian, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church declared it the Commemorative Year of the Holy Hierarch and Martyr Anthimos the Iberian and of Church Printers.
On that occasion, His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch consecrated the altar of the church at Antim Monastery following its renovation.
Photo: BASILICA
]]>On the feast of Sts Joachim and Anne, Archbishop Calinic of Suceava and Rădăuți urged families hoping to have children to pray and cultivate patience in humility.
“Make your family and your home a place of prayer, remembering that peace, faithfulness and the good tears born of humility bring down the Kingdom of Heaven into your heart,” Archbishop Calinic urged.
His Eminence explained that prayer follows a different rhythm from worldly things: “God is the One who does not delay, but prepares; the One who seeks the depth of the root, not the splendour of the leaf.”
Archbishop Calinic of Suceava and Rădăuți encouraged spouses hoping to have children to become “gateways through which grace may pass”.
“Sts Joachim and Anne were not only the parents of Mary according to the flesh; by dedicating her to God from infancy, they prepared the way for the coming into the world of the incarnate Son of the heavenly Father.”
Archbishop Calinic presented Sts Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Mother of God, as an example of patience and prayer.
“Honour the Holy and Righteous Ancestors of God Joachim and Anne, for they are an icon of faith that remains steadfast even when the sign is delayed, and thus bears good fruit.”
“Learn from the example of patience and hopeful waiting shown by the Holy Parents, for God does not work at the pace of the world, but at the pace of eternity,” Archbishop Calinic added.
In conclusion, His Eminence emphasised that material possessions can be used to cultivate edifying virtues, “so that you may be deemed worthy to hear the voice of Him for whom all things are possible”.
Photo: Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuți
]]>Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești emphasised the value of the gift of life and the family’s role in raising children at the Patriarchal Cathedral on Tuesday: “Every child who is born is a gift and a blessing from God.”
The Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop spoke about the veneration of the Most Holy Virgin from the apostolic period onwards.
“We know that the Mother of God was cherished and venerated by the Lord’s disciples and apostles. She was cared for by the Apostle closest to Him, St John the Theologian or Evangelist, and the Mother of God was the heart of the Church in Jerusalem, which persevered in prayer and in awaiting the Lord.”
“We see, therefore, that from the very beginning the Church venerated the Mother of God,” His Grace emphasised.
The hierarch explained why the feast was placed at the beginning of the Church Year and the significance of its date.
“The eighth day of September was chosen because, in Christian spirituality, the number eight signifies eternity, eternal life. Even in mathematics, the figure eight placed on its side symbolises infinity. Through her birth, therefore, the Mother of God inaugurates a new history.”
“If the old Eve inaugurated the history of the fall of humanity, from Adam until Christ, the Mother of God inaugurates the history of human salvation through the birth of Jesus Christ,” the Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop continued.
Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești pointed to the example of the Holy and Righteous Ancestors of God, Joachim and Anne.
“The Mother of God is born as the fruit of prayer, of the patient and hopeful waiting of her holy parents.”
“We learn from today’s feast that we must follow the example of the Holy and Righteous Parents of the Mother of God, Joachim and Anne, who persevered in prayer for a long time and waited with great patience for God to grant them a child,” His Grace emphasised.
The Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop said that “every child should be dedicated to the Lord, first of all through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, so that they may receive the graces flowing from this sacrament and from the Sacrament of Holy Chrismation, and should be brought to church as often as possible to be nourished with the Body and Blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ”.
Against the backdrop of the new school year, Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești stressed the importance of education.
“We realise how important education is, especially spiritual education, which alone is capable of showing children and young people the purpose and meaning of our lives: the salvation of the soul and the attainment of eternal life.”
“We rejoice that prayers were offered at the opening of schools, invoking the grace of the Holy Spirit upon the children beginning the school year, that God may enlighten their minds, strengthen their determination to study what is beneficial and cultivate their memory,” the hierarch added.
“Let us pray to the Mother of God, protector of families and children, to grant wisdom and discernment to all students who have begun school, to give holy zeal to educators and teachers, and to give parents the love with which to support their children throughout this process,” His Grace said.
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop congratulated those named after the Virgin Mary or bearing names derived from hers.
On behalf of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, the hierarch wished them health, joy, the fulfilment of their good aspirations, and help from God and the Mother of God.
Photo: BASILICA / Raluca-Emanuela Ene
]]>“The luminous garment of the faithful and pure soul is the very presence of God’s grace within human beings,” His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel said on Sunday at St George Chapel of the Patriarchal Residence, where he explained the Parable of the Wedding Feast.
The Patriarch of Romania highlighted four main teachings drawn from Sunday’s Gospel.
“The parable in the Gospel for the 14th Sunday after Pentecost is mystical and prophetic, offering teachings concerning the mystery of the salvation of the world in the Lord Jesus Christ, the mystery of the Church and the Christian life,” Patriarch Daniel said.
“The King who prepares a wedding feast for His Son is God the Father Himself. The King’s Son is the Lord Jesus Christ.”
His Beatitude explained that the wedding feast represents the salvation of humanity in the Kingdom of God.
“The Bride is the Church, namely the multitude of peoples called to salvation who readily answer the call and, through Baptism, put on the wedding garment of the true faith and holy Christian life.”
When the servants were sent out a second time with the invitation to the wedding feast and went to the crossroads, this represented the calling of the nations, Patriarch Daniel further explained.
“The pagan peoples were also called to salvation because the love of the Heavenly King is universal and embraces all humanity. Even if He gives preference to some, His love does not exclude others,” His Beatitude emphasised.
The Patriarch of Romania reviewed explanations given by the Holy Fathers concerning the Gospel passage, according to which all people are called to salvation, but those who answer the call become the chosen.
“All people are called in Jesus Christ to His wedding feast in heaven, to salvation, that is, to the blessedness of communion in love and eternal life. But those who answer God’s call through faith, prayer, a pure life and good works become the chosen,” His Beatitude emphasised.
“They listen to the Holy Gospel, participate in the divine services, partake of the Holy Mysteries, which are the pledge of the wedding feast of the King’s Son, and help people in need.”
“The Gospel of the call to salvation, which God addresses to us for the wedding feast of eternal life, is therefore connected with the mystery of our freedom: Do we answer the call or refuse it? Do we clothe our soul in the new garment of sanctifying grace and a pure life, or do we wear the old garment of sins?” Patriarch Daniel explained.
His Beatitude went on to explain the meaning of the wedding garment in the parable.
“In fact, the wedding garment is the grace of Christ received at Baptism, as the Holy Apostle Paul tells us: ‘As many of you as were baptised into Christ have put on Christ.’ We have put on Christ in the sense that, through Baptism, we are clothed in the garment of His grace, the garment of His luminous and sanctifying presence within us and around us.”
“That is why at Baptism we pray: ‘Give me a garment of light, O You who clothe Yourself with light as with a garment.’ The luminous garment received at Baptism is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit,” the Patriarch of Romania emphasised.
His Beatitude explained that this garment of light is acquired through sustained prayer and confession — considered a baptism of tears — as well as through works of mercy.
The Patriarch of Romania concluded his sermon by wishing all pupils, their parents and their teachers God’s help, and that they may feel loved by Christ, the Church, their families and society.
Photo: BASILICA archive / Raluca Ene
]]>The first Lesser Blessing of Water in decades was officiated last Friday at the Romanian Skete on the Jordan River following decades of abandonment, Archimandrite Ioan Meiu, representative of the Romanian Patriarchate in the Holy Land and superior of the Romanian Settlements in Jerusalem, Jericho and Jordan, announced.
With the support of the Israeli authorities, the archimandrite visited the skete on Friday, 4 September, together with two priests from the Romanian Settlements in Jerusalem and Jericho and several Romanian faithful.
They removed the remaining liturgical objects from inside the church, including fragments of the iconostasis and the cross that had fallen from the dome and the entrance door, and cleaned the interior, which had been left in ruins by war.
“We also found other items from the monks’ cells there, perhaps even some objects that belonged to St John Jacob of Neamț the Chozebite, and we took them to our settlement in Jericho, where we will prepare a beautiful museum with the objects that have survived and can be restored from our Romanian skete on the Jordan,” Archimandrite Ioan Meiu said.
“We carried out the first cleaning of the church and, once the cleaning was completed, the first Blessing of Water was also officiated. I served together with two priests who assist us in Jericho and Jerusalem.”
In the near future, the Romanian Patriarchate’s representative in the Holy Land will meet with architects and restoration experts, together with Israeli authorities, to determine the next steps toward restoring the Romanian church on the Jordan River.
The Founders in the Holy Land Association has created a website dedicated to the restoration project for the Romanian Skete on the Jordan River.
The website incorporates the Stripe online payment platform, through which donors can give by card, including recurring monthly donations. It also provides bank details for bank transfers and allows donors to submit names for commemoration with their contributions.
Photo: Romanian Patriarchate Representation to the Holy Land
]]>Saint Joachim, the son of Barpathir, was of the tribe of Judah, and was a descendant of King David, to whom God had revealed that the Savior of the world would be born from his seed. Saint Anna was the daughter of Matthan the priest, who was of the tribe of Levi. Saint Anna’s family came from Bethlehem.
The couple lived at Nazareth in Galilee. They were childless into their old age and all their life they grieved over this. They had to endure derision and scorn, since at that time childlessness was considered a disgrace. They never grumbled, but fervently prayed to God, humbly trusting in Him.
Once, during a great feast, the gifts which Joachim took to Jerusalem as an offering to God were not accepted by the priest Reuben, who considered that a childless man was not worthy to offer sacrifice to God. This pained the old man very much, and he, regarding himself the most sinful of people, decided not to return home, but to settle in solitude in a desolate place.
When Saint Anna learned what humiliation her husband had endured, she sorrowfully entreated God with prayer and fasting to grant her a child. In his desolate solitude the righteous Joachim also asked God for this. The prayer of the saintly couple was heard. An angel told them that a daughter would be born to them, Who would be blessed above all other women.
He also told them that She would remain a virgin, would be dedicated to the Lord and live in the Temple, and would give birth to the Savior. Obeying the instructions of the heavenly messenger, Saints Joachim and Anna met at the Golden Gate in Jerusalem. Then, as God promised, a daughter was born to them and they named her Mary.
Saint Joachim died a few years later at the age of 80, after his daughter went to live in the Temple. Saint Anna died at the age of 70, two years after her husband.
Saints Joachim and Anna are often invoked by couples trying to have children.
Since you were righteous under the law of grace, O Joachim and Anna, / you gave birth to the God-given infant for our sake. / Therefore, the divine Church radiantly keeps feast today, / joyfully celebrating your honorable memory and giving glory to God / who has raised up a horn of salvation from the house of David.
Ven. Kyriakos was born at the beginning of the 17th century to a family of religious people in Mesteacăn village, region of Neamţ. His parents used to take him to religious services at Tazlău Monastery ever since he was a child, so that he felt that his soul is “exalted by the divine longing”. He received his parents’ blessing and joined the community of this monastery from his youth. He became used to the monastic life and then was tonsured into monasticism.
There he proved much love and spiritual aspiration, having been a special observer of obedience in self-denial, praying permanently and fasting extensively. Soon, without his own accord, he was ordained deacon and then priest, having become a good spiritual adviser of other people.
His desire to live a harder life made him retire into a cave at Măgura Tazlaului, where he kept vigil all night, overcoming great cold and devilish temptations. Having acquired the gift of pure prayer, of healing the diseases and of casting out the demons, crowds of monks and faithful always wanted to seek for him. The pious monk was always also defender and confessor of the true faith, keeping the flame of Orthodoxy burning in all the region of Neamţ.
He climbed the steps of holiness in quite a short time and was very useful to all the others through his renowned living, through his prayers and advice, since he was blessed by God with the gift of thoughts discernment and could perform miracles during his lifetime.
He passed away about 1660 and was buried in the church porch of Tazlău Monastery.
The people considered him saint ever since his lifetime, a fact also confirmed by Saint Hierarch Dosoftei, metropolitan of Moldavia, who knew him and who venerated his holy relics, writing: “I lived at the time of outstanding fathers who had great humbleness: father Kyriakos from Bisericani and Kyriakos from Tazlău”.
In the Paterikon of the Romanian-Moldavian Saints, of 1888, it is written: “It was also at this time that pious father Kyriakos from Tazlău Skete lived in hermitage, fought against the invisible enemies and perfectly defeated them”.
One proof of his holy wonderful life is that after death, when his body was unburied, it was found unaltered. Monks and faithful from everywhere come to his grave to pray with great faith and hope.
On 6 March 2008, the Romanian Orthodox Church placed him among the saints, being celebrated on 9 September.
Through his holy prayers, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us. Amen.
Glowed by the love of Christ, you have lived in the cave of the Hill of Tazlău, glorifying God and overcoming demons. Therefore, we faithfully praise you, oh, Venerable Kyriakos, our Father!
Venerable Onuphrius of Vorona was born around year 1700 to a noble family from Russia and became the governor of the region.
He left all the worldly riches and honour and came to live an ascetic life in Moldavia, around year 1749. The region was famous for its holy men living in wilderness.
His spiritual advisor was Elder Paisios, a famous monk who re-established monastic life on new bases in Moldavia.
In year 1764, Venerable Onuphrius joined the Sihăstria Vorona Skete and lived for 25 years in a cave near the Vorona River.
He would eat once a day after sunset and keep vigil at night. He received the Great Schema from Elder Paisios in 1774.
He would practice the Jesus Prayer and was very much sought after by the faithful and the monks for spiritual advice.
When he was about to repose in the Lord, an angel appeared to a near-by priest and led him with the Holy Communion to the cave of the saint.
He asked to be taken to the skete, where he gave his soul into the Lord’s hands three days later and was buried under an apple tree.
In the winter of 1846, while hunting, Prince Mihail Sturza (1834-1849) found a big and beautiful fruit at the root of the apple tree which guarded over the saint’s tomb. He gave it to his epilepsy-stricken daughter and the girl was cured.
Then the prince asked to holy relics to be unearthed and put into a reliquary for veneration at the Vorona Monastery.
Ten years later, the saint showed himself in a dream to the abbot and asked him to take him back to the Sihăstria Voronei Skete, where his holy relics lye to this day.
He was canonized by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church in 2005 and he continues to perform miracles.
Living in prayer and silence, you have ascended the ladder of holiness, Venerable Father Onuphrius. You were revealed an image of humility and you became a good counsellor for all through the example of your life. For loving God more, you renounced the worldly things and dwelled in the wilderness. Pray to the Lord for our souls!
Two hundred bishops attended the Council in the city of Ephesus. Nestorius also arrived in Ephesus, but he did not appear at the Council even though the Fathers suggested three times that he attend the sessions. Then the Fathers began to discuss the heresy in the absence of the heretic.
The sessions of the Council continued from June 22 to August 31, 431. At the Council of Ephesus were present such famous Fathers of the Church as Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Juvenal of Jerusalem, Memnon of Ephesus (Saint Celestine, Pope of Rome, was unable to attend because of illness, but he sent papal legates).
The Third Ecumenical Council condemned the heresy of Nestorius and confirmed the Orthodox teaching on these matters: that it is necessary to confess the Lord Jesus Christ as One Person (Hypostasis) in two natures, the Divine and the Human, and that the All-Pure Mother of the Lord be acclaimed as Ever-Virgin and truly the Theotokos. In the guidance of the Church the holy Fathers issued eight Canons, and the “Twelve Anathemas against Nestorius” by Saint Cyril of Alexandria.
Tr by oca.org
]]>The Most Holy Virgin Mary was born at a time when people had reached such a degree of moral decay that it seemed altogether impossible to restore them. People often said that God must come into the world to restore faith and not permit the ruin of mankind.
The Son of God chose to take on human nature for the salvation of mankind, and chose as His Mother the All-Pure Virgin Mary, who alone was worthy to give birth to the Source of purity and holiness.
The Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady the Mother of God and Ever Virgin Mary is celebrated by the Church as a day of universal joy. Within the context of the Old and the New Testaments, the Most Blessed Virgin Mary was born on this radiant day, having been chosen before the ages by Divine Providence to bring about the Mystery of the Incarnation of the Word of God. She is revealed as the Mother of the Savior of the World, Our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Most Holy Virgin Mary was born in the small city of Galilee, Nazareth. Her parents were Righteous Joachim of the tribe of the Prophet-King David, and Anna from the tribe of the First Priest Aaron. The couple was without child, since Saint Anna was barren.
Having reached old age, Joachim and Anna did not lose hope in God’s mercy. They had strong faith that for God everything is possible, and that He would be able to overcome the barrenness of Anna even in her old age, as He had once overcame the barrenness of Sarah, spouse of the Patriarch Abraham. Saints Joachim and Anna vowed to dedicate the child which the Lord might give them, to the service of God in the Temple.
Childlessness was considered among the Hebrew nation as a Divine punishment for sin, and therefore the righteous Saints Joachim and Anna had to endure abuse from their own countrymen. On one of the feastdays at the Temple in Jerusalem the elderly Joachim brought his sacrifice to offer to God, but the High Priest would not accept it, considering him to be unworthy since he was childless.
Saint Joachim in deep grief went into the wilderness, and there he prayed with tears to the Lord for a child. Saint Anna wept bitterly when she learned what had happened at the Jerusalem Temple. Never once did she complain against the Lord, but rather she prayed to ask God’s mercy on her family.
The Lord fulfilled her petitions when the pious couple had attained to extreme old age and prepared themselves by virtuous life for a sublime calling: to be the parents of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, the future Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Archangel Gabriel brought Joachim and Anna the joyous message that their prayers were heard by God, and of them would be born a most blessed daughter Mary, through Whom would come the Salvation of all the World.
The Most Holy Virgin Mary surpassed in purity and virtue not only all mankind, but also the angels. She was manifest as the living Temple of God, so the Church sings in its festal hymns: “the East Gate… bringing Christ into the world for the salvation of our souls” (2nd Stikhera on “Lord, I Have Cried”, Tone 6).
The Nativity of the Mother of God marks the change of the times when the great and comforting promises of God for the salvation of the human race from slavery to the devil are about to be fulfilled. This event has brought to earth the grace of the Kingdom of God, a Kingdom of Truth, piety, virtue and everlasting life. The Mother of God is revealed to all of us by grace as a merciful Intercessor and Mother, to Whom we have recourse with filial devotion.
Your Nativity, O Virgin, / has proclaimed joy to the whole universe! / The Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, / has shone from You, O Theotokos! / By annulling the curse, / He bestowed a blessing. / By destroying death, He has granted us eternal Life.
A new week has brought to light moments of prayer, communion, and joy in the life of the Orthodox Church.
From the Beginning of the New Ecclesiastical Year and Orthodox youth events to services, processions, and testimonies of faith from parish communities, we invite you to discover, in pictures, some of the most important moments from August 31 – September 6, 2026.
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]]>His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel welcomed the relics of St Anne, the mother of the Mother of God, at the Patriarchal Residence on Saturday evening. Brought from Koutloumousiou Monastery at the initiative of St George the New Parish in Bucharest, the relics are visiting Romania for the first time and are accompanied by a delegation from Mount Athos.
“We are particularly pleased to welcome you here at the Patriarchal Residence, bringing with you the relics of St Anne, the grandmother of our Saviour Jesus Christ and the mother of the Most Holy Mother of God,” the Patriarch of Romania said.
“Sts Joachim and Anne are the protectors of all Christian parents who have families and children,” Patriarch Daniel recalled.
His Beatitude noted that the sacred relic, consisting of part of St Anne’s foot, was given to the Athonite monastery by Emperor Alexios Komnenos in 1095.
“Koutloumousiou Monastery has had special ties with Wallachia throughout history,” the Patriarch of Romania said, recalling the period in which Byzantine hesychasm flourished, which was also the time of the ministry of the first Metropolitan of Wallachia, St Hyacinth of Vicina, in the 14th century.
“After St Hyacinth, Metropolitan of Wallachia or Ungro-Wallachia, reposed in the Lord in 1372, Ecumenical Patriarch Saint Philotheos Kokkinos, following the election by the Holy Synod of Constantinople, appointed the abbot of Koutloumousiou Monastery, Hariton, as Metropolitan of Ungro-Wallachia or Wallachia,” Patriarch Daniel said.
Romanian monks were also sent on several occasions, at Koutloumousiou Monastery’s request, to strengthen the Athonite brotherhood.
“Later, in 1508, Prince Radu the Great of Wallachia built the defensive tower of Koutloumousiou Monastery at his own expense. And, of course, after him, Prince Saint Neagoe Basarab, who ruled from 1512 to 1521 — only nine years — and who was devoted to Mount Athos, supported Koutloumousiou Monastery and called it the Great Lavra of Wallachia,” the Patriarch of Romania added.
Fr Chrysostomos of Koutloumousiou, who is leading the delegation accompanying the holy relics in Romania, gave glory to God for their safe arrival.
“We have come together with the brothers from our holy place following the invitation of the priests of St George the New Parish, with the permission, approval and blessing of Your Beatitude as shepherd of this Church, and also with the permission and blessing of our abbot, Archimandrite Nikolaos, Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Koutloumousiou,” Fr Chrysostomos said.
“He and the Holy Synaxis of the fathers responded with joy to the request to bring for veneration and blessing the holy foot of the holy and glorious ancestress Anne, a gift from the Byzantine Emperor Alexios the Great Komnenos, who was also a benefactor of our Holy Monastery, dating from the 11th century.”
“With humility and filial love, we pray that the presence of the holy relics here may strengthen the faith, devotion and trust of the devout Romanian people in the will of God,” the Athonite monk added.
Fr Chrysostomos wished the Patriarch of Romania many long and fruitful years and conveyed the greetings and filial respect of his abbot, Archimandrite Nikolaos of Koutloumousiou.
Patriarch Daniel presented Koutloumousiou Monastery with an icon of St Andrew the Apostle, Protector of Romania; a medal bearing the portrait of St Demetrius the New, Protector of Bucharest; and books published in Greek by the Romanian Patriarchate’s publishing houses.
Parish priest Fr Emil Nedelea-Cărămizaru initiated the bringing of the relics to Romania in honour of St Maria Brâncoveanu and the Holy Brâncoveanu Martyrs, a family of saints whose relics the Bucharest parish preserves.
Fr Emil Nedelea-Cărămizaru told Radio Trinitas that the arrival of the relics in Bucharest represented “a moment of great emotion” and “a sign of blessing for the faith of this people who love God, the Mother of God and the saints”.
“I believe that, even before we came to an understanding here on earth, the saints came to an understanding in heaven, and St Anne wished to bless this church, this community and the pilgrims. As I have said, she also wished to come here to Romania as a sign of honour for a heroic mother such as St Maria Brâncoveanu, the mother of 11 children, four of whom became martyrs of Christ,” Fr Emil Nedelea-Cărămizaru added.
From the Patriarchal Residence, the relics were taken on Saturday evening to St George the New Church in Bucharest, where they will be available for veneration until 22:00 on Thursday, 10 September 2026. The church will remain open continuously.
For more pictures, please visit our Photo gallery section.
Photo: BASILICA / Mircea Florescu
]]>Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia issued a message at the start of the 2026–2027 school year to pupils, students, parents, and teachers, urging young people to combine the acquisition of knowledge with character formation and the cultivation of faith, while emphasising that true wisdom has its source in God.
The Bishop of Southern Bessarabia recalled that school is not merely a place where information is acquired, but also an environment where character is formed, and the value of friendship, responsibility, and respect for one’s neighbour is discovered.
Addressing children and young people, the hierarch encouraged them to study diligently and use the gifts they have received from God for good.
“Do not be afraid of hard work or of moments when the path seems more difficult. Patience, perseverance and honest work will bear fruit at the proper time,” Bishop Veniamin emphasised.
His Grace also highlighted the challenges of the digital world and encouraged young people to exercise discernment when choosing the information they consume and the values they follow.
In his message to parents, the Bishop of Southern Bessarabia emphasised that the family remains the first place where children learn faith, responsibility and respect for others.
He encouraged parents to stand by their children not only in moments of success but also when they encounter difficulties, reminding them that a child’s worth is not measured by academic results, but by the person they become.
Bishop Veniamin expressed gratitude to teachers and all those involved in education, noting that their mission extends beyond imparting knowledge to include the spiritual formation of new generations.
In conclusion, the Bishop of Southern Bessarabia prayed that the new school year would be blessed and that schools and universities would remain places of knowledge, dialogue, respect and harmonious coexistence.
Photo: Facebook / Diocese of Southern Bessarabia
]]>The first lesson at Great Vespers (Genesis 28:10-17) describes Jacob’s dream of a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, and the angels ascending and descending upon it. The second lesson (Ezekiel 43:27-44:4) speaks of the gate of the sanctuary which faces east. God enters through this gate, which is shut so that no one else can enter by it. The third reading (Proverbs 9:1-11) talks about the house that Wisdom has built.
These readings are interpreted as prefiguring the Mother of God.
Pious Simeon was born at the beginning of the 15th century in a village close to Piatra Neamţ city, at the time of the pious ruler prince Alexander the Kind (1400-1432). From his youth, he was a very religious man, choosing to live monastic life and joining the community of Bistriţa Monastery.
After much ascetic practice and obedience, in 1432, he retired together with two of his disciples on the left bank of Pângăraţi creek. There, he built a cell of fir beams in a beautiful meadow, where he stayed together with his disciples in permanent prayers, so that his place was known as “Simeon’s Hermitage”.
Having heard of him, Right-believing Ruler Prince Stephan the Great (1457–1504) helped him raise a small wooden church dedicated to Saint Great Martyr Demetrius, the Myrrh Bearer. When metropolitan Teoctist I consecrated it, Venerable Simeon was ordained priest, having become the first founder and igumen of Pângăraţi Monastery, called “Simeon’s Skete” until 1508.
There he gathered many disciples around him, growing in self-denial and prayer and receiving the gifts of healing and of prophecy. The faithful benefited from his blessings, as well as the high officials, and even Right-believing Ruler Prince Stephan the Great, who used to ask for his advice for him and for the country.
In 1476, when the Turks invaded Moldavia and won the battle of Războieni, Venerable Simeon prayed for the country and for the ruling prince to rid them of the invaders, took his disciples and settled at Caşva Monastery, in Mureş region. There, he passed away the same year in the autumn, having been buried in that monastery.
Towards the end of 1484, when peace was reigning again in the country, Right-believing Ruler Prince Stephan the Great put his relics in a shrine and kept them in his treasury, in great honour. Then, he took parts of the relics and put them in a shrine for veneration, burying the rest of them in the Citadel of Suceava.
Venerable Amphilochius from Pângăraţi was born in 1487, in Ţara de Sus, Moldavia. He began his monastic life since his youth, at Moldoviţa Monastery, where from he came to Pângăraţi, in 1508. There, all the members of the community elected him abbot, so that he led them for 56 years.
Hieromonk Anastasios from Moldoviţa, who knew him well, speaks about his life: “He chose to live in monasticism ever since he was a child, having been esteemed by all the people of his time for his good deeds. He was a very good writer, fasting, patient and striving to live a spiritual life”.
Due to his efforts, Christ, our Lord, and Saint Demetrius, the protector of the monastery, made ruler prince Alexandru Lapuşneanu (1552-1561; 1564-1568) build a new church at Pângăraţi, instead of the old wooden one which the Turks had burned down.
The church was consecrated by metropolitan Gregory of Suceava in 1560. In 1566, the Saint gathered all his spiritual sons around, gave them last advice, appointed hieromonk Teodorit as igumen replacing him and retired at his first monastery, Moldoviţa.
There, blessed Amphilochius became a hermit by the name of Enoch and lived for four more years. In 1570, having known before the time of his death, he received the Holy Communion, fell asleep into the Lord, and his disciples buried him.
On 6 March 2008, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church canonised Venerables Simeon and Amphilochius, to be celebrated on 7 September.
Through the prayers of the Pious Saints Simeon and Amphilochius, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us. Amen.
Oh, Venerable Fathers Simeon and Amphilochius, the ones who enlightened the Carpathian woods through your prayers and filled the whole valley of Bistrița with spiritual scent, close advisers of the ruler princes and radiant torches of the monastics and of the pious faithful, pray to God for us, who celebrate with love your holy commemoration.
A native of Lykaonia, was a shepherd. He read the Holy Scriptures attentively, and he loved to share his knowledge about the One God with the shepherds who gathered together with him. He brought many to the faith in Christ and to Baptism.
One night, as he sat under an oak tree, he had a vision foretelling his martyrdom for Christ. He went to the city of Cilician Pompeiopolis, where a festal pagan celebration was being prepared for a golden idol, standing in a pagan temple.
Unseen by anyone, Saint Sozon went into the pagan temple and broke off the idol’s hand, then he smashed it and gave the gold to the poor. The missing hand of the idol caused an uproar and commotion in the city. Many were under suspicion, and were subjected to interrogation and torture.
Not wanting to be the cause of suffering for other people, Saint Sozon went to the emperor Maximian (284-305) and declared that it was he who broke the hand of the idol.
“I did this,” he said, “so that you might see the lack of power of your god, which offered me no resistance. It is not a god, but a deaf and dumb idol. I wanted to smash it all into pieces, so that people would no longer worship the work of men’s hands.”
The emperor in a fitful rage commanded that Saint Sozon be tortured mercilessly. They hung him up and struck him with iron claws, and then they put iron boots in which there were nails on his feet and took him through the city.
After this they again suspended him and beat him with iron rods until his bones broke. In these terrible torments Saint Sozon gave up his spirit to God. By decree of the emperor, slaves lit a fire to burn the body of the martyr, but suddenly lightning flashed, it thundered loudly, and rain poured down over the fire.
Christians took the body of the martyr by night and buried it. By his grave and at the place where he had the vision, many of the sick were healed. A church was built later in memory of the sufferings of the holy martyr.
„O Martyr Sozon, you pledged your life to God, / Enduring the contest and becoming a sharer in Christ’s passion. / Save from temptation those who cry to you: / “Glory to him who strengthened you! / Glory to him who crowned you! / Glory to him who through you works healing for all!”
Saint Cassiani is a well-known Byzantine poet who lived during the reign of Emperor Theophilos (829 – 842).
She was tonsured about the year 820, and founded a convent on Xerolophos, one of Constantinople’s seven hills. There (according to the monk George the Sinful) she led “an ascetic and philosophical life” which was pleasing to God. She was an energetic Igoumeness who not only regulated the life of the convent, but also found time to pursue her literary interests. She combined the talents of poet, theologian and musician, writing hymns and composing musical settings for them. Originally sung by her nuns, many of her compositions have enduring value. At least twenty-three of her hymns were later included in the Church’s liturgical books.
One of Saint Cassiani’s most famous hymns is sung during Matins on Holy Wednesday, on the subject of the woman who had fallen into many sins, which is based on Saint Luke’s Gospel (7:36-50).
Another of her hymns is sung in the Canon of Matins for Holy Saturday, and is repeated at the Midnight Office on Holy Pascha: “Do not weep for me, O Mother, beholding in the tomb the Son Whom thou hast conceived without seed in thy womb, for I shall arise. . .”
Saint Cassianḗ is not mentioned in the Synaxaristés, yet the inhabitants of Kasos, because of the similarity of her name with that of their island, celebrate her Feast Day on September 7. A special Church Service was composed in her honor, and it was published in Alexandria in 1889 by the “Reformed” (or “Reorganized”) printing house.
It is strange, however, that this Service was dedicated to Patriarch Sophronios of Alexandria, who in turn gave it to Metropolitan Germanós of Thebes to be printed (on September 1, 1889). Thus, Cassianḗ’s glorification by the Church of Alexandria was somehow formalized, as the inhabitants of Kasos desired.
For centuries Saint Cassiani’s name has appeared at the end of all the lists of Byzantine poets. The first known list was compiled by Nikēphóros Kállistos Xanthopoulos in the first half of the XIV century.
Saint Cassiani is depicted among the holy ascetics and other monastics in the icon for the Triumph of Orthodoxy on the first Sunday of Lent.
In Phrygia, not far from the city of Hieropolis, in a place called Cheretopos, there was a church named for the Archangel Michael, built over a miraculous spring.
This church was built by a certain inhabitant of the city of Laodicia in gratitude to God for healing his mute daughter. The holy Chief Commander Michael appeared to this man in a dream and revealed to him that his daughter would receive the gift of speech after drinking from the water of the spring. The girl actually did receive healing and began to speak.
After this miracle, the father and his daughter and all their family were baptized. In fervent gratitude, the father built the church in honour of the holy Chief Commander Michael. Not only did Christians begin to come to the spring for healing, but also pagans. In so doing, many of the pagans turned from their idols and were converted to faith in Christ.
At this church of the holy Chief Commander Michael, a certain pious man by the name of Archippus served for sixty years as church custodian. By his preaching and by the example of his saintly life he brought many pagans to faith in Christ. With the general malice of that time towards Christians, and especially against Archippus, the pagans thought to destroy the church in order to prevent people from coming to that holy place of healing and at the same time kill Archippus.
Toward this end they made a confluence of the Lykokaperos and Kufos Rivers and directed its combined flow against the church. Saint Archippus prayed fervently to the Chief Commander Michael to ward off the danger. Through his prayer, the Archangel Michael appeared at the temple, and with a blow of his staff, opened a wide fissure in a rock and commanded the rushing torrents of water to flow into it.
The temple remained unharmed. Seeing such an awesome miracle, the pagans fled in terror. Archippus and the Christians gathered in church glorified God and gave thanks to the holy Archangel Michael for the help. The place where the rivers plunged into the fissure received the name “Chonae”, which means “plunging.”
The Martyrs Eudoxius, Zeno, Macarius and their Companions received a martyric death for Christ under the emperor Maximian Galerius, the successor of the emperor Diocletian.
Saint Eudoxius held the high position of a military commander in the imperial armies. He was a Christian, as were his friend Zeno and his house steward Macarius. After the emperor Diocletian issued an edict that Christians who refused to offer sacrifice to idols were to be put to death, many people fled to various lands with their families to avoid torture and death. At this time Saint Eudoxius resigned his high position, and with his wife Saint Basilissa and all their family abandoned their property and went into hiding in the region of Armenian Melitene.
The governor of Melitene sent soldiers to search for Eudoxius. When they found Eudoxius, he was attired in white garb. Not recognising him, the soldiers began to question whether a certain military commander Eudoxius had come into these parts. Not revealing who he was, the saint invited the soldiers into his home, fed them and gave them lodging for the night.
Saint Eudoxius considered his encounter with the soldiers as a sign from the Lord of his impending death by martyrdom. In the morning, he disclosed to his guests that he was the one whom they were seeking. In gratitude for the hospitality, the soldiers offered to conceal from the authorities that they had found Saint Eudoxius. However, the saint would not consent to this.
Setting his affairs in order, he told his wife not to weep for him, but on the contrary to celebrate the day of his martyric death. Donning his military garb, he went with the soldiers to the governor. Saint Basilissa and his friends Saints Zeno and Macarius followed after Saint Eudoxius.
The governor tried to persuade Saint Eudoxius to offer sacrifice to the idols and by this safeguard his life, exalted rank and property. Saint Eudoxius firmly refused, denouncing the folly of anyone who would worship soulless idols. He removed his soldier’s belt, the emblem of his authority, and threw it in the governor’s face.
Soldiers present at this, secret Christians, did the same thing, and they numbered more than a thousand men. The embarrassed governor asked the emperor what he should do. He was ordered to try the ringleaders and set the others free.
After prolonged tortures, they led Saint Eudoxius forth to execution. Following after her husband, Saint Basilissa wept, and his friend Saint Zeno also wept for the martyr. Saint Eudoxius again urged his wife not to mourn him, but rather to rejoice that he was worthy of the crown of martyrdom. He asked that she bury his body in a place called Amimos.
To his weeping friend Saint Zeno Saint Eudoxius predicted that they would enter the Kingdom of Heaven at the same time. Emboldened by these words, Zeno loudly declared himself a Christian, for which he was immediately sentenced to death.
Later, Saint Basilissa took her husband’s body without hindrance, and buried it in the place where he had requested. After this, they arrested the saint and led her before the governor. Desiring to share the fate of her husband, she fearlessly denounced both the governor and his false gods, the idols. The governor, however, saw her intent and would not torture her, but instead sent her away. As she left, the saint said to him that God would see her intention to suffer for her faith and would accept this intent as an accomplished deed.
Seven days later, Saint Eudoxius appeared to his wife in a vision and bade her to inform his friend and house steward Macarius, that both he and Saint Zeno awaited the arrival of Macarius. Macarius immediately went to the governor and declared himself a Christian, for which he was sentenced to death and beheaded. Many Christians also suffered martyrdom during this time.
Troparion — Tone 4
Your holy martyrs Eudoxius, Zeno, and Macarius, O Lord, / through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God. / For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries, / and shattered the powerless boldness of demons. / Through their intercessions, save our souls!
Tr. by oca.org
]]>The Romanian Orthodox Malajnica Monastery of the Timok Vicariate, Diocese of Dacia Felix, Serbia, will host celebrations for the local proclamation of the canonisation of St Magdalena of Malajnica on 12–13 September 2026.
Hierarchs, clergy, representatives of authorities and institutions from Romania and the Republic of Serbia, as well as numerous faithful and pilgrims, are expected to attend.
The Diocese of Dacia Felix has invited all faithful to take part in the celebrations and share in the spiritual joy of the occasion.
“This celebration has particular significance for the Diocese of Dacia Felix and for the Romanian Orthodox communities in the Republic of Serbia,” the Press Office of the Diocese of Dacia Felix said.
“The local proclamation of the canonisation of St Magdalena of Malajnica represents a historic moment in the ecclesiastical life of Romanian Orthodox Christians in the Timok Valley. Through this celebration, the witness of St Magdalena becomes a source of strengthening in the faith and of communion for the clergy and faithful of the Diocese of Dacia Felix.”
18:00 – Vigil
09:00 – Reception of the hierarchs
09:30 – Divine Liturgy
11:30 – Ceremony for the local proclamation of the canonisation of St Magdalena of Malajnica:
Photo: Dacia Felix Diocese
]]>“In a world marked by extensive and rapid change, the diversification of means of communication and the use of artificial intelligence, written culture continues to be that magnificent point of reference for stability, discernment and depth,” Archbishop Nifon of Târgoviște, Honorary Metropolitan and Patriarchal Exarch, said on Friday.
“It helps us maintain balance, cultivate reflection and remain anchored in spiritual values, which form the foundation of our civilisation.”
The message was delivered on the occasion of the opening in Târgoviște of the Ion Heliade Rădulescu Publishing Fair, an event that has become a tradition in the city.
“In every age, the book remains a privileged space for the encounter between the human person and meaning, between tradition and renewal, between the memory of history and the aspirations of the future, in which the principal symbols are those of the spiritual world,” the hierarch continued.
“The book is not merely a cultural instrument, but a splendid work of responsibility, an act of affirming identity, a means of preserving the wisdom of our forebears, of expressing creativity and distinctiveness, and also of spiritual ennoblement.”
The hierarch praised the Publishing Fair held annually in Târgoviște, describing it as a celebration of those who serve culture with dedication. He called the book “a bridge between generations, a wonderful space for dialogue, cooperation and reflection, a place where Romania’s fascinating spiritual and cultural heritage is preserved and transmitted”.
This year, the Târgoviște Archdiocese Publishing House is taking part in the event with new volumes intended to enrich the diocese’s cultural and theological heritage.
The titles include Princes of Târgoviște — Founders of Orthodox Spirituality and Metropolitan Ștefan I of Wallachia — Promoter of the Church’s Mission through Printing, as well as two booklets from the missionary and educational series dedicated to young people: The Family — Foundation of the Values of Christ’s Gospel and Faith and Witness in the Virtual Space.
Archbishop Nifon also recalled that cooperation between the Archdiocese of Târgoviște and the Ion Heliade Rădulescu County Library has resulted in valuable publishing and cultural projects, and thanked the institution’s director, Professor Erich Agnes.
Photo: Târgoviște Archdiocese
]]>They were the parents of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, John. They were descended from the lineage of Aaron: Saint Zachariah, son of Barach, was a priest in the Jerusalem Temple, and Saint Elizabeth was the sister of Saint Anna, the mother of the Most Holy Theotokos.
The righteous spouses, “walking in all the commandments of the Lord (Luke 1:6), suffered barrenness, which in those times was considered a punishment from God.
Once, during his turn of priestly service in the Temple, Saint Zachariah was told by an angel that his aged wife would bear him a son, who “will be great in the sight of the Lord” (Luke 1:15) and “will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias” (Luke 1:17).
Zachariah doubted that this prediction would come true, and for his weakness of faith he was punished by becoming mute. When Elizabeth gave birth to a son, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit she announced that his name was John, although no one in their family had this name.
They asked Zachariah and he also wrote the name John down on a tablet. Immediately the gift of speech returned to him, and inspired by the Holy Spirit, he began to prophesy about his son as the Forerunner of the Lord.
When King Herod heard from the Magi about the birth of the Messiah, he decided to kill all the infants up to two years old at Bethlehem and the surrounding area, hoping that the new-born Messiah would be among them.
Herod knew about John’s unusual birth and he wanted to kill him, fearing that he was the foretold King of the Jews. But Elizabeth hid herself and the infant in the hills. The murderers searched everywhere for John. Elizabeth, when she saw her pursuers, began to implore God for their safety, and immediately the hill opened up and concealed her and the infant from their pursuers.
In these tragic days Saint Zachariah was taking his turn at the services in the Temple. Soldiers sent by Herod tried in vain to learn from him the whereabouts of his son.
Then, by command of Herod, they murdered this holy prophet, having stabbed him between the temple and the altar (MT 23: 35). Elizabeth died forty days after her husband, and Saint John, preserved by the Lord, dwelt in the wilderness until the day of his appearance to the nation of Israel.
Righteous Elizabeth was the mother of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, John. She was descended from the lineage of Aaron, and Saint Elizabeth was the sister of Saint Anna, the mother of the Most Holy Theotokos. The righteous spouses, “walking in all the commandments of the Lord (Luke 1:6), suffered barrenness, which in those times was considered a punishment from God.
When Elizabeth gave birth to a son, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit she announced that his name was John, although no one in their family had this name.
They asked Zachariah (who had been rendered mute) what the child’s name was, and he wrote the name John down on a tablet. Immediately the gift of speech returned to him, and inspired by the Holy Spirit, he began to prophesy about his son as the Forerunner of the Lord.
When King Herod heard from the Magi about the birth of the Messiah, he decided to kill all the infants up to two years old at Bethlehem and the surrounding area, hoping that the new-born Messiah would be among them.
Herod knew about John’s unusual birth and he wanted to kill him, fearing that he was the foretold King of the Jews. But Elizabeth hid herself and the infant in the hills. The murderers searched everywhere for John. Elizabeth, when she saw her pursuers, began to implore God for their safety, and immediately the hill opened up and concealed her and the infant from their pursuers.
In these tragic days Saint Zachariah was taking his turn at the services in the Temple. Soldiers sent by Herod tried in vain to learn from him the whereabouts of his son. Then, by command of Herod, they murdered this holy prophet, having stabbed him between the temple and the altar (MT 23: 35). Elizabeth died forty days after her husband, and Saint John, preserved by the Lord, dwelt in the wilderness until the day of his appearance to the nation of Israel.
Troparion, tone 4:
Robed in the vestments of the priesthood, according to the Law of God you offered whole-burnt offerings in a sacred manner, wise Zachariah. You became a luminary and a seer of the mysteries, bearing within yourself the signs of grace, all-wise one. Slain by the sword in the temple of God, O prophet of Christ, intercede together with the Forerunner that our souls may be saved.
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His Eminence Metropolitan Ioan of Banat urged students to learn what benefits them, warning: “Not everything you can learn builds you up spiritually.”
In a message for the beginning of the new school year, the Metropolitan of Banat emphasised that the first day of school is a moment of joy, but also one of emotion and responsibility.
“Students return to their classrooms, teachers resume their noble mission, and parents entrust their children to the school in the hope that they will grow in knowledge, wisdom and soundness of soul.”
Metropolitan Ioan encouraged young people to be kind and supportive of one another.
“Be there for one another, do not leave any classmate alone, and do not turn your words into wounds for your neighbour.”
Metropolitan Ioan highlighted the fundamental role teachers play in shaping younger generations.
“Into your hands are entrusted not only the minds of children, but also many of their questions, struggles and hopes. A teacher’s mission is not only to impart knowledge, but also to form character and open paths in life.”
Parents were encouraged to devote as much time as possible to their children.
“A child needs school and teachers, but above all needs the warmth of the family and the example of their parents. The school and the family, together with the Church, are called to work for the enlightenment of the mind and the proper upbringing of the children of our people.”
The Metropolitan of Banat encouraged clergy to offer prayers during the Divine Liturgy for the enlightenment of children’s minds and for the blessing of teachers and families.
“Beloved fathers who serve at the holy altars, be attentive also to the material needs of children in the parishes entrusted to you. For some families, the beginning of school brings not only joy but also anxiety about tomorrow. There are parents who are unable to provide everything their children need, and there are children who set out for school carrying in their hearts the burden of hardship at home.”
His Eminence concluded his message:
“We pray to our Saviour Jesus Christ to enlighten the minds of students, strengthen the labours of teachers, bless the sacrifices of parents and reward the love of all those who care for children experiencing hardship and need.”
Photo: Metropolis of Banat
]]>The “Procession of Lights” brought together participants in the 2026 International Meeting of Orthodox Youth (ITO) on the streets of the capital on Wednesday evening, September 2, 2026.
The pilgrimage took place from the National Cathedral to the esplanade of the Patriarchal Cathedral of Saints Constantine and Helena.
The young people carried lit candles in their hands and were welcomed by His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel in front of the Patriarchal Residence, where a moment of prayer took place.
Photo: BASILICA / Mircea Florescu
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