Romanian and Hungarian specialists took part on Monday in investigations at Kerepesi Cemetery in Budapest as part of efforts to identify the relics of St Anastasia Șaguna, canonised by the Romanian Orthodox Church in 2025.
The investigation began with the opening of the Grabovsky family vault at Kerepesi Cemetery, where the remains believed to be those of the mother of St Andrew Șaguna and of her two children, Evreta and Ecaterina, are thought to have been interred.
Participating in the investigation were His Grace Bishop Siluan of Hungary, representatives of the Archdiocese of Sibiu, the Mina Minovici National Institute of Forensic Medicine in Bucharest and the National Heritage Institute of Hungary (NÖRI).
Initial Findings
Following the opening of the vault, photographs were taken and preliminary observations carried out. However, no evidence was identified to allow a definitive conclusion.
“We considered today’s investigation to have been much more superficial than we had expected. A few photographs were taken, after which, although we insisted and repeatedly requested permission to examine some of the more relevant evidence on site, this was not possible,” Bishop Siluan told Trinitas TV.
The Bishop of Hungary noted that there are elements within the vault warranting further investigation.
“There are still grounds for continuing this research at a higher professional level. We believe there is still an opportunity to continue these investigations, and our anthropologists, with the support of the Metropolis of Transylvania, remain available to carry out this work.”
Hope for Further Investigation
Although the present procedure concluded without a definitive result, His Grace expressed hope that institutional dialogue between the parties would enable the investigation to be resumed.
“We hope that, through discussions between the two countries, the research can be resumed at a much higher professional standard. Then we may receive a more certain answer as to whether the relics of St Anastasia can indeed be discovered.”
Bishop Siluan concluded by underlining the spiritual importance of the mother of St Andrew Șaguna, regardless of the outcome of the investigation.
“She remains in our lives, in our hearts and in the history of the Romanian Orthodox Church as a great saint and as the mother of a great saint of Transylvania.”
Photo: Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Hungary
