The Confessor Priest Saint Dumitru Stăniloae led a life of unseen asceticism, profound humility, and tireless labour for the Church and his fellow human beings, said His Grace Timotei of Prahova, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest, on Friday at Cernica Monastery.
The official reception of the relics of Saint Dumitru Stăniloae took place at Cernica Monastery on the eve of the Saint’s first official feast day, with the reliquary blessed by His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania.
Assistant Bishop Timotei of Prahova noted that the saint himself lived the virtues he once praised in Saint Callinicus of Cernica: “In his simplicity, in the patience with which he endured persecution, and in his pure love for all, he lived the same virtues he admired in Saint Callinicus. Thus, describing the perfection of others, he also revealed his own path to holiness.”
Overcoming passions through virtues
Speaking about his spiritual life, Assistant Bishop Timotei emphasised that Saint Dumitru Stăniloae cultivated love and humility, overcoming every passion through virtue.
“In place of anger, he sowed gentleness, kindness, and love; in place of pride, humility. Each conquered passion became the soil where a virtue blossomed,” he said.
“Only the one who has advanced from passion to the opposing virtue has truly healed the nature of selfishness and passed from a tormented life in sin to a blessed life in God, Who is light and love.”
Cernica – a hesychast monastery
The Assistant Bishop added that Cernica Monastery deeply inspired the saint through its peace, history, and hesychastic tradition.
“In his visits to Cernica, he would meditate profoundly on the passing things of this world, contemplating eternity. The silence of this place spoke to him of the vastness of the ages,” he said.
“Here, where souls pray unceasingly, he found his final resting place, and his holy body now rests for veneration and for the glory of God, Who has never ceased to bless our nation with saints.”
St Dumitru Staniloae’s first feast day
On Friday evening, the Vigil service in honour of the Holy Confessor Priest Dumitru Stăniloae (Great Vespers with Lity and Matins) was chanted by the Tronos Byzantine Choir of the Patriarchal Cathedral. On Saturday, following the Divine Liturgy in the Church of Saint Nicholas on the island of Cernica Monastery, the local proclamation of his canonisation took place.
In celebration of the saint’s first official feast and the local proclamation of his canonisation, the Basilica News Agency organised an open-air photography exhibition titled “CERnica – Between Earth and Heaven.”
Saint Dumitru Stăniloae was canonised by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church in 2024, with his feast day established on October 4.
For more pictures, please visit our photo gallery section.
Photo: Mircea Florescu / Basilica.ro 
