Silvașu de Sus, Hunedoara County, Romania, December 7, 2023
Photo: basilica.ro
Mother Pavelida (Munteanu), abbess of the Romanian Orthodox Church’s Prislop Monastery and spiritual daughter of the revered Elder Arsenie (Boca), reposed in the Lord on Saturday evening, December 2.
Abbess Pavelida had dedicated 74 years of her life to service to Christ in monasticism, reports the Basilica News Agency.
She spent the last 37 of those years as abbess of the Prislop Monastery.
Mother Pavelida was buried at the monastery on Tuesday. His Grace Bishop Andrei of Covasna spoke about the need for monastics who leave the world to enter a continuous struggle for the acquisition of eternal life, just as Mother Pavelida “toiled for more than 70 years in monastic orders, shining like a lantern through the example of her life.”
His Grace Bishop Nestor of Deva and Hunedoara spoke about “the obedience and fidelity that mother Pavelida showed throughout her life towards Venerable Fr. Arsenie (Boca), whose spirit she kept alive at Prislop Monastery.”
Mother Pavelida was buried near her spiritual father, Elder Arsenie.
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Photo: basilica.ro
Mother Pavelida was born on October 17, 1929, in Hârseni, in central Romania. She was a parishioner of the Brâncoveanu-Sâmbăta de Sus Monastery in Braşov county during the time when Elder Arsenie (Boca) was a member and later abbot.
She began her own monastics life at Bistrița Monastery in 1949, and later moved to Horezu Monastery. There she graduated from the 5-year monastic theological seminary in 1956. On May 8 of that year, she was tonsured as a nun, receiving the name Pavelida.
In 1957, she began her studies at the Faculty of Orthodoxy Theology in Bucharest. Then, due to a government decree in 1959, she, together with all monastics, were forced to leave her monastery. She retired to Răşinari near Sibiu with seven others, leading a community life as practiced in monasteries for 16 years until 1976.
In 1976, on the advice of Elder Arsenie, the community moved to the reopened Prislop Monastery in Hunedoara County. After 10 years of toil, Mother Pavelida received the obedience of abbess, again at the proposal of Elder Arsenie.
“Take it both as a canon and as a gift from above. It’s God’s will and I’ll help you,” the Elder told her. “Take care how you carve the material and spiritual beauty of this place.”
Mother Pavelida led the community for 37 years.
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