Discover Moldova with #MOLDPRES: Martha and Mary Monastery from Hagimus, place of spirituality, tourist attraction

The Monastery of Saint Women Martha and Mary from nearby the Hagimus village, Causeni district, is a place of worship and spiritual peace, abode of Orthodox spirituality and culture, which has got to be appreciated by more tourists, not only by Christian pilgrims. The monastery is 75 km to the south-east from Chisinau and 500 metres far from the Causeni-Bender road, nearby the Hagimus village, Causeni district.     

Monastery with a relatively new history

The monastery has a relatively new history, which dates back from 26 May 1997. The holy dwelling was founded by the great departed Bishop of Edinet and Briceni, Dorimedont (1961-2006), who at that time was superior of the Noul-Neamt Monastery, Chitcani.    

The monastery has four churches and two chapels. An icon was painted in honour of all Protecting Saints of the monastery, which is in the church with patrons Saint Sanctimonious Women Martha and Mary. On 7 April 1998, on the holiday of Annunciation, the first church of the monastery was blessed – the Holy Protection of the Mother of God; since then, the Holy Liturgy has been officiated every day, according to liturgical schedule established.   

In the summer of the 2000 year, the place was blessed and then a two-storied church was erected. Starting from 2005, the religious services have been officiated in the winter church with the patron Saint Apostle Andrew and as of 2017 - also in the summer church (second floor) with the patrons Saint Sanctimonious Women Martha and Mary.

The churches shelter pieces of holy relics and other holy things. In 2007, the monastery was enriched with one more spiritual pearl – a small wood church with the patron Faithful Ruler Stephen the Great and Holy, where the religious services have been officiated on Sundays and holidays since 2010. Starting from 2014, the Holy Liturgy has been officiated in the Chapel of Saint Hierarch Modest daily and the Psalms have been uninterruptedly daily read in the Chapel of Saint Paraschiva, Protector of Moldova.  

Monastery’s architectural ensemble

The monastery is described by the Holy Fathers as place of cure, school of enlightenment, rapprochement and uniting with God and the architectural ensemble of the monastery includes more buildings.  

The Spring of the Mother of God was blessed in the summer of the 2005 year in the honour of the icon Spring of Cure and is much appreciated by visitors. In the monastery’s workshops, the work is combined with prayer.   

Oasis of faith, as well as enlightening

The monastery’s education activity makes itself conspicuous through the work of the Theoretical Lyceum with profiles of arts (music) for graduates of gymnasiums with musical aptitudes and in summer, - through the organization of free of charge camps of Spirituality, Work and Rest for pupils.

Composer and professor Ion Melnic (1934-2010), buried in the monastery’s cemetery, had a valuable contribution to the development of the musical culture and education in the monastery. The choir of nuns participated in the celebration of 500 years since the death of Faithful Ruler Stephen the Great and Holy at the Putna Monastery of Romania, on 2 July 2004, at the orthodox festival of church music in Constanta, Romania, in the years 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010, etc.    

A spiritual and cultural tradition of the monastery is the choir’s participation in the Mateevici Days, held yearly on 26-31 March, in the Zaim village, at the Alexei Mateevici Museum and House.

The choir recorded six CDs with carols, other church and spiritual songs.

Excursions in Romanian, Russian and English languages

The Martha and Mary Monastery manages to keep pace with the present days and has a webpage, where excursions can be scheduled. Upon request, excursion can be organized in the territory in the Romanian, Russian and English languages for groups of pilgrims who come to visit the monastery.   

Correspondent: Lilia Grubii