Troparion, Tone 4
The whole world hath found thee to be a great champion amid misfortunes,/ who conquered the pagans, O passion-bearer./ Therefore, as thou didst cast down the pride of Lyaeus/ and didst appoint the bold Nestor for the struggle,// thus, O Demetrius, beseech Christ God to grant us great mercy.
On Saturday, 8 November, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius the Myrrh-Gusher. On this occasion, His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir, Primate of the Orthodox Church of Moldova, officiated the Divine and Holy Liturgy at the patronal feast of the Monastery in the town of Ceadîr-Lunga.
His Eminence was assisted at the service by His Grace Bishop Nicholas of Ceadîr-Lunga, Vicar of the Diocese of Cahul and Comrat, Archpriest Petru Cheleș, Dean of Găgăuzia autonomy, Archpriest Dmitrii Marcov, Spiritual Father of the Monastery, together with a number of priests and deacons.
During the Small Entrance, His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir conferred upon the Abbess, Mother Elizaveta (Popova), the Order of “Church Merit”, Second Class, on the occasion of her 85th birthday, and upon Archpriest Dmitrii Marcov, the Order of “Saint Hierarch Gavriil Bănulescu-Bodoni”, Second Class.
Among those praying at the Divine Liturgy were Mother Elizaveta, the Abbess of the host Monastery, Mother Elizaveta, Abbess of the Monastery in Bender, and Mother Eufrosenia, Abbess of the Monastery in Comrat, as well as local civil authorities: Mrs Natalia Șoșova, President of the Ceadîr-Lunga District, Mr Anatol Topală, Mayor of Ceadîr-Lunga, Mrs Irina Vlah, former Bashkan of Găgăuzia Autonomy, and pilgrims from across the country.
The Divine Service was adorned by the ordination of two monastics of the Dobrușa Monastery: Hierodeacon Ambrose (Sîrbu), to the rank of Hieromonk, and Monk Vasile (Tronciu), to the rank of Hierodeacon.
The liturgical responses were offered in Greek by the student choir CHOROSTASIA & EVDROMUNTES from Thessaloniki, Greece, under the direction of Dr Georgios Patronas.
Following the Divine Service, the traditional procession around the church was held, with the reading of the appointed Gospel passages for the feast, followed by a Te Deum of thanksgiving and health.
His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir extended congratulations to all the faithful on the occasion of the monastery’s patronal feast, and to all those who bear the name or have their house feast in honour of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius.
At the conclusion, the Metropolitan conferred the Order of “Church Merit”, Second Class, upon Mr Valerii Efimov; the Order of “Venerable Paisius Velichkovsky” upon Dr Georgios Patronas, the choir director; and a Metropolitan Diploma upon the choir CHOROSTASIA & EVDROMUNTES.
Synodal Sector for Institutional Communication and Media Relations