Saint Venerable Parascheva from Iasi

      Saint Venerable Parascheva from Iasi(+14th October) was born in a trachian village, Epivata, into a pious family, living during the eleventh century. She learned the Christian Orthodox faith from her parents. Loving the holy church of Christ Our Lord, she decided to take her cross and follow him when she was very young. Her rich and beautiful clothes were given to the poor and she wore some humble clothes. Soon, she left her family, her country and the worldly things, traveling to Constantinople, where she enjoyed the holy services, venerated the holy relics and was blessed by holy fathers. Leaving Constantinople, she came in Heracleea Pontica, where she entered a nun convent from that part of the world, remaining there for five years.  There she gained high virtues: repentance, prayer, a pure heart, a humble spirit and devoted love for God.

       The dearest desire of her heart was to see the Holy places in Jerusalem and God gave her that great joy to follow the steps of her Savior. Then the Saint left for the Jordanian desert, where she lived the ascetic life in a nun community, fighting the passions and the devil with all her strength. She used to fast a lot and slept only a little on the floor, her eyes poured tears continually.

When she was in her 25^th year of her life, an angel of the Lord ordered her to return to her homeland, so she stayed at Epivata for two years. St Parascheva departed to the Lord at the age of twenty-seven, and was buried near the sea. Because of the many miracles which took place at her grave, her relics were uncovered and found to be incorrupt. They were placed in the church of the Holy Apostles at Epivata, where they remained for about 175 years.

 St. Parascheva’s relics were moved to Trnovo, Bulgaria in 1223 and placed in the cathedral.  The Turks occupied Bulgaria in 1391 and her relics were given to Mircea the Elder, Prince of the Romanian Land. In 1394 the relics were given to Princess Angelina of Serbia (July 30), who brought them to Belgrade. For 120 years St. Parascheva’s relics rested in Constantinople in the patriarchal cathedral.

 On June 13, 1641, her incorrupt relics were transferred to the monastery of the Three Hierarchs at Iasi in Moldavia, where many healings took place. The moldavian Prince Vasile Lupu, payed the entire debt of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and was given the Holy Relics of Saint Parascheva as a gift.