Stavrophore Justina Bujor, the abbess of Paltin-Petru Vodă Monastery, shared in an interview with Doxologia.ro how medicine and monasticism intertwined in her life as complementary vocations. “On one hand, it’s challenging, but on the other, they truly complement each other,” said the abbess about her dual roles as a monastery leader and a physician.
“I knew what I wanted to be since I was five,” she revealed. “Whenever I encountered an elderly person or someone with a disability, I would stop and ask what was wrong.”
From Medicine to Monasticism
Abbess Justina described her transition from medicine to monastic life as “very natural.” While studying in Iași, she began attending church and eventually entrusted her life to Elder Justin Pârvu.
“He pointed out the window from his cell and said, ‘See that spot? I’ll build a hospital there. Stop wasting time and come here directly!’ And I wholeheartedly replied, ‘Yes, Father!’” she recounted. “I felt that Petru Vodă was home, the place I had been searching for. I had no other plans from that moment, leaving everything in Father Justin’s hands.”
During her sixth year of medical school, Father Justin told her during Easter, “I’ve chosen the spot,” referring to the site of what is now Paltin Monastery.
Living Two Callings: Medicine and Monasticism
“I finished medical school just as Father Justin made a bold step,” Abbess Justina recalled. “He told me, ‘You’ll be tonsured as a rassophore in a week.’ I said, ‘Yes, Father!’ as always, with full openness. Even though I had to return to school dressed as a nun, I had no hesitation.”
Her fellow students were surprised, asking, “Did someone die?” to which she replied, “No.” “You became a nun?” they asked. “Yes,” she answered. She noted that her colleagues responded warmly to the news.
After graduating, she settled at the monastery to help establish the clinic envisioned by Father Justin. “There was almost nothing when I arrived—it was still being built. But beginnings are beautiful,” she recalled.
“At first, practicing medicine in the monastery was difficult. I had no phone, just books, no internet, and no electricity,” she said.
Today, the monastery’s medical centre is equipped with modern tools like an electrocardiograph, ultrasound, defibrillator, and oxygen systems. It serves not only as a typical clinic but often as an emergency center for monks, nuns, and locals.
“For 25 years, we’ve cared for the sick, including some very severe cases,” Abbess Justina said. “There are always emergencies. You must assess if someone is critically ill, if an ambulance is needed, or if you can handle the situation yourself. Many times, we try to resolve it ourselves.”
A Christian Doctor as an Apostle
“A Christian doctor is like an apostle,” the abbess emphasized. Treating the body and soul together is “natural, desirable, and fulfilling,” she added.
Elder Justin Pârvu: A Compassionate Healer
Abbess Justina also spoke of Elder Justin Pârvu’s deep compassion for the sick and his desire to help them tangibly, not just through advice and prayer.
“He had extraordinary sensitivity toward the sick and great reverence for doctors,” she said. For cancer patients, he encouraged spiritual therapy that involved the entire family: “Start praying, confessing, drawing closer to the Church, and receiving Holy Communion, because if one member is ill, the whole family must act.”
She shared a miraculous story of healing through Father Justin’s prayers. A nun in a coma with a skull fracture fully recovered after prayers from the monastery community.
The Gift of Health
“All the Holy Fathers say that without illness and suffering, we cannot progress spiritually,” the abbess remarked. “The sick person begins to see life’s essence, no longer wasting time on trivialities.”
She also highlighted the importance of gratitude for health:
“I believe we must thank God continuously and use the time He gives us for His glory—through prayer, thanksgiving, virtuous living, and spiritually enriching reading.”
Caring for the Elderly
The medical centre at Paltin Monastery, located in Petru Vodă, Neamț County, currently cares for approximately 40 elderly residents.
Photo: Youtube / Doxologia.ro