The ceremony for the general proclamation of the canonization of 16 Romanian women with holy lives was officiated on Friday at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest by His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, surrounded by the hierarchs of the Holy Synod.

'The 16 Romanian holy women canonised in 2025 and proclaimed today at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Holy Emperors Constantine and Helena in Bucharest are important spiritual landmarks from the historical past of the Romanian Orthodox Church. As spiritual mothers of the Romanian people, they show us the path that leads to Christ. They sanctified their lives through humility and love of neighbour, through strong faith and the courage to bear witness, through patience in hardship, ascetic struggle and prayer. Many of these holy women were wives and mothers, passing on to their children a profoundly Christian education that bore fruit in holiness,' Patriarch Daniel said, after the Synodal Tomos was read by Patriarchal Vicar Bishop Varlaam Ploiesteanul and the icons of the saints were presented.

The Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church then outlined the lives of the Romanian holy women, describing them as 'models of piety, sacrificial love and courageous witness'. Their lives span more than five centuries, from Saint Venerable Platonida of Arges, born in the 15th century, to Saint Venerable Elisabeta of Pasarea, who passed away in 2014.

'Throughout history, Romanian holy women have shown that the path to holiness does not depend on belonging to a particular social category, but on the cooperation of the human person with divine grace. These newly proclaimed Romanian holy women show that the Romanian Orthodox Church has always been blessed with faithful and devout women who 'fought the good fight of faith and completed their earthly journey in holiness' in many forms of service: mothers whose children became saints, who sanctified their lives through love and sacrifice within the family, the Christian community and society; martyrs who defended the Orthodox faith with their blood; nuns who lived lives of ascetic struggle, humility, fasting and unceasing prayer in monasteries and the wilderness; women confessors who endured persecution for the name of Christ; and wives of Romanian voivodes (ruling princes) or rulers who supported the Church and the Romanian people,' Patriarch Daniel added.

On Thursday evening, Patriarchal Vicar Bishop Varlaam Ploiesteanul officiated the final memorial service (Parastas) for the 16 Romanian holy women at the Patriarchal Cathedral.

On Friday morning, the ceremonial programme began with a procession of holy relics from the Patriarchal Cathedral - those of Saint Venerable Dimitrie the New, the Holy Emperors Constantine and Helena, and Saint Hierarch Nectarios of Aegina - together with the relics of Saint Great Martyr Catherine from the Patriarchal Residence, which were placed in the Baldachin of the Saints to facilitate pilgrims' access for veneration.

The Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Patriarchal Cathedral by Patriarch Daniel together with the members of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Towards the end of the service, before its conclusion, the solemn general proclamation of the canonisation of the 16 Romanian women of holy life took place.

The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church approved the canonisation of the 16 women of holy life (martyrs, nuns, wives of rulers, mothers of saints and confessors) in July 2025. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniel Popescu; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)