Anniversaries and commemorations

Assistant Bishop Teofil of Iberia marks 55th birthday

His Grace Teofil of Iberia, Assistant Bishop to the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Spain and Portugal, celebrates his 55th birthday on Wednesday. The hierarch was born on 13 May 1971 in Desești, Maramureș county, Romania, to Gheorghe and Maria. Between 1977 and 1985, he attended primary school in his native village, while from 1985 to…

May 13, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian women in history: Natalia Manoilescu Dinu proved that women can substantially contribute to theological thought

106 years ago, on March 14, Natalia Manoilescu Dinu was born in Bucharest. Her father, Mihail Manoilescu, made a notable contribution to international economic thought, but her calling was in theology. She followed the spiritual and academic footsteps of Saint Dumitru Stăniloae. As a young woman residing in Bucharest, she concurrently undertook studies in theology…

May 11, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Mount Athos Elder Saint Dionysius of Colciu commemorated 22 years after repose

Monday marks 22 years since the repose of Saint Dionysius of Colciu, one of the great Romanian spiritual elders of Mount Athos. Saint Dionysius was born on 22 September 1909 in Vorniceni, Romania, into a large, devout family, the youngest of eight children. At baptism, he received the name Dumitru. His childhood was marked by…

May 11, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Archbishop Atanasie marks first year leading Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

His Eminence Atanasie Rusnac marked on Sunday the one-year anniversary of his enthronement as the first Romanian Orthodox Archbishop of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a recently established eparchy created to address the pastoral needs of the large Romanian community in the United Kingdom. The anniversary was marked in London through a series of cultural…

May 11, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Historic Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest marks 368 years since consecration

Three hundred and sixty-eight years have passed since the consecration of the historic Patriarchal Cathedral of Saints Constantine and Helen in Bucharest. Construction of the Patriarchal Cathedral began in the mid-17th century at the initiative of Prince Constantin Șerban Basarab and his wife, Lady Bălașa, as an offering of thanksgiving to God for the restoration…

May 8, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian women in history: 20 years since the repose of Mother Benedicta, scholar who embraced monastic life

Tuesday marks 20 years since the repose of Mother Benedicta — academician Zoe Dumitrescu-Bușulenga — who, during the communist period, urged her students to read the Bible and, after its fall, rose to become Vice-President of the Romanian Academy before choosing the path of monastic life. She was born on 20 August 1920 in Bucharest…

May 5, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Six centuries since the martyrdom of Saint Ephraim the New, wonderworker of Nea Makri

Six centuries ago, on 5 May 1426, Saint Ephraim the New surrendered his soul after enduring prolonged and brutal torture for the Orthodox faith. Saint Ephraim was born in Greece on 14 September 1384 and was left fatherless at a young age. At the age of 14, he entered monastic life at the Monastery of…

May 5, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

11 years since the repose of Archim. Roman Braga, confessor of the Jesus Prayer and witness through exile

Wednesday, April 29, marks 11 years since the repose of Archimandrite Roman Braga, the Bessarabian-born confessor who began practising the Jesus Prayer through the Burning Bush spiritual gatherings at Antim Monastery in Bucharest, endured communist imprisonment twice in Romania, and later served the Church in exile. Born in 1922 in Condrița, Bessarabia, Fr Roman entered…

Apr 29, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romania marks 85 years since Fântâna Albă Massacre, known as ‘Romanian Katyn’

Wednesday, 1 April, marks 85 years since the Fântâna Albă massacre, an event often referred to as the “Romanian Katyn”. In April 1941, Northern Bukovina was part of the Soviet Union following the ultimatum issued to the Kingdom of Romania in June 1940. The predominantly Romanian population was subjected to a campaign of arrests and…

Apr 1, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Jubilee Year for the Akathist Hymn marks 1,400 years since first chanting

This year marks 14 centuries since the city of Constantinople was saved from a siege by a coalition of Avars and Persians, an event commemorated by the first chanting of the Akathist Hymn to the Mother of God. The Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos, traditionally attributed to Saint Romanos the Melodist, was first chanted in…

Mar 26, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Serbian Orthodox Saint Nikolai Velimirović marked 70 years after blessed repose

March 18 marks 70 years since the blessed repose of Saint Nikolai Velimirović, a Serbian Orthodox hierarch whose life was defined by sacrifice, witness and devotion to the Serbian people and the Orthodox Christian faith. He was born on 23 December 1880 in Serbia. His early education began in the family and continued at Ćelije…

Mar 18, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu