Ciolpani Monastery

More than 20 years ago, those who were coming from Buhu i to Runc could see a little wooden church, set on a hill, the place where the old monk hermitage would come to life again. The history of the little wooden church of Ciolpani is lost somewhere in the mists of time. The few documents that still exist, certify that, in 1590 Petru chiopul, voivode of Moldavia, offers as a gift to his servant, named Ciolpan the pikeman, half of Orbic village. A few years later, Ciolpan monks under the name of Hariton and founds a hermitage in this region. After the decommissioning of the hermitage founded by Ciolpan, lord Theodor Cantacuzino and his brothers build in 1730, on the old foundations, the wooden church that still exists nowadays, slightly modified. The local tradition speaks about an existing record of a monastery of nuns. It is said that they were dealing with pottery. The church impresses by its reduced size ( 7 feet long axis, 3 feet wide in the narthex, 5 feet wide at the nave apses and 2 feet at the altar), being one of the smallest wooden church from Central Moldavia. After 1990 people from the surroundings asked to the All Holly Bishop of Roman and Hu i, Eftimie to reactivate the monastic life in this region. His Holiness approved their petition under a condition: to have also the consent of Reverend Emilian, the abbot of nearby Runc monastery. Thus, on September 1st 1991 it was signed the birth-certificate of Ciolpani monastery. In less than 2 years, on the honour of Virgin Marys Assumption, the Chapel and three sided U shaped cells were build. The Chapel, used for daily liturgical services, has the shape of a vessel, with the narthex separated from the nave by 2 buttresses. The painting is realized in the fresco technique, the Byzantine style and the furniture is carved oak. It was sanctified on August 15th 1993 by the All Holly Bishop Eftimie; on September 21st the same year, His Holiness again, sanctified the place for the following big church which was given the name of Saint Martyr Emilian of Durostorum. The following year, in 1994, the church was finished as a building and covered with tin. Then followed the other things that were to be done, such as: the exterior finish, the painting, the furniture. Four years after the sanctification of the place, on September 21st 1997, the church was sanctified in an atmosphere of celebration. The Big Church is built in the classic Moldavian style with altar, pentagonal nave with side aisles, narthex, exonartex and an open porch on the west side. It is 27 feet long, 14 m wide aisles and 33 m tall cross on top. The charm of the church is given by the Byzantine painting realized by the painter Gheorghe Matei and his collaborators.

Later on there were also built a steeple tower at the monasterys entrance, a river rock wall which encloses the whole pile of buildings for over more than 600 meters and other outbuildings. In the spring of 2001, with the blessing of All Holly Reverend Ioachim Bac uanul, DeanBishop of Roman city Bishopric the restoration of cemetery church began, highlighting its original beauty. The interior has been restored and decorated; on August 25th 2005 the service of re-consecration of church was officiated by All Holly Reverend Ioachim Bac uanul in the presence of thousands of believers. The monastery life takes place after the golden rule of eastern monasticism ora et labora which means pray and work. So do the nuns of this monastery which counts about 60 nuns and sisters. The liturgical program includes the Seven Liturgical Praise and the Sacred and Divine Liturgy. The nuns then return to their tasks in the monastery workshops and farmstead. The monastery has a rich library, with over 10.000 volumes. A valuable treasure of the monastery is the chest that shelters a small part of the relics of Saint Martyr Emilian of Durostorum, the patron and the protector of this establishment, celebrated on July 18th. This chest also contains parts of the Pious Saints Teodosie the Great, Grigorie the Decapolite and Saint Martyrs Filofteea and Chiriachi relics. We cant overlook the parental care behavior of the Great All Holly Reverend Eftimie and All Holly Reverend Doctor Ioachim Bac uanul, Dean-Bishop of Archiepiscopate of Roman and Bac u, a familiar presence in our community. The community of this monastery , spiritually guided by its founder and confessor, Reverend Archimandrite Emilian Panait and the loving and understanding help of Mother Abbess Stavrofora Lucia Chirvase and Reverend Hieromonk Damaschin Bodea, invite you to spend a few moments in the peaceful and spiritual tranquility that is offered by our monasteries to all those who pass their threshold.