Place of Birth: Novaia Vodologa, Ukraine
Date of Birth: 1772, 18th century
Date of Death: August 4, 1844, Chișinău, 19th century
Enthronement: 1821
Affiliation: Russian Orthodox Church
Education: Theological Seminary of Ekaterinoslav
Biography:
Archbishop Dimitrie Sulima, of Ukrainian origin, was born in 1772 in the small town of Novaia Vodologa in the Krakow Governorate.
Dimitrie Sulima graduated from the Theological Seminary in Poltava, where Gavriil Bănulescu-Bodoni had served as professor and rector, and later attended the naval school in Nikolaev.
In 1821, Dimitrie (Sulima) assumed leadership of the Diocese, having previously served as vicar bishop of Tighina and Akerman (since 1811).
During his tenure, he took several measures to improve the work in monastic establishments, introducing communal monastic life in all monasteries and hermitages of Bessarabia in 1830. He issued numerous instructions for priests to deliver sermons and catecheses during the Divine Liturgy.
He also carried out administrative reforms: in 1835, the “Dicasteria” in Chișinău was transformed into the “Church Consistory,” a new institution with administrative, judicial, and oversight powers. Protopopias were replaced with eight “protoieries,” corresponding to the number of counties in the region.
Between 1833 and 1836, he oversaw the construction of the Cathedral in Chișinău.
In 1837, territories on the left bank of the Dniester were taken from the Diocese of Chișinău and Hotin and included in the newly organized Archdiocese of Odessa and Kherson.
During this period, a number of works were published, including Instructions for the Bulgarian Colonists settled in Bessarabia by I. N. Inzov, Romanian-Russian Prayer Books, guides for the duties of parish priests, and introductory texts for Christian education.
After 1844, the printing house in Chișinău reprinted books previously published in the Romanian Principalities. Most of these works attracted great interest and were distributed in churches both in Transylvania and in Moldova across the Prut River.
On August 4, 1844, Archbishop Dimitrie passed away and entered eternal life.