“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:5–8)
On Wednesday, 17 September 2025, the Monastery of the Holy Great Martyr George in Suruceni was adorned in festive garments on the occasion of the Feast of Saint Hierarch Dionisie, Bishop of Cetatea Albă-Ismail.
In the morning, His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir, the First Hierarch of the Orthodox Church of Moldova, was welcomed by the Reverend Abbess Epistemia (Goncearenco), the Mother Superior of the Monastery, together with a synaxis of hierarchs and priests, and a multitude of faithful who came to express their love and devotion towards Saint Dionisie. The Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the Church dedicated to Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, in the presence of the holy relics of Hierarch Dionisie.
His Eminence was assisted by His Eminence Sava, Archbishop of Tiraspol and Dubăsari; His Eminence Anatolie, Archbishop of Cahul and Comrat; His Eminence Nicodim, Archbishop of Edineț and Briceni; His Eminence Ioan, Archbishop of Soroca and Drochia; His Grace Siluan, Bishop of Orhei and Vicar of the Metropolis; His Grace Patrocl, Bishop of Dondușeni and Diocesan Vicar; Archpriest Vadim Cheibaș, Metropolitan Secretary; and numerous priests and deacons.
The bond between the Saints and Christ is realised through love and friendship: “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). Those who live in communion with Christ and strive to follow His will draw near to holiness. The Holy Apostle Paul addresses the Christians with such words as: “Beloved of God, called to be saints” (Romans 1:7); “to those sanctified in Christ Jesus” (1 Corinthians 1:2); “to the saints who are in Ephesus” (Ephesians 1:1); and “to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colossae” (Colossians 1:2).
The Saints do not compel anyone to imitate their lives but awaken in us the desire to follow their faith and deeds. They teach us more by example than by words. Among them is Saint Hierarch Dionisie Erhan, Bishop of Cetatea Albă-Ismail, who through his life shows us that holiness is not an unattainable ideal, but the true calling of every Christian.
The aim of our life is sanctification—that is, union with God through the purification and enlightenment of the mind. “Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16), commands the Lord. The Apostle Paul adds: “He disciplines us for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness” (Hebrews 12:10). Thus holiness is not a distant ideal, but the very vocation of each Christian.
The Saints are the most precious members of the Church, the greatest treasure of Orthodoxy. This heritage must be preserved in its authenticity. They are not merely souls saved from the torments of hell they are our friends and intercessors before God.
The words of Father Dumitru Stăniloae remain eloquent: “The saint is the most benevolent of men and, at the same time, without intending it, the most imposing. He makes you feel at ease beside him, but also uneasy, when you see your moral shortcomings and sins. He overwhelms you by the simple greatness of his purity and by the warmth of his kindness and attentiveness… He is the clear transparency of the dawn of the eternal divine light in which humanity will be fulfilled.”
Synodal Sector for Institutional Communication and Media Relations