Chișinău and Riga, July 24, 2024
The 35th anniversary of Met. Vladimir of Chișinău. Photo: mitropolia.md
Both His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir of Chișinău and All Moldova and His Eminence Metropolitan Alexander of Riga and All Latvia celebrated the 35th anniversary of their episcopal consecrations recently.
Met. Vladimir marked the occasion in Chișinău’s Nativity of Christ Cathedral, with the concelebration of 10 brother hierarchs and other hierarchs, reports the Moldovan Orthodox Church.
His Eminence Archbishop Anatolie of Cahul spoke on behalf of the Moldovan Synod, noting Met. Vladimir’s merits and his care in reviving Orthodox spirituality and defending spiritual values in today’s secularized world.
The Synod awarded their primate the Order of Holy Hierarch Gavril Bănulescu-Bodoni, 1st Degree. He was also presented with an episcopal crozier from the Diocese of Ungheni.
Watch the Divine Liturgy on the occasion of Met. Vladimir’s anniversary:
And on July 23, Met. Alexander of Riga celebrated his 35th anniversary at the Nativity of Christ Cathedral in Riga, concelebrated by three hierarchs and a host of clergy from the Latvian Church.
The 35th anniversary of Met. Alexander of Riga. Photo: pareizticiba.lv
The Liturgy was also blessed with the presence of several holy relics and icons: a piece of the Robe of the Most Holy Theotokos from the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Convent in Riga, the wonderworking Jēkabpils Icon of the Mother of God from the Holy Spirit Monastery in Jēkabpils, and a copy of the wonderworking Konev Icon of the Mother of God.
Many faithful from all over Latvia gathered in the Riga cathedral to pray for their primate.
Met. Alexander was also presented with a bishop’s staff as a gift for his anniversary, as well as a painting by a Latvian artist depicting the historic St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral of the city of Daugavpils and the Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky Monument that was erected on the site of the cathedral that was destroyed by the godless authorities in 1969.
All the faithful who were present also received gifts: a small Konev Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, a diptych with the Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of the Sign and an icon of the Holy Trinity, and the book Our Vladyka, about the ministry of the primate of the Latvian Orthodox Church.
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