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The abbess of the Prodromita Monastery in Comandău received the rank of stavrophore to the patron saint of the settlementtranslated

July 13, 2026 · 1 min read

Mother Abbess Valentina Cernea received on Sunday the rank of Stavrophora from His Holiness Father Andrei, Bishop of Covasna and Harghita, at the patron of the "Maica Domnului Prodromita" Monastery in Comandău, Covasna county.

The service was attended by believers from Comandău and the neighboring towns, who came to honor the icon of Our Lady Prodromită, the protector of the monastic settlement.

The liturgical answers were given by part of the congregation of the "Saint Hierarch Nicolae" Monastery in Miercurea Ciuc.

Icon of the Mother of God Prodromitsa Mother Abbess Valentina Cernea received the rank of Stavrophore from His Holiness Father Andrei, Sunday, July 12, 2026. Photo credit: Diocese of Covasna and Harghita In his sermon, His Holiness Father Andrei spoke about the icon of Our Lady of Prodromitsa, honored by the Romanian Orthodox Church on July 12.

The hierarch recalled that the icon was given to the Romanian Hermitage of Prodromus in the Holy Mount Athos and evoked the zeal of Saint Venerable Niphon, the first abbot of the hermitage, and Saint Nectarius the Prodromite.

His Holiness Father Andrei urged the faithful to attend the Holy Liturgy carefully and to put...

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

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💬 Comments (7) 🌐 Show original

Десислава Николова

Thank God for Mother Valentina. I am glad that Bishop Andrey gave her this rank right on the feast of the icon from Prodromo. And we in Rousse have such a small icon at home, a gift from my daughter from Athos, we keep it on the shelf in the kitchen.

Julia Wagner

Nice to read that Maica Valentina received the stavrophore rank exactly on the feast of the Prodromița icon. In our choir we were given a small copy of this icon last year - it is now on the bookshelf in my house. May God help her and the entire community.

Елена Новикова

Thank God for Mother Valentina. It is good that Bishop Andrei gave her this rank precisely on the day of the Prodromitsa icon, as it is written. In Novosibirsk, after the service, they also often place a small copy of such an icon on the lectern, many come up and kiss it.

Марина Волкова

Thank God, Elena. In Krasnodar, after the holiday, they also bring out a small copy of Prodromitsa, and grandmothers always approach it with special trepidation. In Novosibirsk, do they place this icon only in July or on other days too?

Максим Васильев

God bless. In Yaroslavl, they also bring out the list of Prodromitsa for the patronal feast, but only in July, on other days it stands in the altar. Do your grandmothers in Krasnodar tell you anything special about her?

Софья Семёнова

In New York, they also bring out the list of Prodromitsa for the patronal feast in July, and the rest of the time she is in the altar. Grandmothers in Krasnodar, as far as I heard from one pilgrim, say that the icon especially helps with difficult childbirth and eye diseases. And in Yaroslavl, how do they honor her - only in church or do they take her somewhere else?

Анастасия Попова

In Yaroslavl, the list of Prodromitsa is constantly in the church, and on the patronal feast it is taken out to the people and sometimes taken to the homes of the sick. I’ve heard about help during childbirth, but here we often talk about eye diseases - one parishioner told how after praying before her vision improved. Do people often come to her for prayer services in New York?