His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel welcomed the relics of St Anne, the mother of the Mother of God, at the Patriarchal Residence on Saturday evening. Brought from Koutloumousiou Monastery at the initiative of St George the New Parish in Bucharest, the relics are visiting Romania for the first time and are accompanied by a delegation from Mount Athos.
“We are particularly pleased to welcome you here at the Patriarchal Residence, bringing with you the relics of St Anne, the grandmother of our Saviour Jesus Christ and the mother of the Most Holy Mother of God,” the Patriarch of Romania said.
“Sts Joachim and Anne are the protectors of all Christian parents who have families and children,” Patriarch Daniel recalled.
His Beatitude noted that the sacred relic, consisting of part of St Anne’s foot, was given to the Athonite monastery by Emperor Alexios Komnenos in 1095.
Koutloumousiou Monastery and Wallachia
“Koutloumousiou Monastery has had special ties with Wallachia throughout history,” the Patriarch of Romania said, recalling the period in which Byzantine hesychasm flourished, which was also the time of the ministry of the first Metropolitan of Wallachia, St Hyacinth of Vicina, in the 14th century.
“After St Hyacinth, Metropolitan of Wallachia or Ungro-Wallachia, reposed in the Lord in 1372, Ecumenical Patriarch Saint Philotheos Kokkinos, following the election by the Holy Synod of Constantinople, appointed the abbot of Koutloumousiou Monastery, Hariton, as Metropolitan of Ungro-Wallachia or Wallachia,” Patriarch Daniel said.
Romanian monks were also sent on several occasions, at Koutloumousiou Monastery’s request, to strengthen the Athonite brotherhood.
“Later, in 1508, Prince Radu the Great of Wallachia built the defensive tower of Koutloumousiou Monastery at his own expense. And, of course, after him, Prince Saint Neagoe Basarab, who ruled from 1512 to 1521 — only nine years — and who was devoted to Mount Athos, supported Koutloumousiou Monastery and called it the Great Lavra of Wallachia,” the Patriarch of Romania added.
‘To strengthen the faith of the people’
Fr Chrysostomos of Koutloumousiou, who is leading the delegation accompanying the holy relics in Romania, gave glory to God for their safe arrival.
“We have come together with the brothers from our holy place following the invitation of the priests of St George the New Parish, with the permission, approval and blessing of Your Beatitude as shepherd of this Church, and also with the permission and blessing of our abbot, Archimandrite Nikolaos, Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Koutloumousiou,” Fr Chrysostomos said.
“He and the Holy Synaxis of the fathers responded with joy to the request to bring for veneration and blessing the holy foot of the holy and glorious ancestress Anne, a gift from the Byzantine Emperor Alexios the Great Komnenos, who was also a benefactor of our Holy Monastery, dating from the 11th century.”
“With humility and filial love, we pray that the presence of the holy relics here may strengthen the faith, devotion and trust of the devout Romanian people in the will of God,” the Athonite monk added.
Fr Chrysostomos wished the Patriarch of Romania many long and fruitful years and conveyed the greetings and filial respect of his abbot, Archimandrite Nikolaos of Koutloumousiou.
Patriarch Daniel presented Koutloumousiou Monastery with an icon of St Andrew the Apostle, Protector of Romania; a medal bearing the portrait of St Demetrius the New, Protector of Bucharest; and books published in Greek by the Romanian Patriarchate’s publishing houses.
Where the relics can be venerated
Parish priest Fr Emil Nedelea-Cărămizaru initiated the bringing of the relics to Romania in honour of St Maria Brâncoveanu and the Holy Brâncoveanu Martyrs, a family of saints whose relics the Bucharest parish preserves.
Fr Emil Nedelea-Cărămizaru told Radio Trinitas that the arrival of the relics in Bucharest represented “a moment of great emotion” and “a sign of blessing for the faith of this people who love God, the Mother of God and the saints”.
“I believe that, even before we came to an understanding here on earth, the saints came to an understanding in heaven, and St Anne wished to bless this church, this community and the pilgrims. As I have said, she also wished to come here to Romania as a sign of honour for a heroic mother such as St Maria Brâncoveanu, the mother of 11 children, four of whom became martyrs of Christ,” Fr Emil Nedelea-Cărămizaru added.
From the Patriarchal Residence, the relics were taken on Saturday evening to St George the New Church in Bucharest, where they will be available for veneration until 22:00 on Thursday, 10 September 2026. The church will remain open continuously.
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Photo: BASILICA / Mircea Florescu
