Bucharest, July 5, 2023
The Romanian Holy Synod resolved to formally add a number of saints and feasts to its liturgical calendar yesterday.
The canonization of a saint by a particular Local Church is accepted by other Local Churches, but other Synods sometimes choose to formally add an already canonized saint to their calendar as a sign of the veneration for that particular saint in their Local Church and to present that saint as an example to their people.
And yesterday, the Romanian Holy Synod, under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, resolved to add two great saints of the 20th century to its calendar: the Holy Hierarch John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco, and the great Athonite ascetic St. Joseph the Hesychast, reports the Basilica News Agency.
The liturgical texts and icon in their honor were also approved.
St. John was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia in 1994, and St. Joseph by the Patriarchate of Constantinople in March 2020.
The Synod also added the feasts of the Axion Estin (It is Truly Meet) Icon of the Mother of God, and St. Cassiani the Hymnographer (especially known for her Hymn of the Fallen Woman, sung at Matins on Holy Wednesday).
The Synod also approved the text of the service of the Transfer of the Relics of St. Demetrius the New to Bucharest, and the text of the Paraklesis to the Great Martyr Kyriaki.
On July 2, the feast of St. John (Maximovitch), a church was consecrated in his honor in Spain.
Follow OrthoChristian on Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, MeWe, and Gab!
