The Romanian Church performed the rite of glorification of new saints
Patriarch Daniel called the glorification of the saints a testimony of God's mercy to the people.
At the Romanian monastery of Văratec, ten Orthodox hierarchs of the Romanian Church performed the rite of glorification of new saints — the Venerable Nazaria, Olympiada, and Elizabeth. This was reported by Basilica.ro.
On Sunday, August 16, 2026, clergy and numerous pilgrims arrived at the monastery, where the Divine Liturgy was celebrated. After the conclusion of the Liturgy, the Vicar Bishop of the Archdiocese of Iași, Nichifor Botoșăneanul, read the Synodal Tomos on the canonization of the three ascetics. The clergy then presented the faithful with a new icon of the newly glorified saints and for the first time chanted their troparion and kontakion.
Metropolitan Teofan of Moldova and Bukovina read the message of Romanian Patriarch Daniel. In his address, the Primate emphasized that the glorification of the Venerable Nazaria, Olympiada, and Elizabeth, together with thirteen other Romanian ascetics, bears vivid witness to the gracious action of God among the Romanian people. The Patriarch also stressed that through their spiritual lives, the holy women enlightened the souls of nuns and laypeople, pointing them to the path of salvation in Christ.
During the festal service, the hierarchs presented particles of the holy relics to the parish of the capital's church of "Doamna Bălașa." The rector of the church and patriarchal counselor, Priest Ștefan Ababei, received the holy relic. The Venerable Elizabeth herself, who in the world bore the name Safta Brâncoveanu, once founded this church in Bucharest.
The abbess of Văratec Monastery, Abbess Iosefina Giosanu, recounted that generations of nuns had built this spiritual tradition in prayer and obedience over nearly 240 years since the monastery's founding. The abbess explained that the Venerable Nazaria brought the tradition of hesychasm to the monastery, Olympiada developed liturgical beauty, and Elizabeth embodied prayer in works of mercy.
As the UOJ reported, the Romanian Church glorified 16 canonized holy women, among whom were the Venerable Nazaria, Olympiada, and Elizabeth. The faithful will annually celebrate the memory of the three venerable women on August 17.
