Entrance into the Temple of the Theotokos celebrated at the Metropolitan Cathedral

The Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple on November 21/December 4. This is one of the 12 Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church, and it fell on the 24^th Sunday after the Pentecost this year.

With the Blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir of Chisinau and All Moldova, His Grace Bishop Ioan, Metropolitan Vicar and Bishop of Soroca, celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Nativity of the Lord Metropolitan Cathedral.

The Divine Service was celebrated in the presence of numerous church-goers, who came from the entire country to venerate the icon with the relics of St. Hierarch Nicholas, brought recently to the Metropolitan Cathedral from Bari, Italy.

The holy shrine was encountered on Friday, December 2, and will stay in the Metropolitan Cathedral till the Feast of St. Nicholas on December 19.

During the Divine Liturgy, Bishop Ioan ordained deacon Victor Dascalas into the dignity of priesthood, being appointed for the parish of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Sircova community, Rezina region.

At the end of the Divine Service, His Grace Ioan delivered an inspiring homily, talking to the believers about the Feast of the Entrance into the Temple of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos.

Following the Liturgy, Bishop Ioan and the concelebrating cathedral clergy officiated a Te-Deum Thanks-giving service, after which, in a very solemn atmosphere, the bishop expressed Metropolitan Vladimir’s congratulation and appreciation to Archpriest Teodor Borta, rewarding him with the “Church Merit” Order of the OCM.

Father Teodor has performed the obedience of a cleric priest of the Nativity of the Lord Cathedral for over 20 years, and was a contemporary and witness of the renovation of the main ecclesiastic building of the country in the 1990’s. Father Teodor submitted recently a petition to Metropolitan Vladimir, asking for the permission to withdraw from the number of cathedral clergy, in order to be able to devote the rest of his life to finishing the construction of St. John Cathedral in the Botanica sector of the capital, being its rector since its very foundation.

Also today, His Grace Ioan presented to the Cathedral’s parishioners the new cleric of the Cathedral, Fr. Serghei Lupan, a young and energetic priest who came from the Dormition of the Mother of God parish in Sircova community, Rezina region.

Traditionally, Bishop Ioan communicated to the church-goers the arch-pastoral message and blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir, who celebrated the Divine Service on this day in the representation of the Orthdox Church of Moldova in Moscow.

Synodal Sector of Institutional Communication and Relations with the Mass-Media