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His Eminence Archbishop Juraj de Michalovce and Košice (Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia) celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Romanian Monastery in Bivongi, Calabria, Italy, on Sunday. His Grace Assistant Bishop Atanasie of Bogdania (Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Italy) was concelebrant for the Divine Liturgy.
Last Sunday was an anticipatory celebration of the monastery’s patronal feast. The founder and spiritual protector of the monastic settlement is St. John the Harvester of Calabria, commemorated on February 23, according to basilica.ro.
“It is a great spiritual joy to celebrate today, in advance, St. John the Harvester, referring not only to the 14th patronal feast since this wonderful monastery is under the auspices of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Italy but to the over 1000 years of Orthodox tradition in the Stilaro Valley, a monastic complex of Byzantine tradition, which has its roots in the authentic Athonite monastic life,” Assistant Bishop Atanasie of Bogdania said February 21.
The Archbishop of Michalovce and Košice expressed his appreciation for the entire activity carried out by the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Italy and, especially, for the monastic life on the Stilaro Valley.
His Eminence Archbishop Juraj thanked the Patriarch of Romania and Bishop Siluan of Italy for offering the blessing to serve at the monastery on this occasion.
At the end, Assistant Bishop Atanasie of Bogdania offered a prayer for the newly appointed Dean of the Missionary Deanery of Calabria, Fr Ivan Dobroțchi, parish priest at Catanzaro-Crotone.
Bivongi Monastery was part of an ancient Byzantine monastic complex in Calabria, Italy, and was founded by St. John the Harvester in the 10th century.
Abandoned in 1622 following numerous pirate attacks, the monastery was re-established 25 years ago by Athonite monks.
