Summer Feast Day. Our monastery’s summer feast day was full of joy and consolation for all the Romanian Orthodox faithful, because we had the great blessing of having Father Abbot Melchisedec of Putna Monastery in our midst. The very presence of Father Abbot in our midst was an unimaginable miracle of the Mother of God, for which we cannot express our gratitude enough.
Beginning with the eve of the feast of our Lord’s Ascension, all of the days were vested with the grace of the divine services, unto the strengthening and joy of those present. Festal Vigil for Ascension was served on Wednesday night, Divine Liturgy on Thursday morning, and Holy Unction with over 7 priests on Friday morning. Each service was accompanied by a homily by Father Abbot Melchisedec. On Friday night, His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae was present amidst the faithful for the service of Hierarchical Great Vespers.
The feast day, 27 May 2023, began with the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy served by His Eminence Nicolae together with Father Abbot Melchisedec and many other priests and deacons. The hymns of the Divine Liturgy were remarkable, weaving together the voices of Putna with those from American soil into a single voice of prayer to God.
His Eminence Nicolae strengthened those in attendance with his homily, in which he spoke about the purpose of our life as revealed by the Ascension of the Lord: “Christ directed man toward heaven, He conquered death, trampling it down, passing through it and rising on the third day. Behold now, with His resurrected Body, permeated by the Spirit’s power, He ascends to heaven. The Fathers say that He ascended to the heaven of heavens and beyond the heaven of heavens onto the throne of God. As Father Dumitru Stăniloae explains, Christ ‘revealed His Body as being completely transparent to the power of divine love.’ The purpose of our human life is not to remain chained to the earth, nor is it only to be healed from sin, nor to hope that we will be resurrected and pass from death to life, but also that we may spend our life with Christ, with His Mother, and with the Saints, in His eternal kingdom. The feast of our Lord’s Ascension reveals this mystery to us: to direct our gaze to heaven, to desire to ascend in Christ and to know that our life has its fulfillment in the Heavenly Kingdom.”
As usual, the departed were not forgotten; a Panikhida service was held for those present to pray for the repose of their souls.
Father Abbot Melchisedec will offer us a treasure of great price: a portion of the holy relics of Saint Jacob of Putna, the Metropolitan of Moldavia, who was recently canonized. After the Divine Liturgy on the feast day, the Deed of Gifting and the Deed of Donation of the Saint’s holy relics were read aloud. The holy relics will remain for veneration in the church of Saint Dumitru Monastery for the protection and help of the monastery and of all those who will venerate them with faith.
God embraced all those present with His bountiful gifts. Glory to God for all things!
Romanian Welcome Gate. By God’s grace, we intend to construct a Maramureș-style entry gate, inspired by the design of the gate at Sihăstria Neamț. Besides its essential function as a gate that can open/close automatically, it will serve as a (Romanian) sign of welcome for our monastery. The architectural design is in an advanced stage and we are in the process of obtaining the necessary construction permits. Thanks to the mediation of several faithful devoted to the monastery, the gate will be manufactured by a team of craftsmen near Bârsana in Maramureș County, and then it will be transported and installed here. We express our gratitude to all of our Christian brethren who have expressed their support for this project, as well as those who have already offered donations.
Holy Unction. With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae, the Mystery of Holy Unction will be served at our monastery every Saturday at 11 a.m., following the Divine Liturgy. This will be possible beginning in July, because Father Abbot Melchisedec, with much goodwill, has allowed us to host permanantly one hieromonk at a time from Putna Monastery, on a three-month rotation.
Daily Liturgies. Likewise, this year we will serve a series of 40 daily Divine Liturgies, beginning on Saturday, October 28 (our fall feast day), and ending on Wednesday, December 6 (the feast of St. Nicholas).
Icons. With the blessing of His Eminence Nicolae, printed icons are mounted to wood in our monastery.
Pure beeswax candles. Pure beeswax candles are also made in our monastery to adorn the prayer of every Christian. A pure wax candle burning during private or church prayer is a sacrifice pleasing to God.
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