Commemorative Year 2026

Digital Matericon: Women Saints of February (I)

This February instalment of Digital Matericon: Women Saints of February is published in the context of the decision of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church to proclaim 2026 as the Commemorative Year of the Holy Women in the life and calendar of the Church. The series seeks to bring before contemporary readers the…

Feb 3, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Orthodox Church to proclaim canonisation of 16 holy women in Bucharest: Schedule

The liturgical events at the Patriarchal Cathedral of “Saints Constantine and Helen” in Bucharest, marking the general proclamation of the canonisation of 16 Romanian holy women, will take place according to the following schedule: On Thursday, February 5, 2026, at 5:00 p.m., at the Patriarchal Cathedral, at the conclusion of Vespers, the final memorial service…

Jan 28, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Relics of St Elizabeth exhumed at Pasărea Monastery, bishop praises her example

“The face of Schema-nun Elisabeta (Lazăr) shines like the example and life of the hermits of old. She urges each of us to value time and dedicate as much of it as possible to the Lord,” said Assistant Bishop Timotei of Prahova from the Archdiocese of Bucharest, on Friday, January 16, at Pasărea Monastery in…

Jan 21, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Digital Matericon: Women Saints of January (II)

This second January instalment of Digital Matericon continues our monthly series dedicated to the women saints commemorated in the Orthodox calendar. Because January contains an especially rich number of holy women—martyrs, monastics, ascetics, mothers, confessors, and “fools for Christ”—the month is presented in two parts, allowing each figure to be remembered with due attention. In…

Jan 21, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Veniamin warns of demographic crisis, urges support for Christian family in Republic of Moldova

Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia drew attention during his homily last Sunday to the challenges posed by the demographic crisis, highlighting the essential role of the Christian family in the birth, upbringing and education of children. His Grace emphasised the need to encourage women and mothers in order to strengthen the family and promote childbirth,…

Jan 15, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Digital Matericon: Women Saints of January (I)

The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church has declared the year 2026 the Commemorative Year of the Holy Women in the Church calendar. Accordingly, we invite you to discover each month the faces of holy women—mothers, wives, nuns, and martyrs—who are models of the Christian life from all ages. Saint Emilia, mother of Saint…

Jan 8, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel proclaims Solemn and Commemorative Year 2026, highlights Church’s role in strengthening the Christian family

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel offered a New Year’s message on January 1, following the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest, during a solemn ceremony marking the proclamation of 2026 as the Solemn Year of the Pastoral Care of the Christian Family and the Commemorative Year of the Holy Women of the Church calendar…

Jan 5, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Patriarchate highlights Saint Basil’s Family as model for families today

The Romanian Patriarchate is highlighting the family of Saint Basil the Great as a model for contemporary Christian families, as it designated 2026 as the Solemn Year of Christian Family Pastoral Care and the Commemorative Year of the Holy Women in the Church Calendar. The official icon for 2026 depicts Saint Basil’s family, which produced…

Nov 5, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

16 saintly women to be canonized by Romanian Patriarchate, Patriarch Daniel announces

The Romanian Patriarchate will canonize 16 female saints in 2026, as part of the Commemorative Year of Holy Women in the Church Calendar, according to announcements made by Patriarch Daniel on Monday evening during the working session of the Metropolitan Synod of the Metropolis of Muntenia and Dobruja. A similar number of saints—16—were proclaimed during…

Jul 1, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Small Digital Matericon: Romanian Women Who Loved God (I)

In anticipation of the year 2026, declared the Commemorative Year of Holy Women in the Calendar by the Romanian Patriarchate, we turn our attention to several notable figures of Romanian women who lived their lives with deep faith and dedication to God, becoming models of holiness. These women, through their virtuous lives, left a lasting…

Jun 12, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Patriarch urges women to become “disciples of the Lord” on Sunday of the Myrrhbearers

In a message occasioned by the Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing Women, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel addressed all women, emphasising their significance and role in the family and the Church’s mission: to become “disciples of the Lord.” In March, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church decided to begin the process of canonising several Romanian…

May 1, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu