Spirituality

First Orthodox saints to have lived in the 21st century are all Romanian

Amid the rush of daily life, you may have missed an interesting piece of information: Did you know that the first five Orthodox saints who lived in the 21st century and have since been canonised are all Romanian? The list includes Saint Sofian of Antim, Saint Dionysius of Colciu, Saint Petronius the Prodromite, Saint Antonina…

Nov 26, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Apostles’ Fast in 2026 to last 21 days, longest in eight years

The Apostles’ Fast in 2026 will last 21 days, making it the longest in the past eight years. The fast will begin on Monday, 8 June, and end on Saturday, 28 June, on the eve of the feast of the two great Apostles Peter and Paul. The duration of the Apostles’ Fast varies from year…

Nov 6, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Orthodox Nativity Fast to span 41 days with weekend fish allowances

The Orthodox Nativity Fast in 2025 will run for 41 days — from November 14 to December 24 — during which believers observe dietary discipline, with fish permitted on Saturdays and Sundays except in the first and final week. By contrast, in Orthodox communities that follow the unrevised Julian (Old) Calendar, the Nativity Fast starts…

Nov 5, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Two Romanian Athonite elders canonised by Ecumenical Patriarchate

Two Romanian elders from Mount Athos have been added to the synaxarion by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. They are Hieroschemamonk Niphon (Ionescu), the founder of Prodromos Skete, and Venerable Nectarios (Crețu) the Protopsaltis, also known as the Nightingale of Mount Athos. The canonisations were approved during the Holy Synod meeting of the…

Oct 20, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Saint Kallinikos of Edessa may be officially celebrated in Romanian Orthodox Church from next year

The Synod of the Metropolis of Bessarabia has submitted a proposal to the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church that Saint Kallinikos of Edessa be officially included in the Orthodox calendar, with his commemoration to be held annually on August 8, starting next year. The proposal was adopted at the beginning of September during…

Sep 15, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

UK Archbishop Atanasie urges faithful to sanctify time at start of church year

“Every moment of our lives is an opportunity to turn our thoughts to God and to transform our earthly time from wasted time into the time of eternity,” Archbishop Atanasie, head of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, noted in his message for the New Church Year. In a statement published…

Sep 2, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Ecumenical Patriarchate canonises two Romanian Elders from Mount Athos

The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, meeting in Constantinople on August 30–31, the final two days of the church year, decided to canonise two Romanian elders of Mount Athos: hieroschemamonk Dionisie (Ignat) of Colciu and archimandrite Petroniu (Tănase) of Prodromos Skete. The feast day of Saint Dionysius of Vatopedi (the “St. George” Cell, where…

Sep 2, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Dormition Fast begins on Old Calendar: Traditions from Romania’s border communities to Orthodox faithful worldwide

Most Romanian communities around Romania’s borders, as well as Orthodox faithful in other parts of the world, follow the unrevised calendar and are preparing for the Dormition Fast, which begins on Thursday, August 14. Popularly known as “Saint Mary’s Fast,” it is meant to be quite strict, as it culminates with the Dormition of the…

Aug 13, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Saint Kallinikos of Edessa: 9 spiritual reflections from his bed of suffering

Metropolitan Saint Kallinikos of Edessa is widely regarded as a contemporary saint, venerated even during his lifetime as an ascetic hierarch who lived a life of exceptional purity and humility. At his tonsure into monasticism, he chose the name Kallinikos (from the Greek Καλλίνικος, meaning “beautiful victor”) because he desired to follow the path of…

Aug 8, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Why is Romania called the “Garden of the Mother of God”? The answer lies in a 1499 Marian apparition

Pope Francis in 2019 and Pope John Paul II in 1999 reaffirmed a belief deeply rooted in Romanian tradition since the 15th century: that Romania is the “Garden of the Mother of God.” Few, however, know the origin of this title. It is based on a miraculous event that took place in Neamț County, at…

Aug 5, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Dormition Fast begins August 1: brief guidelines

The Dormition Fast begins this Friday and lasts for two weeks for Orthodox Christians observing the revised calendar. This year, the fast will also conclude on a Friday, which means it will be extended by one day, in accordance with the General Liturgics. “The fast is prolonged to include the feast day itself if it…

Jul 28, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu