Saint Demetrius the New

2023 St Demetrius the New celebrations begin at dawn, first pilgrims venerate relics of Bucharest Patron Saint

The celebrations of Bucharest’s Patron Saint Demetrius the New began on Saturday morning when the Saint’s holy relics were taken out of the patriarchal cathedral and placed in an outdoor baldachin to facilitate access to pilgrims from across Romania. Although usually kept inside the patriarchal cathedral, the reliquaries with the relics of Saint Demetrius the…

Oct 21, 2023Aurelian Iftimiu

Preparations underway for 250th jubilee of the translation of St. Demetrius the New’s relics to Bucharest

July 13 marked the 249th anniversary of the translation of the relics of Saint Demetrius the New to Bucharest. Looking to the future, Romania’s capital and the Patriarchal Cathedral are preparing for next year’s 250th anniversary of the saint’s protection over Bucharest. Last year, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church decided to include…

Jul 14, 2023Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel on grace and hesychasm: St Gregory Palamas was a fruit of St Paul’s exhortation to pray unceasingly

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel spoke on Thursday about St. Demetrius the New as a hesychast saint and outlined his connection with the believers on both banks of the Danube River. His Beatitude also referred to St. Gregory Palamas, the Archbishop of Thessaloniki, and described him as a fruit of the work of grace among the…

Oct 28, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

A heavenly treasure: Metropolitan of Veria evokes the Romanian people’s love for saints

His Eminence Metropolitan Panteleimon of Veria, Naoussa and Kampania, the region where the family of St. Gregory Palamas lived for a while, brought a fragment of the saint’s relics for the festivities of Saint Demetrius the New, Protector of Bucharest. On this occasion, the Greek Metropolitan said that the saints’ relics are a heavenly treasure…

Oct 25, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

2022 Way of the Saints procession with the relics of Saints Constantine, Helen and Nectarios

The procession known as “The Way of the Saints” took place on Monday, October 24, as one of the festivities in honour of St. Demetrius the New. The New Saint Spyridon Cathedral served as the starting point for the procession that carried the relics of Saints Constantine and Helen as well as Saint Nectarios across…

Oct 25, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

On the steps of Saint Demetrius the New 2022: Photo gallery

The “Way of the Saints” procession resumed on Monday, October 24, 2022, following a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 outbreak, as part of the celebrations of Saint Demetrius the New, Protector of Bucharest. Photography courtesy of Basilica.ro / Mircea Florescu Follow us on Twitter: @BasilicaPhotos

Oct 25, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

St Gregory Palamas relics arrive in Bucharest: We are called to be co-workers with God, says Patriarch Daniel

The relics of St. Gregory Palamas arrived on Monday on the Patriarchate’s Hill for the festivities of St. Demetrius the New, the patron saint of Bucharest. St Gregory’s relics were placed for veneration in an outdoor baldachin next to the other relics usually kept in the Patriarchal Cathedral. “All these saints are calling us to…

Oct 24, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

St Gregory Palamas’ relics are arriving to Bucharest for St Demetrius the New 2022 festivities

The relics of the prominent Hesychast Saint Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessaloniki, will be brought to Bucharest for this year’s festivities of St Demetrius the New. The honourable relics of Saint Gregory Palamas will be brought from Greece by a delegation arriving on Monday, October 24, for the ‘Way of the Saints’ procession. The delegation…

Oct 20, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

New feast added to church calendar: Translation of relics of Saint Demetrius the New to Bucharest

The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church resolved to establish a new feast dedicated to Saint Demetrius the New. The Translation of the relics of St. Demetrius the New to Bucharest will thus be officially celebrated on July 13, beginning in 2024. Saint Demetrius the New joins the saints who have a second feast…

Jul 8, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

Nobody asks us to walk barefoot like Saint Demetrius, but let us stop trampling on souls, Abp Casian says

“I would like to meditate together tonight, dear brothers and sisters, on a shocking event in the life of Saint Demetrius,” the Archbishop of the Lower Danube wrote on Facebook on Tuesday evening. St. Demetrius, when he was a shepherd, accidentally trampled a baby bird. And he repented so much that all his life he…

Oct 28, 2021Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel urges responsible freedom during pandemic: The greatest gifts are health and salvation

“Everyone must be aware, free and responsible when their health is in danger because we do not know if we are prepared enough to go beyond. That is why the Desert Fathers asked God for an extra moment of life to repent,” the Patriarch of Romania cautioned on Wednesday, speaking about the healing works of…

Oct 27, 2021Aurelian Iftimiu