His Grace Bishop Veniamin officiated a Te Deum service on Tuesday at the diocesan cathedral in Cahul to mark the 103rd anniversary of the founding of the Diocese of Cetatea Albă–Ismail, whose canonical successor today is the Diocese of Southern Bessarabia.
The hierarch recalled the historical context of the diocese’s establishment, noting that the Great Union of 1918 brought new pastoral and missionary responsibilities for the Romanian Orthodox Church in the historic provinces.
In that context, two dioceses were established in Bessarabia: the Diocese of Hotin in the north of the region and the Diocese of Cetatea Albă–Ismail in the south.
“March 10 is written in our diocesan calendar in golden letters because it reminds us of the recognition or establishment of the diocese in 1923 by royal decree,” Bishop Veniamin said.
Bishops of Southern Bessarabia
The bishop also recalled that after the diocese was recognised by the authorities of the time, the first ruling hierarch elected to shepherd the diocese was Bishop Nectarie Cotlarciuc, a professor of theology and prominent figure in the Church, who served there for only about a year.
He also mentioned Saint Dionysius Erhan, who first served as locum tenens bishop between 1932 and 1934 and later as diocesan bishop from 1934 to 1940, remaining in the memory of the faithful as a devoted and zealous shepherd.
After him, the diocese was led by Bishop Policarp Morușca from 1941 to 1943, and briefly in 1944 by Bishop Antim Nica.
Representatives of Filantropia Federation also attended the service. They were in Bessarabia to implement the campaign “Help an Elderly Person Smile”.
Diocese of Cetatea Albă–Ismail
The Diocese of Cetatea Albă and Ismail belonged to the Romanian Patriarchate and was established after the Archdiocese of Chișinău was elevated to the rank of metropolis, which required the creation of suffragan dioceses.
In 1944, when Soviet occupation was re-established in Bessarabia, the activity of the diocese was suspended and church life entered a difficult period marked by persecution.
Following the reactivation of the Metropolis of Bessarabia and its dioceses, the Diocese of Southern Bessarabia became the legal successor of the Diocese of Cetatea Albă–Ismail.
During a session of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church on 24 May 2018, Bishop Veniamin was elected to lead the diocese and was consecrated and enthroned on 26 May 2018.
Photo: Facebook / Diocese of Southern Bessarabia
