On the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, Thursday, May 29, 2025, at noon, the bells of all places of worship within the Romanian Patriarchate will ring in eternal remembrance, honor, and gratitude for the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the freedom, dignity, and unity of the Romanian people, for the confession of the Christian faith, and for the defense of the country.
The commemoration of Romanian heroes on the Feast of the Ascension was established by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church in 1920 and reaffirmed by two additional synodal decisions in 1999 and 2001, when this day was proclaimed a National Church Holiday.
Furthermore, through the adoption of Law no. 379/2003 on the status of war graves and commemorative war monuments, the Feast of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ was also proclaimed the Day of Heroes, a national holiday of the Romanian people.
It is also worth recalling that during every Divine Liturgy celebrated in Romanian Orthodox churches, prayers are offered for the heroes, soldiers, and fighters of all times and places who gave their lives on battlefields, in camps, and in prisons for the defense of the homeland and the ancestral Orthodox faith, for the unification of the nation, and for the freedom, unity, and dignity of the Romanian people.
Through their faith, courage, and sacrifice, Romanian heroes have contributed to the strengthening of national consciousness and dignity, which have been tangibly expressed through the achievement of independence, the unification of the state, and the ongoing defense of freedom throughout our nation’s history.
To honor this national celebration of the Romanian people, the National Cathedral in Bucharest is being built in memory of all Romanian heroes. Its primary dedication is to the Ascension of the Lord – Heroes’ Day, and its secondary dedication is to Saint Andrew the Apostle, the Protector of Romania.
Press Office of the Romanian Patriarchate
Photo: Basilica.ro
