On the 14th Sunday after the Pentecost, 14th September 20205, when the Orthodox Church commemorates Venerable Symeon of the Pillar and celebrates the beginning of the New Church Year (Indiction), His Eminence Vladimir, Metropolitan of Chisinau and all Moldova, officiated the Divine Liturgy in St. Charalambos Parish in Chisinau.
Today’s feast was marked by several special events: the 65th birthday and the 40th anniversary of priestly ministry of the parish priest, Archpriest Mihail Gondiu, as well as the commemoration of three decades since the reopening of this monumental church, a true spiritual and historical treasure of the capital.
Concelebrating to the Metropolitan were His Eminence Ioan, Archbishop of Soroca and Drochia; Archpriest Vadim Cheibaș, Metropolitan Secretary and Dean of Chișinău Sector I; Archpriest Zosima Toia, Dean of Chișinău Sector III; Archpriest Mihail Gondiu, parish priest; Archpriest Ioan Gondiu, cleric of the same parish; as well as a number of priests and deacons invited to share in the liturgical joy of the day.
During the Small Entrance, His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir conferred ecclesiastical distinctions upon the clergy of this parish. The parish priest, Archpriest Mihail Gondiu, received the right to wear a second pectoral cross as a sign of appreciation for his fruitful pastoral activity. Father Ioan Gondiu received the right to wear a mitra, while Deacon Andrian Chirtoacă, cleric of the Transfiguration Cathedral in Chișinău, was elevated to the rank of protodeacon.
Following the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the clergy and faithful present processed around the church, after which a Te Deum of thanksgiving was celebrated. On this occasion, Metropolitan Vladimir awarded orders and medals to the founders and benefactors of the holy place as a token of gratitude for the love and dedication they have shown over the years.
In his word of blessing, the Metropolitan congratulated the parish priest, the clergy, and the whole community on this special day, urging them to continue the work of spiritual renewal and the preservation of holy traditions. His Eminence underlined the importance of unity and fraternal communion in the life of the parish.
In turn, the parish priest, Father Mihail Gondiu, expressed his gratitude to Metropolitan Vladimir and Archbishop Ioan for their prayers and archpastoral love, to the clergy for their concelebration, and to the faithful for their constant support and care for the Holy Church. This anniversary thus brought joy and gratitude to the hearts of all present, sealing yet another bright page in the history of this parish community.
Synodal Sector for Institutional Communication and Media Relations