Five hundred priests and approximately ten thousand faithful from parishes in Bucharest and Ilfov county have participated today, April 11, 2009, on the eve of the Great Feast of the Entry of our Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), at the pilgrimage organized by the Romanian Patriarchate together with the Bucharest Archdiocese. The event was publicized by the BASILICA Press Center of the Romanian Patriarchate and was broadcasted live by TRINITAS TV and Radio TRINITAS.

After the Vespers celebrated at the Radu Voda Monastery, Right Rev. Varsanufie of Prahova, Vicar Bishop of the Bucharest Archdiocese, read the blessing prayer of the willow leaves, which were then sprinkled with holy water and offered to the faithful participating at the pilgrimage. Then, the pilgrims left for the St. Spyridon Church, preceded by flags, crosses, deacons with incensers and by the priests of the three protopresbyterates in Bucharest and the two Ilfov county protopresbyterates, by charitable priests, protopresbyters, eparchial and patriarchal counselors, a large icon of the Great Feast of the Entry of our Lord into Jerusalem, by Right Rev. Varsanufie of Prahova, by the choir of the 'Metropolitan Nifon' Theological High School.

The pilgrimage stopped at the St. Spyridon Church, where prayers were said. The procession moved in the sound of the bells and of the church songs to the St. Catherine Church, the chapel of the 'Patriarch Justinian' Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Bucharest. The professors and students of the higher education institution have welcomed the pilgrims.

The procession then moved to climb the Patriarchate's Hill towards the Patriarchal Cathedral, where the faithful were welcomed by His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, and Right Rev. Calinic, Bishop of Arges and Muscel. The plaza around the Cathedral filled quickly with the thousands of faithful attending the event. His Beatitude Daniel blessed those present and led the prayers, which included the prayer for pilgrims. The Patriarch addressed a sermon which underlined the multiple significances of the ancient Palm Sunday pilgrimage tradition. His Beatitude reminded that, after 70 years, the Palm Sunday pilgrimage has resumed in the Bucharest Archdiocese.