At the invitation of His Eminence Ioan of Soroca, vicar bishop of the Metropolis of Chisinau and All Moldova, after extensive renovation works, His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir, Primate of the Orthodox Church of Moldova, consecrated the Episcopal Cathedral “The Assumption of the Mother of God” in the municipality of Soroca on the day of the commemoration of the Icon of the Mother of God in Hîrbovăț, 15 October 2023.
Together with the first hierarch, prayers were offered by the vicar bishops, His Grace Ioan of Soroca and His Grace Siluan of Orhei, Protopriest Vadim Cheibaș, Metropolitan Secretary, Archim. Filaret (Cuzmin), abbot of Căpriana Monastery and dean of Strășeni district, Protopriest Nicolae Craveț, dean of Soroca district, Protopriest Pavel Vuluță, dean of Drochia district, protopriest Anatolie Stefanov, dean of Ialoveni district, Archimandrite Nectarie (Gherman), abbot of Horești monastery, Protopriest Ioan Zîmbreanu, dean of Florești district, priests, deacons and numerous lay church-goers.
During the Small Entrance, following the report of Bishop Ioan, His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir decorated the cleric of the cathedral, hieromonk Serafim (Prisăcaru) with the right to wear the Epigonationand the priest Grigorie Dodon, the cleric of the church of Great-Martyr Demetrius in Soroca, the right to wear the golden cross.
The divine service was attended by high-ranking dignitaries from Soroca municipality and a multitude of faithful who came to this historic event, and since the cathedral proved to be overcrowded, a led screen was installed in the courtyard of the diocesan centre so that the faithful outside could watch the Liturgy live.
The liturgical responses were offered by the choir “St. John of Damascus” of the Episcopal Cathedral of Soroca, conducted by the proto-deacon Mihail Rotari.
His Eminence Vladimir decorated a number of Cathedral’s distinguished donators with metropolitan orders, in sign of gratitude for their work over the years to restore this beautiful cathedral in the heart of Soroca to its former glory.
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The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Mother of God in Soroca. (1840-1842) is a monument of architecture, of National category, inscribed in the Register of Monuments of the Republic of Moldova under no. 2607. Status as of 05.02.2013.
This ecclesiastical edifice is the foundation of Costache Cerchez, built according to the project developed in 1832 by Antuan Weismann.
It is located in the centre of the town, on the site where several churches existed before. The last but one (1770) was founded by Teodor Stamati, the dean of Soroca region.
The cathedral is in the neoclassical style with a cruciform plan, crowned with a hemispherical dome raised on a broad drum, decorated with twin pilasters of the Ionic order. Arched pediments decorate all the facades.
In 1878 the three-storey bell tower was added in front of the entrance.
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