On the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, which will be celebrated on Thursday, 21 May 2026, the Romanian Patriarchate will also mark Heroes’ Day through a solemn moment of remembrance dedicated to those who sacrificed their lives for faith, freedom and national unity.
At noon, the bells of all churches within the Romanian Patriarchate will ring in memory of Romania’s heroes.
The commemoration and remembrance of heroes on the Feast of the Ascension was established by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church in 1920. The decision was later reaffirmed through synodal resolutions adopted in 1999 and 2001, which designated the day as a National Ecclesiastical Holiday.
At the same time, through Law No. 379/2003 regarding war graves and commemorative monuments, the Feast of the Ascension of Jesus Christ was also proclaimed Heroes’ Day, a national holiday of the Romanian people.
During every Divine Liturgy, the Romanian Orthodox Church commemorates the Romanian heroes, soldiers and fighters of all times and places who sacrificed themselves on battlefields, in camps and in prisons for the defence of the homeland and the ancestral Orthodox faith, for national unity, freedom and the dignity of the Romanian people.
Through their devotion and courage, these heroes played an essential role in preserving freedom and national identity, contributing to the achievement of independence and the unity of the Romanian state.
The National Cathedral in Bucharest was built in memory of all heroes in order to mark this national celebration of the Romanian people. The cathedral’s main patronal feast is the Ascension of the Lord – Heroes’ Day, while its second patron Saint is the Apostle Andrew, Protector of Romania.
Considering that this year (2026) the Feast of the Ascension – Heroes’ Day coincides with the patronal feast of the historic Patriarchal Cathedral, namely the feast of Saints Constantine and Helen, and given that the interior painting works at the National Cathedral are currently ongoing, the events dedicated to both celebrations will take place exclusively on Patriarchate Hill in Bucharest.
Press Office of the Romanian Patriarchate
Photo: Basilica.ro / Raluca-Emanuela Ene
