On 26 March 2016, Patriarch Justinian Marina was commemorated at Radu Vodă Monastery in Bucharest marking, on the occasion, 39 years since his falling asleep into the Lord.
The Divine Liturgy and the solemn service were celebrated by His Grace Timotei Prahoveanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest.
In the sermon delivered, the hierarch underlined that Patriarch Justinian Marina was a militant patriarch because many places of worship were restored in his time.
”As soon as he was enthroned as Patriarch of Romania a long process of restoration of the churches and monasteries began in his large eparchy because the Archdiocese of Bucharest was very widespread at the time. During his pastoral rule the monasteries of Dealu, Ghighiu, Suzana, Viforâta, Samurcăseşti, Ciorogârla, Ţigăneşti, Pasărea and others were restored. Therefore, he was a restorer of the old, historical and important monasteries and churches of the archdiocese that he was heading. He had the courage to ask for rights for the clergy, as well as to remind the authorities how important the Church was”, His Grace said.
The third Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church was born on 22 February 1901, in Sueşti village, Vâlcea County. He attended the courses of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Bucharest and was parish priest for a time. Widower in 1945, he was ordained Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Iaşi. Two years later he was elected Archbishop of Iaşi and Metropolitan of Moldova and Suceava, and on 6 June 1948, he was enthroned as Archbishop of Bucharest, Metropolitan of Ungro-Wallachia and Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. He fell asleep into the Lord on 26 March 1977.
According to his will, his grave is in the Radu Vodă Monastery in Bucharest.
