His Eminence Metropolitan Georgios of Kitros, Katerini and Platamonas (Church of Greece) visited Ghighiu Monastery in Romania’s Prahova County on Saturday, where he venerated the wonderworking Syriac icon of the Mother of God, according to Lumina Newspaper.
The visit coincided with his participation in the celebrations honouring St Paraskeva in Iași.
The Greek metropolitan was welcomed by His Grace Assistant Bishop Timotei of Prahova of the Archdiocese of Bucharest and Stavrophore Epiharia Lungu, abbess of Ghighiu Monastery.
Metropolitan George attended the Divine Liturgy, during which some prayers were offered in Greek.
At the end of the service, he was introduced to the history of Ghighiu Monastery, which spans more than two centuries, and to the circumstances surrounding the arrival of the Syriac icon of the Mother of God in Romania from the Patriarchate of Antioch approximately 70 years ago.
Meeting with the Văratec Monastery community
His Eminence also met nuns from Văratec Monastery, who were visiting the Archdiocese of Bucharest together with Stavrophore Iosefina Giosanu, the monastery’s abbess.
On this occasion, the Greek metropolitan recalled a memory from his youth involving Stavrophore Nazaria Niță, the former abbess of Văratec Monastery, whose 25th anniversary of repose falls this month.
Metropolitan Georgios invited the monastic communities of Ghighiu and Văratec to visit the diocese under his pastoral care.
The Greek metropolitan also recalled his previous visits to Romania, both as an archimandrite and after his election as a hierarch, including occasions when he accompanied the Metropolitan Panteleimon of Veria, Naousa and Kampania.
