St Anthimos Monastery in Bucharest celebrated Tuesday, 27 September 2016, her founder and protector, Saint Anthimos the Ivirite. Hundreds of believers participated in the commemorative Divine Liturgy celebrated by His Grace Varlaam of Ploiești, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch.
In his homily, Bishop Varlaam emphasised the personality of the great Hierarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
Saint Anthimos the Ivirite had a tumultuous life, and very unusual for a common person. He had a life full of holiness, with feats. Thus it remains, even after three centuries after his martyrical death, as an example for each of us to follow.
His life represents the reason to show deep gratitude to this Great and Holy Hierarch of our Church, who being of foreign origin, laboured with much love in the vineyard of the Lord in Wallachia.
He was a sculptor; we can observe the iconostasis and the entrance doors carved in wood. He was also a miniaturist, a calligrapher, and a painter.
Today we celebrate a hierarch who learned Romanian language and the art of printing in Moldova, at Iași. He also ministered for almost three decades the Church of Wallachia.
We must also recall that he supported oppressed Christians by the income resulted from his works.
