“The Church journeys through history in the footsteps of the saints, and their fascinating experience and profound embrace of Christian values constitute that wonderful treasure of spirituality which inspires the lives of us all, young and old,” His Eminence Archbishop Nifon of Târgoviște, Honorary Metropolitan and Patriarchal Exarch, said on Tuesday.
On the feast of St Niphon, Patriarch of Constantinople, patron saint of the Archdiocese of Târgoviște, His Eminence celebrated the Divine Liturgy together with Archbishop Varsanufie of Râmnic, Bishops Visarion of Tulcea and Ieronim of Dacia Felix, and Assistant Bishop Teofil of Trotuș from the Archdiocese of Roman and Bacău.
Approximately 20,000 pilgrims attended the service, celebrated near the Archdiocesan Cathedral. They came to venerate the relics of St Niphon and those of St Philothea of Argeș, which had been brought from Curtea de Argeș Monastery.
In his sermon, Hon Metropolitan Nifon said that “the saints shine in the firmament of the Church like beacons of light, truth and righteousness.”
“They regard the earth as an opportunity to attain heaven. The entire Church has established the saints—these heroes of the faith—as examples to follow, because through their lives and deeds they bear witness to the joy of God’s presence in our lives.”
The first saint canonised on Romanian soil
His Eminence highlighted the contribution of St Niphon, the first saint to be canonised on the territory of present-day Romania, to Romanian culture and spirituality.
“His providential arrival in Târgoviște, at the invitation of Prince Radu the Great, brought about a genuine spiritual renaissance, an unprecedented, powerful, extensive and fruitful renewal, because he restored moral and spiritual life upon the foundation of the Gospel, directing society towards those values which give it strength, stability and nobility.”
“His wisdom enlightened the decisions of Prince Radu the Great, offering him balanced and responsible counsel and showing him that only faith in God can give stability to a country and bring peace and prosperity,” the Honorary Metropolitan added.
His Eminence also presented volumes recently published by the Archdiocese of Târgoviște’s Publishing House.
At the conclusion of the service, His Eminence presented the St Niphon Diploma of Excellence and awards to pupils who achieved first place in the national stages of the 2025–2026 school Olympiads and competitions, as well as to their supervising teachers.
Awards were also presented to the four pupils from Dâmbovița County who achieved the maximum overall grade of 10 in the Baccalaureate examination, and to several young champions who distinguished themselves in various international competitions.
Photo: Târgoviște Archdiocese
