Wednesday, 25 November 2015, many faithful attended the celebration of the dedication day of the church of “Saint Great Martyr Catherine” – chapel of the Faculty of Orthodox Church in Bucharest. They had the opportunity to pray at the relics of Saint Great Martyr Catherine taken out of the church and laid under a baldachin close to the place of worship.
On the dedication day, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated by His Grace Varlaam Ploieșteanul, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch, assisted by a group of priests and deacons, reverend professors from the Faculty of Orthodox Theology including.
His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church attended the Divine Liturgy and delivered the sermon in which he underlined a few aspects of the history of this place of worship: “The church of “Saint Great Martyr Catherine” is an imposing one, built in baroque provincial style, but with a special personality in Bucharest, because it has had significance in history, mostly since 1949 when the Faculty of Theology was accommodated in a former school, and the present church has become a chapel for the professors and students of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Bucharest. But this church is a new one compared to a wooden church dating from the 16th century which belonged to Radu Vodă Monastery and then dedicated to “Saint Catherine” Monastery of Sinai.
His Beatitude has also shown that the place of worship passed, during the last few years, though extended consolidation and restoration works: “We hope that the church will be more beautiful and worthy of its vocation in the near future. The same as an old church needs renewal, cleaned painting, and consolidation, so does the human person need spiritual renewal, forgiveness of sins, and refreshing of the grace received at the Holy Baptism”.
The Patriarch of Romania has also announced that on 19 December 2015, the chapel of the Faculty of Theology will be re-consecrated.
His Beatitude Daniel offered Rev. Fr. Georgian Păunoiu, parish priest of “Saint Catherine” church, several liturgical books printed at the publishing houses of the Romanian Patriarchate and small icons of Saint Great Martyr Catherine to the faithful present, as a sign of blessing for the renovation done to this place of worship.
