Romanian monks from the Holy Mount Athos presented Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I with relics of three recently canonised Romanian Athonite Saints on Monday: St Dionysius of Colciu Cell, St Petronius of Prodromos Skete, and St Niphon of Prodromos Skete.
The holy relics were brought by a delegation comprising Hieroschemamonk Dionisie Alb, Abbot of the Cell of St George at Colciu, Hieroschemamonk Dionisie Florea of the same brotherhood, and Hieroschemamonk Teofil of Prodromos, representing Archimandrite Atanasie Floroiu, Abbot of the Romanian Skete of the Honourable Forerunner (Prodromos).
The offering expressed the gratitude of the Romanian faithful for the favourable response of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel’s proposal to canonise the Romanian ascetics of Mount Athos who had lived lives of holiness.
No relics of St Nectarios the Protopsaltis were presented, as the location of his holy relics is unknown.
The presentation ceremony took place at the Patriarchal Cathedral of St George in the Phanar district of Constantinople following the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, presided over by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
Four New Romanian Athonite Saints
St Dionysius the Athonite of Colciu (11 May) and St Petronius of Prodromos Skete (24 February) were canonised by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate at its session of 30–31 August 2025. They were subsequently included in the calendar of the Romanian Orthodox Church by the Holy Synod at its 29–30 September 2025 meeting.
St Niphon of Prodromos Skete (13 July) and St Nectarios the Protopsaltis (18 November) were canonised by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on 18 October 2025 and added to the Romanian Orthodox Church’s calendar at the Holy Synod’s meeting of 25 October 2025.
Photo: Ecumenical Patriarchate / Nikos Papachristou
