Patriarch Daniel bestows awards to Voroneţ Monastery’s nuns for missionary activities

Basilica News Agency – Aurelian Iftimiu – 18/4/21

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel welcomed the abbess of Voroneţ Monastery at his patriarchal residence on Tuesday, April 13, 2021.

Abbess Gabriela Platon came to Bucharest, accompanied by other sisters, to visit the exhibition dedicated to Voroneţ Monastery at the Romanian Academy’s Library.

On this occasion, the Patriarch of Romania bestowed the diploma and medal of the 2020 Solemn and Commemorative Year to the nuns of Voroneţ Monastery.

2020 marked the Solemn Year of the pastoral care of parents and children and the Commemorative Year of the Romanian Orthodox Philanthropists in the Romanian Patriarchate.

The diploma was offered as a sign of appreciation and gratitude for special merits in promoting and upholding Christian values and philanthropy.

“The nuns carried out catechetical ministry with all the believers who came as pilgrims (parents and children). They received with great hospitality those who were interested in the life of the monastery and its activities. Therefore, I offered to the nuns from Voroneţ the diploma and the commemorative medal of the Year 2020 with the portraits of two holy Romanian hierarchs, Joseph the Merciful, Metropolitan of Moldavia, and Saint Callinicus of Cernica, Bishop of Râmnic.”

“We pray that the monastery will be protected by the two holy hierarchs and will be helped in the missionary work because the activities so far are the proof of a missionary beauty.”

“Voroneţ Monastery is beautiful through its interior and exterior painting, but also through the missionary activities that the nuns have developed since reopening until now, led by the former abbess Irina Pântescu, and now, by the abbess Gabriela Platon.”

“We wish you many years of good health, joy and help from God and to continue this beautiful and useful work,” Patriarch Daniel told the nuns.

The abbess of Voroneţ Monastery thanked the Romanian Patriarch for the warm welcome and his blessing.

“We are deeply grateful to him, especially since we have found that His Beatitude knows all our work at Voroneţ.”

“His Beatitude knows everything that has been done at Voroneţ Monastery and appreciates the activity of the nuns and of the former abbess, stavrophore Irina Pântescu, who next year will celebrate 90 years of life and 68 years of monastic life,” nun Gabriela Platon said.

Photography courtesy of Lumina Newspaper / Archdeacon Ştefan Sfarghie

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