Bucharest, October 28, 2019
Photo: basilica.ro
The Romanian Orthodox Church had a great celebration over the weekend, centered on the feast of St. Demetrius the New, the patron saint of Bucharest.
This year’s ceremony was augmented by the liturgical celebration of the canonization of a new 20th-century saint on Sunday, the Bessarabian Bishop Dionysius Erhan of Cetatea Alba and Ismail, reports the Basilica News Agency.
The Holy Synod of the Romanian Church officially glorified St. Dionysius at its October 2018 session, responding to the Metropolitan Synod of Bessarabia’s appeal of a month prior. The Bessarabian hierarchs especially noted St. Dionysius’ high moral and intellectual qualities, including his intimate knowledge of the Scriptures and the liturgical books.
St. Dionysius’ relics were also found to be incorrupt during consolidation works at Suruceni Monastery, near Chişinău, in July, 2018.
Photo: basilica.ro
Sunday’s glorification was attended by His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania, members of the Holy Synod, a delegation from the Moscow Patriarchate’s Church in Moldova, a number of public officials, and thousands of faithful pilgrims.
Pat. Daniel explained that they decided to liturgically proclaim St. Dionysius’ glorification on the feast of St. Demetrius the New because his birth name was Demetrius, and because the Holy Synod resolved to glorify him during the same period last year.
The icon of the newly-glorified saint was presented to the crowd following the Liturgy in honor of St. Demetrius the New, while the choir sang his troparion. The Synodal tomos on the canonization of St. Dionysius was also read out.
Mother Epistimia, the abbess of Suruceni Monastery, where St. Dionysius’ relics are kept, presented Pat. Daniel with a reliquary containing a fragment of his precious relics.
Both Mother Epistimia and Fr. Porfirie (Dobre), abbot of the Sireti Monastery of the Moscow Patriarchate in Moldova were bestowed the Romanian Patriarchate’s Order of the Holy Emperors Constantine and Helen.
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Photo: basilica.ro
The Synodal tomos of his canonization recounts that St. Dionysius was born in 1868 and joined Suruceni Monastery in Moldova at the age of 15. Having labored as a novice for 7 years, he was tonsured as a riassaphore monk, and as a stavrophore monk after another 9 years, receiving the name Dionysius.
He was ordained as a hierodeacon in 1900 and as a hieromonk in 1904. He was distinguished by his fervent prayer, reverent celebration of the services, and his defense of the faith, and was greatly loved by the people.
He was elected abbot of the monastery in 1908. During this time, he labored for the unity of Romanians, which helped bring about the union of Bessarabia with Romania in March 1918.
Due to his high spiritual life and authority among the faithful Bessarabians, he was elected as vicar bishop for the Archdiocese of Chişinău and was consecrated on July 22, 1918. He was appointed as ruling hierarch of Cetatea Alba and Ismail on April 18, 1934.
He greatly contributed to the building up of the spiritual life in the diocese, through the training of clergy and the education of the youth. He also set up shelters and orphanages and an association to support widowed priests’ wives.
He was also heavily involved in diocesan publications and the activity of monasteries and parishes, all the while continuing to celebrate the Divine services piously and peacefully, in a state of incessant prayer.
St. Dionysius shepherded his diocese until June 28, 1940, when he was forced to take refuge in the Diocese of Argeş by the Soviet Union’s annexation of Bessarabia. After the liberation of Bessarabia a few years later, he retired to his native Suruceni Monastery, where he departed to the Lord on September 17, 1943.
His holy relics were found to be incorrupt in 2018, on the 100th anniversary of his consecration to the episcopate.
St. Dionysius will from henceforth be celebrated annually on September 17, the day of his repose.
OrthoChristian also reported last week that the Moldovan Church of the Moscow Patriarchate is preparing materials to appeal for the canonization of Venerable Makary of Holy Trinity-Saharna Monastery.
