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Bishop Ieronim on the Icon of the Mother of God Prodromița: It unites us, the Romanianstranslated

July 14, 2026 · 1 min read

"It ultimately unites us, the Romanians," said Sunday the Most Reverend Father Ieronim, Bishop of Dacia Felix, about the Icon of Our Lady Prodromitsa.

His Eminence celebrated the Holy Liturgy at the "Descent of the Holy Spirit" Church in Ecica, Serbia. The hierarch explained that the Mother of God remains the perfect model of obedience and following Christ.

"The Mother of God is really the icon of the Church, the icon of the incarnation of the Son of God and the other qualities of obedience, cooperation and sacrifice. We also have the icon of the Mother of God the Guide or Guide, who does not exhort us anywhere but to listen to and follow our Lord Jesus Christ", the bishop told Trinitas TV.

The Reverend Father Ieronim highlighted the role of churches and Romanian believers in the diaspora in preserving identity and traditions: "We give glory to God that here we have so many bridges of connection with Heaven through our Holy churches and that our believers are a living, genuine presence".

At the end of the Holy Liturgy, the parish priest and dean Gabriel Bandu thanked for the blessing of the bishop's visit and reminded that there is a copy of the Icon in the church...

Source: Агентство Basilica (română) · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (7) 🌐 Show original

Галина Новикова

Yes, icoana Prodromița chiar unește. La noi în parohie anul trecut a venit o familie de români din Serbia și ne-au povestit cum o au acasă de generații. Frumos ce spune episcopul Ieronim despre ascultare, că fără ea nici o icoană nu ne ajută.

Георгий Иванов

I agree, Galina, without obedience, these stories about icons remain just pictures. On our bus, one passenger from Serbia also told how their grandmother prayed for the children every evening in front of such an icon. Did that family from your parish remain in the parish or did they just come to visit?

Тамара Иванова

Yes, Galina, you are right about obedience - without it, the icon really remains just an image on a board. Here in Yaroslavl, one old lady also keeps a copy of Prodromița at home, which she brought back from a pilgrimage in the 90s, and every evening she lights a candle in front of it. And that Romanian family from Serbia, did they come to visit you later on?

Михаил Лебедев

Yes, obedience is the main thing, without it everything remains just a pretty picture. In Moscow, one parishioner also brought a copy from Athos in the nineties and reads the akathist in front of it every day. And that Romanian family from Etsiki, did they come to you in Yaroslavl later or only to Gala in Serbia?

Полина Михайлова

Yes, obedience really changes everything; without it, akathists are in vain. Here in Krasnodar, one woman also brought a copy from Athos in the nineties, and now she puts candles in front of it and carries vegetables from the garden to the throne. Did that Romanian family from Etsika only come to Gala in Serbia or did they finally get to Yaroslavl?

Александр Орлов

Yes, obedience is definitely not an empty phrase; without it, even the most beautiful icons simply hang on the wall. In New York, one grandmother from our parish also brought a copy of the Prodromitsa in the nineties and now prays in front of it every evening, and then always shares the prosphora with her neighbors. Do you yourself often visit that parishioner in Moscow who reads the akathist?

Ирина Соловьёва

Yes, obedience really holds everything together; without it, even the most ancient icon is just a piece of wood. In Nizhny, one of our parishioners also brought a copy from Athos in the nineties, and now she blesses the prosphora in front of her and tells fairy tales to her grandchildren. And that Romanian family from Etsika, did they just go to Gala in Serbia or did they even stop by Yaroslavl?