Mănăstirea SIHĂSTRIA RARĂULUI (Câmpulung Moldovenesc, Bucovina, România)

Please turn ON English subtitle! - Vă rog să activați subtitrarea în românește! The Sihăstria Rarăului Monastery is an Orthodox monastery of monks located on the northern slope of Rarău Mountain, in the Izvorul Alb Valley, one of the traditional access routes to the peak of Rarău. Thus, on an 8 km route, from the Câmpulung Est train station area we enter the modernized DJ 175A which then climbs the Izvorul Alb Valley passing by the Izvorul Tămăduirii church (    • Cununie de poveste în Bucovina (Câmpulung ...   and    • Corala ACADEMICA-BUCOVINA - Concert de muz...   ), crosses the Piatra Buhii Nature Reserve (    • PIATRA BUHII (Câmpulung Moldovenesc, Bucov...   ), passes by the Rarău Gondola (    • Telegondola RARĂU (Câmpulung Moldovenesc, ...   ) and immediately reaches the monastery. Of course, the road DJ 175 continues to the top of Rarău (with Pietrele Doamnei and the Rarău Alpine Hotel), then descending the southern slope of the mountain to the Bistrița valley, on the southern segment of Transrarău, through the village of Chiril. In fact, this road connects the old and new monasteries of Rarău. Thus, here, on the site of a hermitage of the Venerable Sisoe existing since the end of the 15th century, the voivode of Moldavia, Petru Rareș, built a new wooden church in place of the old one in 1541. It would be a gesture of gratitude for the fact that at a difficult time, when he was in refuge and pursued by the Turks, these monks offered help and shelter to his family. There is also a legend of the miraculous rescue of Lady Elena (the voivode's wife) and her children by the collapse of some rocks from the top of the mountain on their Turkish pursuers, which have since been known as the Pietrele Doamnei ( Lady's Stones -    • PIETRELE DOAMNEI (Munții Rarău, Bucovina, ...   ). And perhaps even Mount Rarău bears the name of Voivode Rareș. With the occupation of Bucovina by the Habsburg Empire in 1774, difficult times were announced for Romanian Orthodoxy. Thus, in 1776 the hermitage was moved in great secrecy to the other side of Mount Rarău, on the territory of the Principality of Moldavia, to the place where now, near the village of Chiril, the Rarău Monastery is located (    • Mănăstirea RARĂU (Bucovina, România)   ). Legend has it that the relocation was ordered and led by the Mother of God herself, through the miracle-working icon from Mount Athos, an icon donated by Petru Rareș. The former hermitage, would have remained deserted for more than two centuries. The abbot of the Sihăstria Rarăului monastery, Protosyncellus Haralambie Arcălean, claims that the new monastery was built on the bones of the remaining monks who died trying to defend what was left of the hermitage, when it was burned down by the Austrians. During the communist period, a small chapel was built on the site of the hermitage, which was demolished by the authorities. After the fall of communism (1990), the construction of a new monastery here was entrusted by His Eminence Pimen, Archbishop of Suceava and Rădăuți, to Archimandrite Ioan Larion Neagoe. The construction of the large church took place between 1992 and 1994, when it was consecrated with the patron saint of "The Ascension of the Lord" (Heroes' Day) and later painted in 1998. After that, a chapel with the theme of "The Covering of the Virgin Mary", a bell tower, cells and an xenodochium (archondaric = a building or wing intended for receiving guests and pilgrims) were built. According to older information, the monastery would have 150 accommodation places during the summer. The fame of the Sihăstria Rarăului Monastery is also largely due to "Father Ioan de la Rarău", in fact to Archimandrite Ioan Larion Neagoe, recognized as one of the great spiritual fathers of Romania and sought after by people in need from all corners of the country. After the younger Protosyncellus Haralambie Arcălean took over the leadership of the monastery in 2007 (or 2021?), the former abbot, Father Ioan, continued his mission as the monastery's spiritual father, a quality previously "practiced" at the Moldovița Monastery. It should be noted that Father Ioan, born in 1931 (he turned 94 on April 4, 2025), was persecuted and imprisoned for two and a half years by the communist authorities. Over time, until he came here in 1992 and founded the Sihăstria Rarăului Monastery, he served as a priest, built churches and visited several hermitages and monasteries. He also met and was friends with other great fathers of Romanian Orthodoxy. There are 7 holy miracle-working icons in the monastery. The monastery is organized according to communal life, which means that all the monks live and work together, under the leadership of an abbot, according to monastic rules and traditions. This form of organization involves obedience, voluntary poverty and self-denial, and life is centered on prayer, work and service. At the Sihăstria Rarăului Monastery, the Holy Liturgy was held every day, their series was never interrupted.