Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia

Patriarch Daniel congratulates Bishop Veniamin on his 50th birthday, calls him “a hierarch of accomplished deeds”

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania congratulated Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia on June 11, the occasion of his 50th birthday. In his letter, the Romanian Patriarch praised Bishop Veniamin’s dedication and accomplishments, calling him “a hierarch of accomplished deeds, a model for priests, and a support for the faithful in times of confusion.” The…

Jun 11, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia marks 50th birthday

His Grace Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia celebrates his 50th birthday on Wednesday. He was born on June 11, 1975, in Puhoi, Anenii Noi District, in the Republic of Moldova. He entered monastic life at Neamț Monastery in 2007 and was ordained a hierodeacon and later a hieromonk at St Anthimos Monastery in Bucharest in…

Jun 11, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop of Southern Bessarabia’s Christmas pastoral letter: A call to compassion and unity

In his pastoral letter for Christmas, which is celebrated in the Metropolis of Bessarabia on January 7 according to the unrevised Julian calendar, Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia urged believers to embody God’s compassionate love for those in suffering. “Let us become the hands of God’s merciful love for our neighbors in distress, and like…

Jan 1, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Veniamin marks 20 years of St. Barbarus Chapel, conveys message of hope for Ploiești Prison inmates

On Tuesday, Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the “St. Barbarus” Chapel of Ploiești Penitentiary, marking 20 years since its consecration. During the service, Bishop Veniamin encouraged the inmates to use their prison time to draw closer to God. “This is a special institution, and it is essential to maintain love,…

Oct 30, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

New church in Republic of Moldova dedicated to St. Demetrius and the 250th anniversary of his relics’ translation to Romania

On Thursday, four Romanian bishops and one Bulgarian bishop consecrated a church in the village of Gotești, Cantemir District, Republic of Moldova, to honour Saint Demetrius the New. The consecration took place on the 250th anniversary of the translation of St. Demetrius the New’s relics to Bucharest. His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel presented the “St. Demetrius…

Oct 11, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Southern Bessarabia Diocese: Evaluating past achievements and setting new goals

The Standing Diocesan Council of the Diocese of Southern Bessarabia met on September 5 at the diocesan headquarters in Cahul. The agenda included evaluating the activities of the past four years and setting pastoral, missionary, and catechetical priorities for the future. The meeting was chaired by His Grace Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia. In retrospect,…

Sep 12, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan of Bessarabia consecrates new church built in place of one destroyed by Godless Soviets

His Eminence Petru, Metropolitan of Bessarabia, consecrated on August 30, the new church of the Larga Nouă community in the Republic of Moldova. The worship place is dedicated to the feast of the “Translation of St Nicholas’ Relics” and it replaces the community church built in 1800 and destroyed in 1954, during the Soviet occupation.…

Sep 6, 2022Ștefana Totorcea

Southern Bessarabia Bishop Veniamin remembers founders of Bessarabia’s 1918 Union with Romania

On the 104th anniversary of the Union of Bessarabia with Romania, Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia celebrated the Divine Liturgy at Saint Spyridon Metropolitan Cathedral in Bucharest. During the Divine Liturgy, the bishop remembered the founders of the Union of March 27, 1918, stressing that “they understood what it means to carry the Cross with…

Apr 1, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

Southern Bessarabia Bishop Veniamin officiates Great Blessing of Waters in Cahul

His Grace Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia on Saturday officiated the Great Blessing of Waters at St Panteleimon Church in Cahul, Moldova, celebrating the Theophany of the Lord according to the old calendar. The believers of the Autonomous Metropolis of Bessarabia under the jurisdiction of the Romanian Patriarchate observe the church feasts according to the…

Jan 21, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu

Patronal feast of St Spyridon Metropolitan Cathedral in Bucharest | PHOTO

On Dec. 12, His Grace Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia celebrated the Divine Liturgy at St Spyridon Metropolitan Cathedral in Bucharest marking its patronal feast Photo: Mircea Florescu / Basilica.ro

Dec 12, 2018Mircea Florescu