The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Tarragona, Mons. Juan Planellas offered the Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Spain and Portugal a fragment of the relics of the Holy Protomartyr and Equal-to-the-Apostles Thecla, protector of the city of Tarragona.
The relic will be kept at the Sabadell Romanian Orthodox Parish in Spain, which is placed under the patronage of the first female martyr.
The relic was offered last Saturday when Bishop Timotei of Spain and Portugal attended the mass officiated by Mons. Juan Planellas at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Tarragona.
The Romanian hierarch presented Monsignor Juan with a Byzantine icon of the Mother of God as a token of appreciation.
The event was also attended by Father Vasile Băltărețu, dean of Catalunya II and rector of the Romanian community in Tarragona.
The exchange of gifts between the Romanian and Spanish hierarchs strengthened the collaboration between the two religious communities, the representatives of the Diocese of Spain and Portugal reported.
The relics of Saint Thecla are kept at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Tarragona, Spain, where they were brought in 1341. To celebrate this event, the city of Tarragona holds a festival dedicated to the saint every September.
Photography courtesy of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Spain and Portugal
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