{"id":585146,"date":"2026-08-19T11:21:05","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T08:21:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/?p=585146"},"modified":"2026-08-19T11:21:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T08:21:05","slug":"saint-maria-brancoveanu-local-proclamation-reliquary-icons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/en\/saint-maria-brancoveanu-local-proclamation-reliquary-icons\/","title":{"rendered":"Local proclamation of Saint Maria Br\u00e2ncoveanu: Churches she supported receive reliquary icons"},"content":{"rendered":"

The local proclamation of Saint Maria Br\u00e2ncoveanu’s canonisation took place on Sunday at the New St George Church in Bucharest. Churches founded or supported by the saint received icons containing a fragment of her holy relics.<\/strong><\/p>\n

These included the St Nicholas \u201cDintr-o Zi\u201d Church in Bucharest, the monasteries of Hurezi, Surpatele and Dintr-un Lemn in V\u00e2lcea County, Berivoi Monastery in Bra\u0219ov County and Vifor\u00e2ta Monastery in D\u00e2mbovi\u021ba County.<\/p>\n

An assembly of hierarchs celebrated the Divine Liturgy, comprising Archbishop Casian of the Lower Danube; Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishops Varlaam of Ploie\u0219ti and Paisie of Sinaia; Assistant Bishop Timotei of Prahova of the Archdiocese of Bucharest; and Assistant Bishop Ilarion of F\u0103g\u0103ra\u0219 of the Archdiocese of Sibiu.<\/p>\n

Synodal Tomos<\/h2>\n

The official act proclaiming the canonisation was presented to the faithful by His Eminence Archbishop Casian of the Lower Danube.<\/p>\n

\u201cSaint Maria Br\u00e2ncoveanu endured imprisonment, contempt, hunger and deprivation, but she did not fall into despair; rather, she was strengthened through prayer and hope in God,\u201d the proclamation tomos states.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The document recounts the numerous trials Saint Maria Br\u00e2ncoveanu endured following the martyrdom of her husband and sons in 1714.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was only in 1716 that Lady Maria was able to return to Wallachia, with the help of Prince John Mavrocordatos. Secretly and with great devotion, she brought the relics of the Br\u00e2ncoveanu Martyrs from the island of Halki, where several devout Christians had buried them, and placed them in the New St George Church in Bucharest, their foundation. Above the tomb, she placed a vigil lamp which continues to burn to this day in memory of the Holy Martyr Prince.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Among other provisions, the tomos states: \u201cSo that the devotion of right-believing Christians may increase through the veneration of and prayerful appeals to Saint Maria Br\u00e2ncoveanu, she shall also become the patron saint of new or restored churches.\u201d<\/p>\n

A model of faith, patience and generosity<\/h2>\n

Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploie\u0219ti then presented the message of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, entitled \u201cSaint Maria Br\u00e2ncoveanu \u2013 a model of faith, patience and generosity\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the life of this holy woman, we see the luminous image of a faithful wife and mother, a model of martyr-like patience in suffering and an example of generous love towards the Church and the people. Thus, in Saint Maria Br\u00e2ncoveanu we see that her love for God strengthened her to bear an incomparable sorrow with faith, becoming a foundation of hope for her daughters and sons-in-law,\u201d His Beatitude emphasised.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Patriarch of Romania highlighted the saint\u2019s care for the Christian education of the 11 children God had blessed her with.<\/p>\n

\u201cTogether with her husband, she brought highly accomplished teachers and scholars to the princely court, men who taught at the renowned princely academy attached to St Sava Monastery, so that their sons and daughters could acquire knowledge of the classical languages and a profound secular and theological education.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Saint Maria Br\u00e2ncoveanu<\/h2>\n

The saint, the wife of Prince-Martyr Constantine Br\u00e2ncoveanu of Wallachia, was born in the second half of the 17th century into the family of Postelnic Neagu of Negoe\u0219ti and was a granddaughter of Prince Antonie Vod\u0103 of Pope\u0219ti.<\/p>\n

After the martyrdom of her husband and their four sons in Constantinople, she endured imprisonment and exile. Secretly and with great devotion, she later retrieved the relics of the Br\u00e2ncoveanu Martyrs from the island of Halki, where several devout Christians had buried them, and placed them in the New St George Church in Bucharest, the church they had founded.<\/p>\n

In the final years of her life, Princess Maria Br\u00e2ncoveanu withdrew to Surpatele Monastery, which she had founded, where she spent long periods in prayer, fasting and almsgiving. From there, she often travelled to Dintr-un Lemn Monastery to pray before its wonderworking icon of the Mother of God.<\/p>\n

The path travelled by Saint Maria Br\u00e2ncoveanu became known among the people as the \u201cLady\u2019s Road\u201d or the \u201cRoad of Tears\u201d, as it was said to have been marked by the tears she shed in grief for the loss of her sons and her husband.<\/p>\n

She reposed in the Lord in December 1729 and was buried with honour at the New St George Church in Bucharest.<\/p>\n

Saint Maria Br\u00e2ncoveanu was canonised<\/a> in 2025, alongside 15 other Romanian holy women. Her feast day was set for 16 August, the same day the Church commemorates her husband, their four sons, and counsellor Ianache.<\/p>\n