His Grace Bishop Justin of Maramures and Satmar on Sunday, April 14, 2019, presided over the Divine Liturgy at Săpânţa-Peri Monastery, whose wooden church is the tallest in Europe.
The 78-metre high tower of the church dedicated to the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is visible at a distance of about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi).
The church was founded by Fr Grigorie Luțai and the believers of Săpânţa and is a replica of an old church located in Peri (today in Ukraine), which belonged to a princely family.
In his homily, Bishop Justin warned against the desire for supremacy in today’s society.
‘What do we see in society?’ the Bishop asked.
‘We see people struggling to get to top positions, and when they receive those high ranks they do not understand that God gave them their dignity to be useful to others, to help others.’
Săpânţa-Peri Monastery was included among the UNESCO world heritage sites.
Photography courtesy of the Maramures & Satmar Diocese
