World News for Students of English

20-10-2025 07:00

Thousands of people in Iași, Romania, attended the annual Saint Parascheva pilgrimage, one of the largest in the country. The pilgrimage lasts eight days and culminates on 14 October, the saint’s feast day.

Devotees lined up for kilometers in the rain and cold, showing their devotion to pray before the saint’s relics. Many pilgrims expressed that witnessing the relics brought them joy and a sense of calling.

The cathedral and city center were decorated with flowers under the theme ‘Symphony of the Lily,’ including 58,000 chrysanthemums in various colors. Volunteers worked to ensure the area was visually beautiful for visitors.

Saint Parascheva’s relics have a long history, traveling across Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria, and finally arriving in Iași in 1641. The Romanian Orthodox Church canonized her in 1955, setting 14 October as her feast day. Last year, around 300,000 visitors came to see the relics, and this year the Church expects a similar number. The celebration combines faith, history, and community participation.

Difficult words: pilgrimage (a journey to a holy place), culminate (to reach the highest point or the final stage of something), devotee (a person who strongly loves or supports something, often in religion), relic (an object connected to a saint), canonize (to officially declare someone a saint).

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