In a video message, His Eminence Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina addresses the pilgrims heading to Iasi to venerate the relics of Saint Paraskeva the New (October 14).

The pilgrimage opens on Saturday, October 8. The relics of Saint Paisius Velichkovsky of Neamt will also be brought to Iasi for the celebrations that will last nine days.

Metropolitan Teofan tells pilgrims to go in peace and be filled with joy: “Go and tell the world how good and how sweet the Lord is, how wonderful are God’s saints!”

Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina’s message to pilgrims: full text

“Go in peace, pilgrim!” is an ancient word that the ancients used to say to those who went on pilgrimage to various holy places of Christianity.

“Go in peace, pilgrim!” is also the word I address to all those who have come, who are coming and will come this year to Iasi to bow down before the reliquary containing the holy relics of Our Most Venerable Mother Paraskeva, the most useful and deeply prayerful.

Go in peace, pilgrim, wherever you are from Transylvania or Oltenia, Banat, Maramureș, Dobruja, Muntenia, from here, from Moldavia, from Eastern Moldova, from the crucified Bessarabia, from Serbia or Bulgaria, from Montenegro or Bosnia and Herzegovina, wherever you are from, go in peace, pilgrim!

Go in peace, pilgrim! Enjoy the moment of reverence at the holy relics of Saint Paraskeva and Saint Paisius of Neamt! Fill yourself with joy! Above all, fill your soul’s garment with gifts of grace, peace and blessing to nourish and shelter you in moments of joy or hours of trial!

Go and tell the world how good and sweet the Lord is, how wonderful God’s saints are! Confess to all you meet on your way that Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life, that without Christ, we can do nothing good, true, deep, uplifting and comprehensive!

I ask God to lay His protecting hand upon every pilgrim to guard them against harm on their journey. May a guiding angel accompany them, and may each return with joy, peace and fullness of soul to their home. Go in peace, pilgrim!