This year, the Archdiocese of Iași announced that the number of believers participating in Saint Parascheva’s celebrations reached a new high of 450,000.
Approximately 360,000 people participated in the extended pilgrimage to the relics of Saint Parascheva during the ten days of religious events, and over 90,000 people attended other events organised by the Metropolis of Moldavia and Bukovina, including divine services and the procession with the holy relics.
According to the estimates of the event’s organisers, the peak number of pilgrims occurred on October 14, 2023, when approximately 70,000 people stood in the access corridor to the reliquary, resulting in a queue that was more than 5 kilometres long and lasted between 20 and 24 hours.
“We thank the organisers, the representatives of local public authorities and the volunteers who, through their openness to collaboration, contributed to the success of this mission. We also thank the participants for their patience, understanding, respect and behaviour according to the recommendations and indications of the law enforcement authorities,” the archdiocese representatives said.
Order was ensured by the “Alexandru cel Bun” Bacău Mobile Gendarmerie Group, which coordinated its actions with other competent authorities: Iași County Gendarmerie Inspectorate, Iași County Police Inspectorate, Iași County Emergency Situations Inspectorate, Iași Local Police and SMURD Iasi. Almost 700 participants received medical assistance.
The faithful also had the opportunity to venerate a portion of the relics of St. Andrew the Crete, which were brought specifically for the pilgrimage by Metropolitan Andreas of Arkalochori, Kastelli, and Viannos of the Church of Crete (Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople), who also presided over the Divine Liturgy on Saturday, October 14, for the feast of the beloved St Parascheva.
Photography courtesy of Doxologia.ro / Alex Atudori
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