Anastasia Ștefănescu highlighted as religious figure

In anticipation of the Romanian Patriarchate’s 2026 commemoration of holy women, the life of Anastasia Ștefănescu is being highlighted. Anastasia was the mother of Melchisedec Ștefănescu, the Bishop of Lower Danube and later Bishop of Roman.

Anastasia was noted for her religious devotion and large family, having given birth to 15 children. Her family legacy included significant religious roles, with two sons becoming bishops and one becoming an archimandrite, while two daughters entered monastic life and another daughter served as a priestess. Her biography is documented in Constantin C. Diculescu’s 1908 study on Bishop Melchisedec.