Twenty-five years since the monasticism of our Elder Parthenius

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Twenty-five years ago, on the 5th of August 1995, at the Evening Vespers in honour of the Holy Martyr Christina of Tyre, in the glorious temple of the Venerable Forerunner in the Holy Bigorski Monastery, our Elder, Abbot and Bishop, His Eminence, Bishop of Antania received the holy angelic image.

The sacred and sublime act of the monastic tonsure was performed by our beloved and respected Archpastor, His Eminence, Metropolitan of Debar and Kichevo Mr Timothy, in the presence of the clergy members of our and other dioceses, as well as the parents and relatives of the Elder, the faithful children of the earthly Church, and most importantly, in the presence of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. John the Baptist, the numerous Saints and the countless Angels of the heavenly Church.

Lying before the Heavenly King, before the altar, with open arms in the shape of a cross, guided by zeal and conscience equal to that of a martyr, the one who is filled with overflowing love for Christ, at the age of 24, surrendered himself “to a living sacrifice, holy, and pleasing to God” (Rom. 12: 1), becoming an unceasing prayer, constant spiritual worship. He was crucified for the world, dying for Christ, and many were resurrected for the sake of God; he left the pleasures and joys of the world and became a joy to thousands of people; leaving everything, and God made him His friend.

In honour of the 25th anniversary of the monasticism of our Elder, Bishop Parthenius, the monks of the Bigorski Monastery as well as the nuns of the Rajcica and Precista convents, prepared a table of love and expressed their respect, their faith, gratitude and love to their spiritual father. And he, through tears and a trembling voice, after having bowed three times before his offspring and his monastic children, thanked us and expressed his joy to see now so many monks and nuns in a place that, twenty-five years ago, was a dwelling place only for bats and mice. In addition, he shared with us some of his memories of the beginning of his monastic life, of the night of his monasticism, of some temptations and struggles he experienced, of the placing of the first electric cable in the dining room of the upper palace, the first services, and the arrival of the first brothers…

Blessed be the Great God and our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who called His servant with an apostolic calling!

May the day be blessed, in which his soul, heart, mind and lips in fullness said: I want a hermit life, Most Reverend Bishop!

May the hand of our dignified Bishop, Metropolitan Mr Timothy, which on that day was laid over the head of our Elder, be blessed!

For many years to come, our Bishop Parthenius, our father in Christ!

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