Sita Buzăului, Covasna County, Romania, August 7, 2024
Icon of St. Arsenie (Boca) of Prislop in the chapel at Sita Buzăului Monastery. Photo: basilica.ro
Yesterday, on the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, a chapel at Romania’s Sita Buzăului was entrusted to the Heavenly protection of the newly canonized St. Arsenie (Boca) of Prislop.
Last month, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church canonized 16 ascetics, confessors, and martyrs who suffered under the communist rule of the 20th century, including St. Arsenie, one of Romania’s most beloved elders.
According to the Basilica News Agency, the monastery chapel is the first place of worship to be named in honor of St. Arsenie.
Sita Buzăului Monastery. Photo: episcopiacvhr.ro
The Divine Liturgy for the Transfiguration (the patronal feast of the main monastery church) was celebrated by His Eminence Metropolitan Laurentiu of Transylvania and Their Graces Bishops Andrei of Covasna and Nestor of Deva.
Sita Buzăului Monastery, founded in 1997, is considered one of the most beautiful and significant of the monasteries built after the 1989 revolution in Romania.
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Elder Arsenie, who reposed in 1989, was one of the great Romanian spiritual fathers of Communist times, and is revered today as a saint. Thousands go on pilgrimage annually to his grave at Prislop Moanstery in Silvașu de Sus, and images of him are seen as a blessing.
At least one such image, bought at Prislop Moanstery, began miraculously weeping in May 2015. A miracle is known to occur at his grave as well: Even though the temperatures there can be extremely low, often reaching -5 degrees, all of the flowers that have grown on his grave neither wither nor freeze and die by the extreme temperatures but instead remain in full blossom. From winter to summer, the elder’s grave remains full with blossomed, multi-colored fragrant flowers.
More about his life can be read in our article, “Elder Arsenie Boca and His Revelation.”
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