The feast of St. Paraskeva, the protector of Moldova

Friday, October 14, 2022, on the patron saint day of Moldova, St. Paraskeva from Iași, His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with a group made up of 25 hierarchs at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Iași.

The pilgrimage of St. Paraskeva, so dear to Romanians all over the world, began on Saturday, October 8, in Iași, when the relics of St. Paisie from Neamt were brought in.

According to basilica.ro, the number of pilgrims who came to venerate her holy relics on the esplanade in front of the Iași Cathedral by the day of the patron saint exceeded 180,000 pilgrims.

At the Divine Liturgy on Friday, October 14, the hierarchs, priests and deacons who served were from Romania but also from Greece, Bulgaria, Syria or Tanzania. HEm Teofan, Archbishop of Iași and Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bucovina was joined in the Divine Liturgy by HEm Gheorghios, Metropolitan of Kitrus, Katerini and Platamonas from the Orthodox Church of Greece, HEm Naum, Metropolitan of Ruse, from the Orthodox Church of Bulgaria, HEm Irineu , Metropolitan of Oltenia, HEm Petru, Metropolitan of Bessarabia and Exarch of Plaiuri, HEm Iosif, Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of Western and Southern Europe, HEm Teodosie, Archbishop of Tomis, HEm Casian, Archbishop of Lower Danube , HG Agathonic, Bishop of Arusha and Central Tanzania, from the Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, HG Qais, Bishop of Erzurum, from the Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, HG Ignatius, Bishop of the Husi, HG Nicodim, Bishop of Severin and Strehaia, HG Antonie, Bishop of Balti, HG Veniamin, Bishop of Southern Bessarabia, HG Vincentiu, Bishop of Slobozia and Calarasi, HG Galaction, Bishop of Alexandria and Teleormanu, HG Sebastian, Bishop of Slatina and Romanati, HG Petroniu, Bishop of Sălaj, HG Nestor, Bishop of Deva and Hunedoara, HG Ieronim, Bishop of Dacia Felix, HG Ioan Casian, Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Canada, HG Nichifor Botoșaneanul, Vicar Bishop of the Archdiocese of Iasi, HG Benedict Bistrițeanul, Vicar Bishop of the Archdiocese of Vad, Feleac and Cluj, HG Paisie Lugojanul, Vicar Bishop of the Archdiocese of Timisoara, HG Damaschin Dorneanul, Vicar Bishop of the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuți and HG Timotei Sătmăreanul, Vicar Bishop of the Diocese of Maramureș and Sătmar.

The homily was held by Metropolitan Gheorghios of Kitrus, Katerini and Platamonas of the Orthodox Church of Greece who emphasized that: "Authentic pilgrimage is accomplished through the death of passions, selfishness and the feeling that everything is approached through rational knowledge. The spiritual resurrection of the human being, therefore, takes place when man loves and shares the gift of Truth, that is, the gift of Christ so that He may dwell in us and we may all be His sons. It is achieved if we worship God in the Spirit, that is, if we want to fulfill and live God's will in our lives".

In his speech, HEm Metropolitan Teofan emphasized the importance of prayer for the world and in particular for the conflict in the neighboring country Ukraine:

"We are here, we are enjoying the feast, the peace. We also have our trials but compared to what is happening not far from us, they are nothing or almost nothing," said the hierarch.

"We cannot accomplish too many things. God above and the greater ones of the world below can ultimately accomplish much. But we can also accomplish a lot - IPS Teofan continued - because there is no more important weapon than prayer".

"That's why, in addition to the prayer you address to God for you, for your family members, remember in the evening at prayer the persons who fell under the bombs, their mothers at home, their wives and babies."

HG Bishop Ioan Casian recalled latter on a personal experience he had after serving near the relics of St. Paraskiva:

"It's the first time I serve at the feast day of St. Paraschiva - said the hierarch. I also served with HEm Metropolitan Teofan when the saint's relics were in the small cathedral due to the restorations in the large one. It was I think in the year 2009. I remember something special on this occasion. Going to venerate the saint’s relics at the beginning of the Divien Liturgy, the Cross and the Egolpion I was carrying touched the racla of the saint. Returning to Canada and opening the box in which the two were kept to wear them at every Divine Liturgy, I felt every time the smell of myrrh similar to the one we feel around the relics of the saints. This lasted almost a year and a half. It is the way in which I concretely felt the holiness and presence of St. Paraskiva.

It is a great blessing for us Romanians to have such a protector. But like all saints even if the history of St. Parascheva is connected to the land of Moldova, she remains a protector and a person praying for the world, like all the saints. The fact that such a large number of pilgrims come every year to venerate the saint shows the great love she enjoys among the Romanian believers but also among other peoples."

HEm Metropolitan Teofan offered the "Cross of the Holy Hierarch Joseph the Merciful" to some priests who were present at the border between Romania, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova during the war. They helped refugees who came and settled in Romania or transited to Western Europe.

(article by Carmen Orgean after notes from Doxologia - Flavius Popa and basilica.ro - Sorin Ionițe)