Feast of Saint Pious Parascheva at Calarasi Park church of Bucharest
Romanian Church
On 14 October 2011, the feast of Saint Pious Parascheva, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church was amid the faithful of the parish of Saints Emperors Constantine and Helen and Saint Parascheva – Calarasi Park of Bucharest. After re-consecrating the place of worship, the Patriarch of Romania celebrated the Divine Liturgy assisted by a group of priests and deacons, in the presence of hundreds of faithful.
In the sermon delivered after the Divine Liturgy, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel emphasised the teaching of the evangelical pericope read during the Divine Liturgy: “The sinful woman of today’s Gospel distinguishes herself through her repentance and lowliness. This sinful woman learned that Jesus Christ, our Saviour, was a guest in the house of Simon the Pharisee. After the Saviour sat down at the table, the sinful woman came close to Him, knelt down and wept. Her tears dropped on His feet, and she wiped them with her hair. Moreover, the sinful woman poured expensive myrrh on His feet. (…) Why did she want to change her sinful life and get rid of a stressing past? Nobody scolded her, offended her, advised her or preached her. Yet, she changes, wants to raise and begin a new way in her life. There is an answer, namely her big sinfulness met His big Holiness. So, silently, with no words addressed to her directly, the Saviour helped her to change her life through the contrast between her sinfulness and His Holiness. (…) Jesus Christ does not judge people unless He helps them. He wants to help man change himself first, does not blame or destroy, but recuperates and raises, heals and deifies wherever there are many wounds of sins and much moral decay”.
His Beatitude has also eulogised the personality of Saint Pious Parascheva: “Saint Pious Parascheva is called Much Useful and her spiritual utility can be seen everywhere throughout the centuries, making lots of miracles. (…) Her much lowliness, prayer and generosity ever since her childhood and youth, and sacrificial generosity account for her spiritual healing and aiding power. Whoever loved God in prayer and good deeds can help a lot those who pray and want to do good deeds. Because she loved Christ, our Lord, the Holy Trinity, the Mother of God and all saints, with total love, Saint Pious Parascheva received from the Most Holy Trinity the power to help, heal, enlighten and guide the people’s lives”.
The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church awarded the servant priests of the holy place due to their involvement in the restoration of the holy place of worship, while the contributors were awarded diplomas of merit.
To end with, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel consecrated the holy cross in the courtyard of the church.
