“From your youth you served God with humility; you nourished your soul with the Holy Scriptures, and by constant prayer and a virtuous life, you made yourself a place of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. With wisdom, love, truth and justice, you have guided and defended your flock. For this, o Holy Hierarch Dionysius, having gained boldness towards Christ God, pray for the enlightenment and salvation of our souls.” (Troparion of the Saint)
On Tuesday, September 17, 2024, the Monastery of Holy Great-Martyr George was embellished to celebrate the feast of St. Hierarch Dionysius, Bishop of Cetatea Alba-Ismail.
In the morning, the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Moldova, His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir, was welcomed by the abbess of the monastery, the Most Reverend Egumeness Epistemia (Goncearenco), a large number of hierarchs, priests and multitudes of faithful.
The celebration was officiated in the Church dedicated to St. Nicholas.
His Eminence was joined by Archbishop Sava of Tiraspol and Dubăsari, Archbishop Nicodim of Edinet and Briceni, Archbishop Anatolie of Cahul and Comrat, Bishop John of Soroca and Drochia, Bishop Siluan of Orhei and Metropolitan Vicar, Bishop Filaret of Căpriana and Metropolitan Vicar, Bishop Nicolae of Ceadir-Lunga and Vicar of the Diocese of Cahul and Comrat, Bishop Patrocl of Dondușeni and Vicar of the Diocese of Edinet and Briceni, protopriest Vadim Cheibais, Metropolitan Secretary, and a big assembly of priests and deacons.
During the divine service, the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Moldova ordained subdeacon Serghei Zaporojan, 2022 Theology graduate, to the dignity of deacon, appointed to the Metropolitan Cathedral.
Saints are not just commemorated or honored, saints are venerated. We honor them by prayer, by reflection on their lives and the wonderful deeds they have done. We honor them because we feel the presence and work of saving grace in them, because they have crowned themselves with virtues, making themselves living examples for us, for their love and care for us, and for their unceasing intercession to the Savior Christ, who desires to save us all. One of them is St. Hierarch Dionysius Erhan, the Abbot of Suruceni Monastery and Bishop of Cetatea Alba-Ismail, whose relics are in the Holy Monastery. The personality of this Holy Hierarch of the Church has a special beauty and majesty, being endowed with the divine qualities of the Archbishop as described by St. Paul the Apostle: “such an Archbishop we ought to have: holy, without malice, without blemish, separated from sinners, and higher than the heavens.” A shepherd who was and remains a model to ministers and believers in holiness, a model in word, in feasting, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity (I Tim. 4:12).
After the Divine Liturgy, the assembly of hierarchs and priests led by His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir celebrated a Te-Deum service, praying to St. Hierarch Dionysius to intercede to God for our country Moldova, for the Christian faithful and for peace in the whole world.
In his address to the faithful, the Primate recounted the life and pastoral-missionary and spiritual activity of St. Hierarch Dionysius, urging those present to honor the Saints, following their life and love of God. The Primate of the Church also thanked Abbes Epistemia and the monastic community for the spiritual work carried out in the monastery.
The Abbess of the monastery, Mother Epistemia, thanked the Metropolitan, hierarchs, priests and Christians present for their willingness to spend this Feast in prayer. At the same time, the Mother Abbess emphasized that holiness is a gift of the human condition, it is the state to which all Christians are called, God Himself calling us to become saints like Him.
During the Holy Liturgy, many Christians received communion with the Body and Blood of our Savior Jesus Christ.
At the end, all those present took part in a fraternal agape offered with love by the monastic community.
St. Dionysius, pray to God for us!
Synodal Sector for Institutional Communication and Media Relations