Saint Parascheva turns Iasi into Europe’s largest pilgrimage center

Every year, at least one million believers from all over the Orthodox world come to Moldavia to pay homage at the Saint’s relics. Hundreds of thousands of Orthodox believers from Romania and abroad are expected to visit Iasi these days, where Saint Parascheva’s Holiday is being celebrated, Info-Prim Neo quotes Romanian media. On this occasion, fabulous ceremonies are organized in order to praise Saint Parascheva, whose Sacred Relics are exhibited in front of the Metropolitan Cathedral “The Three Hierarchs” of Iasi. Although a general Orthodox Holiday, it is impressively celebrated especially in Moldavia, as Saint Parascheva is considered the spiritual patron saint of this region. The Orthodox Christians from the Republiuc of Moldova also worship St. Parascheva as the protector of their country, but on October 27, since they use the Julian Calendar to mark religious holidays. Therefore, the old Moldavian capital -- Iasi -- is due to become one of the greatest pilgrimage centers, not only in Romania, but also throughout the world. Most of the pilgrims who come to pay homage at Saint Parascheva’s relics are forced to wait for no less than twelve hours in kilometer-long rows. Epivat, Saint Parascheva’s native city, still exists in Bulgaria. In the eleventh century, it was in Thracia, not far from Constantinople.