Commemorative Year 2024

The Church Alongside the Sick: A Year in Review on Healing

Observing the accelerated increase in recent years of people affected by both classic diseases and multiple addictions, the Romanian Orthodox Church dedicated the year now concluding to the pastoral care and assistance of the sick. The declaration of the “Solemn Year of Pastoral Care and Assistance of the Sick” and the “Commemorative Year of all…

Dec 20, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

11 holy healers celebrated in December

With these 11 saints celebrated in December, we conclude a series of articles dedicated to the 2024 Commemorative Year. These articles have introduced 136 holy healers—both well-known and lesser-known—honoured by the Church annually. St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia – December 2 Saint Porphyrios was born in 1906 in a village on the island of Evia, Greece.…

Dec 13, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Floyd Frantz, addiction treatment specialist, says Romanian Orthodox culture helps addiction recovery

American addiction treatment specialist Floyd Frantz came to Romania as a missionary with the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) from the USA. He then co-founded the National Anti-Drug Program of the Romanian Orthodox Church. In November 2000, he initiated in Cluj-Napoca the St. Dimitrie addiction treatment program within the Christian Medical Philanthropic Association “Christiana”, realized…

Nov 14, 2024Ștefana Totorcea

Patriarch Daniel urges Bucharest clergy to follow the inspiring model of Healing Saints

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church has emphasized the importance of the holy unmercenary healing saints as powerful spiritual models, bridging ancient faith and modern medicine. In his message to clergy attending the autumn pastoral-missionary conference of the Archdiocese of Bucharest, the Patriarch of Romania underscored the Church’s mission to deepen understanding…

Nov 5, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Holy healers celebrated in November (I)

November brings our attention to 16 saints to whom believers can turn for physical and spiritual healing and for examples of how to navigate the challenges of modern society. This article provides a brief overview of the lives of 8 saints from the first part of November, noteworthy because they faced the trials of the…

Nov 4, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel welcomes relic of St. Lazarus: A powerful symbol of victory over death

“Saint Lazarus, who was raised from the dead by Christ Himself, is a powerful symbol of victory over death and God’s boundless love for humanity,” emphasized Patriarch Daniel in his address to pilgrims during the reception of the holy relics of St. Lazarus on Thursday. On Thursday, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel welcomed the honourable skull…

Oct 24, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel highlights link between medicine and Christian spirituality at EABM Conference

Addressing the 17th Annual Meeting of the Euro-Asian Society of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (EABM), held from October 17 to 20 in Iași, Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church pointed to the importance of cooperation between medical science and Christian spirituality. He emphasized that both fields share a common goal: healing the sick. Patriarch…

Oct 23, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel’s Message for Romanian Migrants: Health is God’s gift, and it must be guarded, cared for, and sanctified

On the occasion of Romanian Migrants’ Sunday (August 18), His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church delivered a heartfelt message emphasizing the sacred responsibility of caring for one’s health. The Patriarch’s message, titled “Health is God’s Gift, and this gift must be guarded, cared for, and sanctified,” calls attention to the spiritual and…

Aug 20, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

A bishop’s inheritance is not the throne, but the Cross: 40 years since the repose of a holy healer – Saint Callinicus of Edessa

Thursday marks 40 years since the blessed repose of a contemporary saint: St. Callinicus, the Metropolitan of Edessa, Pella, and Almopia. The Ecumenical Patriarchate canonized him in 2020, and his feast day is August 8. Saint Callinicus was born in 1919 in Sitaralona of Thermo, in central Greece, and spent the first part of his…

Aug 8, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

11 holy healers celebrated in August

In the last month of the ecclesiastical year, saints who quickly intercede for the healing of diseases are remembered. Among them are four Romanian saints, for whom many believers from our country, but also from abroad, testify. Saint Theodora of Thessaloniki – August 3 Saint Theodora was born in Aegina in the 9th century, but…

Aug 7, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Holy healers celebrated in July (I)

In the month of July, the Orthodox calendar features numerous healing saints, among whom Saint Panteleimon and Saints Cosmas and Damian stand out as some of the most renowned unmercenary physicians. This is the most extensive selection yet in the series of articles on holy healers, aligning with the themes of the 2024 Commemorative and…

Jul 9, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu