Legend has it that, when the Foundation for the Greek Church in Braila was dug, a source was discovered under the altar whose water is transformed into only one day a year. Specifically, on the day when the Orthodox Church celebrates the source of healing.
Spring below the Altar of the Church Buna Vestire from Braila Source: Archipiscopia of the Lower Danube
The Greek church “Buna Vestire” in the old center of Braila becomes an important place of pilgrimage especially on the holiday of the healing spring, celebrated on the Luminated Friday (April 25).
The place of worship was built in the 19th century and is the most beautiful historical monument in Braila. The foundation stone was laid in 1863, with the support of the numerous Greek community in Brăila, who obtained approval for construction from the ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza.
During the works of putting the foundation of the Church, one of the founders had a dream, which resulted in the discovery of a natural spring, with healing properties on the Day of Healing. It was considered as a divine sign, the spring closing in a fountain, and above building the Holy Altar.
All the legend says that a shepherd, who was carrying his sheep from the house, was angry and thoughtful that his mother had blinded and prayed to God to give her health. In the dream, the Mother of God appeared and told him to build a small trout. The next day, the shepherd started the job and, in three days, he finished building the small trout. He noticed, however, that besides the construction of him, a waterproof appeared and began to dig a ditch so that the water could drain. The man drank from the flowing water and, seeing that he was cold and good to taste, put in a bottle to take his mother at home to drink and wash his face. After drinking from this water, the mother of the shepherd was cured.
The water in the spring is healing
The spring is found at a depth of 15 meters and is healer only once a year, by the spring of healing, immediately after Easter. Only on this day the priests open the fountain and hundreds of patients from all over the country come to receive agheasma.
Until 2000, the water in the spring was removed with a scourge. A believer from Germany donated money for the redevelopment and rebuilding of the fountain below the church altar, buying an electric water removal pump.
The Italian craftsman Fernando Iacevoli is the one who decorated the interior of the church Good News. The carpentry of the church was worked in neoclassical style by craftsmen from Constantinople. Is white with golden decorations in bas -relief
After the dome of the church collapsed in 1868, its reconstruction was made by Oscar Schwab, the German architect of the European Danube Commission. The bell tower of the building, equipped with a Swiss clock and a large bell, was damaged by the 1940 and then consolidated earthquake.
The healing spring water is offered to the Photo believers: Archdiocese of the Lower Danube
The church has a cross form and has three altars, with two towers, and as a style dominates the Byzantine, with Greek, Gothic and Renaissance influences. The main altar bears the dedication of the Good News and was consecrated on October 29, 1872 by Bishop Melchizedek of the Lower Danube. The northern altar bears the dedication of Saint Gherasim, and the southern one of Saint Nicholas. These were consecrated on December 6, 1873, by the same bishop.
The healing spring water is offered to the Photo believers: Archdiocese of the Lower Danube
Pilgrimage
Every year, the spring of healing transforms the city of Braila into the center of Orthodoxy, a place of pilgrimage for thousands of believers arriving from all over the country to take water from the spring. People believe that water has healing power for diseases of the soul and body.
The Brazilian parish “Buna Vestire” will bottling and offering the pilgrims over 26,000 bottles with aghiasma.
“This Brazilian church is representative for the Brazilians, but also for the whole diocese, as it becomes every year, at the feast of the Source of Healing of the Luminated Week, a place of pilgrimage for many believers both from the diocese and from all over the country that come with faith to receive from the holy water.”says the priest Rareş Bucur, the spokesman of the Archdiocese of Danube de Jos.
“The place of worship enjoyed the visit of His Majesty King Mihai and Queen Ana on June 19, 1998. Also, the Ambassador of the United States, James Rosapepe with his wife, visited the church on February 24, 1999”is shown in the monograph of the church.
