During his recent visit to Romania, the Very Rev. Archimandrite Ephraim, the abbot of Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos, offered a replica of the Vimatarissa Icon of the Mother of God to the Diaconești Monastery.
The Vimatarissa or Ktitorissa Icon of the Mother of God is one of the seven miraculous icons enshrined at the Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos.
Elder Ephraim arrived Tuesday, August 21, 2018, at Diaconești Monastery, being accompanied by several monastics from Vatopedi.
Abbot Ephraim of Vatopedi arrived Tuesday at Diaconesti Monastery, Bacau County, bringing for veneration the Vimatarissa Icon of the Mother of God. pic.twitter.com/ocI5LXFffR
— Basilica.ro (EN) (@BasilicaNews) August 23, 2018
Two bishops celebrate Divine Liturgy
In the context of the reception of the Vimatarissa icon replica, Archbishop Ioachim of Roman and Bacău and Bishop Andrei of Covasna and Harghita celebrated Thursday, August 23, the Divine Liturgy at the main church of the monastery. The Athonite monks concelebrated.
Hundreds of believers attended the Divine Liturgy and venerated the Vimatarissa Icon of the Mother of God, the Roman Archdiocese’s website reports.
Elder Ephraim delivered a homily saying that the Mother of God is particularly ‘the Mother of monastics’, but also of all those who seek her help.
‘The Icon came to this place which is a female pantheon so that the Chief Virgin may be a pillar of the virgins, and because she pleases to remain in such spiritual centres.’
‘The Mother of God is the mother of all, but particularly the Mother of monastics,’ the abbot said.
Archbishop Ioachim thanked the Abbot of Vatopedi and presented him with an icon of Saint Paraskeva, the patron saint of the Archdiocesan Cathedral in Roman.
Referring to the Panagia Vimatarissa, Abp. Ioachim said that it represents ‘an icon of the family’, through which the Virgin Mary ‘gives us that strength from her strength so that we may become her sons and daughters according to grace and friends of God and members of His household in His Kingdom.’
Photos by Roman & Bacau Archdiocese
