Archimandrite Melchizedek Velnic celebrated 30 years of abbacy on Wednesday, the 7th of December 2022: 30 years before, on the same day, by the gift of God, he was elected abbot of the Putna Monastery. The celebration began with the Divine Liturgy, followed by a Te Deum (Thanksgiving) Service for the blessings received from God during these last 30 years.
On the 7th of December 1992, with the vote of the monastic community and the decision of Archbishop Pimen of blessed memory, a new abbot was installed at Putna Monastery: Protosyncellus Melchizedek Velnic. The ordination was performed by His Grace Gerasimus of Putna, Auxiliary Bishop.
In his speech, His Grace Gerasimus called the former abbot, Archimandrite Hyacinth Unciuleac, “a Cleopas of Bukovina”, who united the administrative with the spiritual labors, and pointed out that after two years, His Eminence Pimen approved his request for retirement from abbacy. His Grace Gerasimus told the new abbot that, in general, a shepherd of souls has more sorrows than joys and that his prayer must embrace all people.
In his speech, Archimandrite Hyacinth spoke about the period of his abbacy (1977-1992) and that of His Grace Gerasimus’ (1962-1977) and also about the specificity of the Putna Monastery.
“It wasn't easy at all. Since I came to Putna, in 1957, restoration works began, in which His Grace Gherasim also participated for 15 years. As it happens, I, too, have been bearing this cross for 15 years. Today, God has answered my prayers, and His Eminence Pimen and His Grace Gherasim have recognized that I can no longer continue in this position and that I should be replaced. I hope that Putna will continue to fulfill its mission – both culturally and administratively.
Putna is the temple of national conscience, it is the Jerusalem of the Romanian people, it is an academy of fine arts, and it must be maintained at that level.”
Abbot Melchizedek began his speech with the words of Saint Paul from the Epistle to the Hebrews 10:7: “Behold, I have come [...] to do Your will, O God,” in which he said he finds his strength and power. He then recalled the abbots of the past, including the first abbot, Josaphat, who came from Neamț Monastery with Putna's first monastic community, Holy Metropolitan Jacob of Putna, the second great founder of the monastery, Metropolitan Arcady Chupercovich, who, when he was abbot, hosted the First Putna Celebration on August 15, 1871, His Eminence Pimen, His Grace Gerasimus, Father Hyacinth, and the saints who lived at Putna – among them, the hermits from before the monastery’s founding and Saint Elijah Iorest.
Addressing the monastic community, he encouraged them to lead “a virtuous life, a life of obedience, a life of patience, a life of prayer. The monk is appointed to these, because he is an angelic image and seeks to imitate the angels in heaven. We must attain salvation; if we have taken this path, we must walk it with steady steps, being aware of the road we have chosen. He is God’s gift – he no longer belongs to himself, but to God.”
30 years have passed since the 7th of December 1992 and, with the gift of God and the prayers of the Mother of God, of Saint Stephen the Great, of the saints and monks living here over the centuries, this monastic community has grown and expanded its spiritual mission – as seen in the fact that several monasteries and sketes have abbots or confessors formed in the Putna Monastery, it expanded its cultural vocation – as reflected in numerous scientific and cultural meetings and dozens of publications, as well as its patriotic dimension – including by strengthening ties with Romanians in Northern Bukovina and Bessarabia.
Chroniclers, who specialize in dates and times, could tell us of many anniversaries and commemorations in 2022, the 7530th year since the creation of the world: perhaps they would mention 655 years since the death of Prince Bogdan I of Moldavia (1367); 620 years since the relics of St. John the New were brought to Suceava (1402); 565 years since Stephen the Great ascended the throne (1457); 525 years since the battle of Codrii Cosminului (1497 – during St Stephen the great’s time) and so on, as centuries have passed.
Among all of these, we stop at the 7th of December 2022, the feast of Holy Martyr Philothea of Curtea de Arges, when Putna Monastery celebrates 30 years since the installation as abbot of Archimandrite Melchizedek Velnic. The monastic community celebrates together with its spiritual father, because they cannot be separated: neither monastery without an abbot, nor an abbot without a monastery.
