Marking the 30th anniversary of the repose of Father Nicolae Steinhardt, Bishop Justin of Maramures and Satmar noted that the monk from Rohia Monastery whom he knew personally was ‘a crucified one’.
‘Not only did he accept to crucify himself receiving the Christian baptism and then becoming a monk, but he was a crucified one, because he was tortured and tracked his entire life,’ His Grace Bishop Justin said after officiating a memorial service at Ft Nicolae’s tomb.
‘Together with him, Rohia Monastery was also crucified and considered a monastery of reactionary persons, disobedient to the regime,’ the Bishop recalled March 30.
Bp Justin pointed to Steinhardt’s love for Rohia Monastery, and expressed his gratitude for having the opportunity to grow up spiritually under Fr Nicolae’s guidance.
‘He loved Rohia Monastery very much and he never went into the world anymore, except for his cultural activities.’
The same day a panel titled ‘Monk Nicolae Delarohia – 30 years after his repose’ was held.
Father Nicolae Steinhardt was a Romanian writer, Orthodox hermit and confessor of faith during the communist regime.
Being born a Jew, he converted to Christianity while in prison and is renowned for his work Happiness Diary.
Photography courtesy of the Maramures Diocese
