Foarte scurt istoric
Schitul
Vechi Bradetu, cu hramul Inaltarea Domnului, a fost o manastire domneasca
aflata, adica, in grija Dinastiei Basarabilor, incepand de la ctitorul sau –
Marele Voievod Mircea cel Batran – si pana la Matei Basarab (1632-1654) cand I
se schimba statutul, supravietuind in zbuciumatele secole XVIII si XIX pana la
reforma lui Cuza.
Nasterea
bisericii Schitului istoric Bradetu este plasata la sfarsitul secolului al
XIV-lea – inceputul secolului al XV-lea, in timpul domniei lui Mircea cel Mare
(1386-1418), dupa cum dovedesc cercetarile istorice, arheologice si
arhitectonice realizate in secolul al XX-lea si mai recent.
Vechea
manastire avea obste de calugari, biserica de piatra si caramida era in centrul
asezarii, inconjurata de case monahale modeste, cu doua sau patru chilii,
construite din barne, cu fundatii inalte de piatra si pridvor - cum putem admira pana astazi vechile case
traditionale din Bradetu.
Vatra
monahala se afla pe malul Raului Valsan iar mosia se intindea generos de la
Muntele Ghitu pana la satele Gruiu si Bradulet, de la Padurea Braniste pana la
Islazul Bustenet, Dealul Chiciora si fostul sat Grosi. Dar ceea ce este mai
important
este mostenirea
cultural-religioasa lasata noua de vechii monahi bradeteni: Icoanele de la
1615-1645, biserica in sine, colectia de carte din sec. XVIII, fresca si
clopotul din timpul Staretului Ghenadie Ieroschimonahul.
Mai
jos, la Costesti, comuna Valsanesti, Schitul Bradetu avea o alta mosie pe care
zidise un metoc – o chinovie mica de maici, a caror ultima ctitorie – biserica
Sfantul Nicolae (1807) dainuie inca.
Asadar,
la Bradetu vechea biserica a manastirii si la Costesti bisericuta din cimitir
sunt inca functionale, mai ales “Inaltarea Domnului”(sec. XIV-XV) – devenita
Parohia Bradetu pentru satul care s-a dezvoltat in jurul manastirii in a doua
jumatate a secolului al XIX-lea, fiind una dintre cele mai vechi biserici din
tara, intre putinele din epoca sa, in care inca se mai tin slujbe tot timpul
anului.
REDESCHIDEREA
SCHITULUI
Redeschiderea
vechilor manastiri din Eparhia Argesului si Muscelului au fost o grija
permanenta a Ips. Calinic Argeseanul in cei peste 35 de ani de slujire
arhiereasca. La Bradetu, solutia reinfiintarii schitului pe vatra istorica nu
era posibila din motive obiective. Intr-un moment ca acesta, trei calugari au
venit cu propunerea ca Schitul Nou sa fie zidit pe o alta locatie decat cea
istorica si, poate nu intamplator, locul gasit de ei asigura linistea,
reculegerea si izolarea – atat de potrivite noii manastiri-, si, mai mult decat
atat, oferind o permanenta invitatie la a contempla frumusetea lumii vazute din acest loc binecuvantat cu un orizont generos, cu Soarele si Cerul
mai aproape.
Indemnator
si rugator pentru noul schit a fost duhovnicul de atunci al obstii, ieromonahul
Adrian Fageteanu – unul dintre marturisitorii ne-nfricati ai Dreptei Credinte
in anii persecutiilor atee si supravietuitor al temnitelor comuniste. Cuviosia
Sa a deschis calea Staretului Filotei Dabu si ucenicilor lui spre Bradetu, le-a
indrumat pasii si i-a incurajat la
inceputul refacerii Schitului Bradetu.
Al
doilea sprijin deosebit l-a avut Noul Schit prin rugaciunea si indemnul dat de
Cuviosul Schi-arhimandrit Efrem Filoteitul, sfatul acestuia ramanand pentru
obstea de la Bradetu ca o randuiala pentru totdeauna.
Peste
toate, credem ca mijlocirea staretilor Schitului Bradetu: Lazar, Mihail si a
celorlalti pana la Ghenadie ieroschimonahul si Partenie si a ultimilor calugari
cunoscuti - Sava, Metodie, Onisifor,
Bogoslov si Rafail -, a cuvioaselor maici de la Costesti – schimonahiile Anisia
stareta, Sofia si Maria -, si a ctitorilor de vesnica pomenire a randuit Dumnezeu
sa se poata redeschide Schitul Bradetu pe o noua vatra, cum am spus, dar in
limitele detinute de vechea manastire, intr-o poiana insorita, pe culmea
Dealului Seci (787-800m) ce strajuieste spre nord Satul Bradetu.
Astfel,
Noul Schit Bradetu s-a infiintat prin alegerea noii vetre, odata cu venirea
primilor vietuitori si, mai ales, prin hotararea Ips. Calinic Argeseanul si a
Adunarii Eparhiale, urmata de cea a Sinodului Mitropolitan si de aprobarea
Secretariatului de Stat pentru Culte in toamna anului 2004 (17 septembrie,
respectiv 8 noiembrie).
Hramurile
principale ale manastirii sunt Nasterea Sfantului Ioan Botezatorul (24 iunie)
si Sfantul Ierarh Nectarie de la Eghina (3 sept. si 9 noiembrie), pe langa
celelalte hramuri ale noii biserici a schitului: Acoperamantul Maicii Domnului
(1 oct.) si sfintii romani Calinic Cernicanul (11 apr.) si Cuv. Ioanichie
Schimonahul de la Muscel (26 iul.).
Biserica
Schitului adaposteste o parte din Cinstitele Moastele ale Sf. Ierarh Nectarie
de Pentapolis – facatorul de minuni, si o icoana a sa pictata de maicile de la
Eghina in anul 2005.
OBSTEA SI COMPLEXUL MONAHAL
Astazi,
Schitul Bradetu are o obste de 5 calugari, dintre care 4 sunt ieromonahi si un
ierodiacon. Obste stabila, formata pe principiile Sfantului Vasile cel Mare ale
comunitatii bunurilor, rugaciunii, lucrului si studiului, misionarism si
pastrarea vechilor traditii monahale. Fratii au idealuri comune, incredere
reciproca si traiesc in dragoste frateasca si ascultare.
Slujbele
la Schit se savarsesc in biserica principala (tarnosita la 9 noiembrie 2019
dupa ample renovari si extinderi aduse primei biserici edificate aici in anul
2005) si, in sezonul cald la Altarul de vara, construit in intregime de calugari in anul 2008.
Anumite slujbe din ciclul liturgic obisnuit
se savarsesc intr-unul dintre paraclisele din casele monahale.
La
Staretie se pastreaza mare parte din biblioteca manastirii, mai precis cele mai
importante colectii, pentru uzul exclusiv al obstii, fiind formata numai din
literatura teologica si patristica ortodoxa. Tot aici sunt amenajate doua din
atelierele manastirii: unul tipografic si altul de tamplarie si reparatii
diverse.
Ostea
schitului pretuieste munca in natura si considera necesara autogospodarirea si,
de aceea, la schit cresterea vitelor pentru lapte, agricultura in camp si in
solarii, apicultura si cresterea pasarilor ocupa un loc important din
activitatile zilnice ale obstii.
Lucrarea
misionara a Schitului Bradetu se dezvolta pe mai multe paliere: catehetic,
social-filantropic, consiliere pastorala centrata pe solutii, ca sa dam cateva
exemple.
Alte
activitati ale obstii sunt sezoniere, precum cele de vara: cositul fanului,
gradinaritul, dulgheria si culesul plantelor medicinale. Iarna si primavara
devreme, cand timpul permite, monahii invata noi partituri de muzica psaltica
bizantina, lucreaza la editarea de carte si la diferite traduceri din lucrari
de spiritualitate ortodoxa sau de interes general.
RECOMANDARI PENTRU PELERINI
- La Schitul Bradetu sunt
intampinati cu bunavointa toti pelerinii care vin in timpul si in afara
slujbelor bisericesti, conform urmatoarelor reguli minime:
- Poarta Schitului se
pastreaza inchisa in afara
slujbelor, dar clopotelul sau soneria de la poarta va chema pe unul dintre
parintii calugari, care va fi ghidul dvs. In rastimpul petrecut in
manastire.
- Se recomanda evitarea
intervalului orar 13:00- 16:30.
- Dupa apusul soarelui,
indiferent de anotimp, nu mai este posibila vizitarea schitului decat in
cazuri exceptionale.
- Tinuta cuviincioasa in
manastire este obligatorie si conditioneaza accesul.
- Linistea si reculegerea
sunt conditii obligatorii atat in incinta cat si in preajma manastirii.
- Rugaciunea este scopul
principal al pelerinajului. Participarea la Sfintele Slujbe si rugaciunea
particulara in biserica sau sfatuirea cu un preot sunt singurele motive
folositoare pentru venirea la o manastire.
- Fotografiatul si filmatul
in timpul slujbelor nu este permis. Nu fotografiati/filmati persoane
straine de grupul dumneavoastra, nici pe monahi fara acordul lor.
- In manastire - si mai ales
in biserica!- telefonul trebuie inchis sau pus pe un mod silentios.
- Accesul in casele monahale
este interzis.
- Nu lasati copiii
nesupravegheati in manastire sau in preajma ei sub niciun motiv.
- Pentru pelerinajele
organizate pentru grupuri mai mari va rugam sa anuntati la secretariatul
manastirii cu cateva zile inainte.
- Schitul Bradetu nu are
inca amenajata o casa de oaspeti, nici nu ingaduie camparea in incinta sau
pe pajistile de la anexele manastirii, fiind o zona des vizitata de
animale salbatice, deci nesigura.
- Pastrati curatenia pe
ulitele, pajistile si padurile din preajma manastirii. Nu aruncati
ambalaje sau gunoaie decat in locurile special amenajate in manastire sau
pe drumul de urcare, la fiecare 500m.
- Nu va aventurati pe
potecile din padurile din preajma manastirii, pericolele sunt multiple.
Folositi numai drumul comunal si ulitele.
- Drumul spre manastire este
un urcus continuu de 1,5 km. Va recomandam cu staruinta sa conduceti autoturismul cu viteza I si cu nu mai
mult de 10-15 km/h.
- In conditii de epidemie,
atunci cand se impun reguli de distantare sau protectie, va rugam sa
respectati solicitarile pasnic, in spirit crestin de coresponsabilitate,
grija si ordine.
PROGRAMUL SLUJBELOR PUBLICE:
Luni-Sambata 8:00 –
10:30 Acatist si Sf. Liturghie (sambata
si parastas)
17:00– 18:30 Slujba de seara
Vineri 17:00 – 19:00
Taina Sfantului Maslu
Duminica 8:30- 11:30 Acatist si Sfanta Liturghie
CONTACT
Adresa: Schitul Bradetu, Sat Bradetu, Comuna Bradulet,
Judetul Arges, c.p. 117147
Secretariat: 0742124219, email: schitulbradetu@yahoo.com
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
HISTORY
The Old
Hermitage Bradetu “Lord’s Ascension” was a princely monastery that had been
taken care by the Bassarab Dinasty, starting with the church founder – Great
Voivode Mircea the Elder-, fallowed by all princes untill Matei Basarab
(1632-1654) when the status of the monastery had been changed, surviving after
that in the troubbled centuries 18th and 19th, but
dissapearing due to Prince Cuza’s church reform.
The
church of the historical Hermitage Bradetu dates from the 14th
century – possibly first decades of 15th century AD, when Vv. Mircea
The Great was reigning in Valachia, as
it has been proven by historical documents, archeological findings and
architectural research done from the 20th century until now.
The old
monastery was an Orthodox brotherhood, the stone&brick church was at the
center of the settlement, surrounded by simple monastic houses with 2 or 4
cells, built by fir tree logs sealed with sand and clay, having high stone foundations and a long balcony –
as we can still admire even today the old traditional houses in Bradetu
Village.
The
monastic main settlement was on the West bank of Valsan River and the estate
was large and generous: from Ghitu Mountain to Gruiu and Bradulet Villages,
from Braniste Wood to Bustenet Wilderness, Chiciora Hill and Grosi Village (now
extinct). But, what is more important is the cultural, artistic and religious
inheritance given by the Bradetu monks of old times: the icons from 1615-1645,
the church itself, the 18th cent. Book collention, the frescoes,
temple icons and the bell made in the years of Abbot Ghenadie the Hermit.
Further
down, at Costesti – Valsanesti County, Bradetu Monastery has had another estate
where the monks had built a small nunnery. The nuns’ last place of devotion was
St. Nicholas Church (1807), that is still in good conditions.
So, at
Bradetu, the old monastery’s church, and at Costesti, the little church from
the graveyard, are still functional, especially the “Lord’s Ascension” church
(14th-15th cent.) – that has become the parochial church
for the village that has been developing arround the monastery since the second
half of 19th century, being
one of the oldest church in Romania (more than 600 years old), and one of the
few from its epoch still used for weekly services all year round.
THE
REVIVAL OF THE HERMITAGE
After
the fall of the communist regime,
reopening the old monasteries in the Archbishopry of Arges and Muscel has been
a permanent care and solicitude of His Holliness Calinic Argeseanul in His more
than 35 years of service as hierarch untill now. At Bradetu, there had been no
resonable solution to re-establish the hermitage on the historical site, in
such a context 3 monks have come with the proposal that the New Hermitage to be
built by them on a new location, other than the historical grounds and, maybe
not coincidentally, the estate found by the monks has secured the quiteness and seclusion or retreat – in
so many ways appropriate for the new monastery – and, more than that, offering
a permanent invitation to contemplation on nature’s beauty, seen from this
blessed meadow with an enormous horizon and the Sun and Heavens so close!
An
adviser and intercesor for the New Bradetu Hermitage has been the spiritual father
of the brotherhood – hieromonk Adrian Fageteanu – one of the fearless
confessors of the Orthodox Faith in the decades of atheist persecutions and an
survivor of the communist prisons. This saint Elder has shown the way to Father
Filotei Dabu and to his 2 disciples to Bradetu, guiding treir first steps and
incouraging them at the beginning of this life-long efforts.
The
second Elder and highly estimed supporter that the New Hermitage has had was
Reverent Father Ephrem from Arizona. His blessing and advise remained for our
brotherhood as a steady rule.
Finally,
we believe that by the intercesions and prayers of the abbots of old times
(Lazarus, Mihail and others until Isaia, David, Ghenadie the Hermit and
Partenie) and of the pious monks that lived here throut the centuries to the
latest known (Sava, Eutihie, Bogoslov, Metodie and Rafail) joining the prayers
of the pious nuns from Costesti – skemanuns Anisia, the abbess, Sofia and
Maria, and of all the founders of blessed memory – God has decided to revive
the Hemitage in Bradetu, thow on a new site, but inside the boundaries of the
estate owned by the medieval monastery, on a sunny meadow on a peak of Seci
Hill that protects the village to the North.
So, the
New Hermitage Bradetu has been re-established by choosing a new settlement, together with the arrival
of the first monks and, more officially, by the will of His Hollyness Calinic
of Arges, fallowed by the decision of the Archbishopric Council, the Decree of
the Holy Metropolitam Synod of Bishops, and by the recognition of the State
Secretary for Religion in the autumn of 2004 (to be precise, the 17th
of September and the 8th of November).
The
main Patron Saints and feasts of the new monastery, chosen by H.H. Calinic
Argeseanul and the Brotherhood, are The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist (24th
of June) and Saint Nectarius from Aegina (3rd of September and the 9th
of November), together with the other main feasts of the new church of the
monastery: The Protection of Most Holly Theotokos and two Romanian saints:
Calinic from Cernica (11th of April) and Ioanichie the Hermit from
Muscel (26th of June).
The
church of Bradetu Hemitage hosts a relicvary of Saint Nectarius - the Wonderworker, and an icon of his painted
by the pious nuns from Aegina in 2005.
THE BROTHERHOOD AND THE MONASTIC SETTLEMENT
Today,
Bradetu Hermitage have a small brotherhood of 5 monks, 4 of them being
hieromonks (priest-monk) and a hierodiacon. The brotherhood is stable, formed
on saint’s Basil the Great principles of the community of goods, prayer, work,
missionarism, study, preserving the old monastic traditions, commun ideals,
trust, fraternal love and obidience.
The
divine serivicies are celebrated daily in the Main Church (consacrated at the 9th
of Nov. 2019, after a profound restoration and improvement of the first wooden
church built in 2005). On good weather the divine servicies are celebrated at
the Summer Altar, designed and built entirely by the monks in 2008 autumn.
Some of
the church services of the daily liturgical cicle are recited in one of the chapels
of the monastery: Saint John’s from Hozeva, Saint Nicholas’ of Saint George’s
chapel.
At the
Priory, in the Guests Hall we keep the largest part of our library, better said
the most important part of it, exclusively for the use of the brotherhood,
containing only theological literature and ancient works of the Holy Fathers of
the Orthodox Church. At the Priory, as well, there are two of the monastery’s
workshops: one being a small printing house and the other for carpentry ane
repairs.
The
brothers of Bradetu Hermitage love working in nature and consider necessary a
self-sustainable homestead. Therefor, at our monastery having a small dairy
farm, doing open-field and politunnel agriculture, keeping bee-hives and poultry occupy an important part of the daily chores
of the monks.
MISSION
The
missionary work of Bradetu Hermitage has been developing on several ways:
catechetical (apostolic teachings),
social work and phylantropy, priestly counciling focused on solutions, to give
a few exemples.
Other
activities are seasonal, like summer jobs: cutting hei, building something,
collecting medicinal herbs. In the winter time and in early spring, when
there is more time, the monks learn byzantine church hymns or work at the
printing house –editing new books, printing, binding, or even making
translations from writtings either on orthodox spirituality or of common
interest.
PILGRIMAGE REQUESTS
1. At
Bradetu Hermitage all pilgrims are wellcome with good-will during the divine
servicies or in other time of the day, fallowing the minimum set of rules
bellow:
2. The
monastery’s gates are kept closed, in general, but the doorbell from the gates
will call in a few moments one of the monks. He will be your guide during your
presence in the monastery.
3. We
advise you to evoid the mid-day resting hours (13:00- 16:00).
4. After
sunset, thou, the monastery is closed, limited exceptions are aproved.
5. Decent
dress code in the monastery is obligatory!
6. The
quiteness and recolection are fundamental in the courtyard of the monastery and
in its vecinities.
7. To
pray is the main reason to make a pilgrimage. So, taking part at the divine
servicies and praying by yourself in the church, taking confession and
counciling with a priest are the only worthy motives to come to a monastery.
Admiring religious art, like in a museum, forgetting that you are in God’s
presence, is an offence to the Allmighty and a sin you don’t want to commit.
8. Taking
pictures and filming during the church servicies is not permited. Do not take
pictures of people that you don’t know,
neither of the monks without their permision.
9. In
the monastery and especially in the church the mobile phone must be shut down
or put on a silent mode.
10. Entering
in the monastic houses is forbiden.
11. Do
not leave your children alone in the monastery or in its surroundings under any
reason.
12. For
organized pilgrimiges with bigger groups, we kindly ask you to call the
monastery’s secretary few days before your arrival.
13. Our hermitage doesn’t have a guesthouse yet,
neither alowes camping in the courtyard or on the fields of the monastery, on
on its dependencies, being an aria often visited by wild animals, therefore not
safe!
14. Keep
the roads, fields and forest arround the monastery clean! Do not throw away
plastic bags or bottles, or any other garbage anywhere else than in the bins in
the monastery, or at every 500 m down the road.
15. Don’t
use stepways in the forests surrounding the monastery, there are many dangers.
Use only the village roads.
16. The
road to the monastery is a constant climbing, 1.5 km long. We strongly recomand
you to drive only with the first gire and no more than 10-15 km/h.
17. In
epidemic situations, when there are enforced rules of social-distance and
sanitary protection, we advise you to fallow the requests peacefully, in
christian spirit of responsibility and
care for others.
CHURCH SERVICIES
Monday to Saturday: 8:00 – 10:30 Akatist and Divine Liturgy
17:00 – 18:30 The 9th Hour,
Vespers and Small Compline
Friday: 17:00 – 19:00 the Mistery of the Holy Oil (Anointing
of the Sick)
Sunday: 8:30 – 11:30 Akatist and Divine Liturgy
CONTACT
Adress: Schitul Bradetu, Sat Bradetu, Comuna Bradulet,
Judetul Arges, post code 117147, Romania
Secretary: mobile phone 0040742124219, email: schitulbradetu@yahoo.com