Orthodox saints

They are the Patron Saints of Romanians outside Romania

Whether they are part of the Romanian communities in the vicinity of the country’s borders, or whether they have gone to work, study or settled permanently in other places than their homeland, Romanian Orthodox believers are in the care of the Church on all meridians of the globe. “Romanians outside Romania” are generically named by…

Jan 8, 2021Aurelian Iftimiu

10 Saints Gregory in the calendar: How to tell them apart

The name Gregory is mentioned ten times in the calendar of the Romanian Orthodox Church, four of which in November. Every time this name is linked to a saintly person who embraced the monastic life. Etymologically, the name Gregory comes from Greek and it means ‘vigilant,’ ‘watchful,’ ‘alert.’ The name also became associated with Latin grex (stem greg–)…

Nov 18, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Great and Holy Thursday (Matins) Virginmartyrs Agape, Irene, and Chionia in Thessalonica

Two events shape the liturgy of Great and Holy Thursday: the Last Supper of Christ with His disciples, and the betrayal of Judas. The meaning of both is in love. The Last Supper is the ultimate revelation of God’s redeeming love for man, of love as the very essence of salvation. And the betrayal of…

Apr 16, 2020Iulian Dumitraşcu

Great and Holy Wednesday (Matins); Apostles Aristarchus, Pudens and Trophimus of the Seventy; Martyr Crescens

On Great and Holy Wednesday, the hymns of the Bridegroom Service remind us of the sinful woman who poured precious ointment on Christ’s head at Simon the leper’s house (Mt. 26:7). The disciples complained about the wasteful extravagance, for the myrrh could have been sold and the money given to the poor. On this same…

Apr 15, 2020basilica.ro

†) Great and Holy Tuesday (Matins); Saint Hierarch Pachomius of Gledin; St. Martin the Confessor the Pope of Rome; Martyr Thomais

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday – these three days, which the Church calls Great and Holy have within the liturgical development of the Holy Week a very definite purpose. They place all its celebrations in the perspective of End ; they remind us of the eschatological meaning of Pascha. So often Holy Week is considered one of…

Apr 14, 2020Iulian Dumitraşcu

(+) Entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem; +) Martyr Sava of Buzau; 6th Sunday of Great Lent (Palm Sunday)

Palm Sunday Palm Sunday is the celebration of the triumphant entrance of Christ into the royal city of Jerusalem. He rode on a colt for which He Himself had sent, and He permitted the people to hail Him publicly as a king. A large crowd met Him in a manner befitting royalty, waving palm branches…

Apr 12, 2020Iulian Dumitraşcu

Cave of St. John the Long-Suffering opened during restorations at Kiev Caves Lavra

The Orthodox faithful now have a rare opportunity to see the place of the ascetic labors of one of the many great saints of the Kiev Caves Lavra. During the restoration work that is currently taking place in the Near Caves of the Holy Dormition-Kiev Caves Lavra, the place of asceticism of the 12th-century monk…

Nov 2, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu

European Day of Languages: Romanian Saints who were polyglots

In the context of the European Day of Languages, we tried to find the polyglots among the list of Romanian Saints. Here’s what we have found: Ruler Prince Saint Neagoe Basarab (September 26) spoke Romanian (mother tongue), Slavonic, Greek, Latin, Turkish, German, and Hungarian. Before becoming the ruler prince of Wallachia, he worked as postelnic,…

Sep 26, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu

Great and Holy Tuesday (Matins). Martyr Valerius

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday – these three days, which the Church calls Great and Holy have within the liturgical development of the Holy Week a very definite purpose.   They place all its celebrations in the perspective of End ; they remind us of the eschatological meaning of Pascha. So often Holy Week is considered one…

Apr 23, 2019basilica.ro

Synaxis of All Orthodox Saints of Iberian Peninsula celebrated for first time at Zaragoza

The Synaxis of All Orthodox Saints of the Iberian Peninsula was celebrated for the first time on Sunday at the Dormition of the Theotokos Romanian Parish in Zaragoza, Spain. The Divine Liturgy and the proclamation ceremony were led by His Eminence Metropolitan Iosif of Western and Southern Europe. Concelebrants included Bishop Nestor of Korsun (Moscow…

Oct 9, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Pro-life activists call for monument to victims of abortion in Moscow

Members of the Russian human rights movement Women for Life are calling for a monument to victims of abortion to be erected in Moscow. The group initiated a collection of signatures on a petition calling for the monument on the eve of the International Day of Protection of Children, celebrated annually on June 1, orthochristian.com…

Jun 6, 2018Sorin Ioniţe