Hieromartyr Eleutherius, Bishop of Illyria, was born in Rome in a family that embraced the Orthodox faith through the preaching of the Holy Apostle Paul and was educated a Christian, especially by his mother, Anthia.
“This Eleutherius grew up in the porch of the church, but the church, at that time, was not like this wonderful and beautiful ornament of the city of Bucharest but was still in the catacombs,” the Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Ieronim of Sinaia said on Wednesday at the patronal feast of the New St Eleutherius Church in Bucharest.
Patriarch Daniel’s auxiliary bishop recalled the history of the Bucharest church, which was built in 1935 to complete the role of the Old Saint Eleutherius Church, which had become too small for the large population in the area.
“This foundation went through difficult times,” Bishop Ieronim said, referring to World War II. “But it was embraced by Patriarch Justinian Marina of blessed memory, who made it a priority in his administrative work to complete the works and paint this church, as well as the consolidation and restoration of the New St. Spyridon Church and Caşin Church.”
Later, “Patriarch Daniel established that this church of impressive size – like a real cathedral, adorned with a superb painting, with wonderful icons, with a unique iconostasis in our country to be among the churches with the rank of Patriarchal Metochion,” Bp Ieronim noted December 15.
“Beyond all this, we have here the joy of venerating a part of the relics of the saint who is the protector of this church and this community.”
Furthermore, His Grace evoked the courageous confession of St. Eleutherius and the terrible torments to which he was subjected. St. Anthia suffered martyrdom with him.
At the end of the service was presented the monographic album of the church published by the Basilica Publishing House of the Romanian Patriarchate on the 50th anniversary of the consecration of the place of worship.
Photography courtesy of Basilica.ro / Mircea Florescu
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