Romanians and Serbs from the Timok Valley region honoured St Magdalena of Malajnica on Sunday at the local proclamation of her canonisation, held at Malajnica Monastery in Serbia.
Metropolitan Ioan of Banat celebrated the Divine Liturgy with Bishops Lucian of Caransebeș, Nicodim of Severin and Strehaia, Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia, Ieronim of Dacia Felix, and Siluan of Hungary.
Metropolitan Ioan of Banat delivered the sermon, emphasising that love for God and one’s neighbour lies at the foundation of Christian life and that every human being has eternal value, grounded in Christ’s love and His victory over death.
Synodal Tomos
Bishop Ieronim presented the official act proclaiming the canonisation. The Synodal Tomos recalls the life of St Magdalena and her ministry among the communities of the Timok Valley.
“Devout by nature and well acquainted with the teachings of the faith, she placed herself at the service of the Church, proclaiming the word of God to all and thus keeping the lamp of faith burning,” the synodal document states.
The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church decided to commemorate St Magdalena of Malajnica annually on 15 October and “is to be included in the Synaxarion, the liturgical books and the calendar of the Romanian Orthodox Church”.
A bridge between Romanians and Serbs
Metropolitan Ioan of Banat then presented a message from His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel entitled “St Magdalena of Malajnica — Confessor of the Faith, Wise Counsellor and Protector of Romanians (Vlachs) and Serbs”.
The Patriarch of Romania highlighted St Magdalena’s steadfastness in preserving the faith, including during the communist regime.
“St Magdalena kept the lamp of Orthodoxy burning precisely when hostile powers were doing everything possible to extinguish it forever.”
His Beatitude also emphasised the saint’s role in bringing the Romanian and Serbian communities closer together.
“She was a bridge between the two communities, patiently explaining the mysteries of the faith to each person in the language they understood best.”
“Today, the relics of St Magdalena of Malajnica are venerated equally by Romanian (Vlach) and Serbian faithful. They are united by the same devotion to their intercessor, whom each, in their own language, regards as the protector of the villages throughout the Timok Valley,” Patriarch Daniel said in his message.
A moment of communion
Romanian President Nicușor Dan also sent a message on the occasion of the local proclamation, which Eugen Tomac, honorary adviser for relations with Romanians abroad, read.
“The local proclamation of the canonisation of St Magdalena of Malajnica is a celebration of faith, but also of the memory and continuity of a community which, over the generations, has preserved its identity, traditions and connection with its spiritual values with dignity,” the Romanian head of state said.
Bishop Ieronim thanked the hierarchs, clergy, authorities and faithful who participated in the local proclamation.
“It was truly a moment of communion in which we professed our common faith and our desire for what is good and for flourishing,” His Grace emphasised.
At the conclusion of the events, several Romanian senators were honoured with distinctions. Those honoured included Fr Boian Alexandrovici, diocesan vicar of Timok, and Metropolitan Ioan of Banat.
St Magdalena of Malajnica
St Magdalena of Malajnica was born on 22 November 1895 in the village of Šćiubic in the Timok Valley. Her father, Milenko Ilić, was Serbian, while her mother, Milca, was Romanian and descended from the Cătălinici family, which had come from Transylvania.
At 19, she married Milos from the village of Malajnica, but was widowed shortly afterwards when her husband died on the front during the First World War.
During the years of Bulgarian occupation, when several communities had been left without priests, she read and chanted at the kliros, encouraged people to remain steadfast in the faith and opposed practices of witchcraft.
St Magdalena continued this ministry during the communist regime in the former Yugoslavia and became known in the community as “the counsellor” of those who sought her guidance. The words she often spoke to people undergoing trials, God sees, also inspired the title of a recently released docudrama on the Trinitas Film platform.
St Magdalena of Malajnica reposed in the Lord on 15 October 1962. She was canonised in 2025 together with 15 other Romanian women of holy life.
Photo: Trinitas TV
