On the 4th Sunday after Holy Pascha, 26th May 2024, on the feast day of the Reverend Macarius of Saharna, the Holy Trinity Monastery hosted a divine service officiated by the First Hierarch of the Orthodox Church of Moldova, His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir and a group of priests and deacons.
In the morning, with great filial love, Archimandrite Adrian (Baciu), abbot of Saharna Monastery, together with the monastic community, welcomed the Arch-Pastor and then the assembly of the faithful went to the Resurrection of the Lord cathedral, where the Holy and Divine Liturgy was officiated.
Praying together with the Metropolitan during the Liturgy were Archimandrite Adrian (Baciu), abbot of Saharna Monastery, Arch. Pimen (Gobjilă), dean and ecclesiarch of the Monastery, Archim. Vladimir (Porubin), missionary priest in the Moldovan diaspora in Italy, Archim. Ioan (Hangan), the confessor of Pripiceni-Curchi Monastery, a choir of priests and deacons, Hegumeness Vera (Spinei), abbess of Cușelăuca Monastery, and numerous pilgrims arrived for worship.
On the eve of the feast, the shrine with the relics of the Reverend Macarius of Saharna was placed in the middle of the church.
In 1991, with the reopening of the monastery, the tomb of Father Macarius was opened and his body was found uncorrupt. The local canonization of Saint Macarius of Saharna took place on December 21, 1995, with the feast day being May 13/26. Reverend Macarius is the first locally canonised saint in the Orthodox Church of post-Soviet Moldova.
Today’s Liturgy was embellished by the ordination of Damian (Țiganciuc), a subdeacon and a monastery resident, to the rank of hierodeacon.
The liturgical responses were offered by the monastic choir, conducted by Mr Ion Bumbac.
After the Liturgy, the church was surrounded in a Cross-bearing and Gospel-reading procession, and a Te-Deum of health was officiated, after which, Metropolitan Vladimir addressed those present with a word of congratulations, speaking about the importance and spiritual value of Saharna Monastery for the history and spirituality of our people, mentioning in this regard the hard work and dedication of the monastic community led by Father Adrian (Baciu), who contributes to making this special monastery an oasis of spiritual reunion, as it was at the beginning of its existence.
In his turn, Father Adrian (Baciu), thanked His Eminence for the arch-pastoral visit, mentioning that everything that is done within the walls of Saharna Monastery is done with love, humility and fear of God, to the glory of the Most Holy Trinity and the salvation of the Christian faithful.
Synodal Sector for Institutional Communication and Media Relations