More than 40 Romanian saints added to calendar of Polish Orthodox Church

Moscow, May 24, 2017

Photo: basilica.ro

The Polish Orthodox Church has been the first Local Orthodox Church to positively respond to the proposal and appeal of the Romanian Patriarchate for sister Churches to add Romanian saints to their local calendars to be annually celebrated, reports the Basilica News Agency.

The Holy Synod of the Polish Orthodox Church resolved at its May 16 meeting to add more than 40 Romanian saints to its calendar, according to a Synodal communique. The decision was confirmed by His Eminence Jerzy (George), Archbishop-elect of the Diocese of Wrocław and Szczecin. All the saints to be included have been glorified by the Romanian Church since 1950.

After the Holy Synod of a Local Church canonizes a new saint, the other sister Churches are informed of the decision via a letter that also requests that the saint be introduced into the local Church calendar, as a manifestation of the universal character of all Orthodox saints, wherever they are from.

Likewise, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church has several saints glorified by other Orthodox Churches to its calendar in recent years, including New Martyr Ephraim of Nea Makri, Venerable George the Confessor of Drama, St. Luke the Simferopol, and St. Paisios of Mount Athos, and most recently, St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia.

The Romanian saints to be added to the Polish Orthodox liturgical calendar are:

Venerable Antipas of Calapodeşti (January 10);
St. Callinicus of Cernica, bishop of Râmnic (April 11);
St. Pachomius of Gledin, bishop of Roman (April 14);
St. Simeon Stephan, metropolitan of Transylvania (April 24);
Venerable Basil of Poiana Mărului (April 25);
Venerable Irodion of Lainici (May 3);
St. Jacob of Putna, Metropolitan of Moldavia (May 15);
Venerable Sts. Silas, Paisios and Nathan from Putna Hermitage (May 16);
St. Leontius of Rădăuţi (July 1);
Ruler Prince St. Stephan the Great (July 2);
Martyrs Epictetus the priest and Astion the deacon (July 8);
Venerable Sts. Raphael and Parthenios of Old Agapia (July 21);
Venerable Ioannikios the New of Muscel (date of celebration 26 July);
Venerable John Jacob of Neamţ (August 5);
Venerable Theodora of Sihla (August 7);
Ruler Prince St. Constantine Brâncoveanu and his four sons: Constantine, Stephan, Radu, Matthew and his counsellor Ianache (August 16);
Venerable Joseph of Văratec (August 16);
St. Varlaam, metropolitan of Moldavia (August 30);
Venerable Dionysius Exiguous – the Humble (September 1);
Venerable Sts. Neophyte and Meletios from Stânişoara Monastery (September 5);
Venerable Sts. Simeon and Amphilochius of Pângăraţi (September 7);
Holy Venerable Kyriakos of Tazlău (September 9);
Ruler Prince St. Neagoe Basarab (September 26);
Hieromartyr St. Anthimos of Iviria, metropolitan of Wallachia (September 27);
Venerable Sts. Joseph and Kyriakos of Bisericani (October 1);
Venerable Sts. Daniel and Mishael from Turnu Monastery (October 5);
St. Hyacinth of Vicina, metropolitan of Wallachia (October 28);|
Holy Confessors and Martyrs of Năsăud: Athanasius Todoran of Bichigiu, Basil of Mocod, Gregory of Zagra and Basil of Telciu (November 12);
St. Andrei Şaguna, metropolitan of Transylvania (November 30);
Venerable Daniel the Hermit (December 18);
Venerable Nicodemus of Tismana (26 December).