Romanian Diocese Sets Up Multiple New Monastic Communities

Iași, Romania, January 22, 2025

Sihăstria Putna Monastery. Photo: sihastriaputnei.ro

The Synod of the Metropolis of Moldova and Bukovina met Monday, January 20 in Iași. Among its main decision was the opening of several new monastic habitations.

As St. John Climacus writes: “Angels are a light to monks, and monks are a light to men.” It’s often said that the spiritual health of a diocese or Church can be judged by the health of its monastic life.

The Moldova Metropolis consists of the Archdiocese of Iași, the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuți, the Archdiocese of Roman and Bacău, and the Diocese of Huși.

Within the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuți, four monastic dependencies for monks, attached to the Sihăstria Putna Monastery, were opened, reports the Basilica News Agency.

The Synod also approved the establishment of the men’s Monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God in the village of Poiana in the city of Dolhasca, and the conversion of the Ascension of the Lord Monastery in Pojorâta, Suceava County, into a convent. The latter was consecrated in 1995 as a men’s monastery.

At the same time, the Synod approved the dissolution of the Nativity of the Mother of God Skete for nuns in Boroaia, Suceava County.

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The beginnings of Sihăstria Putna date back to the middle of the 15th century. Seeking more tranquility, a monk from Putna Lavra named Atanasie retreated two miles away into the forest. Other hermits joined him, and together they built a small wooden church here.

Devastated by the Poles at the end of the 17th century, the little church would be rebuilt with support from treasurer Ilie Cantacuzino, during the time of Abbot Lazăr, a disciple of Metropolitan Dosoftei of Moldova. His successors in leading the monastic establishment were Teodosie (+ 1715) and Dosoftei (+ 1753).

In the second half of the 18th century, Sihăstria Putna experienced a special flourishing during the time of Abbot Sila (1753-1781). At this time, a stone church was built, dedicated to the Annunciation, consecrated in 1758, and other works were carried out with the support of rulers and boyars of the time.

After the occupation of northern Moldova by the Habsburg Empire (1775), many restrictions were placed on the Hermitage. Under Abbot Natan (1781-1784), the hermits there, in order to survive, resorted to begging alms from the faithful, until somewhere toward the end of the 18th century Sihăstria Putna was dissolved, like most monastic establishments in Bukovina. The inhabitants were transferred to Putna Monastery, along with the liturgical objects.

On April 24, 1990, when restoration work began at Sihăstria Putna, only the ruins of the old 18th-century church remained. At that time, the yellow and sweetly-fragrant bones of the three venerable fathers were How the relics of the new Putna saints were discoveredOn May 20, 2016 the local Synod of Moldova and Bucovina approved the proposed canonizations of Metropolitan Jacob Putneanul of Moldova, and the Venerable Fathers Silas, Nathan, and Paisios of Sihăstria Putnei Monastery.

“>discovered among the ruins: Sila, Natan, and Paisie.

They were canonized by the Romanian Orthodox Church in Four saints of Putna Monastery canonized by Romanian Orthodox ChurchThe official ceremony of glorification of four saints of Putna Monastery was celebrated over the weekend by His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel at Putna Monastery in Suceava Country in northern Romania.