Faithful from all over Romania, from Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova gathered to prayerfully honor Holy Voivode Stephen the Great at his resting place, Putna Monastery.
The celebration started with a display of local traditions, as Archim. Melchizedek Velnic, the abbot, met the villagers from the folkloric hubs of the Suceava county, who walked from the entrance to the town of Putna and up to the monastery. They came dressed in traditional costumes and singing religious and patriotic songs, accompanied by Gheorghe Flutur, Chairman of the Suceava County Council, who had initiated this pilgrimage eight years before as part of a program dedicated to St. Stephen the Great, Prince of Moldavia.
Ahead of the religious service, the three officiating hierarchs bowed in front of St. Stephen the Great’s tomb. The hierarchs were: His Grace Ignatius, Bishop of Huși, His Grace Beniamin, Bishop of Southern Bessarabia, and His Grace Damascene of Dorna, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuți.
The officiating synaxis also included: Archim. Clement Haralam, Great Ecclesiarch of Bucharest’s Patriarchal Cathedral and former member of the Putna monastic community; Archim. Melchizedek Velnic, Exarch of the monasteries in the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuți and abbot of the Putna Monastery; Archim. Nektarios Clinci and Archim. Mihai Balan, regional exarchs; eparchial counselors and Fr. Ionel Constantin Maloș, Dean of Rădăuți.
The Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the open-air altar built near the monastery’s bell tower. Bishop Ignatius delivered the sermon at the end of the service, outlining the spiritual portrait of the monastery’s holy founder.
There followed a recital of religious and patriotic songs sustained by a military choir and local students.
An important moment was the signing of a cooperation protocol between the Holy Putna Monastery and Romania’s Ministry of National Defense, with the goal of organizing cultural, educational and commemorative events.
Lieutenant General Ciprian Marin, Chief of the Land Forces General Staff, talked about the existing relation between the Church and the Army and emphasized that many saints came from the military ranks.
“Holy Voivode Stephen the Great was one of those who marked this important link between Church and Army”, Lieutenant General Ciprian Marin said.
“Through his deeds, he left us a legacy we must carry on: defending the nation and our ancestors’ faith. Cooperation between these institutions, Army and Church, remains relevant today. While confronted with many challenges, solidarity and cohesion are absolutely necessary. A strong army is made of soldiers who are well-prepared in military science as well as spiritually and morally prepared. By signing this Protocol of Cooperation between the Land Forces General Staff and the Holy Putna Monastery, (…) we wish to honor Saint Stephen the Great’s legacy and consolidate the relationship between Army and Church, promoting our shared values and goals, such as the protection of our nation’s body and soul!”
Archim. Melchizedek Velnic, the abbot of the Putna Monastery, spoke of another shared goal of the two institutions: protecting the unity of the people and their unity in the same faith.
“In 1928 (when Greater Romania included Chernivtsi within its boundaries – ed. n.), someone wrote the following in the Golden Book of our monastery: ‘The Stephen the Great Military High School from Chernivtsi partakes every year in faith for the Romanian people at its protector’s tomb, Stephen the Great and Holy’. The same high school has moved to Câmpulung Moldovenesc (while Chernivtsi has been part of Ukraine after World War II – ed. n.)”, said the abbot.
“And every year, its first-year students come to Putna in the same spirit as their predecessors. The students of the year 2004, together with other 600 students and young people, wrote with torchlights the name of ‘Stephen’ on the Hill of the Cross. Church and Army act like two hands holding in profound embrace the soul of our Romanian nation. Consequently, it is our duty to keep alive the flame of faith and the warmth of hope in this severely-tested nation. The Church and the Army have remained the gatekeepers of the seen and unseen boundaries of our nation. If we wish that national, moral and – especially – spiritual values become deeply rooted in our nation, in our children’s hearts, if we wish that words like Mother or Fatherland do not start to sound strangely in our ears, then we need to remain united in guarding especially the word Home! We are at home because God Himself has placed us here!”
As a token of appreciation for the continuous support offered by the Putna Monastery to the Land Forces General Staff, as well as for constantly promoting the image of the Romanian Army, Lieutenant General Ciprian Marin offered the Land Forces’ Emblem of Honor to three members of the monastic community: Archim. Melchizedek Velnic, abbot of the holy place, Archim. Dosoftei Dijmărescu and Archim. Chrysostom Ciuciu.
Also, on behalf of His Eminence Calinic, Archbishop of Suceava and Rădăuți, Auxiliary Bishop Damascene of Dorna and Putna’s abbot offered church distinctions to laypeople who have supported the monastic community over time.
The event continued with the laying of wreaths and flowers at St. Stephen the Great’s tomb by representatives of the central and local administration and of other institutions.
The celebration ended with a military ceremony in honor of Holy Voivode Stephen the Great at the 520th commemoration of his death, including a Drill Team program presented by the 30 “Michael the Brave” Ceremonial Guard Brigade.
In conclusion, the abbot of the monastery evoked those involved in the “Stephen 500” Jubilee organized in 2004 and thanked God, Archbishop Calinic of Suceava and Rădăuți, as well as all the participants, for the smooth unfolding of the day’s complex event.
Article taken from: https://www.arhiepiscopiasucevei.ro/sfantul-stefan-aparatorul-crestinatatii-praznuit-in-necropola-sa-putna-la-520-de-la-nasterea-in-cer/
