Iași, Romania, October 14, 2019
A record number of faithful Romanians and pilgrims from abroad came out to venerate the relics of St. Parascheva, one of the most beloved saints in Romania, in a weekend-long celebration in Iași leading up to her feast day today.
St. Parascheva is celebrated on October 14 in Romania. Her relics have resided in Bulgaria, Serbia, and Constantinople, and she is greatly loved throughout the Balkans and the entire Orthodox world, but they have remained in the cathedral in Iași, working countless miracles, since 1641.
According to the Romanian outlet Doxologia, more than 90,000 people had already venerated her precious relics at the cathedral in Iași by Sunday night.
“From the data we have, it seems that it really has exceeded what was happening in other years. The good weather and the fact that it’s the weekend and the fact that the relics of St. Spyridon came last night, made it a record number,” commented Fr. Constantin Sturzu, spokesman of the Metropolitan Church of Moldova and Bucovina.
The relics of St. Spyridon arrived on Saturday, brought from Corfu by His Eminence Metropolitan Nektarios of the Greek Church. They were placed in the cathedral for veneration along with those of St. Parascheva.
Photo: basilica.ro
Many faithful were also present for the Vigil in her honor on the night of October 13 to 14, with 20 hierarchs concelebrating the Divine Liturgy for the feast, reports the Basilica News Agency.
Photo: basilica.ro
Hierarchs, clergy, and faithful also accompanied the relics of St. Parascheva through the streets of the city on Saturday in the traditional “Way of the Saints” procession, which began and ended at the cathedral.
“We hope that the saints will inspire you, as our eyes don’t remain solely directed towards the earth, but point toward the heights of Heaven… We don't live only on earth, but in Heaven; we don't breathe only in time but also in eternity. God bless us all!” said Metropolitan Theophan of Moldova and Bukovina, who led the procession.
