The canonization of Saint Macarius Protopsaltes was proclaimed on Sunday following the Divine Liturgy celebrated for the Feast of Saint Demetrius the New. His Grace Varlaam of Ploiești, Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop and Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, read the Synodal Tomos of Canonization.
After the proclamation, the troparion of Saint Macarius Protopsaltes was chanted, and his icon was presented to the faithful. The canonization was decided by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church in 2023, which was designated the Commemorative Year of Hymnographers and Church Chanters. The saint’s feast day will be celebrated annually on August 31.
Biography: Saint Macarius Protopsaltes
Hieromonk Macarius lived from 1763 to 1836. In the early 19th century, he was ordained a hieromonk for the Metropolitan Cathedral of Bucharest and appointed as a preacher at the Royal Court.
At the instruction of Metropolitan Dionisie Lupu, he embarked on translating church hymns from Greek into Romanian. After extensive efforts, he succeeded in printing the first Romanian-language church music books in Vienna in 1822 and 1823: Theoreticon, Anastasimatarion, and Irmologion.
A second volume of the Anthology of Byzantine Hymns in Romanian was later published in Bucharest, containing the matins hymns for the liturgical year.
In 1829, following the exile of Saint Gregory the Teacher from his metropolitan see in Wallachia, Venerable Macarius Protopsaltes, a close associate of the saint, withdrew to Iași. There, Metropolitan Veniamin Costachi of Moldavia asked him to establish a Byzantine music school modelled after the one in Bucharest.
During this period, he resided at Neamț Monastery, where he founded a music school. In 1833, he returned to Wallachia when Saint Gregory was reinstated to the metropolitan throne.
With the metropolitan’s encouragement, Macarius supervised printing The Lives of the Saints at Căldărușani Monastery. During this time, he founded church music schools for monks at the Căldărușani and Țigănești monasteries. At Căldărușani, he met the future Elder Nectarius Protopsaltes, who would later reside at the Romanian Skete Prodromos on Mount Athos.
Venerable Macarius Protopsaltes encouraged young Nectarius to pursue Byzantine chanting, and today, Nectarius is on the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s canonization list.
Venerable Macarius Protopsaltes passed away at Viforâta Monastery, where his sister, Mother Justina, who was also the abbess, cared for him in his final days. Saint Macarius entered into eternal rest on August 30, 1836.
Photo: Basilica.ro / Mircea Florescu
