Opting for a visit to the Hermitage of Saint Lazarus in Alba Iulia, you will discover a special place where peace and beauty come together harmoniously. After passing through the portal of thick walls, you will be greeted by the graceful image of the white church and enjoy a pleasant escape from the urban bustle.
The freshness of the vegetation, the comforting silence and the natural scents will delight your senses. Whether you are on pilgrimage or just visiting, the warm hospitality of the nuns will make you feel privileged to be in a blessed place.
The construction of the hermitage began in 1937, on the initiative of the Most Reverend Father Dr. Ioan Stroia, general bishop of the Army. He purchased the land, but died before seeing the sanctification of the hermitage, being buried in the necropolis of the hermitage.
The hermitage went through changes and upheavals, especially during the communist period. In 1989, a small wooden church from the 18th century was brought from the village of Acmar. In the early 1990s, a community of monks resumed the spiritual life of the hermitage. The Archbishop of Alba Iulia decided to re-establish the hermitage, named "Saint John the Baptist".
On November 14, 1999, the wooden church was moved to "Popii Valley". A new church was built in its place, and the monastic community was formed by nuns, under the guidance of Father Lazar Tabra. In 2001, the church received the patron saint "Resurrection of Saint and Righteous Lazarus" and the hermitage was officially named "Saint Lazarus".
Father Lazar served until the age of 82, dying in 2008, without attending the consecration of the new church, which took place in 2011.
The architecture of the new church is the work of the architect Grigore Filimon, combining styles from Wallachia and Transylvania, inspired by the church of the Cozia Monastery. The hermitage houses the Missionary Center of the Diocese, the printing house of the Archdiocese and the candle workshop.
Sursa: viziteazaalbaiulia.ro
