The Patriarch of Romania at the celebration day of the Princely Church of the Old Court
20/1/14
The Princely Church of the Old Court – patriarchal chapel – dresses festive vestments these days on the occasion of the celebration of the saint patron of this place of worship, Saint Antony the Great. On this occasion, Thursday night, 16 January 2014, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania was present in the middle of the faithful of the respective parish. After the celebration of the Vesper service united with the Litany, the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church delivered a sermon entitled Saint Antony the Great – teacher of repentance, of the spiritual fight and victory.
“The Life of Saint Antony the Great as well as some writings ascribed to him show us the image of the man who returns to his natural state, as God created him in the beginning, after fighting against sins, passions and devilish temptations. The great wisdom and the wonders made by Saint Antony the Great show the work of God’s grace in the men spiritualised through prayer, fasting and repentance. The one who first retired from the world into the desert has become later on a teacher of many monks and laics, of ordinary people or members of the imperial family who used to come to him in the desert”, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel said.
To end with, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church offered to the Princely church an icon of Brancoveans Saints Martyrs, as well as many liturgical books spiritually useful.
Vigil at the celebration day of Saint Antony – Old Court of Bucharest
Tonight, the Vesper service united with the Litany was celebrated by Archimandrite Paisie Teodorescu, Patriarchal Counsellor, together with a group of priests and deacons.
Procession of the icon of Saint Antony at the Old Court
The celebration of the saint patron began at 16.00 hours, with the procession of the miracle worker icon of Saint Pious Antony the Great up to the place where Saint Antony church used to be before it burned down in the fire of 1847.
This is the third year when this procession is organised. The Akatistos of Saint Antony the Great was celebrated here by a group of priests and deacons. To end with, rev Nicolae DAscalu, coordinator of Basilica Press Centre addressed a sermon to those present. After the Akatistos service the procession continued up to the Princely church, and the miracle worker icon of Saint Antony the Great was laid for veneration.
Bucharest keeps many monuments of religious and mediaeval art, among which a series of churches and monasteries dating from the 16th century, since the city has become permanent residence of the princes of the country. The church of the Old Court is one of these architectural jewels. One the founders of the Princely Church from the Old Court – with Saint Antony the Great as saint patron – is Saint Prince Constantine Brancoveanu. Saint Prince Constantine Brancoveanu restored the belfry tower of the Princely Church which had been hit by lightening on 25 June 1691, setting a clock in it too.
