On Sunday, November 6, faithful and hierarchs of the Romanian Orthodox Church visited the monastery in Suceava to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the church’s consecration, the Archdiocese of Suceava reports.
In 1514, Bogdan III, son of St. Stephen the Great, began the construction of the Church of the Great Martyr George at St. John the New of Suceava Monastery.
It was completed in 1522 under Stephen IV, the grandson of St. Stephen the Great.
The church has been home to the relics of St. John the New since 1589. The monastery served as the residence of the Metropolitan of Moldavia from 1522 to 1677, and since 1991 it has been the residence of the Archbishop of Suceava.
In 1993, the Church of St. George was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Divine Liturgy on Sunday was celebrated on the monastery’s outdoor altar by His Eminence Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina and another five Romanian hierarchs. They also served a memorial service for the founders, benefactors, and monastery servants who have reposed.
A message for the occasion from His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania was read out. The Church of St. George is “a sanctuary of Orthodox spirituality and a monumental work of art,” the Patriarch said.
The Patriarch congratulated the Archbishop of Suceava and Radauti and entreated the Holy Great Martyrs George and John the New of Suceava “to protect this cathedral and help restore this valuable monument of Romanian Orthodox art and spirituality, a symbol of the presence of eternity in time.”
Photography courtesy of the Suceava Archdiocese
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