In a video message marking the 380th anniversary of the translation of Saint Parascheva’s relics to Iasi (June 13, 1641), His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel said that Saint Parascheva is a very popular Saint in Romania, bringing Orthodox people together “in prayer and common witness.”
“The all-gracious” Saint Parascheva is a great gift for the Romanian people: full text
This year marks 380 years since the translation of the relics of Saint Prascheva from Epivata of Thrace to Iasi, on June 13, 1641, as a gift of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in exchange for the generosity of Prince Vasile Lupu of Moldavia towards the Patriarchate, during the pastorship of Saint Barlaam, Metropolitan of Moldavia.
The relics of Saint Parascheva were originally placed in the church of the “Three Holy Hierarchs” Monastery in Iasi, and in 1889 they were moved to the new Metropolitan Cathedral in Iasi, where they are enshrined today, becoming the protectress of Moldavia and a guide of all pilgrims seeking Christ’s holiness in His Church.
Saint Parascheva is the most popular of all the saints whose relics are on the territory of Romania.
Hundreds of parish churches in Romania and the Romanian diaspora are dedicated to her to be protected. Orthodox believers in northern Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia also venerate her with great reverence.
The great devotion of the right-believing people to Saint Parascheva is explained by the conviction and finding that she is “all-gracious”, as she is called in her Akathist.
Saint Parascheva offers help, through her intercessions, to young and old, virgins and mothers, monasteries and families, the sick and the poor, gathering in common prayer and confession the clergy and the laypeople from Romania and other countries.
Her power comes from her holiness and kindness, that is, from her love for God and humans.
If in 1955, in a full communist regime, at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Iasi, took place the proclamation of the generalization of the veneration of Saint Parascheva throughout the country, after 1990, this cathedral hosted ceremonies for the proclamation of the canonization of new Romanian Saints, including St. Theodora of Sihla and Saint John of Neamţ (1992), Saint Peter Mogila (2002), Saint Dositheus (2005), Saint Joseph the Merciful, and Saint George the Pilgrim (2018).
In the years of our stewardship in Iasi as Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina (July 1, 1990 – June 8, 2008), we strived for the feast of Saint Parascheva to become an occasion of communion between saints from different countries, bringing on pilgrimage relics of saints from other countries: Saint Andrew the Apostle (1996), Saint George the Great Martyr (2000), the Cincture of the Mother of God (2001), Saint John Cassian (2002), Great Martyr Demetrius (2003), Holy Cross (2004), Saint Paul the Apostle (2005), Saint Nectarios the Thaumaturge (2006), Saint John Chrysostom (2007).
Every year, on the feast of Saint Parascheva, on October 14, young and old people from all over the country, but also from abroad, become for a few days pilgrims venerating the relics of Saint Parascheva and other saints of the Orthodox Church in Iasi.
On the 380th anniversary of the translation to Iasi of the relics of Saint Parascheva, protectress of Moldavia, we ask the Most Merciful God to bless, through the intercession of Saint Parascheva, all those present in Iasi, hierarchs, clergy, monastics and lay faithful, together with local and central authorities, and to reward all faith, piety and toil, granting them good health and salvation, peace and joy, for many and blessed years!
With chosen appreciation and paternal blessing,
† Daniel
Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church
Photography courtesy of Doxologia.ro
