Saint Hierarch Calinic Celebrated at Cernica Monastery, Ilfov County

On 11 April 2016, Saint Hierarch Calinic from Cernica is celebrated in the Romanian Orthodox Church. Hundreds of faithful were present at Cernica Monastery, Ilfov county, to venerate the relics of the saint and attend the Divine Liturgy.

On this feast day, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in “Saint Great Martyr George” church of Cernica Monastery (founded by the Saint Hierarch) by His Grace Timotei Prahoveanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest, assisted by a group of priests and deacons.

His Grace spoke in the sermon delivered about the life of Saint Hierarch Calinic as a model to be followed.

“Saint Hierarch Calinic was born in Bucharest, to a family of very religious people, who baptised him Constantin. The Saint Hierarch inherited quite a great fortune especially from his mother. In 1807, when he was not almost 20 years old, young man Constantin chose to go to live at the monastery, just like his mother. He chose Cernica Monastery where the well-known archimandrite Timotei was living. Saint Calinic was one of the young men who showed, from the very beginning, great inclination to liturgical life, fasting and prayer. After only one year the abbot made him monk changing his name from Constantin into Calinic. He was ordained deacon the same year and five years later, priest”, His Grace said.

“Saint Hierarch Calinic was an exemplary monk, a hierarch who loved the eparchy entrusted to him, a dignified and holy man, His Grace Bishop Timotei Prahoveanul also said.

“Saint Calinic loved prayer, but he was also attentive to the things the monks and faithful needed, in general. He was a prayerful man who attended vigils and a great constructor too. The church we are in now is one such proof of his love. We may also say that Saint Calinic was a visionary man, because this church could accommodate 350 monks. What if he had built a small wooden church where only a few persons could be inside and would have easily caught fire? It would have not been accessible to the crowds willing to attend the religious services.”

The shrine with the relics of Saint Hierarch Calinic was laid under a canopy specially arranged in the precincts of the monastery, in front of “Saint Great Martyr George” church, for veneration – Eugen Buchiu, TRINITAS TV reporter informs.

Saint Calinic was born in Bucharest, on 7 October 1787. When aged 20 (1807), young man Constantin followed his inner aspiration and went to live at Cernica Monastery. After one year of spiritual effort and obedience, he was tonsured into monasticism, changing his name into Calinic (1808). Saint Calinic lived at Cernica Monastery for 43 years, day and night in prayer, work, humbleness, patience and love. In 1818 he was elected abbot of Cernica Monastery, which he run with much wisdom, for 32 years (1818 – 1850), making many praiseworthy deeds. He founded the Saint George church, the abbey and infirmary of Cernica Monastery, the Holy Trinity church and the cemetery church of Pasărea Monastery, the Dormition of the Mother of God church in Câmpina, where he set up a school too, as well as a few churches in village parishes.

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