Monastery of Hozeba commemorates Saint John the New

The Patriarchate of Jerusalem celebrated the feast day of Saint John the New of Romania at the Holy Monastery of Hozeba on August 10, 2026. The commemoration marked ten years since the Saint was officially included in the Church's hagiography in 2016.

Saint John, who left his homeland to live an ascetic life in the Jordan desert, was ordained a priest by the Patriarchate and spent much of his life at the Monastery of Hozeba. He was known for providing spiritual guidance to pilgrims from Romania and Greece and for his theological writings. According to tradition, his relics remain incorrupt at the monastery.

The all-night vigil was led by Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem, accompanied by Archimandrite Konstantinos, the monastery's abbot, and other high-ranking clergy including Archbishop Aristarchos of Konstantinis. Despite access difficulties imposed by the Israeli military, faithful pilgrims attended the service, which featured Byzantine-style chanting.