The feast of St. Demetrios the New, Protector of Bucharest (celebrated on October 27), whose holy relics are kept at the Patriarchal Cathedral, has been, for centuries, a moment of great spiritual importance for the faithful in Bucharest and its surroundings, as well as for thousands of pilgrims from all over Romania. On this occasion, between October 24-28, 2009, with the blessing of His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, the Romanian Patriarchate and the Archdiocese of Bucharest are organizing a series of manifestations which will unfold according to the following schedule:

Saturday, October 24, 2009

At 9 a.m., the relics of St. Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea of Cappadocia, will arrive at the Henri Coanda International Airport, brought from Greece by Most Rev. Basil, Metropolitan of Elassona.

At 9:45 a.m., the “Path of the Saints” pilgrimage will start, ending at the Cross located at the bottom of the Patriarchate’s Hill, with the holy relics of: Righteous Demetrios the New and those of Holy Emperors Constantine and his mother Helen, brought from the Patriarchal Cathedral; St. Gregory the Theologian – recently offered to the Romanian Patriarchate by His Eminence Cardinal Christoph von Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna, brought from St. Spyridon Church; and of St. Gregory of Nyssa, brother of St. Basil the Great, brought from Lady Bălaşa Church.

At 10 a.m. the participants at the procession will welcome the box with the holy relics of St. Basil the Great. Then the procession will move up the Patriarchate’s Hill, where they will be welcomed, in the Cathedral, by His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel and subsequently placed in the special foyer in the Cathedral’s plaza where they will be venerated until the evening of October 29, 2009.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Starting at 9:30 a.m., the Holy Liturgy will be celebrated by several hierarchs of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, together with many priests and deacons, on a special stage adjacent to the Patriarchal Cathedral, overlooking the foyer containing the holy relics.

Monday, October 26, 2009 – The feast day of St. Demetrios the Myrrh-streamer

At 9:30 a.m., the Holy Liturgy by the bishops of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 – The feast day of St. Demetrios the New of Basarabi, Protector of Bucharest (the feast day of the Patriarchal Cathedral)

Since 9:30 a.m. the Holy Liturgy was celebrated by His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, together with Most Rev. Michael, the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Austria, the representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, Most Rev. Basil, Metropolitan of Elassona, the representative of the Greek Orthodox Church, other Romanian Orthodox hierarchs, priests and deacons. The holy service will be attended by representatives of state and local authorities, of public institutions, benefactors and sponsors of the Romanian Patriarchate and of the Bucharest Archdiocese, the members of the Standing Meeting of the National Church Council and of the Eparchial Assembly of the Bucharest Archdiocese.

After the Holy Liturgy, an anniversary moment will take place in the Festivitas Hall of the Patriarchate's Palace, on the second anniversary of the BASILICA Press Center of the Romanian Patriarchate. Four DVDs will be launched by TRINITAS TV, which include two documentaries, 'Israel, Land of Salvation' and 'Pilgrims in the Cappadocia of Saints,' and two spiritual dialogs with Rev. Archimandrite Teofil Paraian from Brancoveanu Monastery in Sambata de Sus. On the same day, four audio CDs will be released by the Romanian Patriarchate's music label.

At 6 p.m., in the Aula Magna of the Patriarchate's Palace, the final phase of the second edition of the choral contest 'Youths, Praise the Lord!' will take place. The event will be broadcast live by the radio and television stations of the Romanian Patriarchate.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009 (feast day of Iachint of Vicina, the first Metropolitan of Wallachia)

Starting at 7:30 a.m., the Holy Liturgy will be celebrated at the Patriarchal Cathedral, followed by the Te Deum service (9:30 a.m.), attended by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

At 10 a.m. the solemn session of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church will take place in the Aula Magna of the Patriarchate's Palace, with the topic 'The Memorial Year of St. Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea Cappadocia and of the other Cappadocian Saints in the Romanian Patriarchate.' The event will be broadcast live by the radio and television stations of the Romanian Patriarchate.

THE PRESS OFFICE OF THE ROMANIAN PATRIARCHATE