Bukovina: Ambassador Tomašević at Divine Service and Commemoration in Dragomirna Monastery

20. Aug 2022.
At the invitation of the abbess of the Dragomirna monastery mother Maria Magdalena Gergina, ambassador of the Republic of Serbia in Bucharest Stefan Tomašević attended the divine service and commemoration on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the decease of the second bishop of Bukovina Danilo Vlahović.

The memorial service was held with the blessing of His Eminence Mr. Kalinik, the Archbishop of Sučavski and Radauški and with the concelebration of His Eminence Bishop Mr. Damaskin Dornean.

According to the express wish of the late Bishop Danilo Vlahović, the second bishop of Bukovina (1789-1822) and previously a monk and vicar of the monastery in Kovilje, his remains were buried and are kept in the Dragomirna monastery.

Bishop and highly esteemed religious teacher Danil preserved the Catechetical School in the Monastery of St. Ilija. This school was also active in the treasury (convent) of the Monastery of St. John of Novi Sučavski. At that time, the School was relocated to Černovci and raised to the level of a theological institute.

Danil Vlahović was granted the right to administer the Greek-Eastern religious fund of Bukovina,  previously controlled by the Catholic Consistory in Lemberg (Lviv).

After the divine service and commemoration, in the monastery museum, the sisterhood of the monastery organized an exhibition of seals of parishes from Bukovina dating back to 1775-1918.

In his address and discussions with Bishop Damaskin, the sisterhood of the Dragomirna Monastery, the clergy of the monasteries of Putna, Sučavica, St. John the New and St. Ilija from Sučava as well as with local government representatives from the Bukovina district, ambassador Tomašević emphasized the importance of nurturing a culture of remembrance and honouring the people who built bridges of friendship by their acts, in order to preserve and improve the fraternal relation between Serbia and Romania, our people and the two sister churches.