"The largest Orthodox pilgrimage is to the Cathedral of Iași in Romania, where over a million pilgrims gather to see the relics of Saint Paraskevi, or the annual procession to the same relics. (AI Overview)



"The cathedral in Iași has been visited by over a million pilgrims to touch the relics of Saint Paraskevi, with the site being one of the most famous Orthodox pilgrimage locations. 

Iași, Romania 

• What it is: The Cathedral of Saint Paraskevi in Iași, Romania, where the relics of Saint Paraskevi are kept.
• Significance: It is known as a major pilgrimage site due to the relics of Saint Paraskevi, drawing over one million pilgrims annually.
• Why people go: Pilgrims queue to touch the relics, which are considered holy.

"In Romania, where Orthodoxy is the religion of the majority population, every year the month of October plays host to the largest pilgrimage held in Iași, northern Romania. A phenomenon with huge religious and social underpinnings, the pilgrimage at the reliquary of Saint Paraskeva of the Balkans is usually attended by hundreds of thousands of people," tthe Radio Romania International says.



"In the Christian Orthodox church, the typical pilgrimage in Iași consists in faithful flocking to the reliquary of Saint Paraskeva, queing up for hours and days to touch the reliquary and join in communion for this special occasion. Pilgrims are usually men and women of all ages and from all walks of life, mostly from Romania but also from abroad.

"From the idyllic image of a pilgrimage in a faraway hamelt to the modern pilgrimage in urban areas, those who take part in such events have a diversity of backgrounds. Some commentators say pilgrimages are post-modern anachronisms. 

"Celebrated on October 14, the Saint is luring pilgrims from all over the country several days ahead the celebration. Pilgrims from southern country usually come in organized groups on the night before the procession which is opening the feast.

"Saint Parascheva is considered the Protector of Moldavia and Bukovina, being the most popular of all the Saints whose relics are in Romania. Christians believe in the miraculous powers of the relics," The Romania Journal says.

"Saint Parascheva’s relics were brought to Iasi in 1641, during the reign of the ruler Vasile Lupu, and they were exposed in the Church of the Three Hierarchs. People also call her Saint Friday. Tradition says that if until now it didn’t rain until October 14, winter will come soon. Also on this day fairs take place in order to turn sheep products to profit."

"Crowds of people, coming from all over Romania as well as from neighboring Orthodox countries, have arrived since Saturday in the city of Iasi to pray by the saint’s relics," the Balkan Insight says.

"The church has estimated that a total of around 300,000 people will take part in this year’s annual five-day pilgrimage to worship the saint, whose entire body, wrapped and preserved in a casket with a glass top, is on display at Iasi’s main church.

"More than 85 per cent of Romania’s 19.5 million people belong to the Orthodox Church, which enjoyed a revival since Communism fell in 1989 and is strongly supported by around 67 per cent of Romanians, according to public opinion surveys."

"Over 24,500 people have worshiped the relics of St Parascheva, as of Wednesday morning, when the pilgrimage organized by the Metropolis of Moldavia and Bukovina began, ahead of the feast day on 14 October," the stiripesurse.ro says.

"The Romanian Orthodox Church decided in 1955 to celebrate on 14 October the feast day of St Parascheva, regarded as the protector of Moldavia. Thus, around this date, the city of Iasi becomes the country's largest pilgrimage centre.

"Keeping the tradition, on October 14, the feast day of St. Parascheva, on a podium in front of the Metropolitan Cathedral, on the Stefan cel Mare si Sfant Boulevard, the Liturgical Mass will be celebrated, an event attended by clergy from Romania and abroad, and pilgrims from all over the country. Several large screens will be placed on the boulevard, so that the entire religious ceremony can be watched."

"The celebrations dedicated to Saint Parascheva of Iași began on Wednesday morning with the placement of the saint’s relics in the outdoor canopy near the Metropolitan Cathedral of Iași for veneration," the orthodoxtimes.com says.

"The solemn procession was led by Bishop Nichifor of Botoșani, Vicar of the Archdiocese of Iași, and was preceded by the chanting of the Akathist Hymn of Saint Parascheva.

"The liturgical program of the day continued with the Blessing of the Waters service, followed by Midnight Office, Matins, and the Divine Liturgy, celebrated inside the Cathedral."

"Saint Parascheva Church (Romanian: Biserica Sfânta Parascheva) is a Romanian Orthodox church located at 6 Păcurari Street in Iași, Romania. It is dedicated to Parascheva of the Balkans.

"Located right by the Central University Library, it stands on the site of an earlier wooden church from 1730, dedicated to the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. The site of the old altar table is marked by a cross to the right of the current altar, on the exterior. Archaeological evidence, including ruins, bones and coins, points to the presence of a still earlier church, from the reign of Vasile Lupu.

"The church is made of brick on a stone foundation and covered in a tin roof. The nave is rectangular, the altar arched. The bell tower sits atop the foyer; it is prism-shaped, with a square base, and has four curtained windows. An arch separates the vestibule from the nave, and both have half-sphere ceilings. Another arch, above the iconostasis, separates the nave from the altar." (Wikipedia)

"The city of Iasi is preparing to welcome, as every year, pilgrims from the country and abroad for the feast of Saint Parascheva. Along with the holy relics of the Patroness of Moldavia, the holy relics of Saint Andrew the Cretan will be brought this year for worship from the Metropolitan Cathedral of Arkalochori (Crete, Greece)," the Turism Iasi says.

"An important motivation for choosing this Saint nicknamed “the exarch of church singers” was conferred by the fact that 2023 is declared by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church as “the commemorative year of hymnographers and church singers (psalts)”.

"Tens of thousands of pilgrims gathered in Iași on Monday to celebrate the Feast of Saint Paraskeva. In his homily, Metropolitan Teofan emphasized that only those who share the pilgrims’ deep longing for God can truly understand their journey.

"The Divine Liturgy was held at the outdoor altar near the Metropolitan Cathedral, concelebrated by an assembly of bishops led by His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain (Ecumenical Patriarchate)," the Basilica.ro says.

"His Eminence spoke about the significance of pilgrimage in Christians’ lives, offering Saint Paraskeva as an example of unwavering faith."

"Each year, in the second week of October, Iași hosts the largest pilgrimage in Romania and one of the biggest in eastern Europe. During the same period, the city's Celebration Days take place," the Destination Iasi says.

"If you’re in town during October, you’re gonna enjoy the biggest yearly celebration in the city centre. Together with the Saint Paraskeva Pilgrimage, the city hall organizes various concerts, fairs and fireworks, along Stephen the Great Boulevard and Palace of Culture Square.

"Brought to Iași by Vasile Lupu in 1641, the Saint is thought to grant miracles to all those who pray at her relics, so hundreds of thousands of worshipers flock to Iași each year, full of hope and spirituality."

"Tens of thousands of Orthodox Christian believers are expected to arrive starting on Thursday in the eastern Romanian city of Iasi for the country’s largest and most well-known pilgrimage dedicated to St Parascheva, deemed the protector of Moldova and Bukovina," the Balkan Insight says.

"The first procession took place in 1946-1947, during a drought that devastated the region after World War II. After 1989, the tradition restarted, and every year on the second weekend of October, pilgrims wait in lines often stretching several kilometres to pray to the saint’s relics, which are exhibited in a glass casket in the courtyard of the cathedral."

"The Metropolitan Cathedral, Iași (Romanian: Catedrala Mitropolitană din Iași), located at 16 Ștefan cel Mare și Sfânt Boulevard, Iași, Romania, is the seat of the Romanian Orthodox Archbishop of Iași and Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina, and the largest historic Orthodox church in Romania.

"It is dedicated to Saint Parascheva, to the Presentation of Jesus and to Saint George. Its form was inspired by the late Italian Renaissance style (Trinità dei Monti in particular), with Baroque elements dominating the interior and exterior decorative features. The Metropolitan Cathedral is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments."  (Wikipedia)

"A severe drought in 1946-47 affected Moldavia, adding to the misery left by the war. Metropolitan Justinian Marina permitted the first procession featuring the coffin containing the relics of Paraskeva, kept at Iaşi until then. The relics winded their way through the drought-deserted villages of Iaşi, Vaslui, Roman, Bacău, Putna, Neamţ, Baia and Botoşani Counties.

"The offerings collected on this occasion were distributed, based on Metropolitan Justinian's decisions, to orphans, widows, invalids, school cafeterias, churches under construction, and to monasteries in order to feed the sick, and old or feeble monks.[8]

Annual Iași pilgrimage
"Pilgrimage at the shrines located in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Iași has become one of the major religious events in Romania. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims gather each year in Iași in the second weekend of October to commemorate Saint Parascheva, while the city itself established its Celebration Days at the same time." (Wikipedia)

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