Sulița, Romania, February 25, 2020
Photo: ziarullumina.ro According to a recent statement from the Metropolitan of Moldova and Bukovina of the Romanian Orthodox Church, there are plans to build a memorial to one of the greatest Orthodox elders of the 20th century in his hometown.
On Sunday, February 16, His Eminence Metropolitan Teofan continued a series of visits he has been undertaking to visit the priests and faithful of the Diocese of Iași. This time, he visited the hometowns of the great Elder Cleopa (Ilie) and his spiritual father Elder Paisie (Olaru), reports Doxologia.
His second visit of the day was to the village of Sulița, the hometown of the renowned Elder Cleopa, where he was greeted at the Church of St. Nicholas by a number of clergy, headed by Fr. Florin Ștefan. After offering a word of exhortation, Met. Teofan served a Trisagion for Elder Cleopa and his parents Alexandru and the Nun Ana.
His Eminence then visited the cemetery Church of St. George, where he again offered a word of teaching, emphasizing how important it is that Elder Cleopa was born and raised in this village. He then went to the grave of Elder Cleopa’s father, Alexander, and again served a Trisagion for the repose of their souls.
Afterwards, Met. Teofan went to see the house where the great Elder was born and raised, expressing the intention to soon establish a memorial house there, in which the image and life of Fr. Cleopa will forever remain in the memory of the faithful.
The Metropolitan then traveled to Stroiești, where he was greeted at the Church of the Archangels Gabriel and Michael. He offered a word of teaching, speaking with emotion about Elder Paisie (Olaru), the spiritual father of Elder Cleopa, who was born in the village in 1897.
A Trisagion was then served for Elder Paisie and his parents.
Met. Teofan personally presented all the faithful with icons at all the churches he visited.
