saints

The Annunciation (fish allowed); 5th Sunday of Great Lent

1. The Feast of the Annunciation is one of the earliest Christian feasts, and was already being celebrated in the fourth century. There is a painting of the Annunciation in the catacomb of Priscilla in Rome dating from the second century. The Council of Toledo in 656 mentions the Feast, and the Council in Trullo…

Mar 25, 2018Iulian Dumitraşcu

Three Romanian Saints canonized by the Orthodox Church in 2017

In 2017 the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church transferred the names of three great Romanians from historical documents to the Synaxaria, thus presenting them as ‘Christ’s liveliest icons’. The list of the newly-glorified Romanian Saints includes: Saint Paphnutius the Iconographer Saint Joseph the Merciful, Metropolitan of Moldova Saint George the Pilgrim Photo courtesy…

Jan 5, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Siberian airline to name planes after saints

The Russian airline IrAero, based in Irkutsk and Omsk, has decided to name the planes of its new Sukhoi Superjet 100 fleet after several great saints, including apostles and great Russian saints. “Our air fleet has been replenished with nine Russian-made airplanes. Together with the Irkutsk Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, the names of…

Nov 4, 2017Gheorghe Anghel

Two new saints canonized by Romanian Orthodox Church

The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox, meeting in a working session yesterday at the patriarchal residence in Bucharest under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, decided to canonize two new saints of the Romanian Church. Metropolitan Iosif Naniescu has been canonized under the name of the Holy Hierarch Joseph the Merciful, the Metropolitan…

Oct 6, 2017Sorin Ioniţe

New Decisions of the Holy Synod. Three Saints added to the calendar of the Romanian Orthodox Church

On October 5, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church held its working session at the Synodal Hall of the Patriarchal Residence in Bucharest. During the session chaired by His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, the Holy Synod rendered the following decisions. The Holy Synod glorified Metropolitan Joseph Naniescu, with the name of Saint Joseph the…

Oct 6, 2017Aurelian Iftimiu

Hieromartyr Gregory, bishop of Greater Armenia; Martyrs Rhipsima and Gaiana

1. The Hieromartyr Gregory, Enlightener of Greater Armenia, was born in the year 257. He was descended from the line of the Parthian Arsakid emperors. The father of Saint Gregory, Anak, in striving after the Armenian throne, had murdered his kinsman, the emperor Kursar, in consequence of which all the line of Anak was marked…

Sep 30, 2017Iulian Dumitraşcu

+) Hieromartyr Anthimus the Georgian, metropolitan of Wallachia; Martyrs Callistratus and Epicharis of Rome

1. This chosen person by God was born in Iviria (today’s Georgia) about 1650, to righteous parents, John and Maria, and baptised Andrew. Grown up in the spirit of the Orthodox tradition, young Andrew received from God the gifts of church painting and sculpture. When the Turks invaded his native place, he was caught, made…

Sep 27, 2017Iulian Dumitraşcu

In pictures: Patriarch Daniel consecrates Șerban Vodă Church in Bucharest

On Sunday, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel performed the consecration of Șerban Vodă Church in Bucharest, following the restoration work carried out in recent years. During his homily delivered Sept. 24, His Beatitude reflected on the tie existing between a place of worship and heaven. The heavenly gate that was consecrated today is an earthly place,…

Sep 25, 2017Aurelian Iftimiu

Holy & Righteous Ancestors of God, Joachim and Anna; †) Ven. Kyriakos of Tazlau; †) Ven Onuphrius of Vorona; Holy Fathers of the 3rd Ecumenical Council

1. Saint Joachim, the son of Barpathir, was of the tribe of Judah, and was a descendant of King David, to whom God had revealed that the Savior of the world would be born from his seed. Saint Anna was the daughter of Matthan the priest, who was of the tribe of Levi. Saint Anna’s…

Sep 9, 2017Iulian Dumitraşcu

(†) The Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary (Fish permitted)

The Most Holy Virgin Mary was born at a time when people had reached such a degree of moral decay that it seemed altogether impossible to restore them. People often said that God must come into the world to restore faith and not permit the ruin of mankind. The Son of God chose to take…

Sep 8, 2017Iulian Dumitraşcu

† Beginning of Church Year;  † Ven. Dionysius Exiguus (the Humble); St. Simeon Stylites, the Elder; Holy forty Virgin-martyrs at Heraclea in Thrace (Service of Thanksgiving)

1. Venerable Dionysius was born about the year 460, to righteous parents, in Scythia Minor, today’s Dobrudja. He received a spiritual education ever since he was young, in the schools and monasteries of Dobrudja, having as supervisors the wise Scythian monks and the famous bishop Peter, who pastorally cared for Tomis (today’s Constanţa). In order…

Sep 1, 2017Iulian Dumitraşcu