The “Exaltation of the Holy Cross” Monastery in the town of Brusturi in Neamț County, eastern Romania, was built on the site of a conflagration that occurred 80 years ago during World War II and led to the deaths of approximately 14,000 Romanian, Russian, and German soldiers in a single night.
In their honour, the monastery is preparing a memorial that will be consecrated on the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, when national heroes are commemorated. His Eminence Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina will officiate at the service.
According to the abbot Siluan Antoci, over 500 names have been discovered from archives, some of which have never been mentioned.
“I confess that until this year, I never imagined that every hilltop here has given to God and our country’s people and heroes. So, on every hilltop, blood has flowed, not a little, but a lot,” said Abbot Siluan Antoci.
“It would be good if we could at least express gratitude, bow our heads for a moment, and offer a prayer before God. Because of their sacrifice, we speak Romanian, we worship in Romanian, and because of their sacrifice, we are in these places and can pray freely,” added the abbot.
The monastic settlement in Brusturi was established as a hermitage at the initiative of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel in 1992, during his tenure as Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina. It was elevated to the rank of monastery in 2007.
Photography courtesy of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Monastery
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