Ștefana Totorcea

Elder Victorin, who tonsured Patriarch Daniel a monk, prayerfully remembered at Sihastria Monastery

His Grace Nichifor of Botoșani officiated last Saturday, at Sihăstria (Neamț) Monastery, the seven-year commemoration service for Archimandrite Victorin Oanele, the abbot who tonsured Patriarch Daniel a monk. “God has always had a variety of works throughout history,” said the Auxiliary Bishop of the Iași Archdiocese after the service. “Every human person has a calling…

Nov 2, 2021Ștefana Totorcea

The Week in Pictures: October 25 – 31, 2021

Sunsets, fall escapes, icons and pilgrim portraits are just a part of our selection of photos taken between October 25 – 31, 2021. Last week’s most-liked Instagram photo:   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Basilica News Agency (@basilica.ro) Do you want to be featured in our weekly selection of photos?…

Nov 1, 2021Ștefana Totorcea

Lebanese Female Chanter Ribale Wehbé: There is nothing more beautiful than to know how to praise God

She is 22. She comes from a country where Orthodox Christians are a minority and travels worldwide praising God in the millennia-old musical tradition known as Byzantine music. She invites young men and women to start learning Byzantine chant. “I don’t think that there is something more beautiful than to know how to praise God,”…

Oct 31, 2021Ștefana Totorcea

Middletown: Romanians from five American states participated in the patronal feast of the “St. Demetrius the New” Monastery

The “St Demetrius the New” Monastery in Middletown, the state of New York, celebrated in advance its patronal feast on Saturday. Romanians from five American states participated: from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut și Virginia. His Eminence Nicholas of Manhattan, Auxiliary Bishop of the Eastern American Diocese (ROCOR), brought the wonder-working Kursk Root Icon…

Oct 29, 2021Ștefana Totorcea

Metropolitan Petru blessed monument to victims of Stalinist regime in Chișinău

A monument to victims of the Stalinist regime in Moldova was reconstructed and blessed on Monday in Chișinău. Located in Mills’ Park, it is known as General Georgescu P. Ion’s Fountain. His Eminence Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia blessed the monument dedicated to those who were killed in the basement of the Chişinău’s former Italian Consulate…

Oct 29, 2021Ștefana Totorcea

The Week in Pictures: October 18 -24, 2021

Divine grace is omnipresent around the world. We receive from you more and more evidence on it. This week we have shots from Săpânța, where a monastic synaxis was held, autumn landscapes from Curtea de Argeș, Dervent and Izbuc, photos from Bulgaria, where St. John of Rila was celebrated, and from Bucharest, where the pilgrimage…

Oct 27, 2021Ștefana Totorcea

Byzanfest: Documentaries on Holy Prince Neagoe Basarab and Romanian carol singers made it to the final selection

A documentary made by Romanian doctoral student Cristian Ciorăneanu on the Holy Prince Neagoe Basarab was selected among the finalists of the Byzanfest Orthodox Film Festival. An Australian film about Romanian folk carol singers has also been selected.  The long-feature documentary In the Holy Prince Neagoe Basarab’s Footsteps, was screened in preview in Romania at…

Oct 27, 2021Ștefana Totorcea

The Week in Pictures: October 11 – 17, 2021

The thoughts and prayers of the faithful went towards Saint Parascheva last week, while many pilgrims went to honour her relics in the city of Iași. Please find below our photo selection from last week. Last week’s most-liked Instagram photo:   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Basilica News Agency (@basilica.ro)…

Oct 19, 2021Ștefana Totorcea

EU Anti-Trafficking Day: Most of the victims are from Romania

The vast majority of EU’s trafficking victims (74%) come from Romania. The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) issued on Monday – EU Anti-Trafficking Day – a statement asking member states to counter technology-assisted human trafficking. The main purpose of human trafficking is sexual exploitation, while a…

Oct 18, 2021Ștefana Totorcea

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty: In Romania, the most affected are children

The UN international observance calendar includes, on October 17, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The most affected Romanians are children: one third live in poverty. This year’s international observance has the theme “Ending Persistent Poverty, Respecting all People and our Planet”. World data show that only this year the health crisis sent…

Oct 17, 2021Ștefana Totorcea

Bill proposes St. Stephen the Great as Romanian national hero and cultural patron

A bill submitted to the Romanian Senate last month proposes to declare the 15th-16th century leader St. Stephen the Great as a national hero and patron of Romanian culture. The 2nd of July would become a national commemoration day dedicated to the saint. “Romanians have laws to celebrate Tudor Vladimirescu, Avram Iancu and other national…

Oct 14, 2021Ștefana Totorcea