RARAU Monastery (Bucovina, Romania)

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Rarău Monastery is one of the most important hearts of the Romanian Orthodox spirituality. The monks monastery is a place of pilgrimage, due both to miraculous icons and confessors here. The hermitage was originally founded in 1538 by Petru Rares, the ruler of Moldova, in a glade situated on the other side of Mount Rarău, toward the River Moldova. Also Petru Rares, at the sanctification of the hermitage, had given the Miraculous Myrrh-Streaming Icon of the Our Lady. Three years later, in 1541, the Icon achieves a great miracle namely the salvation from Tartars of the wife and the son of Petru Rares. In 1776, shortly after the annexation of Bucovina by Austria, the icon disappears from the frame and reappears at the prayers of the monks. Implored, the Mother of God says: "Where is he going my icon, move the hermitage, for Austrians will give fire". Secretly, led by icon, the entire hermitage was moved to the other side of the mountain to Cyril (toward the River Bistrita). The Holy Icon would open the wagons and mules way through woods and rocks, just as Moses parted the Red Sea. The history of unexplained movement of the icon was repeated in 1935 when the abbot tried to move it in the narthex. The icon has returned to the nave, where he stays now. Frightened by this sign, in fasting and prayer, the abbot asked answered and Our Lady was shown him in a dream and told to make a pew in front of the iconostasis. The abbot did the pew and in addition locked the icon in silver and from then the icon made countless miracles and healings. The monastery status was obtained in 1990 after the fall of communism. The religious and spiritual program is inspired from Mount Athos monasteries and Frasinei (Valcea County) and Sihastria (Neamt County). In 2000 it was consecrated a new church in the monastery, which houses other important miraculous icon namely that of St. John the Evangelist.