Pentru pelerini

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

1. La Schitul Bradetu sunt intampinati cu bunavointa toti pelerinii care vin in timpul si in afara slujbelor bisericesti, conform urmatoarelor reguli minime:
2. 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.
3. Se recomanda evitarea intervalului orar 13:00- 16:30.
4. Dupa apusul soarelui, indiferent de anotimp, nu mai este posibila vizitarea schitului decat in cazuri exceptionale.
5. Tinuta cuviincioasa in manastire este obligatorie si conditioneaza accesul.
6. Linistea si reculegerea sunt conditii obligatorii atat in incinta cat si in preajma manastirii.
7. 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.
8. Fotografiatul si filmatul in timpul slujbelor nu este permis. Nu fotografiati/filmati persoane straine de grupul dumneavoastra, nici pe monahi fara acordul lor.
9. In manastire - si mai ales in biserica!- telefonul trebuie inchis sau pus pe un mod silentios.
10. Accesul in casele monahale este interzis.
11. Nu lasati copiii nesupravegheati in manastire sau in preajma ei sub niciun motiv.
12. Pentru pelerinajele organizate pentru grupuri mai mari va rugam sa anuntati la secretariatul manastirii cu cateva zile inainte.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. Nu va aventurati pe potecile din padurile din preajma manastirii, pericolele sunt multiple. Folositi numai drumul comunal si ulitele.
16. 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.
17. 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 18^th and 19^th, but dissapearing due to Prince Cuza’s church reform.

                The church of the historical Hermitage Bradetu dates from the 14^th century – possibly first decades of 15^th 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 20^th 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 18^th 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 (14^th-15^th cent.) – that has become the parochial church for the village that has been developing arround the monastery since the second half of  19^th 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 17^th of September and the 8^th 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 (24^th of June) and Saint Nectarius from Aegina (3^rd of September and the 9^th 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 (11^th of April) and Ioanichie the Hermit from Muscel (26^th 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 9^th 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 9^th 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