It has already been 15 years since the Holy Light from Jerusalem arrived in Suceava, to be distributed to the Resurrection believers. The custom started in Bucovina, in 2009, was taken over by the Romanian Patriarchate after a number of years and only in 2020, due to the pandemic, was it interrupted. This is how it happens that every Holy Saturday, the Suceava airport becomes a meeting point for priests from Suceava, from the surrounding counties and from Ukraine, who bring the Holy Light to their communities.
The Holy Light descended on the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem at 14:15 on Holy Saturday. Patriarch Teofilos III came out of the Holy Sepulcher with two bundles of lighted candles. Each bundle had 33 candles, the age of the Savior.
From Jerusalem, the Holy Light was brought by the superior of the settlements of the Romanian Patriarchate at the holy places, Father Archimandrite Teofil Anăstăsoaie and offered to the delegations of the dioceses present at Henri Coandă International Airport. The Holy Light from Jerusalem was brought from Bucharest by Archimandrite Serafim Grigoraș, abbot of the Monastery of Saint John the New and Father Viorel Ilișoi, diocesan councilor, in a small plane owned by businessman Vasile Armenean. She was welcomed on Saturday evening at the International Airport Ștefan cel Mare in Suceava by a delegation of the Archdiocese led by the Most Reverend Father Damaschin Dorneanul.
Most Holy Father Damascene of Dornea
“We are receiving this year as we received it in the past years. As we hope to receive it every year, so that God will allow us time, life, and peace, with what but feelings of gratitude. The reception of the Holy Light on the night of Easter, whether it is brought from Jerusalem or taken from the table of the Holy Altar, as was done for years when we did not have the technical possibilities to reach the Holy Light so quickly, is the sign that we must, year after year, renew our faith in God who is Light
and which gives us life if it is Light and which gives meaning to our life. If we didn’t have such feelings on Easter night, let it be a sad night, but because we have a God who is Light and who gives us the reason for existence after all, only then can we sing, not just with our lips, if we have could and from here, Christ rose from the dead, with His dying death trampling, and to those in the graves, all kinds of graves, of ignorance, of the lack of desire to live life giving them.”
Clerics from the eparchial center, as well as representatives of the Suceava I, Suceava II, Câmpulung Moldovenesc, Rădăuți and Fălticeni Deaneries, along with local and county officials, were happy to receive the Holy Light. Gheorghe Flutur, president of Suceava County Council, Ion Lungu, mayor of Suceava Municipality, Lucian Harșovschi, vice mayor of Suceava and Alexandru Moldovan, Prefect of the county.
Ionel Doru Budeanu – Archpriest of Suceava 1 Archdiocese
“With joy, I came here to the airport, waiting for the light from the Tomb of Christ the Redeemer. We are on the eve of this glorious holiday and the crowds are shaking not only maybe at their homes, but also here at the airport and they will certainly be shaking in the churches as well, coming to take this light as a dedication to the moment of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. And surely this light comes after a preparation, perhaps of each of our believers or of us ministering priests, a preparation of fasting, prayer, confession, and we expect that the moment tonight will be one of real light, a moment with truth that penetrates us and makes us transmit this beautiful news that Christ is Risen.”
Gheorghe Flutur- president of Suceava CJ
“It seems like yesterday we all met here to receive the Holy Light. Since 2009, as it is written in the note behind me from this holy icon, we bring the Holy Light here to Suceava with the help of the Good God, the hierarchs of the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuţi and its ordinary world, it comes here, as if it wants oxygen, food, so people to feed, is something extraordinary. With the exception of 2020 when there was a pandemic, 15 years the Holy Light was brought here to Suceava and it is distributed very well organized and now cars leave for Chernivtsi, leave for Neamt, leave for Botoșani, for Iași, for the Republic of Moldova, a big deal and a sign of union. This light charges us, cleanses us, but it seems to bring us together again every time, and it’s something extraordinary, I almost can’t put it into words.”
From here, the light from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher was sent to places of worship throughout the diocese. Clergy from neighboring areas of the diocese were also present at the airport, including a delegation from Chernivtsi, Ukraine, led by Father Vasile Covalciuc, archdeacon of Storojineț.
Vasile Covalciuc- archpriest of Storojineț
“It is our duty to those from this area not to be indifferent to the Romanians who are in painful situations and to whom we have a moral duty. They are our brothers, and we cannot… that in these holy days we should be otherwise than any man should be after all, when your brother is in pain and your heart should be trembling. This is what the Holy Apostle Paul teaches us. Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. We have received them, we will also give them the light we receive and then with the help of those who manage the administrative affairs in the area, they will also reach the customs so that they can reach their churches on time.”
