In the Mălăiesti forest, about 250 years ago, there was a hermitage of monks, part of the Vâlcănesti Monastery. The Hermitage was close to an old Roman Castle built after the conquest of Dacia by Emperor Trajan, where important ancient vestiges were found. Nearby is the town of Coțofenești, known for the discovery of the Golden Helmet.
A few kilometers from the monastery is the Slănic-Prahova spa resort, known for the Salt Mountain, unique in the world, and for the largest salt pan in Europe.
The monastery was founded in 1995 thanks to a land donation from Guiu Ion from Ploiești. The consecration of the place took place on September 17, 1995, and with the blessing of Patriarch Teoctist, the current monastery dedicated to Saint Anthony the Great was founded, initially led by Hieromonk Antonie Liță.
A small community was formed around Father Antonie, who began the order of services and the construction of the monastery church. However, Father Antonie was sent to establish another monastery, and in his place, in 1998, Father Hieromonk Lazar Nan was appointed abbot.
Under the leadership of the new abbot, the church was finished and painted, a vestry and a body of cells were built. The church was consecrated on June 24, 2004 and has three patron saints: the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, Saint Anthony the Great and Saint Martyr Fanuria. The painting of the church was done by Adrian and Nicoleta Voicu, and the temple and the entrance door were made by craftsmen from Humulești and Vânători.
In the fall of 2014, a fire caused by a fault in the heating plant destroyed the roof and floor of the monastery. With the support of the Diocesan Center, the monasteries and the local authorities, the monastic house was repaired, renovating the cells, the electrical installation, the bathrooms and a space for receiving pilgrims.
In 2015, Patriarch Daniel appointed hieromonk Andrei Rențea as abbot, who continues the spiritual work and social-missionary activity of the monastery.
Sursa: arhiepiscopiabucurestilor.ro
