Holy relics of Empress Elena, at the Pantocrator Monastery

The holy relics of Empress Elena arrived at the Pantocrator Monastery in Drăgănești-Vlașca, Teleorman county, from Wednesday and will stay here for worship until May 8th.

From the first day, an impressive number of people came to worship. And in the following days, the interest was constantly kept. The huge queues did not discourage people from coming from great distances, from several counties of the country.

The good organization, the presence of the police and the gendarmes made the pilgrims prepared to stay in line, they were surprised to see that they could arrive after only two hours inside the monastery for worship, where the holy relics were placed.

The Pantocrator Monastery, where there is also a fragment from the relics of Saint Mironosiți Maria Magdalena, is permanently opened for pilgrims.

Initially buried in Rome, the holy relics were moved to Constantinople, and in 1211 they were taken to Venice by the Crusader Knights, only in 2017 they were first in the pilgrimage.

Romania is the second Orthodox country that hosts the relics of Saint Emperor Elena from moving to the West.

The event takes place in the context of the annual pilgrimage organized at the Pantocrator Monastery on the occasion of the Sunday of Mironosițe women.

The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, the Most Blessed Father Daniel, said on Wednesday, when receiving in the Patriarchal Cathedral of the whole relics of the Holy Emperor Elena, the mother of Saint Constantine the Great, that this event represents « a great joy for us Romanians ».

Saint Empress Elena is « the first Christian pilgrim in the Holy Land », as Pf Daniel mentioned.

« For example of faith, of godliness and worthy, because it has helped a lot of poor, it represents the Christian leaders, founders of churches and benefactors of the people. Through its pilgrimage to the holy places for the discovery of the Holy Cross, it is the first Christian pilgrim in the Holy Land, which shows the Lord, and the Lord of the Holy Lord Saints.

By finding out the Holy Cross, Saint Elena gave us a concrete symbol of Christ’s victory over sin and death, and by the foundation of churches in the holy places it has laid the foundations of a tradition that continues until today, ”said the Most Holy Father.

Patriarch Daniel urged the believers and pilgrims to approach ‘godly’ to the holy relics of Empress Elena.

« So, we urge you faithful, pilgrims, to bring you in godliness to the holy relics of Saint Empress Elena, to ask for their intercession for the personal needs and for the good of our Church and to follow her example of faith and demand. Faith, to fill us with the joy of his resurrection, to the glory of the Most Holy Trinity and our salvation.