#Saint Gregory the Decapolite

The article traces the history of the transfer of the relics of Saint Dimitrios the New to Bucharest on 13 July 1774, against the backdrop of the Russian military occupation and the plague epidemic, and examines the role of these relics in protecting the capital during times of crisis, from the processions of the 18th and 19th centuries through to the Covid-19 pandemic and the anniversary celebrations in 2024.

This article presents the life and work of Bishop Iosif Gafton (1896–1984), from his origins in a priest’s family in Puțeni-Tecuci, through his parish ministry in Rotari and Bucharest, to his long tenure as Archbishop of the Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș, highlighting his administrative, pastoral, homiletic and cultural achievements throughout his 40 years in office.

The iconography of the Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God at Polovragi Monastery, a masterpiece of the Brâncoveanu School completed in 1703 by the icon painters Andrei, Simeon, Istrate and Hranit, is analysed in detail in relation to the Byzantine iconographic tradition and the three thematic cycles — dogmatic, liturgical and festive — illustrating features such as the cycle of the life of Patriarch Joseph, the Sundays of the Pentecostarion and the scene of the Massacre of the Innocents, which are characteristic of the school of the painter Constantinos.