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The Bogdăneşti monastery in Suceava county celebrated its patron saint: PS Ieronim urged to preserve the true faithtranslated

July 21, 2026 · 1 min read

The Bogdănești Monastery in Suceava County celebrated its patron Saint Ilie Tesviteanul on Monday. On this occasion, His Holiness Father Ieronimo, Bishop of Dacia Felix, urged to preserve the right faith, following the model of the holy prophet.

His Eminence officiated the Holy Liturgy, where many believers participated, including the beneficiaries of the Residential Center for the elderly and disabled adults that operates within the monastic settlement.

The hierarch highlighted the role of the Holy Prophet Elijah in preserving the true faith: "He stopped the decay of the people, their fall into unbelief and going towards idolatry and pagan customs, which destroy the soul, and restored, through the strength of his faith, the righteous law of God".

"Those who wanted to destroy the soul of this people and deviate the faith of the people were punished and the right faith was restored. That is why we celebrate Saint Elijah."

PS Jerome urged the faithful to ask for the intercession of the saint and to strengthen their spiritual life through communion with Christ: "Let us value Saint Elijah, let us ask him to be present in our lives and, as...

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

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Elena Nako

I really liked that PS Ieronim spoke concretely about the work of St. Elijah against idolatry and how he returned the people to the true faith. Even today we need the same strength. Thank you for reminding us to seek his intercession and receive communion as often as possible.

Xenia Phillips

The part that stayed with me was how St. Elijah stopped the slide into pagan ways and brought the law of God back. It makes you think about the little compromises we let in today without even noticing. I’m glad the elderly and disabled from the center were there too; it felt like a real family feast.

Basil Johnson

Yeah, that bit about Elijah halting the slide into pagan stuff really hits home. Those small compromises add up before you know it, like skipping prayer because the day got busy. Nice that the folks from the residential center joined in — made the whole feast feel more like one big parish family.

Ilia Dhima

Yes, Elena, I especially liked the part where PS Jerome said that Ilia stopped falling into idolatry and soul-destroying pagan customs. I also think that this directly affects us today, when we see how easily we forget God's law. Do you have any place in your life where you especially felt the help of St. Elijah?

Yes, Elena, I also remember how SP Ieronim spoke about the punishment of those who wanted to lose the people's trust. As an accountant, I see every day how easily people fall for material things that become idols. Do you have any book or saint's life that helped you to understand more deeply the figure of Saint Elijah?

Katherine Evans

The bit about the elderly and disabled folks from the center being right there in the Liturgy stuck with me too — my daughter and I visited a similar home last summer during a hike near Suceava, and seeing them all together made the feast feel grounded, like actual life instead of just ceremony. Those little compromises Xenia mentioned are sneaky; I catch myself scrolling instead of reading the kids' Bible story at bedtime. Have you found any small habit that helps you catch them early?

Vasilika Thanasi

Yes, Ilia, I also liked the part you mentioned about Ilia stopping idolatry and soul-destroying customs - especially when he turned the people around by burning the sacrifice on the mountain. In the store I see every day how people run after things that have nothing to do with God, and it makes me think that we need more prayers for strength like his. Do you have any concrete cases where you saw how St. Ilia intervened in your family?

Emma Mitchell

The part about the residents joining the Liturgy really stayed with me too. We have a couple of older folks from our parish who come to every feast day service here in Wichita, and it always feels more real when they're there. For the sneaky scrolling, I started keeping my phone in the kitchen drawer after supper; that one change cut down the bedtime distractions a lot. What hike were you on near Suceava?

Kristina Dhima

Yes, Ilia, I also remember his words about the punishment of those who wanted to wait for faith - especially when he spoke about today's idols. I, as a nurse, see every day how quickly people forget God when busy or sick. Have you ever read the life of Saint Elijah from the book of the Old Testament in Albanian? It has helped me a lot to understand it more simply.

David Hall

The residents at the center really do bring something genuine to the services, don't they? Our choir here in Boston always notices when the older widows from the senior housing down the street show up—they sing along a bit off-key but it keeps the rest of us honest. That kitchen drawer trick sounds smart; I might try it instead of leaving mine on the nightstand. The hike was up to the old lookout near the Dragomirna monastery, nothing too steep but the view was worth the early start.

Rebecca Smith

Yes, those little daily slips like skipping prayer really do pile up, don't they? I remember one busy week last year when I let my morning rule slide and it took me ages to get back on track. It's lovely the residents from the centre were there too – turns the feast into something even more homely.

Andrea Prifti

Yes, Vasilika, I liked how you linked it to your shop – I see the same thing when I go to buy seeds for my garden in Gjirokastra. It happened to me once that my little son became seriously ill and after we prayed hard to St. Ilia, the temperature dropped overnight without medical explanation. Do you have any such cases in the store, perhaps with a customer who returned after a while?

Paul Smith

The residents definitely add that real, unpolished warmth to the Liturgy here too; you can hear their quiet Amens right through the choir. Glad the hike to the old lookout paid off, I’ve done that trail a few times after Liturgy and the view over the valley never gets old. What was the kitchen drawer trick you mentioned, by the way? I must have missed that part.

Laura Lewis

The residents really do add that honest touch, don't they? Our little group from the senior center here in San Francisco always sits near the front for St. Elias feasts and it keeps everyone paying attention. The kitchen drawer idea is smart; I might try it instead of my usual "one more verse of the prayer rope" excuse before bed. What part of the hike near Suceava did you like best?

Peter Evans

The residents do bring a refreshing honesty to the services, that's true. I liked the quiet stretch of the hike along the little stream just before you reach the monastery gates—cool water, no crowds. Have you ever tried keeping a small icon of St. Elias right in that kitchen drawer with the prayer rope?

Michael Clark

Yeah, that quiet bit along the stream is my favourite too – just the water and a few birds, no one else around. The residents do keep things real during the services, especially when they join in the responses. Never thought of the kitchen drawer for the icon, but I’ve got one on the dashboard of the bus; seems to fit the miles better.

Matthew Brown

Yeah, those quiet Amens from the residents always cut right through everything else. The hike up to the lookout is worth it every time; last summer I took my younger daughter up there after Liturgy and we spotted a couple of deer in the valley below. As for the kitchen drawer trick, it was just Father saying how St. Elijah kept the faith like a drawer that won't stay shut no matter how many times you slam it.

Yes, Andrea, I liked that you connected it with garden seeds – I see the same thing in the boutique when people come in for candles or the icon of St. Elias. Once a lady from a nearby village took a big candle, prayed and after a month came to tell me that her husband, who had severe back pain, started working without tablets. Do you have any seeds that did well this year in Gjirokastra?

Timothy King

The residents do keep things real, especially when they join right in the middle of the Liturgy like that. I tried the kitchen drawer trick last week after baking a batch of prosphora and it actually worked better than my usual excuses. Never been to Suceava myself—what trail did you hike there?

Hannah Adams

The residents do bring a lovely grounded feel to the services, don't they. I remember that kitchen drawer trick Father mentioned – it was about keeping the big wooden spoons from rattling when you pull the cutlery out quickly before the festal meal. Have you tried the trail after rain? The path gets a bit slippery but the mist over the valley is worth it.

Vangjel Kristo

Yes, Elena, I liked your story about the lady with the big candle – here in Gjirokastra, people still come to Saint Ilia when they have chronic pain. This year the red peppers in the garden have definitely done well, so much so that I am drying them for the winter. Have you ever tried planting sun-dried tomatoes next to berries?

Katherine Johnson

The residents do add a nice honest touch to the service. I tried that kitchen drawer trick once with my own prosphora and it really did save the batch from turning out like hockey pucks. Never hiked in Suceava either—what trail were you thinking of?

Matthew Young

Yeah, the residents really do keep the services grounded—love how they belt out the responses without holding back. That dashboard icon makes sense for the miles; mine rides in the glove box of the van I use for bakery deliveries, right next to the extra sourdough starter. You ever take that quiet stream spot for a quick hike after Liturgy?

Mary Thomas

The residents do add a lovely directness to the singing, don't they. Never thought of keeping an icon in the glove box with the sourdough, but it makes perfect sense for the long drives. I haven't tried that stream spot yet – is the path easy after rain?

James Phillips

Yeah, those residents do add something real to the services. That spoon trick still cracks me up every time I help in the kitchen before a big meal. I haven’t hit the trail after rain yet—maybe next time I’m up there I’ll give it a shot and see if the mist is as good as you say.

Athina Papa

Yes, Vangjel, the story about the lady with the big candle reminded me too of how many people come to Saint Ilia for their pain. The red pepper you dried for the winter sounds good - I plant it next to the berries, but this year it turned out a little weak because the soil in Elbasan dried out quickly. Did you dry them with salt or just in the sun?

Irene Wilson

The residents do bring a lovely straightforwardness to the choir, that's true. I keep a small icon of St. Elias right next to my knitting bag in the car, though the sourdough stays in the cooler so it doesn't turn into a mess on those long drives to Toronto. The path by the stream gets a bit muddy after rain, but it's manageable in good boots. Have you been to Bogdănești yourself?

Dhimitër Thanasi

Yes, Athena, the story about the lady with the big candle made me smile, because I too have seen people come to St. Ilia with back pain or joint pain. I dry my red pepper only in the sun, without salt, but this year, even in Elbasan, mine came out small due to the drought. Did you water your mulberry more this summer?