Elder Cleopa

In the Tradition
Of St Paisius Velichkov
BY ARCHIMANDRITE IOANICHIE BALAN TRANSLATED WITH ADDITIONS TO THE TEXT BY MOTHER

CASSIANA
i
Preface
The young St. Paisius Velichkovsky found his way into his own ancestral
land of Moldavia—a part of Romania—where he found a true guide for his soul.
His journey then took him to Mount Athos for a number of years, after which he
returned to Romania where he lived at both Dragomima Monastery and then Secu
Monastery, before finally settling at Neamts Monastery for the remainder of his life.
The rich traditions of the interior life of the soul, the practice of the Jesus
Prayer, and the firm establishment of true Orthodox monastic tradition flourished in
these monasteries and throughout the surrounding area. Romanian history records
that countless hesychastic monks and nuns lived not only in established monasteries,
but also alone in the woods and caves of the deep forests in the surrounding
Carpathian Mountains.
Only a few miles from Neamts Monastery where St. Paisius ended his
days, and within a short walking distance of Secu Monastery where he also labored,
Archimandrite Cleopa Ilie spent most of his monastic life in Sihastria Monastery.
Although living two hundred years after St. Paisius, Fr. Cleopa could truly be called
a disciple of the great elder. His knowledge of the teachings and writings of the holy
fathers, his discernment as a spiritual father in guiding others’ souls and the depth
of his interior prayer are all firmly in the Paisian tradition. Elder Cleopa brought a
rebirth of these traditions not only to his beloved monastery of Sihastria, but also to
all who came in contact with him.
I met Fr. Cleopa in 1980, during my first trip to Romania. In fact, I had
only been in Romania two days and had not even reached my ultimate destination
of Varatec Monastery when, by God’s providence, we stopped at the diocesan center
at Buzau while he was also there to see Bishop Anthony. I had heard about the elder
for a number of years, but could not imagine that I would ever be granted the bless-
ing to be in his presence. On meeting him, my immediate reaction was not to simply
bow in asking a blessing—but to fall to a prostration. There was no doubt that I was
in the presence of a truly holy man who was so full of God’s grace that it radiated
all around him. During the years that I spent at Varatec Monastery I met Fr. Cleopa
on countless
occasions. While others asked him question after question, I found that it was enough simply to be in his presence. What better way is there to •hare the blessings I received from knowing
the elder than to be able to translate and publish his biography?
While many bemoan the fact that there are so few true spiritual fathers available in our own times, we must give thanks that God has granted us such a shining example in Fr. Cleopa. His
writings have been spread widely throughout Romania, largely due to the efforts of his spiritual son, Archimandrite loanichie Balan. When we asked Fr. loanichie for permission to translate
his biography of Fr. Cleopa, he was overjoyed to learn that there is such an interest—indeed a true veneration—already in America for the beloved elder.
We include in this volume more than just a translation of Fr. loanichie’s biography: we have taken the liberty to re-arrange parts of Fr. loanichie’s work, but we have omitted nothing from
the original Romanian text. We have included many of Fr. Cleopa’s counsels from the series of “Ne Vorbeste Parintele Cleopa”, volumes 1-10, and have also added a great deal of text
from personal knowledge and experience, as well as some background information about some places and situations in Romania.
This work could not have been brought to completion without 3 help of a number of people. Our sincere gratitude is extended to chimandrite loanichie Balan for granting us permission to
translate , d freely expand his text; to Archimandrite Roman Braga for his introduction to this work; to Mother Abbess Gabriella and the nuns of Dormition Monastery for clarifying
troublesome Romanian words and phrases and offering additional background information; to those who proofread the text and corrected our text, especially Fr. Philip Vreeland, Fr. Chad
Hatfield, Khouria Thekla Hatfield, Fr. Daniel Jones and Genevieve Courville. A special note of thanks is extended to Matt Duncan for his work on the technical details with the photos
included in this book and for designing the cover.
A portion of all proceeds from the sale of this book will be given to the support of Fr. Cleopa’s beloved Sihastria Monastery.
Mother Cassiana Holy Protection Monastery Bright Week, 2001
1. INTRODUCTION
A GENUINE SPIRITUAL FATHER
Fr. Cleopa has found his place in history as the most representative elder
and spiritual father of contemporary Romanian Orthodox spirituality. The ease of
travel and the instantaneous transfer of information by modem systems of
communication have spread Fr. Cleopa’s fame far beyond the borders of the small
country of Romania. His disciples in England have worked to make the elder known
to the western Orthodox world through numerous articles published in Sobornost.
These articles have revealed some of Fr. Cleopa’s particular style and methods as a
spiritual father. In The Orthodox Word, nr. 6, 1990, the monk Damascene of
Grigoriu published an article “Archimandrite Cleopas of Sihastria Monastery.”
Shortly after the elder’s repose, Fr. David Hudson published a eulogy entitled, “May
Heaven Consume You.”
This beloved shepherd-monk left behind him more than ten books
published in Romanian, several of which are being translated into English. The level
of interest in—and veneration for—our beloved elder, Fr. Cleopa, has prompted
others to present the life of this true saint from our own time to the American
Orthodox faithful.
I don’t know exactly how Americans view Fr. Cleopa, since that depends
largely on the tradition, culture, and mentality in which they were raised. I do know,
however, that for Romanians, he is the truest expression of Carpathian spirituality.
This spirituality is not restricted only to monastics but flows over into the lives of
the laity as well. The inhabitants of the Romanian Carpathian Mountains are pri-
marily sheepherders who have little interest in materialistic advancement. The
peoples’ movement with the flock from the mountains down to the valleys, together
with the changing seasons of the year, form the heartbeat and the very blood flow
of an entire nation.
These Carpathian people have their ancestry in asceticism, their roots
going back to the pre-Christian asceticism of Thrace. History testifies that the
Thracians had a strong ascetic movement. It is significant enough to note that
history of the ancestral Romanian lands, even from earliest patristic times, never
mentions a specific date when these
people become Christians. Such records of the Christianizing of lands exist
for France, Germany, Russian, etc., but not for Romania. The Romanians
found a blessed osmosis between Christianity and the religion of their
ancestors. These ancestors of the Romanian people, according to Herodotus,
never worshipped idols, but rather believed in one God.
The present existence of four hundred monasteries in this small
Orthodox country speaks clearly enough about the ascetical inclinations of
the people. Whether married or celibate, the Romanian is a monastic in his
heart. This is the truest Christian character, for the Savior said, Be perfect as
your Father in heaven is perfect, addressing these words not to monastics—
who did not exist at that time as an institution—but He gave this command
to everyone. Romanian monasticism, as opposed to western monasticism,
hardly ever uses the word “vocation,” because the very call to all people is
to become deified. This deification was God’s very intention in the creation
of man. Many of the oldest Romanian monasteries were founded by princes
and leaders who themselves ended their earthly days in those monasteries. It
has, therefore, permeated into the nostalgic being of the Romanian to sever
himself from earthly joys and to live in poverty.
Archimandrite Cleopa Hie was a true continuation of this history.
He cannot be compared to any Russian starets or to any Greek monk. Anyone
who would write or translate Fr. Cleopa’s biography lust keep this important
detail in mind. Up until now, American Or- odoxy has not had its own
“style,” but translates and assimilates the Jest from the many Orthodox
traditions of other countries: a very praiseworthy deed! We cannot, however,
forget that these saints and / spiritual fathers from other lands represent the
spirituality of the people from whom they descended. The measure in which
American Orthodox can assimilate these examples of spirituality remains to
be seen.
We applaud and rejoice in the publication of this life of Fr.
Cleopa, translated, reworked and expanded by Mother Cassiana of the
Protection of the Holy Virgin Monastery in Colorado. Mother Cassiana
spent a number of years of her monastic life in Romania. She was tonsured
a nun at Varatec Monastery, the largest monastery for nuns in Moldavia,
which is veiy close to Fr. Cleopa’s Sihastria. During that time she knew
Fr. Cleopa well, often hearing his counsels, and came to love and respect
both him and the Romanian character as well. Her book, Come, Follow
Me, about monasticism in Moldavia was published
in 1991. Therefore, I believe that she is the one-person born in America who
is able to understand Fr. Cleopa’s spirituality.
It is impossible to separate Fr. Cleopa from the Carpathian forests and
mountains. He was a spiritual father to the simple village people of the
mountains and was imbued with their character just as he was united with the
veiy setting in which he lived, with the birds and wild animals. First of all, even
as a member of a monastic community, he was a true shepherd. His first fifteen
years in the monastery was spent almost entirely in the obedience of caring for
the monastery’s sheep. From herding sheep, he was summoned directly to be
the abbot and spiritual guide not of one monastery, but for the entire nation. He
quickly, thus, became an object of curiosity for foreigners visiting Romania.
Those living in the west have a cosmopolitan mentality; therefore, I
don’t know if westerners understand Cleopa as he really was. Even in Romania,
we cannot imagine Cleopa transplanted into an intellectual-theological
cosmopolitan setting. When Patriarch Justinian invited Fr. Cleopa to speak to
students in Bucharest, the elder replied, “Your Beatitude, leave me in my
wilderness. You have wise and learned men in Bucharest who have doctorates
in theology. I am a stupid sinner, a rotten old man, a potsherd tied together with
wire. After a trip to the city, it takes me a month to regain my peace. Here in the
mountains, I see a bird, a sheep, a beautiful tree...and I find salvation.”
Since I was a disciple and admirer of this great Carpathian spiritual
father, God granted me to visit his cell. It contained a writing table, a very clean
and well-made bed that he rarely touched during his life, and a sheepskin vest
on a hanger. This was the room in which he knelt, read, prayed and slept. Cleopa
always knelt when he read from the holy fathers. After twenty-five years, I
revisited him again in 1992 and found his cell unchanged. The only difference
in this visit was that the elder jumped up and kissed my unworthy hand, while I
fell to my knees before him, asking him to pray that God would also grant “para-
dise to consume me,” for he had not first greeted me with his usual “may
paradise consume you.”
Cleopa had a distinct sense of humor which was characteristic to
Romanian spiritual fathers. When he visited the sheepfold with his disciples, he
would blow on a shepherd’s pipe, imitate birds and all the other wild animals.
He was in love with nature like Frances of Assissi; he loved people like St.
Seraphim of Sarov; and he had the spiritual
vi
humor of Philip of Nerri whom Geothe immortalized in his Letters from

Italy.
Fr. Cleopa had a special love for people who repented. He was
convinced that sinners needed support and comfort much more than a
penance that would distance them from the sacramental life of the Church.
God forgives those who weep for their sins. “If God forgives them,” Fr.
Cleopa would say, “then who am I to punish them.” Fr. Arsenins from
Techirghiol is a true disciple of Fr. Cleopa’s in this way of thinking. Fr.
Arsenins gives penitents the obligation of making one prostration per day;
if they can do more than that, fine. Fr. Arsenins knows that penitents of our
days will not fulfill a harsh penance. Imposing a penance that will not fillfill
would only add another sin to the penitent’s consciences for which,
ultimately, the spiritual father would be accountable.
The stories which Fr. Cleopa told, in his most loving Moldavian
dialect, would fill an entire Patericon. He came to the aid of hermits living
near the monastery, hearing their confession, absolving them and
communing all of them at least once each year. One of these recluses was
the Russian Bishop John and his deacon, Christopher. Every time he left his
humble shack in the woods, this deacon would leave a note inside, “Flee,
Christian! Danger! Christopher, the vilest of all on earth, lives here!” Fr.
Cleopa also spoke of the monk Damascene who took care of the chickens at
Neamts Monastery; and the two nuns iom Agapia Veche who lived in an old
wagon in the woods at Rapa lui toroi. These, and many other ascetics of the
Moldavian Carpathians, would have passed into obscurity if Fr. Cleopa had
not immortalized them in his writings and verbal counsels, much like
Patriarch Sophronius in the Limonaria revealed the life and teachings of
John Mo- schus.
This English translation of Fr. Cleopa’s life and teachings places
him in the patrimony of Orthodox spirituality, together with the other holy
fathers of the Church. May this book by Mother Cassiana contribute to
the wealth of Orthodox spirituality on this continent.
Archimandrite Roman Braga

Holy Dormition Monastery
March 4, 2001 St. Gerasimus
of the Jordan
1
CHILDHOOD AND FAMILY
. ur beloved spiritual father, Archimandrite Cleopa Hie,
O jwas bom in the town of Sulita, Botosani County on

April 10, 1912 receiving the name of Constantine at his
baptism as an infant. His parents, Alexander and Anna Hie, were living
examples of people who truly lived their Christian faith, people who
loved God, the Church and their children.
The Hie family did not have their ancestral roots in this part of
Romania. According to tradition, Alexander Ilie’s ancestors were shep-
herds whose origins were traced to the area of Salistea in Sibiu. In the
18th century as the Austro-Hungarian Empire spread over the central
part of Romania, many Orthodox Christians were forced into becoming
Roman Catholics. Rather than deny the true Faith, Alexander Ilie’s
ancestors moved to the Romanian principality of Moldavia, settling in
Botosani County. Oral stories passed on from generation to generation
recount how the Hie family, consisting pf a mother and three sons,
crossed the Carpathian Mountains to make their home in the north-
2 Elder Cleopa of Sihastria
eastern part of Romania. One of these three sons was the ancestor of
Alexander Hie.
Alexander Hie was bom on September 12, 1873 in Sulita. He grew
up to be tall, very quiet and a wise and prudent farmer. In 1902 he married
Anna Bercea, a young woman from a neighboring village. Fr. George
Chiriac, who married them, would later baptize all their children. Alexander
was known as one of the best farmers in their village: the family had 150
sheep, over twenty head of cattle and thirty hectares of land. God quickly
blessed Alexander and Anna with a large family: Maria, bom in 1903;
Vasile, bom in 1905; George bom in 1907; Pbr- fira, bom in 1910;
Constantine bom in 1912; Catherine bom in 1914; Michael bom in 1917 and
Hareta bom in 1920. Two other children, whose names are unknown, died
in infancy.
Alexander Ilie and his family were exemplary individuals. They
were never absent from any church service, faithfully practiced almsgiving,
prayed constantly with their children and lived a life that was pure and God
pleasing. Their house was like a small church; as Fr. Cleopa often related,
“We had one room which was nothing but icons, like a small chapel. That
is where we prayed. Even in the middle of the night we would get up and
pray there.” No one in the family ever participated in swearing,
drunkenness, sexual immorality, avariciousness or - God forbid - abortion.
Their daily life flowed smoothly, like sweet water from a stream. They had
inherited from their ancestors this pure Christian way of life which prevailed
in that part of the country.
It was God’s will that this region of Romania gave birth to many
spiritually renowned monks, priests, bishops and holy people, among whom
are included St. John the New of Neamts (1913-1960), as well as
Hieroschemamonk Paisius 01am who became the spiritual father of young
Constantine, the future Fr. Cleopa. We do not err when we also number
among these holy people, our blessed spiritual father, Archimandrite Cleopa
Ilie, for he was chosen by God from the time of his birth to be a spiritual
guide and comfort to countless monastics, priest, bishops and faithful.
During the first two months of his life, Constantine was in very
poor health. He reached a point at which he would hardly eat at all and
cried day and night. The loving parents began to fear for his life. When
his mother Anna did not know what else to do, the elderly people of the
village advised her to take her ailing infant to the renowned spiritual
father, Conan Gavrilescu at Cozancea Skete. It was known that,
through Fr. Conan’s prayers, demons were driven out of people and others
received healing from every kind of illness and suffering.
Upon reaching the cell of Fr. Conon, Anna Hie found many other
people waiting to see him. When her turn came, she told him her problem,
weeping, “What can I do, Father? For some time now the child does not eat and
cries all the time. I’m afraid that he will die.”
“Do you know what you should do? You need to offer him to the
Mother of God!”
“How do I do that?” asked Anna.
“Here’s how,” he said. “Take the child in your arms and kneel before
the icon of the Mother of God in church and say to her, ‘Oh Theotokos, I offer
thee this child who is so ill! Do as thou alone knowest and heal him!’ ”
While holding the infant Constantine in her arms, Anna made three
prostrations before the icon of the Theotokos, fell to her knees weeping and
said, “Most holy Theotokos, I offer thee this, my child, who is so ill and cries
constantly. Do with him as thou alone knowest.” Then she crawled under the
icon three times. The priest then communed Constantine of the most pure Body
and Blood of the Lord and read the prayers for the sick over him. From that hour
young Constantine regained his strength.
This was, without doubt, a miracle wrought by the Mother of God,
for never again in his life would Constantine become so ill. Thus the Mother of
the Lord shows mercy to women who give birth in the fear of God.
Constantine’s childhood home was a living example of the Church,
but it in no way supplanted the family’s participation in the village parish, which
was served by the renowned priest George Chiriac. Fr. Cleopa would later
recount how all the people from the village of Sulita would obey the priest as if
his words came from Christ Himself, and no one would undertake anything
without first receiving his blessing.
The village life of young Constantine flowed smoothly. The church
was full of faithful parishioners, and everyone considered the numerous
children as the true adornment for the village. This was the normal way of life
for Romanian villages in the early decades of the 20th century! In this blessed
environment of obedience to the Church, Alexander and Arma Hie raised their
four boys and four girls who grew, played and were devoted to God from their
youth.
Chapter 1 Preface
The young St. Paisius Velichkovsky found his way into his own
ancestral land of Moldavia—a part of Romania—where he found a true guide for
his soul. His journey then took him to Mount Athos for a number of years, after
which he returned to Romania where he lived at both Dragomima Monastery and
then Secu Monastery, before finally settling at Neamts Monastery for the
remainder of his life.
The rich traditions of the interior life of the soul, the practice of the
Jesus Prayer, and the firm establishment of true Orthodox monastic tradition
flourished in these monasteries and throughout the surrounding area. Romanian
history records that countless hesychastic monks and nuns lived not only in
established monasteries, but also alone in the woods and caves of the deep forests
in the surrounding Carpathian Mountains.
Only a few miles from Neamts Monastery where St. Paisius ended his
days, and within a short walking distance of Secu Monastery where he also
labored, Archimandrite Cleopa Hie spent most of his monastic life in Sihastria
Monastery. Although living two hundred years after St. Paisius, Fr. Cleopa could
truly be called a disciple of the great elder. His knowledge of the teachings and
writings of the holy fathers, his discernment as a spiritual father in guiding others’
souls and the depth of his interior prayer are all firmly in the Paisian tradition.
Elder Cleopa brought a rebirth of these traditions not only to his beloved
monastery of Sihastria, but also to all who came in contact with him.
I met Fr. Cleopa in 1980, during my first trip to Romania. In fact, I had
only been in Romania two days and had not even reached my ultimate destination
of Varatec Monastery when, by God’s providence, we stopped at the diocesan
center at Buzau while he was also there to see Bishop Anthony. I had heard about
the elder for a number of years but could not imagine that I would ever be granted
the blessing to be in his presence. On meeting him, my immediate reaction was
not to simply bow in asking a blessing—but to fall to a prostration. There was no
doubt that I was in the presence of a truly holy man who was so full of God’s
grace that it radiated all around him. During the years that I spent at Varatec
Monastery I met Fr. Cleopa on countless
occasions. While others asked him question after question, I found that it was
enough simply to be in his presence. What better way is there to •hare the blessings
I received from knowing the elder than to be able to translate and publish his
biography?
While many bemoan the fact that there are so few true spiritual fathers
available in our own times, we must give thanks that God has granted us such a
shining example in Fr. Cleopa. His writings have been spread widely throughout
Romania, largely due to the efforts of his spiritual son, Archimandrite loanichie
Balan. When we asked Fr. loanichie for permission to translate his biography of
Fr. Cleopa, he was overjoyed to learn that there is such an interest—indeed a true
veneration—already in America for the beloved elder.
We include in this volume more than just a translation of Fr. loanichie’s
biography, we have taken the liberty to re-arrange parts of Fr. loanichie’s work,
but we have omitted nothing from the original Romanian text. We have included
many of Fr. Cleopa’s counsels from the series of “Ne Voibeste Parintele Cleopa”,
volumes 1-10, and have also added a great deal of text from personal knowledge
and experience, as well as some background information about some places and
situations in Romania.
This work could not have been brought to completion without the help
of a number of people. Our sincere gratitude is extended to Archimandrite
loanichie Balan for granting us permission to translate and freely expand his
text; to Archimandrite Roman Braga for his introduction to this work; to Mother
Abbess Gabriella and the nuns of Dormition Monastery for clarifying
troublesome Romanian words and phrases and offering additional background
information; to those who proofread the text and corrected our text, especially
Fr. Philip Vreeland, Fr. Chad Hatfield, Khouria Thekla Hatfield, Fr. Daniel
Jones and Genevieve Courville. A special note of thanks is extended to Matt
Duncan for his work on the technical details with the photos included in this
book and for designing the cover.
A portion of all proceeds from the sale of this book will be given to
the support of Fr. Cleopa’s beloved Sihastria Monastery.
Mother Cassiana Holy

Protection Monastery Bright
Week, 2001
INTRODUCTION
A GENUINE SPIRITUAL FATHER
Fr. Cleopa has found his place in history as the most representative
elder and spiritual father of contemporary Romanian Orthodox spirituality. The
ease of travel and the instantaneous transfer of information by modem systems
of communication have spread Fr. Cleopa’s fame far beyond the borders of the
small country of Romania. His disciples in England have worked to make the
elder known to the western Orthodox world through numerous articles published
in Sobornost. These articles have revealed some of Fr. Cleopa’s particular style
and methods as a spiritual father. In The Orthodox Word, nr. 6, 1990, the monk
Damascene of Grigoriu published an article “Archimandrite Cleopas of Sihastria
Monastery.” Shortly after the elder’s repose, Fr. David Hudson published a
eulogy entitled, “May Heaven Consume You.”
This beloved shepherd-monk left behind him more than ten books
published in Romanian, several of which are being translated into English. The
level of interest in—and veneration for—our beloved elder, Fr. Cleopa, has
prompted others to present the life of this true saint from our own time to the
American Orthodox faithful.
I don’t know exactly how Americans view Fr. Cleopa, since that
depends largely on the tradition, culture and mentality in which they were raised.
I do know, however, that for Romanians, he is the truest expression of Carpathian
spirituality. This spirituality is not restricted only to monastics but flows over
into the lives of the laity as well. The inhabitants of the Romanian Carpathian
Mountains are primarily sheepherders who have little interest in materialistic
advancement. The peoples’ movement with the flock from the mountains down
to the valleys, together with the changing seasons of the year, form the heartbeat
and the very blood flow of an entire nation.
These Carpathian people have their ancestry in asceticism, their roots
going back to the pre-Christian asceticism of Thrace. History testifies that the
Thracians had a strong ascetic movement. It is significant enough to note that
history of the ancestral Romanian lands, even from earliest patristic times, never
mentions a specific date when these
iv
people become Christians. Such records of the Christianizing of lands exist for
France, Germany, Russian, etc., but not for Romania. The Romanians found a
blessed osmosis between Christianity and the religion of their ancestors. These
ancestors of the Romanian people, according to Herodotus, never worshipped
idols, but rather believed in one God.
The present existence of four hundred monasteries in this small
Orthodox country speaks clearly enough about the ascetical inclinations of the
people. Whether married or celibate, the Romanian is a monastic in his heart.
This is the truest Christian character, for the Savior said, Be perfect as your
Father in heaven is perfect, addressing these words not to monastics—who did
not exist at that time as an institution—but He gave this command to everyone.
Romanian monasticism, as opposed to western monasticism, hardly ever uses
the word “vocation,” because the very call to all people is to become deified.
This deification was God’s very intention in the creation of man. Many of the
oldest Romanian monasteries were founded by princes and leaders who
themselves ended their earthly days in those monasteries. It has, therefore,
permeated into the nostalgic being of the Romanian to sever himself from
earthly joys and to live in poverty.
Archimandrite Cleopa Ilie was a true continuation of this history.
He cannot be compared to any Russian starets or to any Greek monk. Anyone who would
write or translate Fr. Cleopa’s biography must keep this important detail in mind. Up
until now, American Or- . thodoxy has not had its own “style,” but translates and
assimilates the best from the many Orthodox traditions of other countries: a very
praiseworthy deed! We cannot, however, forget that these saints and spiritual fathers
from other lands represent the spirituality of the people I from whom they
descended. The measure in which American Orthodox
can assimilate these examples of spirituality remains to be seen.
We applaud and rejoice in the publication of this life of Fr. Cleopa,
translated, reworked and expanded by Mother Cassiana of the Protection of
the Holy Virgin Monastery in Colorado. Mother Cassiana spent a number
of years of her monastic life in Romania. She was tonsured a nun at Varatec
Monastery, the largest monastery for nuns in Moldavia, which is very close
to Fr. Cleopa’s Sihastria. During that time she knew Fr. Cleopa well, often
hearing his counsels, and came to love and respect both him and the
Romanian character as well. Her book, Come, Follow Me, about
monasticism in Moldavia was published
in 1991. Therefore, I believe that she is the one person born in America
who is able to understand Fr. Cleopa’s spirituality.
It is impossible to separate Fr. Cleopa from the Carpathian forests and
mountains. He was a spiritual father to the simple village people of the mountains
and was imbued with their character just as he was united with the very setting
in which he lived, with the birds and wild animals. First of all, even as a member
of a monastic community, he was a true shepherd. His first fifteen years in the
monastery was spent almost entirely in the obedience of caring for the
monastery’s sheep. From herding sheep, he was summoned directly to be the
abbot and spiritual guide not of one monastery, but for the entire nation. He
quickly, thus, became an object of curiosity for foreigners visiting Romania.
Those living in the west have a cosmopolitan mentality; therefore, I
don’t know if westerners understand Cleopa as he really was. Even in Romania,
we cannot imagine Cleopa transplanted into an intellectual-theological
cosmopolitan setting. When Patriarch Justinian invited Fr. Cleopa to speak to
students in Bucharest, the elder replied, “Your Beatitude, leave me in my
wilderness. You have wise and learned men in Bucharest who have doctorates in
theology. I am a stupid sinner, a rotten old man, a potsherd tied together with
wire. After a trip to the city, it takes me a month to regain my peace. Here in the
mountains, I see a bird, a sheep, a beautiful tree...and I find salvation.”
Since I was a disciple and admirer of this great Carpathian spiritual
father, God granted me to visit his cell. It contained a writing table, a very clean
and well-made bed that he rarely touched during his life, and a sheepskin vest on
a hanger. This was the room in which he knelt, read, prayed and slept. Cleopa
always knelt when he read from the holy fathers. After twenty-five years, I
revisited him again in 1992 and found his cell unchanged. The only difference in
this visit was that the elder jumped up and kissed my unworthy hand, while I fell
to my knees before him, asking him to pray that God would also grant “paradise
to consume me,” for he had not first greeted me with his usual “may paradise
consume you.”
Cleopa had a distinct sense of humor which was characteristic to
Romanian spiritual fathers. When he visited the sheepfold with his disciples, he
would blow on a shepherd’s pipe, imitate birds and all the other wild animals.
He was in love with nature like Frances of Assissi; he loved people like St.
Seraphim of Sarov; and he had the spiritual
I
vi
humor of Philip of Nerri whom Geothe immortalized in his Letters from Italy.
Fr. Cleopa had a special love for people who repented. He was
convinced that sinners needed support and comfort much more than a penance
that would distance them from the sacramental life of the Church. God forgives
those who weep for their sins. “If God forgives them,” Fr. Cleopa would say,
“then who am I to punish them.” Fr. Arsenins from Techirghiol is a true disciple
of Fr. Cleopa’s in this way of thinking. Fr. Arsenins gives penitents the obligation
of making one prostration per day; if they can do more than that, fine. Fr.
Arsenins knows that penitents of our days will not fulfill a. harsh penance.
Imposing a penance that will not fillfill would only add another sin to the
penitent’s consciences for which, ultimately, the spiritual father would be
accountable.
The stories which Fr. Cleopa told, in his most loving Moldavian
dialect, would fill an entire Patericon. He came to the aid of hermits living near
the monastery, hearing their confession, absolving them and communing all of
them at least once each year. One of these recluses was the Russian Bishop
John and his deacon, Christopher. Every time he left his humble shack in the
woods, this deacon would leave a note inside, “Flee, Christian! Danger!
Christopher, the vilest of all on earth, lives here!” Fr. Cleopa also spoke of the
monk Damascene who took care of the chickens at Neamts Monastery; and the
two nuns from Agapia Veche who lived in an old wagon in the woods at Rapa
lui Coroi. These, and many other ascetics of the Moldavian Carpathians, would
have passed into obscurity if Fr. Cleopa had not immortalized them in his
writings and verbal counsels, much like Patriarch Sophronius in the Limonaria
revealed the life and teachings of John Mo- schus.
This English translation of Fr. Cleopa’s life and teachings places
him in the patrimony of Orthodox spirituality, together with the other holy
fathers of the Church. May this book by Mother Cassiana contribute to the
wealth of Orthodox spirituality on this continent.
Archimandrite Roman Braga

Holy Dormition Monastery
March 4, 2001 St. Gerasimus
of the Jordan
vii
Monasteries and major cities of Romanian Moldavia

turn of the215t century
1
CHILDHOOD AND FAMILY
ur beloved spiritual father, Archimandrite Cleopa Die,

was bom in the town of Sulita, Botosani County on
April 10, 1912 receiving the name of Constantine at his
Ibaptism as an infant. His parents, Alexander and Anna Hie, were living
eexamples of people who truly lived their Christian faith, people who
Moved God, the Church and their children.
The Hie family did not have their ancestral roots in this part of
Rlomania. According to tradition, Alexander Ilie’s ancestors were shep-
herds whose origins were traced to the area of Salistea in Sibiu. In the
18th century as the Austro-Hungarian Empire spread over the central
pairt of Romania, many Orthodox Christians were forced into becoming
M-coman Catholics. Rather than deny the true Faith, Alexander Ilie’s
anocestors moved to the Romanian principality of Moldavia, settling in
goitosani County. Oral stories passed on from generation to generation
rec«ount how the Hie family, consisting pf a mother and three sons,
Ciosssed the Carpathian Mountains to make their home in the north-
eastern part of Romania. One of these three sons was the ancestor of
Alexander Hie.
Alexander Hie was bom on September 12, 1873 in Sulita. He grew
up to be tall, very quiet and a wise and prudent farmer. In 1902 he married
Anna Bercea, a young woman from a neighboring village. Fr. George
Chiriac, who married them, would later baptize all their children. Alexander
was known as one of the best farmers in their village: the family had 150
sheep, over twenty head of cattle and thirty hectares of land. God quickly
blessed Alexander and Anna with a large family: Maria, bom in 1903;
Vasile, bom in 1905; George bom in 1907; Por- fira, bom in 1910;
Constantine bom in 1912; Catherine bom in 1914; Michael bom in 1917 and
Hareta bom in 1920. Two other children, whose names are unknown, died
in infancy.
Alexander Hie and his family were exemplary individuals. They
were never absent from any church service, faithfully practiced almsgiving,
prayed constantly with their children and Have a life that was pure and God
pleasing. Their house was like a small church; as Fr. Cleopa often related,
“We had one room which was nothing but icons, like a small chapel. That
is where we prayed. Even in the middle of the night we would get up and
pray there.” No one in the family ever participated in swearing,
drunkenness, sexual immorality, avariciousness or - God forbid - abortion.
Their daily life flowed smoothly, like sweet water from a stream. They had
inherited from their ancestors this pure Christian way of life which prevailed
in that part of the country.
It was God’s will that this region of Romania gave birth to many
spiritually renowned monks, priests, bishops and holy people, among whom
are included St. John the New of Neamts (1913-1960), as well as
Hieroschemamonk Paisius who became the spiritual father of young
Constantine, the future Father Cleopa. We do not err when we also number
among these holy people, our blessed spiritual father, Archimandrite Cleopa
Hie, for he was chosen by God from the time of his birth to be a spiritual
guide and comfort to countless monastics, priest, bishops and faithful.
During the first two months of his life, Constantine was in very
poor health. He reached a point at which he would hardly eat at all and cried
day and night. The loving parents began to fear for his life. When his mother
Anna did not know what else to do, the elderly people of the viUage advised
her to take her ailing infant to the renowned spiritual father, Conan
Gavrilescu at Cozancea Skete. It was known that,
Childhood and Family 3
through Father Conan’s prayers, demons were driven out of people and others
received healing from every kind of illness and suffering.
Upon reaching the cell of Father. Conon, Anna Hie found many other
people waiting to see him. When her turn came, she told him her problem,
weeping, “What can I do, Father? For some time now the child does not eat and
cries all the time. I’m afraid that he will die.”
“Do you know what you should do? You need to offer him to the
Mother of God!”
“How do I do that?” asked Anna.
“Here’s how,” he said. “Take the child in your arms and kneel before
the icon of the Mother of God in church and say to her, ‘Oh Theotokos, I offer
thee this child who is so ill! Do as thou alone knowest and heal him!’ ”
While holding the infant Constantine in her arms, Anna made three
prostrations before the icon of the Theotokos, fell to her knees weeping and said,
“Most holy Theotokos, I offer thee this, my child, who is so ill and cries
constantly. Do with him as thou alone knowest.” Then she crawled under the icon
three times. The priest then communed Constantine of the most pure Body and
Blood of the Lord and read the prayers for the sick over him. From that hour
young Constantine regained his strength.
This was, without doubt, a miracle wrought by the Mother of God, for
never again in his life would Constantine become so ill. Thus the Mother of the
Lord shows mercy to women who give birth in the fear of God.
Constantine’s childhood home was a living example of the Church, but
it in no way supplanted the family’s participation in the village parish, which was
served by the renowned priest George Chiriac. Fr. Cleopa would later recount
how all the people from the village of Sulita would obey the priest as if his words
came from Christ Himself, and no one would undertake anything without first
receiving his blessing.
The village life of young Constantine flowed smoothly. The church
was full of faithful parishioners, and everyone considered the numerous children
as the true adornment for the village. This was the normal way of life for
Romanian villages in the early decades of the 20th century! In this blessed
environment of obedience to the Church, Alexander and Anna Hie raised their
four boys and four girls who grew, played and were devoted to God from their
youth.
Having been healed as an infant by the Theotokos, the young

Constantine held a tremendous love for her. When he was only eleven he
learned the Akathist Hymn of the Annunciation by heart! Fr. Cleopa would
later relate how he did this:
“I had to work in the fields, husking the newly-harvested corn, so
I kept a prayer book under the pile of husks. While I waited for my father
to come with the cart to take the com, I learned an icos, then a kondakion,
one after another until I learned the entire Akathist of the Annunciation.”
Constantine’s love for prayer was implanted in him while he was
very young. His father would not hear of any of the children eating
immediately upon arising in the morning. “First, you pray for at least one
hour, then you can eat something,” he would say when the children cried
that they were hungry. On fasting days he was even more severe: “You are
not animals that need to eat in the mornings; go to school and when you
come home, then you can eat. It’s a fast day!” It was equally unheard-of for
any of the family to go to bed at night without first saying the Evening
Prayers, and no one would think of eating anything at all without first
offering thanks to God by saying the Lord’s Prayer.
Thus, all of the Hie children loved to fast from the time they were
very young. Their mother often related that she would put meat in their
backpacks when it was not a Lenten day, but the children would not eat it.
Instead they would give the meat to others, and they would eat only bread.
There was one instance in his youth when Constantine gave in to
peer pressure: “When I was young and coming home from school one day,
we were going through another village when I saw a bunch of boys throwing
stones at a house with red siding, so I began throwing stones too! When our
teacher heard about this, he took all of us boys aside and smacked us hard.
I’m very grateful to him for doing this and correcting me, and I still
remember him in my prayers.”
Anna Hie often said that young Constantine was never attracted
to worldly pleasures, but rather fled from them. As a young lad, he was
given the responsibility of tending the sheep that were far out in the pasture.
When he returned home, he often went out of his way, circling clear around
the village to avoid going past a place where there was a wedding reception
or music playing.
His early childhood and Christian upbringing left a deep imprint
on Constantine’s heart and soul. Decades later, when people
would come to him and ask his advice regarding their children, he clearly
explained the difference between a Christian upbringing and an indulgent one:
“A husband and wife came here to Sihastria the other day with their
little girl. When the meal was served, the child made the sign of the cross so
perfectly, just as her parents had taught her. The best religious teachers for
children will always be the parents! If you don’t teach your children through
your own example, they will grow up to be like wild animals. They won’t care
about mother or father, what is shameful or sinful, what is death, judgment,
heaven or hell, eternal life, or eternal torment—nothing! They will be out of
control, out of their minds.
“If children do not learn about the Faith while they are still in their
parent’s home, then they have been given no education at all. They will end up
doing all sorts of wrong and sinful things without their conscience reproving
them at all. Then will mother’s weep! How many mothers come here weeping!
“The most important obligation which those of you who are married
have is this: give the greatest care to the way in which you raise your children.
During those first crucial seven years of the child’s life, if you don’t take care
to teach him to pray, to make the sign of the cross, to say the Our Father, the
Creed, to go to church, to know what fasting means, and what things are sinful,
to learn to avoid sin, then you will be raising wild beasts, not children. There
will be nothing but bitterness for them and you in this life.
“The troubles that I hear! Children who beat their parents, others who
have killed their own mother or father! The Savior spoke of this, saying, In the
last days children will rise up against their parents and kill them. God forbid!
“If you are not careful in the way you raise your children, you will
drink the cup of bitterness and revulsion in this life and eternal torments in the
age to come.
“This is no laughing matter! A child that does not know what sin is,
what things are shameful, and what it means to be obedient to his parents,
becomes nothing but a beast!
“A woman came to see me once with her hand in a sling. She fell
down before me and began to cry. I asked her what was wrong and she said that
she had just come from the hospital because her son had beaten her, and broke
her arm and her leg! When I asked her why her
Having been healed as an infant by the Theotokos, the young

Constantine held a tremendous love for her. When he was only eleven he
learned the Akathist Hymn of the Annunciation by heart! Fr. Cleopa would
later relate how he did this:
“I had to work in the fields, husking the newly-harvested com, so
I kept a prayer book under the pile of husks. While I waited for my father
to come with the cart to take the com, I learned an icos, then a kondakion,
one after another until I learned the entire Akathist of the Annunciation.”
Constantine’s love for prayer was implanted in him while he was
very young. His father would not hear of any of the children eating
immediately upon arising in the morning. “First, you pray for at least one
hour, then you can eat something,” he would say when the children cried
that they were hungry. On fasting days he was even more severe: “You are
not animals that need to eat in the mornings; go to school and when you
come home, then you can eat. It’s a fast day!” It was equally unheard-of
for any of the family to go to bed at night without first saying the Evening
Prayers, and no one would think of eating anything at all without first
offering thanks to God by saying the Lord’s Prayer.
Thus, all of the Hie children loved to fast from the time they were
very young. Their mother often related that she would put meat in their
backpacks when it was not a Lenten day, but the children would not eat it.
Instead they would give the meat to others, and they would eat only bread.
There was one instance in his youth when Constantine gave in to
peer pressure: “When I was young and coming home from school one day,
we were going through another village when I saw a bunch of boys
throwing stones at a house with red siding, so I began throwing stones too!
When our teacher heard about this, he took all of us boys aside and
smacked us hard. I’m very grateful to him for doing this and correcting me,
and I still remember him in my prayers.”
Anna Hie often said that young Constantine was never attracted
to worldly pleasures, but rather fled from them. As a young lad, he was
given the responsibility of tending the sheep that were far out in the
pasture. When he returned home, he often went out of his way, circling
clear around the village to avoid going past a place where there was a
wedding reception or music playing.
His early childhood and Christian upbringing left a deep imprint
on Constantine’s heart and soul. Decades later, when people
would come to him and ask his advice regarding their children, he clearly
explained the difference between a Christian upbringing and an indulgent one:
“A husband and wife came here to Sihastria the other day with their
little girl. When the meal was served, the child made the sign of the cross so
perfectly, just as her parents had taught her. The best religious teachers for
children will always be the parents! If you don’t teach your children through
your own example, they will grow up to be like wild animals. They won’t care
about mother or father, what is shameful or sinful, what is death, judgment,
heaven or hell, eternal life or eternal torment—nothing! They will be out of
control, out of their minds.
“If children do not learn about the Faith while they are still in their
parent’s home, then they have been given no education at all. They will end up
doing all sorts of wrong and sinful things without their conscience reproving
them at all. Then will mothers weep! How many mothers come here weeping!
“The most important obligation which those of you who are married
have is this: give the greatest care to the way in which you raise your children.
During those first crucial seven years of the child’s life, if you don’t take care
to teach him to pray, to make the sign of the cross, to say the Our Father, the
Creed, to go to church, to know what fasting means, and what things are sinful,
to learn to avoid sin, then you will be raising wild beasts, not children. There
will be nothing but bitterness for them and you in this life.
“The troubles that I hear! Children who beat their parents, others who
have killed their own mother or father! The Savior spoke of this, saying, In the
last days children will rise up against their parents and kill them. God forbid!
“If you are not careful in the way you raise your children, you will
drink the cup of bitterness and revulsion in this life and eternal torments in the
age to come.
“This is no laughing matter! A child that does not know what sin is,
what things are shameful, and what it means to be obedient to his parents,
becomes nothing but a beast!
“A woman came to see me once with her hand in a sling. She fell
down before me and began to cry. I asked her what was wrong and she said that
she had just come from the hospital because her son had beaten her, and broke
her arm and her leg! When I asked her why her
own child had beaten her, she said, ‘In one single night he spends his entire
month’s salary drinking. He’s very generous when he’s drunk, buying
drinks for everyone. The devil makes him give alms in this way so that
others fall into sin with him. When he gets home, his wife tells him that
the children have no food, no books for school, nothing. Then he answers
by beating her. When I heard about this, I went to help my daughter-in-
law, but then he turned on me and beat me until I ended up in the hospital.
I came to you so that you would pray for him.’
“Have you ever heard of such a child? Like a beast. He beat his
own mother! She said, ‘the neighbors heard all the racket and came to have
him arrested and put into prison. God forbid! I don’t want this to happen
to him.’
“ ‘Dear woman, God’s anger is going to fall upon him.’ I said.
“ ‘No. No. I don’t want anything bad to happen to him. Pray that
God will forgive him!’
“Did you hear that? He beat her and sent her to the hospital, and
she prays that nothing bad happens to him! I made the sign of the cross.
She was a true mother.
“But God’s anger does not endure such behavior from a child.
Whoever strikes his mother or father will not decompose when he dies
unless he confesses this sin and fulfills the penance imposed by the
spiritual father before he dies.”
Thus spoke Fr. Cleopa in later years, because as a child he ex-
perienced the love of his parents who raised him in the fear of God, love
for prayer and devotion to the Theotokos and all the saints. Alexander and
Anna took great care of their children, for they considered that these little
ones had been entrusted to them by God. They were not indulgent, nor did
they spoil the children, but raised them in prayer and respect for their
elders.
As Constantine grew to a more responsible age, he was given

more chores in the household and family farm. Each year Alexander Hie
would pasture his sheep on the hills and meadows near Cozancea Skete,
about five kilometers from his village. It was the responsibility of the three
older boys, Vasile, George and Constantine, to care for the sheep. Being
so near to the skete, the boys became acquainted with the holy places from
their tender years and grew very close to their spiritual father, Fr. Paisius
Olaru, who lived alone near the skete.
Hieroschemamonk Paisius was bom in the town of Lunca, Botosani,

in 1897 and entered Cozancea Skete in 1922. He lived in a small hermit cell for
twenty-six years, praising God day and night and comforting a multitude of
souls. The faithful who heard of his stem asceticism and physical hardships
flocked to him for spiritual guidance.
Young Constantine and his brothers thus came to know Fr. Paisius by
visiting Cozancea very often. It wasn’t long before Fr. Paisius saw the spiritual
flame burning brightly in all three boys and began to guide them along the
monastic path while they were yet in their parents’ home. He taught them to sing
at the chanter’s stand, to work in the garden and to help the elderly monks of the
skete; thus, tire brothers learned the life of prayer and labor, together with
almsgiving, not only from their parents but also from their spiritual father.
It was the will of God that these three tender buds develop spiritually
from a very young age, preparing them for the great monastic struggles that they
would meet in later years. Whenever a temptation came to any of the three
brothers, he would run to Fr. Paisius and reveal it to him, asking what he should
do. Fr. Paisius’ answer to the young lad always included that he keep silence as
much as possible and constantly say the Jesus Prayer, that he should do numerous
prostrations in his prayer rule, and after milking the sheep in the evening he
should read the Psalter and the Akathist of the Theotokos.
Obedient to their father in Christ, the brothers never went against his
directions. But the devil tempted them more and more, for he cannot endure
being overcome by children who drive him off with the power of the Psalms.
Thys, the enemy of souls constantly waged war on these three young boys.
Once, when the three brothers were playing, the devil intervened, and
one of the boys was struck so hard that everyone thought he would die. Another
time the devils tried to disrupt their prayers by screaming and groaning in the
attic above the room where the brothers prayed. Constantine, being the youngest,
asked the others, “Do you hear that?” But Vasile, the oldest, answered, “Quiet!
Don’t pay any attention to them. Leave them alone, because all they can do is
make noise!”
When the evil one saw that the brothers burned him with their prayers
and fasting, he brought a greater trial upon them. Late one night, when the boys
were kneeling in prayer and reading the Psalter outside near the fire that burned
by the sheepfold, they suddenly saw a
strange bird, like a vulture, flying around them. Constantine, who never
missed anything happening around him, put the Psalter down and said to
the others, “Look at that bird! Isn’t it interesting?”
“Be quiet and pray. This is not the time to talk!” answered Va-
sile.
While Constantine was looking at that wretched bird—which
was, in fact, the devil—it suddenly threw itself into the fire burning on
the stones, making incredible noise and scattering the hot coals all
around, thus setting fire to the entire sheep pen. Many of the sheep died
in the fire, and it was some time before the boys were able to extinguish
the flames and gather the remaining sheep that had escaped and scattered.
Once the danger was over and the sheep were calmed, the three youths
hastened to Fr. Paisius and told him what the devil had done to them.
Fr. Paisius came to the sheepfold, sprinkled the animals with
holy water and then spoke to the boys, encouraging them not to be afraid,
for the devil is bound by Christ and does not have the power to kill
people.Often
2
BEGINNING OF MONASTIC LIFE
Often the three brothers reached an age acceptable to WW consider

marriage, their mother did eveiything she •MM could to find vîves for them so
that they would not go to a monastery. She constantly brought girls over to the
Hie house for sewing bees or to help with com husking, or any other reason she
could think of, hoping that at least one of the boys would show some interest and
get married. When she saw that they had no interest in marriage, she wept and
was greatly embittered. Indeed, instead of being interested in marriage, whenever
the girls were at their home, the boys— particularly Constantine—used the
occasion to tell them about the Lives of the Saints and other Church books.
Because of this, several of the girls entered monasteries before the three brothers
did.
Still, Anna Hie did not give up on her hopes of at least one of the boys
marrying and remaining in the village. Between 1925 and 1926 the young people
of the village decided to have a fiddler come and play for two dances at the Hie
house, as was the custom in those days. Alexander and Anna were delighted, for
these dances made their home the focus of the village youth, bringing many
young girls before the eyes of their three sons.
10
On one of those evenings, when the young people were gathered and
the music began, George saw that the icon of the Theotokos hanging on the
wall had begun to weep. Realizing that what they were doing grieved the
Mother of God, Vasile, George and Constantine went outside and hid. When
their mother realized that they were gone, she looked all over for them.
Finally finding the boys, she said, “Why are you making us a
laughing stock of the village? Come inside to the dance!”
George, having ducked into a comer where his mother would not see
him, cut the soles of his boots and then came out and said to his mother, “Mama,
how can I go to the dance? Look, my boots are completely mined.”
From that very evening, Alexander and Anna accepted the fact that
these three boys were not interested in the worldly life, and they finally left
them alone to serve God.
The two older brothers, George and Vasile, had begun preparing
themselves for monastery life. While they were still in their parents’ house,
they would arise in the middle of the night and read Matins and the Psalter,
fasting all the while. They would wake up Constantine to join them, but he
battled with his need to sleep more.
Their older sister, Maria, had joined the lay organization called the
Lord’s Army. She tried to convince Constantine to join it too, saying, “You
should come to the Lord’s Army, since you have a gift with words, and it
isn’t as hard as life in a monastery.” Constantine decided that this would be
the answer for him and agreed. The next night, when the older brothers arose
at midnight to pray, he told them that he was not getting up because he would
not be going to a monastery after all. Then he went back to sleep, seemingly
without a care.
That night their mother was working late. When she came back
from drawing two buckets of water from the well, she saw a light in the
room where Constantine slept; looking through the window she saw a huge
dog standing on top of him as he slept, licking his face. She shouted to
Vasile, “Vasile, come quickly and help Constantine because a dog is about
to kill him!”
Her shouts awakened Constantine and he looked about
immediately to see at least the tail of the large black dog that his mother
was yelling about, but it had disappeared. Vasile shed light on the entire
situation, saying, “That was the devil. He is elated that you are not going
to go to a monastery.” From that moment, young Constantine never again
turned back from his decision to be a monk.
Beginning of Monastic Life 11
again turned back from his decision to be a monk. He began to arise in the
middle of the night to pray with his brothers, fearing that the devildog
would come after him again.
George Enters the Monastic Life

Finally, the day came in 1927 when George left his parents’ home and
went to be a novice under Fr. Paisius of Cozancea Skete. He was in complete
obedience to his elder, working in the garden, singing in church, all the time
repeating the Jesus Prayer. They ate once a day, according to the eremitic life of
prayer and fasting. From time to time they went to Sihastria Skete located in the
mountains around Neamts Monastery in the county of the same name.
After a short time Brother George fell into a temptation of the devil
who wanted him to follow his own will and not be so obedient to his elder. While
the elder was out, George went into his cell and left a brief note for him, “Forgive
me, Fr. Paisius, I have gone into the forest for five days to repent.”
When evening came and the elder saw the note, he said, “This is a
temptation of the devil. It is not good for Brother George’s soul since he left
without a blessing.”
Around midnight, someone knocked on the elder’s door, “Bless, Fr.
Paisius, and forgive me, a sinner!”
“Who are you?” asked the elder.
“Brother George, the sinner!”
“How can that be? Brother George has gone into the forest to repent
for five days!”
“Forgive me, Fr. Paisius, I was wrong!”
“May God forgive you, Brother George. Come in now and tell me
what happened.”
Humbled and visibly frightened, Brother George went into the elder’s
cell and prostrated before him. “For a long time now, Father, I have wanted to
go off by myself and pray for several days alone in the forest. So I took the Book
of Hours, the Psalter, some candles and matches and hid in a grave-like pit in
the forest. I began to make prostrations and to pray with tears. In the middle of
the night I heard a terrible voice near me saying, ‘What are you doing here?’
When I turned around I saw the most frightening being imaginable; there an
enormous being, black as charcoal. I knew it was the devil. He said to me, ‘Why
did you leave without a blessing?’ I was so full of fear that I grabbed
1
Preface
The young St. Paisius Velichkovsky found his way into his own
ancestral land of Moldavia—a part of Romania—where he found a true guide
for his soul. His journey then took him to Mount Athos for a number of years,
after which he returned to Romania where he lived at both Dragomima
Monastery and then Secu Monastery, before finally settling at Neamts
Monastery for the remainder of his life.
The rich traditions of the interior life of the soul, the practice of the
Jesus Prayer, and the firm establishment of true Orthodox monastic tradition
flourished in these monasteries and throughout the surrounding area. Romanian
history records that countless hesychastic monks and nuns lived not only in
established monasteries, but also alone in the woods and caves of the deep
forests in the surrounding Carpathian Mountains.
Only a few miles from Neamts Monastery where St. Paisius ended
his days, and within a short walking distance of Secu Monastery where he also
labored, Archimandrite Cleopa Hie spent most of his monastic life in Sihastria
Monastery. Although living two hundred years after St. Paisius, Fr. Cleopa
could truly be called a disciple of the great elder. His knowledge of the teachings
and writings of the holy fathers, his discernment as a spiritual father in guiding
others’ souls and the depth of his interior prayer are all firmly in the Paisian
tradition. Elder Cleopa brought a rebirth of these traditions not only to his be-
loved monastery of Sihastria, but also to all who came in contact with him.
I met Fr. Cleopa in 1980, during my first trip to Romania. In fact, I
had only been in Romania two days and had not even reached my ultimate
destination of Varatec Monastery when, by God’s providence, we stopped at
the diocesan center at Buzau while he was also there to see Bishop Anthony. I
had heard about the elder for a number of years, but could not imagine that I
would ever be granted the blessing to be in his presence. On meeting him, my
immediate reaction was not to simply bow in asking a blessing—but to fall to a
prostration. There was no doubt that I was in the presence of a truly holy man
who was so full of God’s grace that it radiated all around him. During the years
that I spent at Varatec Monastery I met Fr. Cleopa on countless
Elder Cleopa of Sihastria
12
the Book of Hours and ran! So, please, Fr. Paisius, forgive me a sinner and receive
me back again!”
From that hour Brother George never again did anything without first
asking a blessing!
As much as he loved Fr. Paisius, Brother George felt very drawn to

Sihastria Skete, and toward the end of 1927 he went there to be received into that
brotherhood. When the egupien1 saw that this young brother was very zealous, he
first tested him in the following manner before accepting him into the skete: He
made him stay at the gate o the skete for three days. While there, he had to carry a
sack of fnr 0Ik S • C^’ sa^n§ Psalm 50 ten times, after which he could rest a s ort time,
but then begin all over again.
Broth ^lfee dayS’ e8umen came to him and said, “So, of life^ e°ê’ h°w is your monastic
life going? It is a difficult way must y°U haVe to fast ^d Pray mid do whatever you are
told. You momeCT?F' °f monasticism on your back, lovingly, to the
thk v;? J° ?Our death. Do you think you will have the patience to live
S hand of
struggle for the rest of your life?”
ne
ss but r°êr George answered, “Forgive me, a sinner. In my weak- 1 1 with the
help of God I will do whatever I am told.”
the sketA rOni ât moment the egumen received him as a member of skete’s eJn mrnunity
assigned him the obedience of caring for the
same when we were their age? Look, tomorrow or after we will depart
to the Lord and what good will this life have been?”
Finally, the brothers packed their meager belongings: two backpacks with a
change of clothes for each of them, a Bible, The Lives of the Saints, the Book of Hours, the
Psalter and two icons which they loved very much: one of St. George and the icon of the
Theotokos which had wept.2
" Falling to their knees in their home, they prayed to God and the Theotokos to
guide them and bless their journey and to grant that they be worthy of the monastic
struggles. Leaving the loving home in which they were raised and nurtured, they began
their journey. Their parents went with them to the edge of the town, weeping as any parents
would at their child leaving home; their love for their children was so great that they truly
grieved at the thought of the boys being so far from them. But Vasile and Constantine
spoke words of encouragement to their mother and father as they walked along, giving
them hope in Christ and eternal life.
When they reached the edge of the village and Vasile realized how difficult
this separation was for their parents, he began to sing the kondakion of the Akathist to
Christ the Savior, “O Lord and mighty Defender, Vanquisher of hades, Who hast delivered
us from eternal death, we Thy servants offer Thee praise; as Thou hast immeasurable
loving kindness, deliver us from every danger and need, that we may cry out to Thee:
Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me!”
The two brothers bowed to their parents and kissed their hands, then
turned and began to walk toward Cozancea Skete. When their sons had begun
walking away from them, both Alexander and Anna fell to the ground weeping.
Vasile and Constantine spent the day with their spiritual father,
Hieroschemamonk Paisius. In God’s providence, their brother George was at
Cozancea at that time visiting Fr. Paisius as well. The elder spoke to them of the
hermits and holy monks in the Neamts Mountains throughout that entire day. After
resting the night, the three brothers departed in the morning for the next stop on
their journey: Suceava.
2
This icon was later given by Archimandrite Cleopa as a blessing to a family in Borca, Neamts
County, where it remains to this day.
As they walked along the way, George encouraged the two younger
brothers for the life that awaited them at the monastery. They reached Suceava,
where they went to the monastery to venerate the relics of St. John the New of
Suceava. Since they knew that the monastery celebrated the Divine Liturgy
daily, they timed their departure from Cozancea so that they would arrive in
time for the service. After the Liturgy they stayed in the church and read the
Akathist to the Theotokos, then spent the night there before the longest and
final part of the journey that lay ahead of them.
In the morning the three brothers set out once more toward Sihastria
Skete. First, they stopped at Neamts Monastery where they venerated the
wonder-working icon of the Theotokos, protectress of all Moldavian
monasteries. Leaving Neamts, there was just a short distance remaining;
passing through the Secu Valley, they stopped briefly at Secu Monastery. By
now, knowing that their destination lay only one or two short miles down the
road, they hurried along and reached Sihastria just as evening was falling.
How blessed they felt! How veiy grateful they were to the Mother of
God, who had guided their steps to these beautiful and truly blessed mountains
where hermit monks had toiled for centuries.
Brother George had already been received into the skete; now the two
younger brothers had to pass the “test.” Fr. Hillarion, the egumen of the skete,
greeted them sternly.
“What do you want?” he asked them.
“We want to live in the monastery, Father; we want to be monks.”
“You want to offer your life to Christ?”
“Yes, with the help of God, Father.”
“Wait here till I talk to Father Abbot.”
When the elderly abbot heard about the two brothers, he told the
egumen, “Take them to the archondaric,3 give them something to eat; then,
beginning tomorrow morning, they are to stay three days and three nights at the
monastery gate, each one is to beat one of those old tree trunks near the gate
with a stick and say the Jesus Prayer without ceasing. They are not to be given
any food until the third day. If they have the patience to endure that, we will
receive them into the monasteiy.”
3 The archondaric is the name given to the guest quarters of a monastery.

The egumen went back to Vasile and Constantine and took them to
the archondaric where they rested for a while. At midnight they went to Matins,
then on the second day they were taken to the monastery gate. There the two
brothers prayed all day long as they each beat a tree stump with a stick. With
each strike, they repeated, “Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me,
a sinner.” Monks and younger brothers of the community passed by them all
throughout the day, but no one asked them anything; no one said one word to
them.
That evening the egumen came and asked them, “Well, brothers, did
the tree say anything?”
“No!” they answered.
“It didn’t complain that it was hungry?” asked the egumen.
“No!” they replied.
“Pay attention! That is how a monk in the monastic life is to endure!
Now go to the archondaric and after you do your rule of prayer and canon of
prostrations, rest a little bit. Then come to Matins.”
The next two days were spent in the same manner as the first. Finally,
on the evening of the third day, Abbot loanichie Moroi came to the monastery
gate and blessed the two brothers. Then he took them into the church and had
them venerate the wonder-working icon of the Theotokos. Finally, he heard a
lifetime confession from each of them, gave them some holy water to drink and
something to eat. The next morning they received the precious Body and Blood
of the Lord at the Divine Liturgy and were considered brothers of Sihastria
Skete.
The actual journey from their parents’ house to Sihastria took a few
days, and once at the skete they were tried at the gate for several days, but
Brother Constantine’s journey to Sihastria had, in actuality, begun from his very
infancy when his mother dedicated him to the Theotokos. Now that dedication
was fulfilled, for it was God’s providence, and no mere coincidence, that the
main church at Sihastria is dedicated to the Nativity of the Theotokos!
Both Brother Vasile and Brother Constantine were given the
obedience of caring for the monastery sheep, while Brother George continued
in his former obedience with the cattle. For the first three months they were at
Sihastria, the three brothers were not permitted to see or speak with each other.
God alone knows the trials which each of them underwent during this time—
God and the holy abbot of Sihastria, Fr. loanichie Moroi, who had been
entrusted with guiding this most holy monastic settlement.
Sihastria
Brother Constantine was now part of Sihastria Skete: a skete which
would be recognized as a monastery during his early years there, and finally
the place which became a beacon not only for all of Romania, but for the entire
Orthodox world in the latter part of the twentieth century.
How Sihastria Was Founded

A very holy hermit-monk, Fr. Athanasius, and his disciples es-
tablished Sihastria Skete in 1655. The new skete was a dependency of Neamts
Monastery, located only a few miles away. The setting, deep in the pine-
forested mountains of the Secu Valley in Neamts County, proved to be the
perfect peacefulness needed for the eremitic life. Fr. Athanasius and his novices
thus called their new home “Sihastria,” which means “hermitage."
The earliest known monks living in the Egyptian desert found their
solitude to be short lived, for other monastics and lay people, hearing of the
sanctity of those desert dwellers, flocked to them for spiritual guidance and
counsel. This was to be the case also with the new skefe of Sihastria which,
although retaining the name of “Sihas-
tria” (Hermitage), would grow to be a true lavra4 both in the number of monks
and in the level of the spiritual life contained within its walls.
In 1734, under the guidance and blessing of Bishop Gideon of Husi,
Sihastria Skete was renovated to accommodate the number of brothers who had
gathered there. A crude and rudimentaiy road eventually developed alongside
the mountain brook flowing past Sihastria as the growing number of faithful
continued to travel to this remote skete to draw from the spiritual life found
there.
The depth of the Romanian spiritual life was severely interrupted and
altered between 1861 and 1863 with the secularization imposed under the
Austro-Hungarian Empire. The monks of Sihastria, rather than bow under the
heretical yoke which was being propagated, fled into the mountains where they
eventually scattered, leaving Sihastria entirely deserted. After a few years of
such desolation, Sihastria was repopulated and renovated under the direction of
Metropolitan Benjamin Costachi.
The repopulation of Sihastria was short-lived however, for in 1884 a
lumberyard was built near the skete. The noise and commotion that came from
such a worldly establishment forced the monks—who loved quiet—to abandon
their beloved skete. Only one monk remained at the skete, Jonathan, who served
as watchman over this holy place. For the next twenty-five years the Divine
Liturgy was served only once a year—on September 8th, the patronal feast day
of the skete—in the chapel of Sihastria.
Elder loanichie Moroi

During this latter part of the 19th century, the future Hiero-
schemamonk loanichie Moroi, then a married layman, went on a pilgrimage to
venerate the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem and then to Mount Athos. This
pilgrimage touched the depths of his heart, and he realized that his entire life
must be dedicated to God, so he renounced his family and remained in one of
the Romanian cells on Mount Athos. In 1900, he returned to Romania and
entered Neamts Monastery, where he was assigned an obedience in the main
church of the monastery, an obedience he fulfilled with complete love and
devotion.
4A “lavra” is a large monastery that often will have smaller sketes or monasteries
dependent upon it.
In 1909 Metropolitan Pimen Georgescu of Moldavia used his

influence to close and dismantle the lumberyard near Sihastria Skete so that the
skete could once again function fully. Fr. loanichie Moroi, at that time a
schemamonk, was ordained and sent to Sihastria Skete to be the egumen.
The bells of Sihastria rang again, calling monks to the timeless
rhythm of prayer. Hieroschemamonk loanichie never relaxed his zeal for
holiness; for twenty years he was the only priest at the skete, serving the Divine
Liturgy daily. During this time he lovingly watched over the spiritual growth
of his novices, while never neglecting the necessary material needs of the skete,
nor his own personal ascetic struggles.
As the depth of the ascetical life at Sihastria—and especially that of
Fr. loanichie—became known, many of the faithful began to tread the path
again to the skete for prayer and spiritual direction. From the time he went in
obedience to Sihastria in 1909 until his falling asleep in the Lord in 1944, Fr.
loanichie served as the egumen and then abbot of the skete. His life of prayer
and physical efforts raised Sihastria from a deserted and abandoned state of
shambles to an absolute spiritual oasis, modeled after the strictest monasteries
on Mount Athos. The Divine Liturgy was served daily, Matins was done in the
middle of the night, and all the other daily services at their proper times, accord-
ing to Athonite rule. The elder never gave the blessing to begin any of the
services until he was assured that all of the brothers and monks were in church.
All of the monks had their confessions heard weekly, every Friday, and the
brotherhood received holy communion about every 30-40 days, according to
the zeal and spiritual state of each one.5 On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
there was only one meal a day, served at 3:00 p.m., consisting of very simple
food without any oil. On non-fasting days two meals a day were served with
oil, cheese, eggs, etc., but meat was never found on the table, according to
ancient monastic rule.
A firm cell-rule was established for each of the monks: 300
prostrations and 600 bows accompanied by the Jesus Prayer, as well as reading
the Psalter in the cell. Anyone who did not attend all the services in church or
who did not fulfi 11 his cell rule was not received in
5At that time, and even in the present, in Romania, the practice was to receive the Body
and Blood of Christ only during the four fasting periods of the Church.
the refectory for meal(s) that day. The rule established by Fr. loanichie also
included that no one was to receive family members in his cell, have any private
money or speak of worldly things.
All the monks in the community were to read the Psalter and say the
Jesus Prayer without ceasing in silence and humility. At one time there were five
members of the community who knew the entire Psalter by heart and repeated
it daily as they worked. Each monk struggled in asceticism according to his
strength. Certain of the monks, with the blessing of the elder, dwelt in total
solitude in secluded shacks in the depths of the forests, while others of the
brothers brought them some meager provisions.
Hieroschemamonk loanichie himself kept a very severe rule of
asceticism. Fr. Cleopa later related:
“Since he served the Divine Liturgy daily, he never ate anything from
Monday until Saturday, living only on holy communion and the small prosphora
which was for the priest. During those five days, the elder would come to tire
refectory and read from the teachings of St. Theodore the Studite. Only on
Saturdays, Sundays and great feast days would he eat together with tire
community.”
In 1925 the Romanian Orthodox Church accepted the “new” or
“revised” Gregorian calendar. As can be expected, this caused some dissension
throughout the country. Fr. Cleopa often related how this affected the
community of Sihastria:6
“Fr. loanichie was in doubt about this change of the calendar. He could
not discern whether the ‘new’ calendar was good or not. After much prayer, he
decided to close himself in his cell, to give himself over to total fasting and
prayer, asking God to direct him what to do regarding the calendar change. He
gave an order to the community that no one was to open his door or attempt to
come in until he gave a blessing.
“After the abbot had been closed in his cell for twenty days, the monks
became veiy worried, for they neither heard nor saw any
6 Fr. Cleopa spoke several times regarding the issue created by the calendar change, not
standing “for” or “against” the change. Rather he pointed out that what is important is
obedience to the Church, to the decisions of the Holy Synod. He emphasized that the
Churches on Athos, in Serbia, Russia and the Holy Land, which are all on the Julian (Old)
Calendar, are in full communion with the Church in Romania and Greece on the
Gregorian (New) Calendar.
20 Elder Cleopa ofSihastria
sign of life from behind the closed door. Fearing that the elder was near death
from such total fasting, they decided that they must break down his door.
“Hierodeacon Gemnazie Pristav was the one willing to transgress the
elder’s command that no one come into his cell. He pried the door off its hinges.
Inside they found Elder loanichie on the floor, nearly dead, with the Psalter next
to him.
“They immediately gave him tire precious Body and Blood of the Lord
and then forced some broth into his mouth. After three days he was finally able
to speak; his first words were, ‘God grant forgiveness to the one who took it
upon himself to break down the door.’ Then he went on to tell his spiritual sons
how much he suffered from the devils during those days of total fasting and
prayer. At times the evil ones threatened to kill him; other times they beat him
with staffs of fire.
“Once he saw a host of devils with red hats saying, ‘Come on, let’s
slice this old man to pieces. Look, he wants to be a saint.’
“Then some of the other devils yelled at him, ‘Who gave you the idea
that people become saints in these days?’
‘The elder answered them, ‘And who told you that they don’t become
saints?’
“After a few more days the devils returned to him and threat- • med
him again, ‘It’s useless for you to fast. You are going to fall into jr hands
anyway!’
“The elder answered them, ‘I trust in the mercy of God and the
rcessions of the Theotokos that I will be delivered from your ids.’
“At that point the evil ones left him and he continued his fasting and
prayer. After a few more days he beheld above him three saints in complete
hierarchical vestments and realized that they were the three holy hierarchs:
Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom.
The one in the middle called out to him with the clarity of a trumpet
voice, ‘loanichie, why do you hesitate to be obedient? Don’t you realize that
disobedience leads to death? Haven’t you read that obedience is greater than
any sacrifice? Obey your superiors! You are not the one who will answer for
the change of the calendar!’
Then all three of the holy hierarchs blessed him together and
were taken up into heaven so that he no longer saw them.
“From that moment, the elder never again questioned the change in
the calendar.”
Whenever he was able, Fr. loanichic helped the brothers in their

obediences in the fields or garden. He regularly visited those who were sick, and
always found time to offer guidance to the faithful who came to the skete. His
most frequent and precious advice to the brothers was, “My children, if you want
to be saved, fear God, be watchful that all your thoughts are pure and never stop
saying the Jesus Prayer.”
God bestowed upon Elder loanichie the gift of working wonders and
expelling unclean spirits from people. Once he took Brother Constantine with
him to the nearby town of Targu Ncamts where he had been asked to bless the
house of a very faithful family. After the service of house blessing, the family
served him a cup of coffee with milk in it, not realizing that the elder never
partook of any food or drink outside the skete. When the family kept insisting
that he drink the coffee, he answered, “Look, I will bless this cup, and if you do
not see any kind of sign, then I will drink it.”
He said the blessing over the cup of coffee with milk and immediately
all who were present saw a snake slithering around in the cup. They were
terrified and said, “We put milk in that cup. Where did the snake come from?
We beg you, Father, forgive us!”
The elder answered, “What you see in this cup is the devil of greed.”
Then he blessed the cup again, and the snake was no longer seen. His hosts took
all the milk that they had and threw it into the garden.
Another time one of tire brothers of the skete wanted to go into Targu
Neamts. He did not go to the elder for a blessing; in fact, the elder had told him
not to go. The brother ignored the elder and set off for town. As he walked along
the way, seven frightful looking devils in the guise of monks came upon him
and beat him with staffs of fire, torturing him terribly and chasing him as he ran
through the woods toward the skete. When the brother finally reached Sihastria,
followed by the devils, he was screaming to everyone, “Help me! Help me!
There are seven coming after me! Don’t abandon me! Seven are chasing me!”
The brothers caught the young monk and had to tie him up; then they
told the abbot. Fr. loanichie read the prayers of absolution from a curse over
him, as well as those for deliverance from unclean
spirits. Then he told the brothers to untie him. The brothers asked him,
"What if he runs away again!” But the elder assured them, Don t be afraid.
If God has loosed him. you should not keep him tied up! Thus, with the
prayers of the elder, the monk was completely healed.
These are just a few examples of the wondrous deeds of the holy
elder, Abbot loanichie, who guided Sihastria Skete for thirty-five years and
spiritually nurtured the souls of so many young novices, including the
young Brother Constantine Hie.
Brother Constantine’s Early Years at Sihastria

The young Brother Constantine learned much in those early years
at Sihastria. Although he spent almost the entire time caring for the sheep
in the mountains and forests, he was called back to the central part of the
skete from time to time to assist with other obediences. At one time when
he was helping with caring for the cattle, he shared a cell with another
novice, Brother Nicholas. This brother was very insistent on keeping the
cell orderly and clean. Once, coming from tire bams, Brother Constantine
was careful to remove his ‘opinci’7 but did not shake the hay and dirt off
his cassock. When Brother Nicholas saw this, he smacked Brother
Constantine and scolded him for not keeping the room clean.
Brother Constantine went to his older brothers, barefoot as he
was, and told them what had happened. Instead of the sympathy which he
expected from them, they further scolded him, “Brother Constantine, where
are the wounds of Christ on your body?”
Whenever Fr. Cleopa would relate this instance later in life, he
would add, “So! Look at how my older brothers ‘spoiled’ me! Since
Brother Nicholas threw me out of our cell, my brother, Vasile, who was
serving in obedience as the skete’s bee-keeper let me sleep in the room
where they kept the frames for the beehives.”
The times that Brother Constantine spent away from the sheep,
in the skete proper, were certainly days of hardship and ascetical
struggles.
Opinci are a form of peasant footwear: first the foot and lower leg are
wrapped in a coarse wool called “obielele” and over that is worn a moccasin-
like covering made of pigskin with a very pointed and curled toe, tied on with
leather thongs.
Brother Constantine Die, novice at Sihastria
“When we were young, we would come from the bams to rest a little
until the service began„at midnight. There were four of us, Brothers Simeon,
Nistor, Paul and myself, who stayed in a cell with Fr. Peter. The cell was very
small, so we slept on the floor, on little rugs, until the bell would ring for Matins.
Then Fr. Peter would call out to us, ‘Hey Costache,8 Nistor, Simeon, Paul, do
you hear the voice of the Archangel? Come on, my children, to prayer!’ If we
did not go to Matins in the middle of the night, we would not be given anything
to eat the next day.
“Then he would call to me, ‘Costache, put on your opinci’ because it
was winter and rather than take the time to put on my opinci, I would head for
the door barefoot. My obielele were always wet from having been in the bams
and outside, so during the night I would take
8 “Costache” is a diminutive form of Constantine.

them off and put them near die wood-burning stove to dry. Still, I would
hurry out the door barefoot and squeeze into a hidden comer of the chapel
for Matins. Then Fr. Peter would say to the elder as he checked to see if we
were all in church, “Hmmph! The boy is over there in the comer near the
door. He is always running around outside barefoot through the snow! He’s
going to get sick for sure!”
“But Elder loanichie would quiet him down and always say the
same thing, ‘It’s all right, Fr. Peter, leave him alone if this is his ascetic
struggle!”’
The times that Brother Constantine spent in the skete itself during
his early years in the monastic life were few. For the greater part of those
years he was in the mountains, caring for Sihastria’s sheep and leading them
from one mountain meadow to another. During much of this time, he was
accompanied by his brother Vasile, who also shared the same obedience. In
those years there were many eremitic monks who lived near the cave of St.
Theodora and a place called Rapa lui Coroi that was only three kilometers
from Sihla.9
Once the brothers found a hermit’s dugout shack under the roots
of some pine trees in the mountains. They knocked on the makeshift door,
but no one answered. Still, they went inside and found a rudimentary table
with a piece of paper on it that said, “The lowest of those on earth lives here,
D.C.” Seeing this, one of the brothers commented, “Christ has so many of
his servants hidden in these forests!”
After a few more days had gone by, they learned the secret of that
small shelter: One night a strange figure approached Sihastria’s sheepfold;
it was the resident of that humble dwelling which the brothers had found:
Hierodeacon Christopher. He approached them with a small backpack in
which he kept the very fragrant skull of a saint he had found in a miraculous
manner. The brothers, together with Hierodeacon Christopher, went down
to Sihastria where the hierodeacon spoke with Elder loanichie and told him
how he had found these holy relics that he always carried with him.
9 Sihla is a small skete deep in the forest about an hour or so hiking distance
from Sihastria. The only access to it until very recently was by foot through the
woods. St Theodora of Sihla was a young Romanian girl from the nearby village
of Vinatori who lived an eremitic life in a small cave in those woods in the 17 th
century.
“After the Divine Liturgy at Sihla Skete on the feast of the holy Prophet
Elijah I went back to my shack at Rapa lui Coroi, I laid down on the pathway
outside and went to sleep under a pine tree. Suddenly an unseen hand awakened
me. I looked around, but did not see anyone, so I went back to sleep. After a short
time someone woke me up again, and this time I saw the image of a holy monk
who said, ‘Fr. Christopher, go one hundred steps to the right and you will find my
bones near a small cave. Please, take my skull and keep it with you all your life
as a blessing, but bury my other bones.’
“I made the sign of the cross, got up and left to find these relics. They
were right where I had been told. I prayed, kissed the bones and buried all of them
as I had been told to do and then took the skull back to my shack. I felt so blessed
and full of spiritual joy. But I kept wondering whose skull this was. I prayed for
a long time and finally the holy father appeared to me and said, ‘Fr. Christopher,
thank you for burying my bones and being obedient by taking my skull. Since
you want to know my name, I am Hieroschemamonk Paul.’ He was St. Theodora
of Sihla’s spiritual father!”
Hierodeacon Christopher stayed at Sihastria for three days. During that
time he served ab the Divine Liturgy with Fr. loanichie daily and everyone at the
skete had the opportunity to venerate the relic of St. Paul.
At the end of those three days, Fr. Christopher went back into the forest,
taking the holy skull with him. The monks from Sihastria tried again and again to
find his shack, but in vain. The local verbal tradition states that between Sihla and
Rapa lui Coroi is a place known only to God, and that no one can ever find it.
That is where many holy hesychastic monks labored for centuries, and it is
believed that Fr. Christopher must have fallen asleep in the Lord there, with the
skull of Elder Paul in his arms.
Even though the three Hie brothers were living in a monastic skete,
they still had to fulfill the mandatory obligation of every Romanian male to serve
in the army for a short period of time. George, being the eldest of the three, was
the first to be called up for service, so he took a short leave from the skete for this
purpose. By 1930, he had completed his obligatory term and returned to the skete;
however, it was necessary for him to return one more time to Cemauti, where he
had been stationed, in order to receive his official discharge.
George Die, during his military service
Abbot loanichie gave his blessing for the three brothers to make
this journey together. The young monks set out on foot from Neamts
County for the far north of the country. They decided that for the duration
of the journey they would walk at a distance of ten or fifteen paces from
each other so that each of them could walk in silence, repeating tlie Jesus
Prayer and saying the Psalter by heart.
They spent their first night on the road at the Monastery of St.
John the New of Suceava. The next day they walked along according to
their prayer rule and by evening reached a village in the county of Dorohoi,
but they could not find a place to spend the night. Finally, a
faithful Christian woman realized that they were not from that part of the region
and asked them, “What do you want, Brothers?”
“We are looking for a house where we might spend the night, but we
can’t find any place!”
“We have a house at the edge of the village,” the woman answered.
“No one lives there at the moment. I don’t know if you could sleep in it though.
We believe that it is possessed by the devil because of a curse which was put on
it!”
The young monks were not daunted. “If you allow us, we will sleep
there!”
“O.K. Brothers. Let’s go. I’ll take you there.”
They reached the house and were led inside. The three brothers ate
something, and then, very tired from their journey, they laid down to rest. After a
very short time the evil spirits awakened them with terrible noises. That did not
drive George, Vasile and Constantine out of the house; instead, knowing the
power of prayer, they took the Psalter out of their backpacks, lit some candles
and prayed for several hours. As they began to pray the devils’ screams could still
be heard, but as they persevered in the depths of prayer, the evil ones were driven
out of the house through the power of the Psalms.
Towards daybreak they rested a little, for the demons did not dare to
approach them again. In the morning the owner of the house came and asked them
how they had. slept. When she heard what had happened she asked them how
their house could be permanently delivered of the evil spirits. The brothers
advised her to read the Psalter in the evening, at midnight and in the morning, to
call the local priest to do a blessing of water in the house, and that she and her
family should fast strictly and go to confession; only then would the demons be
driven off.
Leaving her with this advice, they continued on their way to Cemauti
where they received George’s military discharge papers; then they began the
return trip to Sihastria. They decided to go through the same village where they
had spent the night on the way to the north. The same Christian woman again
received them with tremendous joy. She told them that ever since they had left,
she and those in her family had done all that they had told her; their house was
free from the hands of the evil spirits. The woman, thanks to the wisdom and
experience of these young monks, learned what power the Psalter has against evil
spirits and demonic curses.
Brother Vasile spent three years in obedience caring for the skete’s
sheep, and was, by that time, a rasaphore monk. His gentle and loving nature
flowed over to the way he treated the sheep, dogs and the birds that were his
companions in his lonely obedience at the sheepfold. In solitude he carried
on the following ascetic struggles: he ate only once a day, at 3:00 in the
afternoon; he knew the Psalter, the Seven Praises10 and many of the akathist
hymns by heart and repeated these all day long as he followed the sheep. At
night he would make five hundred prostrations and read from the Lives of
the Saints, keeping the final judgment of God always in his mind.
Another labor that this Christ-loving soul had was to find hermits
in the forest and care for them. At that time there were over forty monks and
nuns living in seclusion in the wilderness between Sihastria and Sihla.
Brother Vasile became known as the friend of the hermits. Whenever he
met any of them in the mountains and forest, even if he did not know them,
he would make a prostration to them and say, “Bless me, Father, and pray
to God for me a sinner. What can we give you from the sheepfold?”
If the hermit needed anything—cheese, potatoes, beans, salt,
flour—Brother Vasile would bring it to him quickly. He even learned where
each of the hermits carried out his solitary life and would visit them at their
humble shacks. On one such visit, he asked the monk, “Father, what shall I
do to be saved?”
“Brother Vasile,” the monk answered, “pray without ceasing,
fulfill all your obediences with love, and strive for humility. If you do these
three things, you will surely be saved!”
Brother Vasile’s Death

In the fall of 1930 Brother Vasile was still caring for the sheep
together with Brother Constantine near Sihla. Vasile would walk in prayer
ahead of the sheep and Constantine would follow behind all of them. As
they were walking one day, Bishop John, a holy and wonder working
ascetic, met them. He and the deacon who accompanied him had both fled
from Kiev in 1918 because of the atheistic regime’s reli
10The Seven Praises come from the Psalmist David who said, “seven times a day
will I praise Thee.” In the Church, these “praises” consist of the services of Vespers,
Compline, Midnight Office and Matins, and the 1 st, 3rd, 6th, and 9th Hours.
gious persecution against the Church. After the recluse bishop had blessed the two
young monks he looked carefully at Brother Constantine and—having the gift of
foreknowledge—spoke to him through the deacon, who knew Romanian.
“Brother Constantine, tell Brother Vasile to prepare himself and go
forward. He has a long road ahead of him!”
The deacon translated this for Brother Constantine. Then the blessed
bishop left them and went off toward Sihla to see his spiritual father,
Hieroschemamonk Bassian, who was living an eremitical life near the cave of St.
Theodora. Constantine did not understand the meaning of the words that the
bishop had spoken. He left his position at the back of the herd of sheep and went
to speak with his brother, telling him what the holy bishop had said.
Brother Vasile fully understood the prophecy of Bishop John: he should
prepare himself for the hour of death, which would approach soon.
In the spring of 1931 this humble and obedient older brother became ill
and was brought down to the skete. One day, as he came out of the church after
the Divine Liturgy and was praying in front of the doors of the church, he had a
fearful vision. Frightened, he began to weep and cry out in a loud voice, “Most
holy Theotokos have mercy on me, for the devils are beating me. Do not abandon
me!”
At the sound of his voice other monks from the skete ran to him, and he
said to them, “Bow down in veneration, Fathers! Bow down in veneration! Look,
our Lady has come! The Mother of the Lord is here with the Lord in her arms.
Look! She is right above us!”
“Brother Vasile, why are you shouting like this?” asked the monks.
“Fathers, when I was praying in front of the church, suddenly a gang of
frightful looking devils appeared with rods of fire in their hands and they began to
beat me mercilessly and shout, ‘You are praying in vain, for you will not be saved!
You are ours because you are a sinner! ’ Then I began to call upon the Theotokos
with faith. Immediately a white and radiant cloud descended from heaven and
covered the whole church. In the cloud I saw the Mother of the Lord with the
Infant in her arms, and she said to me, ‘Do not be afraid, for three days from now
you will be with us.’ Then the Savior blessed us all and the cloud was taken back
up to heaven...Fathers, the Mother of the Lord has
Brother Vasile spent three years in obedience caring for the skete’s
sheep, and was, by that time, a rasaphore monk. His gentle and loving nature
flowed over to the way he treated the sheep, dogs and the birds that were his
companions in his lonely obedience at the sheepfold. In solitude he carried on the
following ascetic struggles: he ate only once a day, at 3:00 in the afternoon; he
knew the Psalter, the Seven Praises10 and many of the akathist hymns by heart
and repeated these all day long as he followed the sheep. At night he would make
five hundred prostrations and read from the Lives of the Saints, keeping the final
judgment of God always in his mind.
Another labor that tliis Christ-loving soul had was to find hermits in
the forest and care for them. At that time there were over forty monks and nuns
living in seclusion in the wilderness between Sihastria and Sihla. Brother Vasile
became known as the friend of the hermits. Whenever he met any of them in the
mountains and forest, even if he did not know them, he would make a prostration
to them and say, “Bless me, Father, and pray to God for me a sinner. What can
we give you from the sheepfold?”
If the hermit needed anything—cheese, potatoes, beans, salt, flour—
Brother Vasile would bring it to him quickly. He even learned where each of the
hermits carried out his solitary life and would visit them at their humble shacks.
On one such visit, he asked the monk, “Father, what shall I do to be saved?”
“Brother Vasile,” the monk answered, “pray without ceasing, fulfill all
your obediences with love, and strive for humility. If you do these three things,
you will surely be saved!”
Brother Vasile’s Death

In the fall of 1930 Brother Vasile was still caring for the sheep
together with Brother Constantine near Sihla. Vasile would walk in prayer
ahead of the sheep and Constantine would follow behind all of them. As they
were walking one day, Bishop John, a holy and wonder working ascetic, met
them. He and the deacon who accompanied him had both fled from Kiev in
1918 because of the atheistic regime’s reli
10The Seven Praises come from the Psalmist David who said, “seven times a day
will I praise Thee.” In the Church, these “praises” consist of the services of Vespers,
Compline, Midnight Office and Matins, and the 1 st, 3rd, 6th, and 9th Hours.
gious persecution against the Church. After the recluse bishop had blessed the
two young monks he looked carefully at Brother Constantine and—having the
gift of foreknowledge—spoke to him through the deacon, who knew Romanian.
“Brother Constantine, tell Brother Vasile to prepare himself and go
forward. He has a long road ahead of him!”
The deacon translated this for Brother Constantine. Then the blessed
bishop left them and went off toward Sihla to see his spiritual father,
Hieroschemamonk Bassian, who was living an eremitical life near the cave of St.
Theodora. Constantine did not understand the meaning of the words that the
bishop had spoken. He left his position at the back of the herd of sheep and went
to speak with his brother, telling him what the holy bishop had said.
Brother Vasile fully understood the prophecy of Bishop John: he should
prepare himself for the hour of death, which would approach soon.
In the spring of 1931 this humble and obedient older brother became ill
and was brought down to the skete. One day, as he came out of the church after
the Divine Liturgy and was praying in front of the doors of the church, he had a
fearful vision. Frightened, he began to weep and cry out in a loud voice, “Most
holy Theotokos have mercy on me, for the devils are beating me. Do not abandon
me!”
At the sound of his voice other monks from the skete ran to him, and he
said to them, “Bow down in veneration, Fathers! Bow down in veneration! Look,
our Lady has come! The Mother of the Lord is here with the Lord in her arms.
Look! She is right above us!”
“Brother Vasile, why are you shouting like this?” asked the monks.
“Fathers, when I was praying in front of the church, suddenly a gang of
frightful looking devils appeared with rods of fire in their hands and they began to
beat me mercilessly and shout, ‘You are praying in vain, for you will not be saved!
You are ours because you are a sinner! ’ Then I began to call upon the Theotokos
with faith. Immediately a white and radiant cloud descended from heaven and
covered the whole church. In the cloud I saw the Mother of the Lord with the
Infant in her arms, and she said to me, ‘Do not be afraid, for three days from now
you will be with us. ’ Then the Savior blessed us all and the cloud was taken back
up to heaven...Fathers, the Mother of the Lord has
great boldness before our Savior Jesus Christ, and He answers her prayers!”
Abbot loanichie said to him, “Brother Vasile, do not let the enemy
deceive you! Pay attention and keep watch over your thoughts, for the evil one
has so many snares in which to capture us!”
Then the elder turned to the other monks and said, “If Brother Vasile
departs from us in three days, then truly the Mother of the Lord appeared to him!
But if he remains alive after that time, then he was deceived by the devil.”
Exactly three days later, at that very same hour in which he had seen
the vision of the Theotokos, the rasaphore Vasile Hie fell asleep in peace, with
prayer on his lips. Only God knows how many hermits in the mountains were
praying at that very moment for his soul!
It is not unusual in Romanian monasteries to find several brothers who
left their childhood home together to live the monastic life, or who left their
homes to join an older brother who was already in the monastery. The three Hie
brothers had looked forward to many years at Sihastria, laboring in love and
prayer for their salvation. But now Vasile had departed to the Lord at such a
young age, leaving George and Constantine at Sihastria to pray for his soul.
Fr. Gerasim (Brother George) Dies

Because George had entered the monastic life before Vasile and
Constantine, he was already professed by the time of Vasile’s death and had
received the name Gerasim. He fulfilled his obedience in caring for the skete’s
cattle for four years and labored much for the virtues of silence, solitude and
asceticism. Following his monastic tonsure, he increased his ascetical efforts,
repeating the Psalter by heart every day and never omitting to pray the Seven
Praises, even if his obedience kept him from attending these services in the
church, for he also knew these by heart. At night he gave little rest to his wearied
body, but kept vigil with hundreds of prostrations and the Jesus Prayer. He was
very zealous in soul, but very reserved outwardly. Few words were heard from
his lips, but tears of compunction, repentance and spiritual love flowed constantly
from his eyes.
The love that he had for the Mother of the Lord from his early youth
continued to grow and fill his soul in his years of obedience in the skete. He kept
an icon of her constantly with him. Even when he went out to let the cattle graze;
he would wrap the icon in a clean towel
and put it in his backpack together with the Lives of the Saints. As soon as he
reached the meadows for grazing, he would find a tree at the edge of the woods and
hang the icon on a snag of a branch, then he would begin reciting the Akathist to
the Theotokos and make constant prostrations while the animals remained
peacefully nearby.
Once, while he was praying, he began to weep very hard before the icon
of the Theotokos. A forest ranger was passing by and asked him, “Father, what
happened? Why are you crying so much?”
Not wishing to reveal to anyone that these were spiritual tears given by
God and that they flowed on their own, Fr. Gerasim answered, “I hit my foot against
a rock!”
“It’s alright, Brother, the pain will pass.”
“May God grant that it passes!” Fr. Gerasim answered, and the ranger
went on his way.
Thus, this warrior of Christ hid his virtue and kept it from being known.
He had other ascetic struggles known only to his brother and elder. He kept the
thought of death and the hour of the fearful judgment of Christ constantly in mind.
Whenever he heard that one of the monks was seriously ill, he would go to visit
him, comforting him and praying for him, as well as reading to him from the
teachings of the fathers and the lives of the saints, until his own tears would begin
to flow again.
“Why are you weeping, Fr. Gerasim?” the sick monk would ask.
“I weep because the hour of my death is approaching and I am not
prepared!” he would reply.
Fr. Gerasim frequently went to the skete’s cemetery at night where he
prayed and wept alone among the monks’ graves. He did not have a bed in his cell
for the few hours of sleep that he allowed himself; instead he kept a coffin there
and would lie in that for the little bit of rest he gave his body.
Years later, Fr. Cleopa often spoke about Fr. Gerasim, “My beloved
brother, Gerasim, knew the entire Psalter by heart, as well as the Biblical Songs of
Moses, prayer lists for the living and the dead, and the Paradis of the Mother of
God. His obedience was to take care of the cattle and for three years he would recite
all of these prayers and Psalms. But, the poor man, he was attacked by the devils
constantly. I could hear him sometimes yelling at the devils. They would grab his
prayer rope out of his hands, pull his hair and scream at him, ‘Why are
you doing this to us? You bum us with those Psalms.’ His answers were often the
tears flowing from his eyes. At night when he was tired he would slap himself and
say, ‘Don’t sleep you mule! Behold the coffin!’ The coffin was leaning against the
wall near the wood-burning stove. He hardly slept at all. Before Matins started in
the middle of the night, he would make five hundred prostrations and recite the first
ten Kathismata” from the Psalter.
“We shared a cell for a time, but while Fr. Gerasim was keeping such
vigil at night I slept, preferring rest to so much prayer.” Fr. Cleopa would
continue, “But Gerasim would not leave me for long in my laziness: ‘Get up!
Come on, let’s go to Matins.’ He would not sleep at all before Matins. After the
service he would lie down on some straw in his coffin, resting his head on a piece
of wood. One day one of the monks said, ‘How many of these coffins are going
to rot before you die! ’ but he answered, Tn the name of the Lord, I truly believe
that this very coffin will be my house for eternity! ’
“He would sleep for three, at the most four hours after Matins. I went
to the abbot finally and told him, ‘Father Abbot, I cannot stay in the same cell
with Gerasim! All night long he slaps himself to stay awake and cries.’
Sometimes at night he would begin weeping and the tears would continue for
more than two hours until you would think that his shirt would jump right off of
him. Then he would urge himself on with more prayer and prostrations.
“ ‘Oh, my son,’ the elder answered me, ‘Leave him alone. He has his
work to do, work that you do not understand yet. His efforts are through the
Psalter and because of that the devils attack him, but he knows how to fight back.
Leave him alone.’
“That is why he did not live very long; neither he nor Brother Vasile,
nor Costandie Uricaru.11 12 They all knew the Psalter by heart and recited it
constantly, and they all went to the Lord at a young age. Why? Remember the
Old Testament reading for the saints, ‘so that evil will not warp their
understanding...!’ ”13
Such were the struggles of Fr. Gerasim. Once when he was ill the
abbot asked him, “Shall we call a doctor to help you get well?”
11 the Psalter in Orthodox worship is divided into twenty sections, each called a
‘Kathisma’ (plural ‘kathismata’).
12 Another well known monk in Romania
13 Wisdonr4:10
Fr. Gerasim answered through his tears, “Forgive me, Father, but I have
prayed to God that I might have troubles and sickness so that, through them, I may
find salvation. If He has thus shown His mercy and answered these prayers, how
can I work against Him? Leave me in the will and hand of God, for this sickness is
for my salvation.”
Even though it was very difficult for Fr. Gerasim to attend all the services
in church due to his illness, he never missed the daily Divine Liturgy. The brothers
would bring him to the narthex of the church and lay him on some blankets so that
he could be present for the Sacrifice of the Lord, but they did this only at his
insistence.
“Fr. Gerasim,” they would say, “Why don’t you stay in your cell until
you are over this sickness?”
“Father, forgive me, a sinner. I came for the Divine Liturgy! Maybe this
will be the last one of my life. There is no service which is more necessaiy for our
salvation than the Divine Liturgy!”
Fr. Gerasim did indeed have foreknowledge of his approaching death. On
September 14, 1933, the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, this struggler for Christ
gave his soul into the hands of the Lord while lying in the coffin that he himself had
made. Under his head, the brothers found this letter addressed to his younger
brother:
“My beloved brother Constantine, God will keep you in this life for a
long time, and so, I beg you: do not forget me, a sinner, in your holy prayers. As for
me, I have prayed to God for you and all the brothers, that the Lord may lead you
on the path of salvation!”
During the forty days that followed Fr. Gerasim’s falling asleep in the
Lord, Brother Constantine read the Psalter constantly and fasted, praying for the
salvation of his older brother’s soul. Once, while reading the Psalter, he fell asleep
for a short time, and during those few moments of sleep he beheld his brother’s
grave in the cemetery near the old church. The grave was unearthed and the lid from
the coffin was removed; then a spring of ciystal clear water began to pour out of the
altar of the church into the grave, and his brother appeared as white as snow.
Gerasim appeared to wake up as if from sleep and said, “Brother Constantine, the
prayers of the Church have saved me...”
Constantine grieved that year over the fact that both of his brothers had
fallen asleep in the Lord while they were so young. He prayed to God with tears
that He might reveal the state of their souls. One night he went to sleep in his cell
before Matins and did not wake up for the service; indeed, he slept until daybreak.
When he awoke, his soul was completely at peace, and he felt as if a

burden had been lifted from him. He went immediately to the abbot and told
him of the dream he’d had that night. He said that he met with his brothers
Vasile and Gerasim, as well as his sisters who had also departed this life. They
were all together in an incredibly beautiful garden full of fragrant flowers, trees
heavy with fruit, and heavenly birds that were singing praises to God. He spent
that entire night together with his brothers, walking about this garden and
singing joyful songs to God in the garden of paradise!
Finally, his brothers took their leave of him, promising him that they
would pray to God for him and that one day they would all be united eternally.
They then encouraged him to fulfill all his obediences in the skete and to pray
unceasingly. They told him that he was to become a guide for many souls, but
that eventually he would join them. It was only then, when they departed from
him, leaping in joy, that Constantine awoke from his deep sleep.
A Miracle at Sihastria
After three years in Sihastria Skete, Brother Constantine was given
the obedience of head sacristan.14 This did not interfere with the fact that he also
had the obedience of taking care of the sheep. During the warm months, the
sheep were up in the mountains, but in the winter; they were often sheltered near
the skete itself where they were fenced in. It was not necessary, therefore, in the
winter to be quite as watchful or follow and lead them about in the wilderness.
Also, when the sheep were near the skete, there were other brothers who could
assist in their care.
While serving as head sacristan, Brother Constantine was an
eyewitness to several miracles, which occurred during the Divine Liturgy at
Sihastria. He recalled these later in years and would recount them to those who
came to him for their spiritual edification.
“Look at what happened to a very good priest, Fr. Calistrat Bobu. He
was a known spiritual father and confessor, but he went to see a mm who was
living as a hermit in the forest. At that time there were about fifty known monks
and nuns living alone like that in the
14 The head sacristan in charge of the order and cleanliness of the church as well as
serving the priest or overseeing the brothers who were assigned to serve the priest.
woods. This particular nun continued to adhere to the old calendar, in opposition
to the decision of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church. When Fr.
Calistrat visited her, she said, “The Holy Spirit does not descend when you serve
the Divine Liturgy because you have gone over to the new calendar!” From that
time on, Fr. Calistrat had doubts about the decision of the Holy Synod.
“Once, while I was serving my turn as sacristan, I noticed that the
antidoron15 for the abbot was white and very sweet, while the one for Fr. Calistrat
was almost green and spoiled. I asked Abbot loanichie about this.
“ ‘Fr. Abbot, why is it that when Fr. Calistrat serves, his antidoron is
green and rancid?’”
“ ‘Oh! My son, he serves with doubt in his mind! He went to an ascetic
nun in the forest who told him that the Holy Spirit does not descend upon the Holy
Gifts at the Liturgy because of the calendar issue. I told him that he is going to
endure trials because of this doubt in his mind!’
“Then once when Fr. Calistrat was serving the Divine Liturgy and
invoked the grace of the Holy Spirit, he saw that the Lamb had become flesh, and
blood was flowing on the holy disc and onto the holy antimins. Then when he looked
into the chalice he saw blood. He called me over to the altar table: ‘Brother
Constantine, come over here! What do you see?’
“ ‘Oh! Fr. Calistrat! The holy communion has become real flesh and
blood!’
“Then he sent me to call the abbot. When Fr. loanichie came into the altar
he immediately told those at the cliros to read from the Psalter. Then he turned to
Fr. Calistrat and said, ‘So! Fr. Calistrat, now do you believe that the Holy Spirit
descends upon the Gifts?’
“ ‘Forgive me, Father! ’ Fr. Calistrat answered and fell on his knees.
15 Antidoron is a remains of the special bread from which holy communion is prepared. In
the Romanian monastic tradition, four small loaves and one larger one are prepared: the
“Lamb” or portion for communion is taken from the large loaf, and particles are removed
from the other loaves in commemoration. The loaf from which a particle is removed in
commemoration of the Theotokos is then given to the abbot. The serving priest is also given
one of the small loaves to consume after communion.
“Fr. Abbot loanichie continued to speak to Fr. Calistrat, ‘Look! Has

the Holy Spirit come? Has He transformed this into flesh? Is this blood? Do
you still have doubts, Father?’
“ ‘I do believe, Fr. Abbot. I beg you to forgive me! ’
“ ‘Gather up the Holy Mysteries!’
“Then with the spear they made a small hole in the leg of the altar
table, because the altar table is the tomb of Christ, and they buried the Holy
Mysteries there according to the teachings of the holy fathers. Then they
washed the chalice in the basin in the altar, together with the holy Antimins. 161
stayed there for several hours until the entire Psalter had been read. Then they
began the Divine Liturgy again from the point of the Proskomedia ‘And one of
the soldiers pierced His side with a lance...’ They continued through the entire
Divine Liturgy, and the miracle did not repeat itself.
“ ‘Now do you believe?’ the Abbot asked Fr. Calistrat.
“‘I believe, Father.’
“Then Fr. loanichie gave him the usual penance 17 for forty days,
saying, ‘Why do you disobey the Holy Synod? Do as I tell you, instead of going
to old ladies for them teach you about the calendar.’
“All of this took place in 1932.
“It was about this time that I witnessed another miracle during the
Divine Liturgy:
“While Fr. Abbot loanichie Moroi was serving the Divine Liturgy,
after the consecration of the Gifts, a drop of the Holy Blood leapt from the
chalice onto the antimins. That drop began to radiate, and the rays from this
light started to spread. Fr. loanichie called to me, ‘Brother Constantine, come
here!’
“When I approached the altar table, he said to me, ‘What do you see
here on the antimins?’
“ ‘I see a drop of the holy Blood. It is giving off so much light that I
almost cannot look at it.’
16 The altar at Sihastria, as properly prescribed for every Orthodox Church, has a small
sink which drains directly into the ground underneath the altar of the church.
17 The canon or penance generally given is for the penitent to go to the middle of the
church during the reading of the Psalter in Vespers and Matins, stand behind the reader
and make prostrations; at the conclusion of the reading he goes to the abbot and makes
a prostration, asking forgiveness.
“ ‘Do you see Whom we are serving? This is why anyone in the holy
altar should stand with fear and love.’
“Then Abbot loanichie consumed that drop of the holy Blood.
“Another time after these incidences I was serving again as sacristan.
There was a priest in the skete who had an ulcer. Because of his illness, he could
not stand the smoke from the censer. He told me more than once to be careful and
put just a little bit of incense in the censer; but I was careless and constantly erred
in this matter. The priest saw this but said nothing to me; still, he was troubled in
his soul about this. Then, one night after I had come from Matins and lay down to
rest, I had a frightening vision in which I saw that particular priest surrounded by
rays of light. That made me realize that he led a holy life. I ran to him immediately
and asked his forgiveness; then I went to the abbot, late as it was, and I confessed,
telling him of my carelessness.”
A Prophecy about young Brother Constantine

From 1930 to 1944 there was a cantor in the town of Borlesti- Neamts
whose name was Nicholas Dumitriu. His voice was so beautiful that it often
moved people to tears. Once, someone asked him why people wept whenever he
sang, and he answered, “When you sing from the heart, it penetrates others’
hearts.” At one point, he became very sick and died; however, as he was being
carried to the cemetery, he came back from the dead and lived for many more
years, warning people about the torments of hell and those who were burning in
that fire.
He was very pious and faithful and often visited nearby Sihas- tria.
When he saw how the other monks considered the young Brother Constantine as
a simpleton, good for nothing but watching the sheep, he rebuked them saying,
“You all laugh at him, but he will be the abbot here one day!”
Brother Constantine, Iconographer

While Brother Constantine was still young and new in the monastic
life, he found that he had a gift for painting. A monk from nearby Secu Monastery
began working with him to develop the talent. Once he grasped the basics of
design and certain rules of iconography, he moved on to working with pigments.
Since he worked in his cell, the . abbot often came to see how this talent was
progressing, for he liked Brother Constantine’s work very much. At that time the
young brother had to personally acquire the necessary supplies to work on the
icons
and thus found himself becoming involved with finances. He knew that the
expenditures would be reimbursed once the icons were sold, but he came to
realize that he was growing overly concerned about money.
The Godly-wise abbot knew how to turn these devil’s darts back upon
him. One day as he was looking at Brother Constantine’s work, he asked the
young novice, “How much is this icon?”
“It doesn’t have a price yet, Father,” answered Brother Constantine.
The elder laid the temptation before the young brother, “It should be
expensive, Brother Costica, because it is really beautiful!”
When Brother Constantine saw that he would have to price tire icons
and then deal with laymen and the outside world to sell them and gather money,
his God-loving soul was struck with fear. He knew that the demons of both pride
and love for money were waiting for him and laying their snares. Shortly after
the above mentioned conversation with the elder, Fr. Kyriac, the steward of the
skete, came to his cell, saying, “Brother Costica, leave your painting aside and
come help at the obedience.18 From that moment, Brother Constantine left his
work on icons, never to resume it again, and went back to caring for the
monastery sheep. How grateful he was for this deliverance from the snares that
were ready to entrap him. Years after this, when he related these events he would
add, “This was how I was delivered then from two sins: pride and love for
money!”
Brother Constantine at the Sheepfold

Although Brother Constantine had a very close and loving re-
lationship with Hieroschemamonk Paisius Olaru from the time of his "hildhood,
a relationship that was to last an entire lifetime, once he entered the brotherhood
of Sihastria Skete it was necessary that he have a spiritual father who was closer
than Cozancea. Hieromonk Galaction filled this role and contributed
tremendously, to the formation of the future great Elder Cleopa of Romania.
Fr. Galaction was bom to very poor parents in the town of Piping,
Neamts County; however, his ancestors were originally from the area around
Sibiu. While a youth in the village, he tended the sheep for all the townspeople.
Finally, in 1918 his desire to serve Christ fully
18While every duty in the monastery is an “obedience,” the labors in the fields are called
specifically the obedience.
led him to Sihastria Skete where he was immediately received and was tonsured a
monk in 1925. His obedience was the blessed task of caring for the skete’s sheep,
an obedience that he lovingly fulfilled for twenty- five years. Fr. Galaction was
Brother Constantine’s elder from 1930 until 1942 as they wandered about the
forested mountains, leading the sheep to pasture and protecting them from
predators.
Fr. Galaction followed a very strict ascetic rule, one that was known to
very few; however, since Brother Constantine lived under his direction at the
sheepfold, he not only knew his elder’s rule, but he learned from it and adopted
much of it himself. Fr. Galaction never ate until he had completed his entire
monastic cell rule. If any of the brothers called him to eat, he often responded,
“Forgive me, Brother, but I have not yet finished my obligation to God. How can
I eat if I have not fulfilled my one obligation?”
After that, the elder would withdraw a little further into the forest to
finish his rule of prayer and prostrations, and only then would he partake of food.
The young novice, Constantine, recalled how the elder never ate
anything on Wednesdays and Fridays until evening when the stars came out. Then
Fr. Galaction would make the sign of the cross, ask forgiveness of the brothers
who were with him, take some antidoron and finally eat something light.
Brother Constantine once asked him, “Fr. Galaction, the day is so long
and you are elderly and weak. Wouldn’t it be better for you to dispense with such
a severe rule and eat something earlier in the day?”
“Brother Constantine, listen to what Fr. Athanasius from Neamts told
me. Once a saint Was watching as someone was being carried to the grave for
burial and he saw two beautiful angels, one walking directly in front of the coffin
and the other following right behind it. The saint asked them, ‘Who are you?’ One
angel answered, ‘I am Wednesday,’ and the other said, ‘I am Friday. We are here
according to the commandment of the Lord to help this soul because he always
fasted on Wednesdays and Fridays in honor of the passion of Christ.’
“Ever since Fr. Athanasius told me this story I have kept these two days
as strict fast days so that St. Wednesday and St. Friday will both help me at the
hour of my death.”
Whenever this holy father saw someone passing by the sheep-. fold in
the mountains, he immediately called out to his disciple, “Brother Constantine, go
and call that man. Tell him to come and eat
with us. We have a spring of water here, and if we do not give some of that water
to others, it will dry up. But if we share that water with those who pass by, then
God will keep the sheep healthy. You will not notice that any of the water was
given to anyone, because God blesses us for sharing it.”
The novices under Father Galaction’s care at the sheepfold all
observed that he never ate alone or in secret. If he received food from the skete
he never tasted it until he returned to the sheepfold; then he would call all those
who were also in obedience there and share it equally among them.
“Why don’t you ever eat when you are alone?” asked the brothers.
“It is very dangerous for a monk to eat in secret!” he replied, and then
added, “My brothers, love and brotherhood far surpass all riches!”
Fr. Galaction was the poorest monk in the skete. He had one cassock,
one rasa, one cojoc,19 and only one or two changes of clothing to wear under the
cassock.
Once Brother Constantine asked him, “Why don’t you have a good
cassock and rasa made, like the other fathers?”
“Brother Constantine, I once made my confession to an ere- metic
monk whom I met wandering about with the sheep in the mountains. He told
me, ‘Fr. Galaction, you should have no more possessions than you can carry on
your back when you have to move from one place to another.’ Then he added,
‘Never neglect to fulfill your cell rule; say the Jesus Prayer constantly, and be
sure that you are at peace with everyone by the time of the setting of the sun
every day! If you do all these things, God will grant you salvation!”’
Once while Elder Galaction was wandering about in the forest he met
a holy ascetic and asked him, “Tell me, Father, when will the end of the world
be?”
The saintly hermit sighed and replied, “Do you know when the end
will be? When there will no longer be a path from one neighbor to another. In
other words, when love disappears from among men!”
Every evening Elder Galaction had one of the brothers read aloud from
the Patericon10 and from Holy Scripture, for he longed to hear the word of God.
Once he asked his disciple, “Brother Constantine, please read about the
patience of Job from the Old Testament!” Then the entire time while Brother
Constantine was reading, he wept, and at the end of the reading said, “You see!
That was a man who was great upon the earth; he never complained against God
when He had taken all the sheep, cattle and children. But I am such a sinner and
weak in faith. If a single sheep gets sick or lost, then I cannot even eat that day!”
“Why can’t you eat, Fr. Galaction?” asked the young disciple.
“How can I have the courage to eat when I see that God punishes the
herd because of my sins?”
The years that Fr. Cleopa spent in obedience caring for the sheep were
the most joyful and peaceful times of his life. He often referred to those years as
his education in both monasticism and theology. “Those years when I was a
shepherd of the skete’s sheep together with my brother were times of tremendous
spiritual joy: the sheepfold, the animals, a quiet life, being so alone in the
mountains, the beauty of nature. That was my school of monasticism and
theology!”
It was during those years in the mountains that Brother Constantine read
St. John of Damascus’ Dogmatic Theology also known as the Exact Exposition of
the Orthodox Faith. It later became clear that Brother Constantine had inherited
his mother’s gift for remembering everything that he read! He himself would
admit that if he read a book two or three times, he would know it almost by heart.
“I loved those days so much,” he often recalled in later years. “When
the days became warm, the little lambs and all the sheep all sought shade under
the bushes and trees. There was a sheltered area in Poiana Ciresului, 20 21 and they
liked to rest there. I used to tell the animals, ‘stay there’ while I spent the afternoon
reading from the teachings of St. John of Damascus.”
As Brother Constantine read the teachings of St. John regarding the
Holy Trinity, the ranks of the angels, the creation of man, the
attributes of God in Trinity, about paradise and about hell, he became so

absorbed that he would forget to eat.
There was a dilapidated old shack in the area where he would stay
while in the mountains with the sheep. Every so often one of the monks from
the skete would come in the evening to bring him some supplies, and they asked
him, “Did you eat anything today?” because they would see the food sitting
there on the table untouched. Only then did the young monk realize that he
hadn’t eaten anything because he was so absorbed in his reading! Finally, he
would break off a leaf or flower from one of the wild flowers that abound in the
mountains and use it as his bookmark.
“During the time that I was in obedience caring for the sheep and the
cattle, I read the writings of St. Macarius the Egyptian, St. Macarius of
Alexandria, and the twelve volumes of the Lives of the Saints, which I had
purchased from Cozancea Skete while I still lived in my parents’ home. As I
read there in the peace of the mountains and forest, it seemed as though an entire
day was only one hour. The Lives of the Saints especially are very powerful and
strengthen the soul.
“My beloved children,” Fr. Cleopa would add as he fondly recounted
these days in later years to those who came to him, “always keep a book with
you wherever you are. Read the Akathist of the Savior, of the Mother of God,
and say the Jesus Prayer constantly. These will be as gentle rain on the fertile
soil of your soul.”
Brother Constantine’s “university” in the mountains continued.
During those years when he was formed monastically by the angels, he prayed
constantly, and never did a day go by that he did not read from Holy Scripture.
He usually came down from the mountains on Saturdays to attend the Vigil and
Divine Liturgy, either at Sihastria or Neamts Monasteiy, depending on where
the sheep were pastured. During those weekends he quietly borrowed more
books from the monastery libraries. After the services he peacefully went back
to his obedience with his reading material for the next week or so. He totally
absorbed all that he read, including the Sayings of the Desert Fathers, The
Ladder of Divine Ascent, the writings of St. Theodore the Studite, St. Isaac the
Syrian (to which he was particularly attached and which he often quoted in later
years), the compendium of the writings of St. John Chrysostom, the Six Days
of Creation by St. Basil the Great, and countless other writings by the saints.
As the peaceful days went by, the young novice devotedly fulfilled his
prayer rule, then immediately began to read near the sheep from these and other
teachings of the saints until evening. Undistracted by the cares of the world he
could almost see Sts. Anthony, Macarius the Great, John Chrysostom and the
others, and hear them speaking the words of the books directly to him.
“St. Anthony would be there, with his white beard, tall, and absolutely
radiant, speaking to me, and it seemed as though his words were imprinted in my
mind just as if you were to write with your finger in soft wax. I have never
forgotten all that I read during that time.”
Several years later, while still caring for the sheep on the mountains,
Brother Constantine himself began to write some books; however, when he
realized that he had undertaken this without receiving a blessing, he threw all that
he had written into the fire. The next time he saw his abbot, Elder loanichie, he
confessed that he had begun to write books without a blessing and then burned all
of them; the elder then gave Brother Constantine a blessing, saying, “You may
now write, dear Brother, write everything you can.”
Brother Constantine had read that every monk must pray the Seven
Praises every day, and, in his zeal to fulfill all monastic rules, he learned these
services by heart so that he could recite the services wherever he would be. The
sheep, however, demanded attention and care at unexpected times, and the young
novice found himself unable to do all Seven Praises. In frustration, he went to
Elder loanichie and told him that he could not do all the Hours.
The abbot asked him, “Who gave you the blessing to learn these by
heart and who gave you the obedience to do the Hours? Your rule is to read the
Morning Prayers and the Akathist to the Theotokos in the mornings, and in the
evenings to read the Evening Prayers and the Paradis to the Mother of God; the
rest of the time you are to say the Jesus Prayer. The rest of the Hours are done in
church for everyone, for they are read from the cliros.”
One spring Brother Constantine came down with a sickness that

affected his lungs and he began to hemorrhage. This happened while Fr. Galaction
was at the sheepfold. The elder at once sent him to dig up roots of nettle plants,
boil them and drink the juice. The young novice did this and was healed. Many
years later Fr. Cleopa went to Bucharest where he addressed the faithful in four
different places on
one day; when the people learned that he’d had a lung problem in his youth
they were all amazed that he had the strength to speak so much in one single
day. They then insisted that a doctor examine him and do some X-rays on his
lungs. The doctor, Athanasius, looked at the x-rays and was baffled: “Father,
what did you do? Your lung is perfectly clear as if it was new!” Then Fr. Cleopa
told him about the disease that had affected him, the hemorrhaging and how he
had boiled nettle roots and had drunk the juice, and that his elder had prayed
for him.
By this time one of Brother Constantine’s sisters, Catherine, was a
nun at the monastery of Agapia Veche.22 Since this monastery was so close to
where Sihastria’s sheep were frequently pastured Brother Constantine often
found occasion to visit his sister.
Sister Catherine Die, nun at Agapia Veche Monastery
22 Agapia Veche (“Old Agapia”) is a secluded small monastery in Neamts County .and
follows a very strict rule. It is located near Agapia Monastery, one of the largest
Orthodox monasteries in the world today.
Seeing her brother with the sheep so often, Sister Catherine said to
him, “Are you always going to be taking care of sheep? Ask for an obedience in
the church! At home you took care of sheep, now here in the monasteiy, you are
still with the sheep!
The ever humble and obedient Brother Constantine completely
dismissed this temptation toward pride and answered his sister, “Get away from
me with such foolish talk!”
Another time Brother Constantine went over the mountains to visit his
sister since, again, he was nearby with the flock. When he reached the place
called Poiana Trapezei, he suddenly found himself surrounded by wild boars and
truly in danger of death. As they closed in on him, he began singing loudly the
kondakion from the Akathist of St. John the New of Suceava, “The helper and
defender of Christians....”
As soon as he began singing these words the boars disappeared. The
young shepherd-monk, seeing the animals gone, hurried up to the top of the hill
and, out of fear and exhaustion, fell to the ground. Once he had regained his
strength, he went on to Agapia Veche, but with great difficulty because of the
fright he had experienced. The fright was greatly tempered by his relief and
gratitude to St. John of Suceava for delivering him.
The people who came in contact with Brother Constantine (later

Father Cleopa) during his entire life included many who led very holy lives, as
can be observed by some mentioned thus far, such as Fr. Galaction and Elder
loanichie. There were others as well, who have since been officially canonized
by the Church, who had an impact on the life and direction of this future great
elder. Although Brother Constantine may not have sat at their feet for years, nor
been called one of their disciples, a brief meeting or short conversation with these
holy men certainly influenced his life. There were two saints of the twentieth
century in particular that affected him in this way: St. John Jacob and St. Justin
Popovich (whom we shall meet later in this book).
St. John Jacob of Neamts23 first entered the monastic life in Neamts
Monastery in 1933, after both his parents had died. At that time
23 St. John was canonized in the latter part of the 20th century. After living at Neamts for
a number of years, he went to the Holy Land where he spent the rest of his life. His body
remained incorrupt after his death.
the abbot of Neamts was Bishop Nicodemus Munteanu, the future Patriarch of
Romania.
On receiving the new novice, Bishop Nicodemus blessed him and had
him venerate the wonder-working icon of the Theotokos located in the main
church of Neamts, built by Prince Stephen the Great. Then Brother Elias (his
name before his monastic tonsure) was sent in obedience to the monasteiy’s
pharmacy to work under the direction of the monk Job, who led a particularly
holy life. Later he was appointed as the librarian of Neamts where he was
responsible for taking care of the old manuscripts, including the original
manuscripts written by St. Paisius Velichkovsky. He also loaned books out to
the monks of this great Lavra and the small sketes in the area.
Since Brother Constantine was frequently in the area around Neamts
with the sheep from Sihastria, he often met with Brother Elias in order to borrow
more books to read throughout the week. Once, in 1934, Brother Constantine
had borrowed the book The Alphabet of the Soul by St. Dimitrie of Rostov. Later
in that same year when Brother Elias was at Sihastria on some business with the
steward of Neamts Lavra, he saw Brother Constantine.
“Brother Constantine,” he said, “have you finished reading The
Alphabet of the SoulT'
“I have a little left to read before I am finished, then I will bring it
back to the library.”
“That’s good, Brother Constantine. May God help you on the path of
salvation! We have a lot of wonderful books at Neamts, which are so good for
the soul. Read them now while you are young, because when you get older you
will have many other cares that will occupy your time, and you will not be able
to read as much.”
This prophecy would be fulfilled. The early monastic years of Brother
Constantine were peaceful and a perfect setting for him to absorb all that he
read. Later in his life crowds of people would be thronging around Fr. Cleopa
from morning until night, and he would have little time to read; however, the
words of the books he read during these early monastic years would flow from
his lips as he counseled everyone who came to him.
Brother Constantine’s Military Service

Mandatory military service in Romania required that Brother
Constantine report for duty in 1935. By that time he was twenty-three
years old and had been in the monastic life for six years. With sorrow in his heart
at the thought of leaving his peaceful and prayerful surroundings, he left the sheep
on the mountain in the care of others and went down to the skete. After confessing
before Elder loanichie and partaking of the precious Body and Blood of the Lord
with prayer from the depths of his soul, he received the blessing from the elder
and left to report for military duty in Botosani. He was assigned to a regiment that
dealt with telegraph communications. What a blessing it was for him that he was
not assigned to an infantry unit! How could such a peaceful and prayerful person
be expected to carry weapons that delivered death to others? The only enemy that
Brother Constantine wanted to fight and overcome was the enemy of the soul.
This devout young novice, even while in the militaiy, did not relax his
monastic prayer rule nor his rule of fasting. He appealed to the authorities,
explaining that he was a member of the monastic community of Sihastria, and
that monastic rule does not allow monks and nuns to eat meat. The commander
of the regiment gave his approval for Brother Constantine to eat what he felt he
could from the mess hall. Thus, throughout his entire time in the military, he
fulfilled his required service to the country while continuing, and even increasing,
his zeal in monastic nevointa.u Because of this zeal and devotion, during his entire
time in the army his sleep was never troubled with impure dreams.
Brother Constantine’s specific assignment during his military service
was spent in the infirmary. There, he continued to wear his monastic habit rather
than military uniform and was a great comfort to those who were sick. Others
often found him in prayer. While he was working at cleaning and helping others,
the Jesus Prayer was constantly on his lips. Everyone came to love and honor
him, both officers and simple soldiers, because of the comfort that he brought to
all.
The commander of his regiment was especially pleased with the
presence of Brother Constantine and took extra care to keep him safe. The morale
of the entire regiment was uplifted thanks to the presence of the young monk who
led the soldiers in Evening and Morning Prayers in the regiment’s chapel and also
encouraged everyone to go with him to the nearby church on Sundays and holy
days. The spirits of all his fellow soldiers were uplifted through his presence and
the exam-
24 “Nevointa” in Romanian would be the equivalent of the Russian “podvig”: ascetic

struggles and hardship.
pie of his life that was so totally devoted to Christ. He was often asked by his
commanding officers to address the soldiers in spiritual matters; so it would
seem that this time in the military was also a preparation for the years that he
would spend guiding, comforting and encouraging the faithful. As he spoke
with the soldiers, even the officers would gather around to listen to his words of
spiritual advice.
It often happened that there were soldiers who were ill and in need of
a priest. Brother Constantine was always the first to recognize this need and
immediately sought the chaplain on the post, bringing him to the infirmary to
hear the sick person’s confession and impart to him the Body and Blood of
Christ. His example was so powerful among his fellow soldiers that many of
them sought to speak with him about entering the monastic life once their
military service was completed.
Several months before he was to be discharged from the army,
Brother Constantine had some free time. His regiment was located close to his
childhood home; however, he did not chose to go there to see his family and
friends. Instead, he hurried to Cozancea Skete to see Fr. Paisius. He stayed with
Fr. Paisius long enough at that time to help him build a new cell and chapel, and
was delighted to find his own uncle, Fr. Gennadius, there as a novice with his
beloved elder. Fr. Genna- dius had been a shepherd his entire life, never
married, and when he became older he withdrew to Cozancea to be near Fr.
Paisius in the monastic life.
As the time drew near for Brother Constantine to report back to his
regiment, Fr. Paisius took him aside and asked him, “Brother Constantine, when
you receive your discharge from the army, why don’t you come here with me?”
Fr. Paisius’s love for this young novice was tremendous; he had
spiritually raised him from a young lad, and their souls were strongly bound one
to the other, so much so that even the years that they had spent apart could not
separate them.
Brother Constantine, tom by his love for this God-filled elder and his
ties to Sihastria answered him, “Fr. Paisius, I can’t lie to you. I have a strong
spiritual bond with Sihastria Skete; that is where I entered the monastic life and
where my brothers both fell asleep in the Lord. Here at Cozancea I would be
too close to my home village and I need to be more removed and unknown to
my relatives. After my discharge, I will return to Sihastria!”
Fr. Paisius wept, was silent a bit, then said, “I had always hoped that I
would have a novice from your family. But since you can’t consider coming here
after you are finished in the army, then I will also go to Sihastria soon!”
“That is wonderful, Fr. Paisius! But now I have to go back to my
regiment.”
“If you have to go now, I’ll walk with you part of the way.”
As they walked along in prayer, the mutual bond between them seemed
even stronger. They reached the point where they could see the fields and hills of
Brother Constantine’s home village. Then Fr. Paisius turned to the young brother
and said,
“Let’s make a promise, a vow, to each other. First we have to make
three prostrations.”
“Yes, Fr. Paisius! Let’s do that!”
After they had made three prostrations, Fr. Paisius prayed, “All holy
Trinity, our God, through the intercessions of the most pure Theotokos and all
Thy saints, grant that, if Brother Constantine dies before I do, may I stand near
his head (at his funeral); and if I die first, may he stand at my head! Amen.”
Then, as the elder and the novice both wept, they departed one from
the other, bound by the promise they had just made on that summer day in 1936.
This promise was to be fulfilled fifty-four years later when Hieroschemamonk
Paisius Olaru, one of the greatest spiritual fathers of Moldavia, gave his soul into
the hands of God. Fr. Cleopa stood near his side and never left his body until it
was committed to the grave.
As the required time of military service—one year—drew to a close,

Brother Constantine was approached by his superior officers who said, “Stay in
the army. With the memory that you have, you will become a general!” But he
refused, telling them that he was a “soldier in the army of Christ, the King of
Heaven.”
Still, in the one year of his service, Constantine Hie reached the rank
of corporal; yet that meant nothing to him as he received his discharge papers in
the fall of 1936 and hurried back to Sihastria, giving thanks and praise to God
and the most holy Theotokos that he could now fully resume his monastic life.
Return to Sihastria
What a joy it was for him to be back at his beloved Sihastria, and that
joy was doubled when his obedience was again to care for the sheep. He was
the youngest in obedience at the sheepfold and never wearied of helping Fr.
Galaction—who was still there—and Fr. Anthony. His daily duties included
leading the sheep into the bam to be milked, milking them, making cheese, 25
and cleaning the bam and fenced-in pasture where tlie sheep often spent the
night. The next day would begin anew with Brother Constantine leading the
herd out to graze among the meadows and mountains.
All three of the monks, Brother Constantine and the two elders,
shared a similar character: they were gentle, humble, quiet, and they loved
prayer more than anything else. Because their personalities were so akin to each
other, their time together was spent in peace and quiet, and there was never any
animosity or discord among them.
Brother Constantine is Tonsured

Toward the end of July in 1937 Elder loanichie, still serving as abbot
of the skete, decided that it was time for Brother Constantine, then still a
rasaphore, to be tonsured into the little schema. He had spent more than six
years in obedience in the skete and had completed his military service, so the
petition to the Metropolitan for him to be professed was approved by decree
number 10042 and the date was set for August 2, 1937.
The monastic profession, also called the tonsure, is often likened to a
second baptism26 and the “godparent” at the profession is another older
professed monk (for nuns, it is another nun), who leads the one to be professed
into the church for the service, covered entirely by the godparent’s mantia. The
godparent is generally the abbot (or abbess for nuns), and thus Brother
Constantine besought Elder loanichie to be the one to take him under the
mantia.
25 Sheep-milk cheese is a staple to the Romanian diet, especially for those living in the
villages; two kinds of cheeses are made: a firm hard cheese called “kash,” and a softer
cheese somewhat like cottage cheese, called “urda.”
26 The Nicene Creed of the Orthodox Church “acknowledge(s) one baptism for the
remission of sins” so it must be stressed that the tonsure is likened to but is not a second
baptism; there is no immersion in water, however, the tonsure is a life-long promise that
cannot be reversed.
The elder however, replied, “Brother Costica, I am 77 years old now

and will not be in this life much longer. It is better, please, for you to ask another
monk to be your godfather.”
He then suggested that this role be filled by Schemamonk Pro- clus
Popa, who strove greatly in asceticism and was among the most humble of the
monks at Sihastria. He was originally from the town of Piatra Soimului, Neamts
County.
Brother Constantine approached Fr. Proclus, “Fr. Proclus, if you don’t
accept to take me under your mantia, I don’t have the courage to be professed so
soon!”
When the gentle elder, Fr. Proclus, heard Brother Constantine say this
with such love and zeal, he rejoiced and said, “O.K. Brother Costica, get
everything ready, and tonight I will take you under the mantia!”
As the service for the monastic tonsure began, the entire community
of fathers and brothers in Sihastria intensified their prayers to God that He
strengthen this new monk along the way of the spiritual life and enable him to
cany his cross until the end of his days.
It is not known whether a specific name had been decided upon by the
abbot; however, when the time came to pronounce the new name at the moment
of tonsure, Schemamonk Nicholas, standing near the abbot, leaned over and said
to him, “Fr. Abbot, give him the name, Cleopa, because we do not have any
monk here by that name.”
“Well said, Father Nicholas!” said the abbot.
And with that, the holy words of tonsure were pronounced, “Our
brother, the monk Cleopa, is tonsured in the name of the Father. Amen; and of
the Son. Amen; and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Let us say for him, ‘Lord, have
mercy.’”
After the actual service of the tonsure was finished and the rest of the
vigil continued, the monk Cleopa received the blessing from his abbot. Then his
godfather led him to venerate the icon of the Theotokos and conducted him
officially to his place among the brothers in the strana.27 The monastic tonsure is
the most important day in the life of a
27 There are traditionally no pews in Orthodox churches, and certainly not in monasteries.
Instead there are special seats along the walls, usually quite ornately carved, in a single
row, which are called the strana in Romanian, or in Greek, stasidi.
monastic, and thus was the tonsure of our beloved Fr. Cleopa, who was to
become one of the greatest abbots and spiritual elders of Romania!
The devil does not sleep and continues to attack those in the monastic
life, both before and especially after they have taken upon themselves the
“armor” of the full monastic habit. These attacks can be in subtle forms or very
obvious, but his aim is to take the monastic away from his vows, his prayer life,
his rule of obedience. Shortly after his tonsure, Fr. Cleopa was tempted in a
subtle way by the enemy of souls:
“No one ever locked his cell because there was nothing to steal from
any of the monks! The skete provided for all our needs. But look at how the
enemy wanted to catch me in his snare through the passion of love for money!
I was in obedience in the kitchen, and a pilgrim came and said to me, ‘Fr.
Cleopa, look at the new coin that has just come out! Isn’t it pretty!’ And he gave
one of these new coins to me.
“I took the coin to my cell and put it on the windowsill under a piece
of paper so that no one could see it, then I locked the door. As I continued
working in the kitchen, I kept going back to my cell again and again to peek
under that piece of paper to be sure that the coin hadn’t disappeared.
“After a couple days of this, I realized that the evil one had tricked me
into caring about money so much so that I was keeping my door locked and kept
thinking about that coin! I made the sign of the cross, took the coin and gave it
to a beggar who was in the courtyard of the skete. That is how I escaped from
the sin of love for money!”
Fire at Sihastria
At that time, between the years 1938-1941, there were over thirty-five
professed monks and novices at Sihastria Skete. The cells for the monks were
very old and built out of pine. By then Abbot loanichie was over eighty years
old and was finding it very hard to see to all the needs of the growing skete.
May 30, 1941 fell during the week before the feast of the Ascension
of Christ A beautiful tradition exists to this day in Moldavia: faithful people
from throughout the entire northeast part of Romania make a pilgrimage to
Neamts Monastery for that particular feast, which is the patronal feast of that
great lavra. They come in groups, mostly on foot, singing the hymns of Pascha
as they walk from monastery to monastery, carrying their food with them and
sleeping in the open fields. This
pilgrimage climaxes as tens, perhaps hundreds, of thousands of people converge

on Neamts Monastery for the vigil and Divine Liturgy of Ascension.
Since Sihastria is so close to Neamts Monastery, that week before
Ascension saw countless pilgrims coming through the gates to pray at the skete.
The brothers and fathers of the skete were doing all they could to make the
faithful welcome and comfortable as they drew near to Neamts. That particular
year was excessively dry, and when a breeze picked up, a spark came from
somewhere. Before anyone knew what happened, one of the cells caught fire.
Within half an hour the entire courtyard of the skete was aflame; all the cells
were razed, the roof of the main church was burned and the small chapel
dedicated to Sts. Joachim and Anna was destroyed. The only things saved from
the flames were a few of the holy objects from the churches.
In all the confusion of the fire, some of the faithful and clergy ran
through the flames in the chapel and removed the holy Gospel, the reserved
Sacrament, some icons and holy vessels. The one thing that was not removed
was the container holding the holy relics because no one knew where it was. The
fire became so intense that there was no possibility of searching for this reliquary,
as everyone had to flee from the chapel. Outside, as everyone was mourning the
loss of the relics, they all suddenly saw a silver-white container with a long red
ribbon attached to it; this was the veiy container that held the holy relics! It was
coming out of the chapel, invisibly carried above the flames, and fell at the feet
of those in the middle of the courtyard.
All the fathers present saw this miracle and were amazed. They picked
up the reliquary, kissed it and gave thanks to God with tears. God does indeed
work His wonders at all times and places, if only we have faith and pray to him
with tears and humility.
The destruction that the fire had caused was overwhelming, especially
for the elderly abbot, Fr. loanichie Moroi, who saw all his physical efforts of
more than thirty years destroyed in less than one hour. With tears in his eyes and
in spite of his advanced years, he made three prostrations in front of the main
church, which was now left without a roof, and spoke the words of the holy
prophet Job, “The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away! Blessed be the name
of the Lord. Amen.”
Like that great prophet of the Old Testament, this holy elder had also
experienced the fact that the Lord had given him much, and in
the blink of an eye, it had disappeared; however he did not lose courage nor did
he simply retire, using his age as an excuse. Instead, he encouraged the others
saying, “Fathers, do not be discouraged because the fire has destroyed almost
our entire monastery. The fire fell on us because of our sins and so that there
will now be new benefactors of this holy place who will be remembered in
prayer as long as the skete exists. Be mindful of the prayers and tears of those
who have gone before us and do not abandon this holy place, but be patient
even in this trial. Never weaken in maintaining the rule and schedule of this
skete, for whoever does not preserve the rule of the monastery will find himself
driven from here! Maintain the monastic life and rule and be sure to serve the
Divine Liturgy and the Seven Praises here every day.
“If you do these things, if you continue to lead pure lives, and as long
as there is love among the brotherhood, then know that the Mother of the Lord
will raise this holy place from the ashes, and you will have peace and salvation
in this place. But if you do not preserve the prayer life and services in holiness,
if you are negligent in regard to fasting and your monastic vows, then you must
know that this place will be completely deserted. For God looks more favorably
upon a place that is deserted but pure, than a place that is full of monks but in
complete disorder.”
Nativity of the Theotokos Church at Sihastria

3
ABBOT OF SIHASTOIA AND SLATINA
1942-1956
A
fter the fire in the summer of 1941, it became more
and more difficult for Sihastria Skete to support itself.
The beloved abbot, Fr. loanichie, was 82 years old,
and his health was failing. He was no longer able to serve the Divine
Liturgy, and it had become very difficult for him to even hear confes-
sions and offer guidance. Then, in his old age, it happened that some
thieves from the village of Balta laid hold of him and beat him terribly,
leaving him with only one eye.
During the summer of 1942 there was only one priest serving
at Sihastria, Hieroschemamonk Joel Gheorghiu, a disciple of the elderly
abbot. From time to time he was assisted by Hieromonk Calistrat Bobu.
The hardships brought about by the fire affected almost every aspect of
daily life at the skete: since most of the cells had burned, a majority of
the brothers and professed monks were moved to Neamts and Secu
Monasteries. At Sihastria, food was prepared in tire summer kitchen,
and a basement had to serve as both the refectory during the day and
large dormitory at night for the few monks who remained there.
In the midst of all these hardships, Elder loanichie was granted
a great comfort. While he was sick on his bed, but still worried about
providing for the skete, a woman very modestly dressed came in and
spoke to him, saying, “Do not be sorrowful, Fr. loanichie. From now
on we will care for this holy place!” Fr. loanichie realized that this was
the most holy Theotokos, the patroness of the skete, and it is clear that
from the year 1942 even to this present day her protection and blessing
is strongly felt at Sihastria.
Finally, the beloved Elder loanichie felt that it was time for
another to grow greater and for him to grow smaller,1 so he proposed
to the community at Sihastria that Ff. Cleopa be named as acting abbot
in his place. The community was surprised at the elder’s choice! Al-
though Fr. Cleopa had spent some time in the skete itself through the
years, the majority of his formative years had been spent with only one
or two other monks in the forested mountains with the sheep. The
monks, however, were unaware of something that Elder loanichie knew
very well: during those years Fr. Cleopa had read voraciously and had
an incredible memory. In spite of his lacking a seminary education, he
had learned more in his private reading at the sheepfold than any semi-
nary or graduate studies could have taught him! The elder also knew
that Fr. Cleopa, although young, was very capable, rational, and spiri-
tually advanced.
So, obedient to the decision of their elder, the priests and
monks at Sihastria prayed before the icon of the Theotokos, then set out
into the mountains toward the sheepfold, which, at that time was lo-
cated on Taciunele Mountain. It was their duty to tell Fr. Cleopa that
his days of tending irrational sheep were over and that he was to serve
as the acting abbot of Sihastria.
As the monks approached the sheepfold on that day during the
ast of the holy apostles in June, they were questioning the abbot’s de-
c*si°n. how could this simple shepherd monk possibly guide Sihastria
bkete? They found quite a bit of activity at the sheepfold since it was
e time for sheering the sheep, and Fr. Cleopa was in the midst of this
ior together with one or two other monks in obedience there.
Hierodeacon Gemnazie Pristav, the boldest of those sent by
*der loanichie on this mission, said, “Fr. Cleopa, the time has come, as
Ji e days of the prophet David, for you to leave those who are lamb-
mg now and to shepherd the rational flock! Look, the skete was burned,
our abbot is blind and ill, and the monks are scattering! Come on and
help to rebuild the skete. We all want you; Fr. Abbot loanichie, who
1 Jn. 3:10
Abbot of Sihastria and Slatina 57
raised all of us, has summoned you because he is not able to carry this
burden any longer!”
Hearing these words, Fr. Cleopa said, “I am only thirty years old. I am
too young and cannot be abbot of the skete. Look for someone else because I do
not know how to guide souls. I am a sinner!”
“No, Fr. Cleopa! God Himself is calling you. You have to be obedient
now just as you have always been! We will all help you, and through the
intercessions of the Theotokos, we believe that you will be able to save our skete
because the brothers are scattering more and more every day!”
“Please, Father,” Fr. Cleopa replied, “give me a month to pray to God
and to think about this. I am too young and do not know what to do. If you do not
give me this time, I will leave and go to Secu Monastery.”
“O.K. Fr. Cleopa. We will leave you for one month to pray on this
matter.”
As the fathers from the skete left him and were going down the
mountain, Fr. Calistrat, one of the spiritual fathers of the skete, said, “It’s too
soon for Fr. Cleopa! We have to pray to the Mother of God and leave him alone
to think about this!”
The next day Fr. Cleopa sent a postcard to Fr. Paisius at Cozancea Skete
to ask him whabto do in this difficult position. Then he fasted totally for three
days and besought the Lord in secret to reveal His will to him.
Ten days later he received a note from Fr. Paisius, “My beloved son, I
am a sinner, but my advice is that it is not your place to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’! Don’t
be glad that they are choosing you as abbot, and don’t be upset when they take
that position from you. Be obedient to the will of the elder abbot and the
community and leave yourself totally in the will of God.”
Thus, Schemamonk Paisius blessed Fr. Cleopa to assist in the renewal
of Sihastria Skete. Then, when a month of waiting and prayer. had gone by, Fr.
Cleopa—the simple, young monk—took the reins of the administration of
Sihastria into his hands. The fathers and brothers of the skete were amazed to find
that the shepherd monk from the mountains was not only gifted in the running of
the skete, but that he was a trusted and deeply prayerful monk to whom they could
entrust their souls. Thus, the community rejoiced in the change of leadership, and
everyone was completely obedient to his word. Elder loanichie
especially found peace in realizing that his choice of Fr. Cleopa as his
successor was in obedience to God’s will.
Fr. Cleopa, in accepting this new responsibility, did not overturn
any decisions made by Elder loanichie. The teachings that he himself had
received from the elder, as well as his love and respect for him, were to
remain with him until his death. These teachings were priceless pearls for
him, together with the words that he had received from other elders. As he
spoke and directed others, he would pepper his counsels with “Fr. loanichie
said...” or “Fr. Paisius told me...” or “Fr. Vincent Malau advised....”
The new acting abbot in no way neglected his physical duties; as
soon as he was taken to the skete and assumed his new position, he turned
his attention to rebuilding the cells that had burned the year before. Neamts
Monastery had a full lumberyard under its direction and generously gave
several hundred-cubit meters of lumber to Sihastria for the rebuilding of
the cells. Many of the faithful from the area came to the skete to offer their
labor, and by fall of 1942 work was begun on two wings of buildings that
would hold over twenty cells. During 1943 and 1944 a number of faithful
from the village of Radaseni, Suceava came to work on the cells. They had
been evacuated from their village because of the war at that time, so they
found both refuge and work at Sihastria.
All the monks were pleasantly surprised to find that they liked,
even loved, the new acting abbot so much! The brotherhood at the skete, as
well as the faithful who came from miles around, found Fr. Cleopa to be
pious, gentle and an encouragement to all in prayer and fasting. It seems
that it was from this time that people began coming to him to hear spiritual
words and counsel. No one left from Sihastria without being fed spiritually.
These were war years in Europe, and tremendous difficulties fell
upon everyone. These difficulties affected the reconstruction which was in
progress at Sihastria, since people were not able to move about freely. Once
the front lines of battle moved to the west of the Carpathian Mountains, Fr.
Cleopa accelerated the work of building cells for the monks and also put a
new roof on the main monastery church.
Through the grace of God and the blessings of the Theotokos,
the protectress of the holy skete, Fr. Cleopa proved to be a very energetic
and fearless administrator, as well as a true spiritual elder for all who came
to him.
The Death of Abbot loanichie Moroi

Fr. loanichie had led Sihastria for thirty-three years, and now in his
latter years the grave illness that overcame him was eased because he knew
Sihastria to be in capable hands in the person of Fr. Cleopa.
The great elder spent the last two years of his life almost entirely in his
cell. He prayed unceasingly day and night and offered guidance to the monks
who continued to come to him, hearing their confessions when he was able. He
lived to see the destruction wrought by the fire being reversed as Sihastria was
renovated and rebuilt, and the spiritual life advanced deeper and deeper in the
tradition of the holy fathers.
In 1943 his illness became worse. It was necessary to have two monks
at his side day and night to care for him. Even in his last days, the elder, who had
labored and suffered so much during his lifetime, was not spared a tremendous
grief; in August 1944 his beloved son, the monk Nicanor, was shot by Russian
soldiers near the military front of war.
On September 3, 1944, the elder felt that his end was near. He called
all the community to his bedside and gave them his final words of guidance: Pray
unceasingly, fulfill all obediences with love, be zealous for the Church and lead
a life pure in Christ. After asking forgiveness of all the monks, he kissed each of
them and said three times, “On Tuesday, I will go to the Father,” thus
prophesying the day of his death.
On Tuesday, September 5, at 10:00 a.m. the great elder, loanichie
Moroi, gave his soul into the hands of the heavenly Father after a life full of
difficulties and monastic struggles. The community, while mourning the loss of
their beloved elder, were comforted in the fact that he had left a truly worthy
successor in his stead to renovate the skete and rebuild their spiritual life: Fr.
Cleopa. Tearfully mourning their loss, the community buried their beloved abbot
in the new cemetery located near the skete’s orchards.
After just a few years, Schemanun Augustina from Agapia Monastery,
who had been the wife of Elder loanichie before they both entered the monastic
life, also fell asleep in the Lord in peace and was buried in the monastery
cemetery.
The Election and Installation of Monk Cleopa as Abbot

After Abbot loanichic departed to eternal rest, tire entire weight of
ninning Sihastria Skcte fell on Fr. Cleopa's shoulders. While he was still serving
as acting abbot, the local bishop wanted to ordain him to the diaconatc and
priesthood, but he refused, saying that he feared he could not fulfill this tremendous
obligation before God. Finally. however, something happened that convinced him
to accept ordination and then to be installed fully as abbot of Sihastria.
In October 1944. just one month after Abbot loanichie had fallen asleep
in the Lord. Fr Cleopa and several of the brothers were on their wav to work in the
skcte s vineyards near the town of Racova since the time had come to pick the
grapes and bring them back to Sihastna On the way, when they were near Buhusi.
a pious woman saw them and came running out to meet them, carry ing a set of
priest’s vestments. a Liturgicoir and a pnest’s cane.
"Father, a military chaplain stayed at our house during tire war. and he
left these vestments and other things here when he went to [he front 1 don't know
what to do with them.”
“Dear woman, give them to a church or a monastery that is in need of
them It is not right for you to keep such holy things that are specifically for a priest
in your house!” Fr. Cleopa said to her.
"Father, if I give them to you. will you accept them?”
"Give them to us. and we will take them to our monastery; it is a sin for
them to be kept just anywhere!”
"Here. Father, take everything! The vestments, the book and the cane 1
thank God that 1 met you and could give them to you.”
Fr Cleopa took the items and put them in their wagon while he thought
to himself. "Why is it that this woman came to me and not someone else with these
things'.’ Could this be a sign that God wants me to accept ordination and guide the
community of Sihastria with this staff’”
When he returned from the work at the vineyards, he immediately
sought out his spiritual father and confessed all that happened. The kindly
hieromonk, full of experience, understood that this was a sign from God and said.
"Submit to this obedience. Fr. Cleopa. At our profession all of us vowed to be
obedient, since without this virtue we
1
Liturgicon is service book used by the priest for all the daily services, containing ail the
prayers and rubrics for the serving clergy.
cannot be saved! Besides, who will guide tlie skete’s brotherhood if

everyone flees from such a responsibility? You know very well that the
holy fathers tell us, ‘obedience is life and disobedience is death!”’
Two months later, on the feast of the first martyr and archdeacon
Stephen, December 27, 1944, the monk Cleopa was ordained a hierodeacon.
Then, on January 23, 1945 on the feast of the holy hieromartyr Clement, he was
ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Galaction Cordun who was serving as abbot
of Neamts Monasteiy at that time.
It was only a short time later that Hieromonk Cleopa was finally
officially installed as abbot of Sihastria Skete.
Some of the most pressing obligations that Fr. Cleopa had to see to as
abbot were the reconstruction and renovation of the skete. The work that had
been begun in 1942 had been interrupted due to the war, and now had to be
resumed. Finally, in 1945, the new trapeza,3 where over one hundred people
could be served, was blessed. At about tlie same time they also finished tlie work
on tlie north wing of tlie skete, which consisted of more than ten large cells and
tlie kitchen. Between 1945 and 1946 the south wing of tlie skete was completed,
containing ten more cells, but these were smaller than tlie ones on tlie north side.
None of this was accomplished without considerable difficulty! Fr.
Cleopa never forgot tlie hardships of those days: “The skete had nothing! The
patronal feast day was approaching, and nothing was ready. All the cells had
burned in tlie fire, tlie bells had melted from tlie heat of the flames and the main
church lost its roof in tlie fire. I decided to go to Neamts Monasteiy to borrow
money from them so that we could do some work; but that idea did not bear fruit
because they had no money at the time.
“Then I decided to go to Protosinghel Joachim Spatani 4, a true man of
God! At the time I went to see him, he had a visitor, Constantine Valsan by name,
a good Christian man from Bucharest, who was the general director of tlie
telephone company. When Mr. Valsan heard that we had nothing for tlie
celebration of our feast day, he immediately
3
Also referred to as the “refectory” or dining hall in a monastery.
4
The term “Protosingle” in some traditions is translated as “Egumen”, a mo-
nastic priest one step below Archimandrite; however, in tlie Romanian tradition
“Egumen” is the title belonging to the person just below tlie abbot/abbess of a
monastery.
gave me 800,000 lei5 to help with our expenses. Fr. Joel Gheorghiu, the
skete’s spiritual father, was waiting for me when I got back to Sihastria. The
entire time I was gone he had been praying to God that we would receive
some help. When he heard about the donation we received, he was amazed
and gave thanks to almighty God.”
In the spring of 1946 the faithful villagers from Radaseni, Suceava,
who had spent time at Sihastria and in the forests around the skete during the
period of evacuation in the war, decided to build a new winter chapel
themselves to replace the one that burned in 1941. They not only did all the
labor, but also paid for all the necessary materials. The new chapel, like the
former one, was dedicated to Sts. Joachim and Anna. Hieromonk Gerasim
Campanu, who was originally from Radaseni, joined his former fellow
villagers as a very generous donor toward the construction of the new chapel.
By the end of 1946 the chapel was almost finished, lacking only the interior
frescos and iconostas. The chapel was a true example of the piety and
gratitude that is characteristic of the Romanian people. Through their
sacrifice and love, these residents of Radaseni showed their gratitude to God
and to the monks of the skete who had offered them hospitality when they
were refugees. It was no exaggeration to say that they had been delivered
from the danger of death during the war, through the mercy of God and the
kindness of these monks.
As the physical labor was being done during the years of 1945 and
1946, God also led numerous men to join the monastic community. Their
attraction to Sihastria came from two motives: tremendous poverty and
famine had taken hold of the entire country, and they were able to find
refuge, shelter and food at the skete; but also the name of Fr. Cleopa, abbot
of Sihastria, was becoming known and drawing those lovers of God to the
isolated forest skete. This, therefore, was the beginning of both the spiritual
and material rise of Sihastria.
The heart of the newly experienced growth was, without doubt, the
person of Fr. Cleopa. He quickly became known as a true man of God, and
his fame began to spread everywhere. The phenomenon was then, and
would remain so his entire life, that while other monasteries and sketes were
in need of more monks and nuns, and especially of spiritual fathers, Sihastria
blossomed more and more each day, thanks to the gentle and merciful Abbot
Cleopa. He was a true
5
A very substantial amount of money.
priest, father and spiritual guide to everyone who came to him—monks,

intellectuals, faithfiil from villages, poor peasants and beggars.
Romania was going through difficult times in those years. The country
had sided with Germany during World War II, not because they had fascist
tendencies; rather because they feared the outcome if their powerful communist
neighbor to the north, the U.S.S.R., were to win. Their fears were realized when
the war ended and Europe was carved up, giving Romania into the hands of the
communists. Now the people of this nation, who had been Orthodox Christians
since the days of the holy apostles, found themselves under communist
subjugation. In times of persecution and trial, however, the Church has most often
proved to become stronger, and that was certainly the case in Romania. The people
flocked to the monasteries more and more as the communists tightened their
choking grasp on the village and city life.
The road leading to Sihastria was a forested, mountain dirt road with
large rocks scattered about and holes everywhere. In the summer rain, it was
muddy and even more washed out than normal, but that did not stop the people
from flocking to the skete that had become renowned for prayer and the words of
wisdom, comfort and guidance that were offered to all by Abbot Cleopa. No day
went by without his being sought by all, and he never let them down. He would
sit among them, helping, advising, reproving, feeding and calming everyone. Who
would have believed that this simple, young, uneducated shepherd monk could be
so wise! Then word began to spread even more as people realized that he had a
gift of preaching: his sermons touched the very hearts of everyone who heard
them, and his spiritual advice given in the sacrament of confession led even more
of the faithful to him. Finally, his loving and generous heart and his mercy to the
poor and destitute brought even more people to the gates of the skete. What he
had received from the Lord, Fr. Cleopa gave to others, both materially and
spiritually, and thus God showered His grace and mercy in overabundance upon
Sihastria, through the intercessions of the most holy Theotokos.
Fr. Cleopa’s love for the Theotokos

Fr. Cleopa always had a tremendous love for the Mother of God and
offered his most heartfelt gratitude to her for her mercies to him and the skete. No
day would ever go by that he did not read the Akathist of the Annunciation and
several of the Compline Canons to
64
her. He lovingly called her, in the words of the Church, “The Queen of the
Cherubim and Seraphim and our Lady.” He strove continually to plant and nurture
a love for her in the souls of all who came to him:
“Do you know who the Mother of the Lord is? She is the Queen
of the Cherubim, the Queen of all creation, the dwelling place for the
incarnation of God the Word, the door of light, since the unapproachable
noetic Light came into the world through her. She is the gateway of life, for
Abbot of Sihastria and Slatina
65
ing the Paraclis each evening, you will find that she is a great help to you
your entire life and in the hour of death, right up to the day of judgment.
Do you know what power the Mother of the Lord has before the throne of
the all holy Trinity? If it were not for her intercession, I believe that this
world would have perished long ago!”
When people would give him a prayer list of family and loved ones to
be remembered at the Divine Liturgy at Sihastria and in his private prayers, he
told them, “We will do the services and prayers here for these people, but if they
do not pray at home, then the words of Scripture are fulfilled because one person
prays and the other doesn’t; in other words, one builds and the other tears down!
I tell you to do only this much: After you finish the Morning Prayers every day,
read the Akathist of the Annunciation before the icon of the Mother of God, and
you will see how quick she is to help!”
This tremendous love that Fr. Cleopa had for the Theotokos had been
with him from his youth, but it especially grew during the years he had spent
tending Sihastria’s sheep in the mountains. Now that he was at the skete and held
so many responsibilities with people coming to him every day, he longed for the
peace and solitude of those former days and would seek occasions to go into the
forests and mountains that rose from the very gate of the skete.
It happened once while he was the abbot that the shepherdmonks lost
the sheep in the mountains. They looked all over, but when they could not find the
animals they realized that they would have to go down to the skete and tell Abbot
Cleopa. They knew that it was their own carelessness that led to this loss of the
animals and, knowing that Fr. Cleopa was so experienced in caring for the sheep,
they were afraid to tell him. They searched again, one last time all over the
mountains and forests, but, not finding the flock, they went down to the skete.
Fr. Cleopa listened to all they said, and then led everyone into the
church where they knelt before the icon of the Theotokos and began to pray that
the animals, so important to the livelihood of the skete, would be found. After they
had prayed, the abbot said, “Let’s go together toward Sihla and Rapa lui Coroi!”
Both of these locations were places where he had formerly pastured the animals.
The shepherd of souls not only did not punish the careless monks, but he himself
left all to go in search of the sheep!
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Trusting in the most holy Theotokos that these gentle animals
would be found safe, unharmed by all the various predatory animals of the
mountains, the abbot and monks walked under the towering trees in search
of the flock. They stopped frequently along the way, wherever Fr. Cleopa
decided, and prayed. Finally, with the help of God and His pure Mother, they
reached a small clearing where they found the sheep resting peacefully.
Then Fr. Cleopa said, “What joy that we have found the sheep, but
the joy is a thousand fold greater because God Himself directed our steps.”
Instead of giving the monk-shepherds a penance, he said to them,
“Pay attention to what I tell you: never begin anything in your life without
first praying to God and the Theotokos!”
Then, guiding the sheep toward the valley, they stopped just as
often as they had on their way up into the mountains, to give thanks to God
for the help He had sent them.
Bishop John of Kiev, Hermit of Neamts Forest

It was at that very same place called Rapa lui Coroi that the
blessed Bishop John had met Fr. Cleopa when he was still a novice,
together with his brother Vasile, in the fall of 1930. At that time Bishop
John had prophesied that Brother Vasile would depart from this life shortly,
and that prophecy had indeed come to be.
Bishop John had continued to live a reclusive eremitic life in the
forested mountains of Neamts County until after 1951. Although Fr. Cleopa
never spoke publicly about other meetings with the holy hierarch, his
closest disciples were certain that they had met very often. The troubled
years between 1940 and 1950, however, prevented him from ever talking
about these meetings; if the authorities had heard about Bishop John being
in the area, they surely would have searched for him and also caused trouble
for the peaceful life at Sihastria; therefore, Fr. Cleopa remained silent
regarding any personal meetings with Bishop John during those years.
It is known however, that Protosinghel Theodulus Varzare, the
spiritual father for the nuns at Agapia Monastery, met with this holy bishop
on three occasions between 1946 and 1947. All three meetings took place
on the path between Agapia and Sihastria. The first meeting was in the
spring of 1946 when the bishop, seeing the priest along the pathway,
stepped out, blessed him with both hands according to the
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manner of a hierarch and said prophetically, “Fr. Theodulus, are you going
to Sihastria to see Fr. Cleopa? I go there often and stand in the church to
pray during the services, but, through the grace of God, no one sees me! I
know that you want to leave Agapia and retire to Sihastria, but do not do
that. Stay where you are and fulfill your obedience, for it is not in vain that
God has sent you to Agapia. That is where you will find your salvation.”
Then he asked the priest to come again and bring him some paper and a
pen, saying he “had to write something.”
What a tremendous measure of sanctity this holy bishop had attained! He
was a true vessel of the Holy Spirit. He testified by his own words that he would
be in the church at Sihastria, but no one saw him. This holy man who had met Fr.
Cleopa when he was a simple young novice, now held the highest respect for him.
Fr. Theodulus was obedient to the bishop and returned to the same place
of the first meeting later in the summer of that same year, bringing him the paper
and pen as he had been asked. No one, however, knows if the bishop did write
anything, or what it was that he had wanted to write—a letter? A manuscript? No
one knows.
When he received the writing materials from the priest, Bishop John
blessed him again with both hands and kissed him with brotherly love on tlie
forehead, saying, “Fr. Theodulus, you are going to Sihastria. It would be better if
you turned back now to Agapia because Fr. Cleopa is not at the skete at the moment;
he’s been called to a monastic council meeting at Neamts Monastery.”
What a gift of clairvoyance God had bestowed upon this holy bishop who
led his life of ascetic hardships in the wilds, unseen by anyone! Fr. Cleopa would
always say that Bishop John’s prayers for him had truly helped him in guiding
Sihastria.
Prior to the Bolshevik revolution in Russia, Bishop John had served as
vicar to the metropolitan of Kiev. Now, in his self-imposed exile and life of ascetic
struggle in the Neamts forest, he formed a very strong spiritual bond with Sihastria
Skete and with Fr. Cleopa. No one knows on what level the bond between Bishop
John and Fr. Cleopa existed: did they meet often in the forests during these years
and later when Fr. Cleopa himself would withdraw into their depths? Was the
relationship—as often happens with those in the monastic life—one that existed in
the Holy Spirit, in prayer, mystically? Truly we believe that those who serve Christ
with a pure heart know one another both in this life and in the life to come; they
seek one other, share a great love
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and help one another by their prayers. This is the joy of the holy ones, the praise
of the righteous and the comfort of the saints who in the body and out of the bod/
know one another spiritually in Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.
Finally, Fr. Theodulus met with Bishop John a third and final time
in the summer of 1947 when the latter expressed his decision to return to his
homeland.
Another elder with whom Fr. Cleopa had a deep spiritual rela-
tionship was the aforementioned Fr. Galaction who had been his guide and
elder when he was in obedience tending Sihastria’s sheep for so many years.
When Fr. Cleopa was called down to the skete to assist in the administration
and finally chosen as abbot, Fr. Galaction remained in the same obedience
at the sheepfold. In the fall of 1946 he broke his leg and was taken down to
the skete to recuperate. While he was bedridden waiting for the leg to heal,
he heard that a monk, Nazarius, had fallen asleep in the Lord.
He turned to his former spiritual son, now the abbot, saying,
“Please, Father Abbot, do not bury Fr. Nazarius without me! Don’t spend
money for two funerals when you can do it once for both of us! 6 7
Tomorrow evening, at six o’clock, I will depart from this life.”
The next day, at the hour foreseen by Fr. Galaction, the good and
faithful soldier of Christ gave his soul into the hands of the Lord. That very
day he had turned sixty-four years old. Thus the life of this son of
obedience and former spiritual father to the young Brother Constantine,
ended. He, who had guided and nurtured the young novice, rejoiced in
having seen the disciple become a worthy elder and respected abbot.
Sihastria Skete elevated to rank of Monastery

By 1947 Fr. Cleopa’s spiritual and administrative accom-
plishments had become well known even to the patriarch of Romania.
Taking into consideration the improvements that had been made under
6
2 Cor. 12:2
7
Here he is referring to the “pomana” or mercy-meal which is offered after the funeral
in memory of those fallen asleep, as well as candles for everyone to hold during the
funeral, and an offering, usually decorated towels, given to dignitaries, clergy and loved
ones who attend the funeral.
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the elder’s direction and the growth in the number of monks living at
Sihastria, the patriarchate decided that this could no longer be considered
a skete of Neamts, but that the time had come to raise it to the rank of an
independent monastery. The first one to recommend that this measure be
taken was Archimandrite Theophilus Pandele who was serving as
Inspector General for the Ministry of Religions. It was his responsibility
to oversee the activities of all the monasteries in the country, both on
behalf of the government and the patriarchate.
As they examined the canonical and administrative situation of Sihastria
Skete, it was decided that the holy place fulfilled all the conditions necessary to be
raised to the status of a self-governing and fully independent monastery; thus
Archimandrite Theophilus filed his formal recommendation to Patriarch Nicodemus,
Metropolitan Irenaeus Mihalcescu of Moldavia and to the Ministry of Religions
requesting that such action be taken. When an on-site inspection of Sihastria was
made, it was found that the monastic community numbered over fifty members and
that the spiritual life of the skete was in excellent order. In addition, those who came
from as far away as Bucharest for this inspection found that the skete was having a
very strong spiritual influence on the entire region, through the powerful presence of
its elder.
In June 1947, having received the official recommendation from the
metropolitan of Moldavia, The Romanian Orthodox Patriarchate approved the raising
of Sihastria Skete to the status of a self- governing monastery, through patriarchal
decision #299/30 of that year. In addition to this, they also decided to elevate
Protosinghel Cleopa Hie to the ecclesiastical rank and title of archimandrite,
documented by partriarchal decision 379/19 in September 1947. This decision was
made largely because Fr. Cleopa had succeeded in renovating the burned skete in
only five years, simultaneously establishing a firm standard of organization at
Sihastria.
Bishop Valerius Moglan, vicar bishop of the metropolitan of Moldavia,
came to Sihastria on September 19, 1947 and raised Fr. Cleopa to the rank of
archimandrite, addressing these words to him at the service of elevation: “Fr. Cleopa,
receive this staff. Whoever obeys you, obeys God Himself. If someone does not obey
you, then you would not be able to make of man of him even if he were beaten with
all the wood of the forest!”
At the same time that Sihastria received the rank of monastery, the Holy
Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church also decided that
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Sihla Skete, under the direction of Hieromonk Clement Popovici, be transferred from
the care of Neamts Monastery to Sihastria. The lands known as Muntele Taciunele
and the meadow of Piciorul Crucii were transferred to Sihastria as well. These were
places of which Fr. Cleopa was particularly fond during both his youth and his latter
years.
Fr. Cleopa’s Mother Becomes a Nun

Although Fr. Cleopa had come from a large family, two of his
siblings died in infancy, and by the year 1946, the other seven had long
departed to the Lord. His elderly mother, Anna, wept and mourned every
day for her nine dead children. The only comforts that she found were the
parish church and visiting the cemetery after each service to pray and weep
for her children.
When her husband Alexander fell asleep in the Lord in 1943, the
only living child was Fr. Cleopa. His mother sent him one telegram after
another, telling him to come home for the funeral, but in vain. Later, when
she saw him, she rebuked him, “Why didn’t you come home for your
father’s funeral?”
“Once I entered the monastery, I no longer have a father or a
mother!” he answered.
“What! I am not your mother?” asked the elderly woman with
tears.
“Go into a monastery and then you will be my mother!” Fr. Cleopa
directed her.
Anna Hie decided to follow the advice of her only living son. In
November 1946, Fr. Cleopa himself brought his mother from his childhood
village of Sulita to Sihastria; however, she was listed as a member of the
women’s community at Agapia Veche Monastery.
The elderly Anna Hie prayed day and night in the church of
Sihastria, and she especially rejoiced over the number of young brothers
who had joined this monastery to serve Christ, considering them as her own
children.
On September 21, 1947, Fr. Cleopa officiated the service of
monastic profession for his own mother, changing her name from Anna to
Agafia. Still registered as a member of Agapia Veche, Mother Agafia
moved there in the spring of 1948 and lived under the spiritual direction of
Mother Olimpiada. In time she herself had three spiritual daughters, the
nuns Mihaela, Justina and Julia, who benefited greatly from her wisdom
and shared in all her joys and sorrows.
In spite of her advanced years, Mother Agafia did not cease from physical
labors in addition to her spiritual struggles. Daily she would cany wood to bum in the
kitchen stove. One of her spiritual daughters asked her, “Mother Agafia, why do you haul
wood into the kitchen? We will do it!” But she would answer, “And what am I supposed
to do? Eat without working?”
Whenever a beggar would.come to Agapia Veche seeking alms, Mother Agafia
was the first to show mercy. If she did not have
Two brothers, Vasile and John Resmerita, from the village of Grumazesti,
near Targu Neamts, built and sculpted the iconostas for the new chapel out of oak;
they also donated the cost of the holy vessels, vestments and other necessary items
for the chapel.
The date for tire consecration of tire chapel was set for October 26, the
feast of the great martyr Demitrius, the myrrh-gusher. Bishop Valeri Moglan from
Neamts Monastery again was the officiating hierarch at the service of consecration
and spoke very movingly in his sermon to the monks and faithful on that day.
The interior frescoes had not been completed in time for the consecration;
in fact, the work on them had not even begun because Fr. Cleopa could not find an
monographer whose work pleased him. Finally, after the consecration, God granted
that a very talented monographer, John Protcencu, a Bassarabian from the Ukraine,
was found for this work. He had done the icons for a number of churches in Bucha-
rest, and finally, through Fr. Cleopa’s efforts, he was brought to Sihastria in the
spring of 1948 to begin the work on the frescoes.
Protcencu proved to be a very prayerful man, profoundly Christian, who
descended deep into interior prayer and meditation as he worked. His practice of the
Jesus Prayer led him to speak very little, as he strove to keep his mind in his heart.
He fasted the entire time he painted; when he was finally faint with hunger and found
it necessary to eat something, he would paint no more that day, stating firmly that it
was a sin for an iconographer to paint after eating. After eating, he would rest a short
while on a bench in the orchard, then he returned to his room to prepare the paints
needed for the following day.
The exemplary life of this iconographer urged all the brothers of Sihastria
to strive even more in their own monastic struggles and efforts. This pious and
prayerful man finally entered the monastic life himself and received the name of
Irenaeus at his profession.
With all the joy that the completion of the chapel held, there came a great
trial for Sihastria between the time of the chapel’s consecration in the fall of 1947
and the spring of 1948 when the frescoes were completed. A band of thieves and
brigands decided to hide in the dense forests of Neamts, near Sihastria and Sihla,
and for a total period of six years they wrought incredible havoc and grief in the
entire region. Sihastria and Sihla especially suffered robberies, vandalism and terror
at their hands repeatedly since these two monastic settlements
were so isolated. Taking advantage of the celebration for the consecration of the
chapel, the bandits encircled Sihastria and forced everyone there into the church
while they looted everything they could from the monastery.
Shortly after that, they returned again when the monks were all in the church
for the vigil service. They dragged Fr. Cleopa out of the church and demanded that he give
them wine, food and money. When tire elder told them he did not have anything, they took
him out into the forest and tied him to a tree where they planned to shoot him.
Then one of the thieves said to the leader of the group, “Wait. Don’t you
remember how he used to give us food when he was in the mountains with the sheep? How
can we shoot him now?”
At that, they began arguing among themselves and disappeared into the forest,
but one of them came back and untied Fr. Cleopa so that he could return to the monastery.
The next day, the elder, rightfully very distressed over what had happened, went
to speak with Bishop Valerius at Neamts.
“Your Grace, what can we do to protect the monastery from these thieves who
have been attacking us, stealing and harassing us for six years now?”
“Fr. Cleopa, do you know what you should do? Every Tuesday night, do the
vigil of the Protection of the Theotokos, and also establish the reading of the Psalter
continuously in the church, beginning with the abbot and including all the brothers, in two-
hour rotations. If you do this, the Mother of God will send these thieves away and will bless
you with everything needed, and the monastery will be saved from every danger.”
Thus, returning to Sihastria, Fr. Cleopa set these things in order: every Tuesday
evening the vigil of the Protection of the Theotokos was served in the church, and the
Psalter was read continuously, except when a service was in progress. These rules and
practices continue to this very day. The bandits were finally captured by the civil authorities
and dealt with according to the law. From that time on, Sihastria has been spared from such
dangers, through the intercessions of the Theotokos, to whom the monastery is dedicated.
During the Nativity Fast in 1947, on a day when Fr. Cleopa had been hearing
confessions for a number of hours and was very tired, he decided to rest a while in the early
afternoon. As soon as he started
off toward his cell, an obviously troubled woman approached him crying.
“Father, I have been waiting here for six hours to confess. I must confess
because I have some veiy serious sins weighing heavily on my soul.”
“Dear woman, I am so very tired. Please, come tomorrow morning,” the
elder answered as he was near exhaustion.
“Father, if you do not allow me to confess now I will go off and kill myself.
Look, I have a rope with me. I have committed terrible sins; I killed several babies
by abortion! Receive me now because I cannot bear it any longer!”
On hearing these words, Fr. Cleopa overcame his own physically
weakened state and heard the woman’s confession. His compassion and love
strengthened the woman and gave her renewed courage to face each coming day; he
gave her a penance, not as punishment, but for healing, and then absolved her of her
great sins. The next day, after the Divine Liturgy, he gave her some of the holy water
from the feast of Theophany to drink and led her to venerate the icons; then having
found relief from the torment of her sins, the woman returned peacefully to her home.
Incidents like the above were not isolated cases, just the opposite!
Countless people with overwhelming sins on their souls came to him constantly, and
the gentle elder always brought peace to their troubled minds and hearts with his
gentle manner and his wisdom, comforting them as God Himself spoke through him.
It seems hard to imagine that anything spiritual was lacking in the life of
Abbot Cleopa during this time. As more and more people crowded around him, there
was one person that he longed to have nearby: Hieroschemamonk Paisius, his
beloved spiritual father from childhood. It had been his desire, ever since his descent
from the mountains to assume the leadership of Sihastria, that Fr. Paisius would come
to join him there.
Finally, by the will of God, on December 1, 1948, the great spiritual father
from Cozancea Skete officially transferred to Sihastria. What spiritual comfort and
joy filled the entire community!
From the very day of his arrival at Sihastria, Hieroschemamonk Paisius
was assigned to hear the confessions of the faithful who came in droves by that time
to the monastery. Thus it was that Sihastria
became a place of spiritual renewal and strengthening for the monastics and the
faithful from the entire region of Neamts, thanks to the life, example and guidance
of its renowned abbot and now also through the person of a truly great and beloved
spiritual father, Hieroschemamonk Paisius.
Every day monastics and faithful came to Sihastria to hear Fr. Paisius speak,
and each person present would patiently wait as long as necessary to have a few moments
privately with him. During these private moments, tire penitent would open the innermost
chambers of his heart. Priests, monks, nuns and faithful from surrounding villages and
towns, intellectuals and youths would come out of his cell with radiant faces and give glory
to God for bringing them such a gentle, yet firm and spiritually skilled elder.
Fridays, however, remained the day of the week for the monks of Sihastria to
confess. Thus, weekly, each monk had the opportunity and the time to speak at length with
his spiritual father. More than half the community at Sihastria had Fr. Paisius as their
spiritual father and felt greatly comforted by his wisdom, his silent demeanor and his hu-
mility. He spoke very little, but his gentleness, virtue and constancy in the ascetic life
served to build up the souls of those who came to him. His patience in the ascetic labor of
hearing anywhere from fifty to one hundred confessions every day was enough to
strengthen anyone who met him.
Fr. Cleopa’s First Withdrawal to Seclusion in the Mountains

Fr. Cleopa often referred to his years in obedience caring for the monastery’s
sheep as his “university” years. While these were undoubtedly the years when he spent the
most time reading and learning with the mind, the “school” that ultimately formed him to
become one of the leading spiritual fathers of the twentieth century was about to begin: his
years of total seclusion, hiding from the communists in the depths of the forests and
mountains. Later, when he emerged from these times of seclusion, lay people and
monastics all wanted to know about the time and struggles that he endured; however, he
seldom agreed to speak of those struggles. A few particulars have come down to us after
his falling asleep, related by those spiritual children who were closest to him, but the depth
of his war against the enemies of the
soul has remained something of which we are neither worthy nor spiritually capable of
knowing. When monastics asked him about the spiritual struggles of those years, he would
say to them, “If you want to know what life is like in the ‘desert,’ go and stay there for a
year, then you will know.”
When he was further pressed to speak about these times, and in particular
about the attacks that the devil launches against the desert dwellers, he would not do
so. Those struggles were to remain a hidden part of his life, for no one who had not
experienced such situations could possibly understand them.
Sometimes Fr. Cleopa would say, when asked to talk about his own ascetic
struggles, “The holy fathers forbid me to talk about those struggles, for they say, ‘Do
not talk about yourself.’ But I will say this much to you: if you had been tightly tied
to an oak tree there in the wilderness and had seen a devil, you would have pulled
up the tree by the roots and run off with it on your back!”
It was not choice, and certainly not the delusion of pride, that led Fr.
Cleopa to withdraw into seclusion, but the will of God, for the experiences of those
years enabled him later to spiritually guide the tens of thousands of people who
would flock to him.
When he had been a young novice pasturing the sheep of Sihastria for so
many years in the mountains, Fr. Cleopa had come to know all the hidden places and
cells of the ascetics who dwelt in the area around Sihla and Sihastria. He knew many
of these eremitic monks and nuns, who often spoke to him of some their struggles
in the depths of the forests where they lived unknown to the world, but the depths of
their spiritual struggles were revealed only to their spiritual fathers.
On the feast of Sts. Constantine and Helen, May 21, 1948, Fr. Cleopa was
concelebrating the Divine Liturgy at Sihastria with several other priests. In his
sermon that day, before the monastics and laity present, he praised the zeal of these
great saints, emphasizing that they—the emperor and his mother—were the ones to
grant freedom to the Christian faith and then built so many churches.
Then he added, “May God grant that the leaders of our country could be
like these holy emperors, and then the Church will pray for them for ever!”
Someone in the congregation had been tape-recording the service and his
sermon. Following the service, before Fr. Cleopa even had the time to remove his
vestments, a car had arrived at Sihastria with “officials” from the dreaded Securitate. They
took him to Targu Neamts where the gentle and beloved abbot was locked in a basement.
The only place to sit or rest was a “bed” made of cement. There he was kept for five days,
without any kind of a trial, with no questions asked or explanation given. During that time
he was given neither water nor food. Finally, he was released, again with no explanation.
But the warning was clear: speak against the government and next time you will not be
released so easily!
Such was the situation of the Church in Romania during most of the communist
years. It was a quiet persecution compared to the situation in other places, such as Russia
or Albania, but it was a very strong persecution nonetheless. The majority of churches and
many of the more renowned or larger monasteries were left open, but the bishops, priests
and abbots/abbesses were forbidden to say anything against the government; in fact, they
were expected to encourage the people to be submissive to the regime. Any of the Church
leaders who stepped out of this line felt the consequences immediately and severely, many
paying with their very lives, or at the least, with many years in harsh prison camps.
Several days after Fr. Cleopa’s arrest and five-day imprisonment in May of
1948, a faithful Christian who had great love for him came to him secretly and told him that
he must go into hiding for a time, either in the mountains or someplace where he could not
be found. The elder at once consulted with several of the spiritual fathers at the monastery,
and then, that very night, he withdrew into the mountains to a place known as “Piciorul
Cucului,”9 located about six kilometers from the monastery. There he made a small wooden
shack in the side of a cliff, so that it was more of a cave than anything else, and he prayed
day and night, beseeching help and mercy from God and His holy Mother.
Only a very few most trusted people knew where he was. Once a week
Hieromonk Macarius would come to the elder at night to hear his confession and to bring
him some meager food. From time to
9 Translated, “The Cuckoo’s Foot”

time Fr. Anthony, the monk from the sheepfold with whom Fr. Cleopa had been in
obedience, also came to see him.
From the time that Fr. Cleopa made his humble shelter, birds would come
and perch right on his head and shoulders. The first time he received holy
communion in the front of his hut, a flock of birds, the like of which he had never
seen before, appeared. Their coloring was unique in that they each had a cross on
their foreheads. While he partook of the Body and Blood of the Lord, these unusual
birds sang extraordinarily, and, when he had finished, they flew off.
After he had finished the reserve sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood
that he had brought with him into his seclusion, he decided to celebrate the Divine
Liturgy. He very carefully prepared everything needed, read all the preparatory
prayers and placed the holy antimens on a stump that would serve as the altar table
in the forest. He pronounced the blessing for the beginning of the Divine Liturgy,
“Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now
and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.”
At that moment, a beautiful flock of birds appeared, settled into a bush
nearby and immediately began singing. Fr. Cleopa asked himself, “What can this
be?” He heard a voice reply, “These are the singers for the Liturgy.”
The elder accepted this and continued the Divine Liturgy, partaking of the
Body and Blood of Christ. After the final blessing, the birds left. From that time Fr.
Cleopa never again saw such beautiful birds as those. Having received holy
communion and beheld the miracle of the birds, he was tremendously comforted
and offered thanks to God in his heart for His love for mankind.
During the time that Fr. Cleopa stayed at Piciorul Cucului, he was helped
by Egumen Joel Gheorghiu, Fr. Anthony from the sheepfold, and a faithful layman
from the village of Mitocul Balan.
Fr. Joel brought some necessary foods to Fr. Cleopa—salt, wheat, dried
bread, etc.—which he would leave hidden under a log, for even he did not know the
exact location of the elder’s hut.
Fr. Cleopa had a signal that he used, especially with Fr. Anthony when
the latter wanted to come and see him: Fr. Anthony would hit a tree with a piece of
wood, making a loud “smack” sound. If Fr. Cleopa heard the sound, he would
likewise strike a tree in the same manner If one of them did not respond, the other
would not approach.
Because Fr. Cleopa struggled so much in asceticism and prayer day and night,
the devils began to attack him, using all their many wiles. They fought especially to frighten
him with dreadful apparitions, both when he was awake and during the short periods that
he allowed himself to sleep.
The elder later related to his disciples, “One time in the middle of the night
while I was performing the evening rule and reading the Akathist of the Protection of the
Theotokos, there was suddenly an earth-shaking noise. I thought that a terrible earthquake
was happening. I opened my door a little and saw a huge wheel, taller than the pine trees.
It was surrounded by frightful black beings that carried pitchforks of fire. One of them said,
‘This is the abbot of Sihastria! Throw him into the wheel!’ Suddenly I was on the veiy top
of that wheel that was turning; down below were those beasts, ready with their fiery pitch-
forks to catch me when I would fall.
“I had the Book of Akathists in my hand, and I said to the demons, ‘Get out of
the way, because I have documents from the Mother of the Lord! ’ At that, immediately,
they and the wheel were gone and I was back in my little shack.”
Once while he was reading the Akathist of the Protection of the Theotokos, as
he did daily, the elder sensed a wondrous fragrance about him, like that of lilies and roses.
He prayed to God that this fragrance would disappear, and for a brief time did not read that
particular akathist, for he realized that the scent was from the devil who wanted to trick
him into falling into pride. When he began reading the Akathist of the Protection again,
praying that God would not allow him to have another incident of the fragrance or anything
similar, he was delivered from that particular attack of the devil.
This above mentioned experience gave Fr. Cleopa the basis for the advice he
always passed on to those who came to him: “When you pray, it is not good to accept any
fragrance or other impressions perceived by the senses; if you do, then the devils will
appear before you and hurl you into pride.”
After staying in his secluded hideout for six months, it was deemed safe for Fr.
Cleopa to return to his position as abbot of Sihastria without threat or danger from the
Securitate. What a joy it was for all the monks and faithful to have their beloved elder back
with them again!
Abbot of Slatina Monastery

After about one year of peace, with their beloved abbot back at Sihastria, a
great sorrow befell the community. In August 1949 Patriarch Justinian summoned
Archimandrite Cleopa to the patriarchate in Bucharest. The patriarch had a great
respect for the elder, both for his spirituality and his administrative capabilities, and
he decided to appoint Fr. Cleopa as abbot of Slatina Monastery near Suceava. The
elder was to take thirty monks from Sihastria with him to Slatina to strengthen the
community of that monastery and to renew the spiritual life there.
Fr. Cleopa made the return from Bucharest to Sihastria with a heavy heart,
but with no question about accepting this obedience. He selected thirty members from
the community of Sihastria: hieromonks, spiritual fathers, monks and rasaphores, and
included also Hierosche- mamonk Paisius. Egumen Joel Gheorghiu, the disciple of
the great elder and abbot loanichie Moroi, was appointed as abbot of Sihastria, while
the date for the departure of Fr. Cleopa and the others was set for August 30,1949.
The division of the monks of Sihastria into two communities and the
departure of half of them was unspeakably painful for everyone. There was not one
member of the monastery who did not weep, beseeching the Mother of God for her
aid. When the time came for Fr. Cleopa and his group to leave, the monks and
brothers who were to remain at Sihastria accompanied them until they were nearly at
Paraul Alb, where they finally took their leave of each other, weeping as they
approached their beloved elder for his final blessing and embraced each other,
begging forgiveness of one another. At that moment the spiritual father from Agapia
Monastery, Archimandrite Maxim, met them as he was on his way to Sihastria. Fr.
Maxim was well known not only for his beautiful voice at the chanter’s stand, but
especially as a sought- after spiritual guide who was quite discerning.
Fr. Maxim stepped into the group of weeping, sorrowfill monks and
immediately encouraged all of them, saying, “Fathers, why are you grieving so? The
holy fathers gave their lives for Christ and defended Orthodoxy, yet here you are
weeping as if you were at the waters of Babylon. You know well the hymn of the
Church, ‘O holy martyrs, who have fought the good fight and received your crowns,
intercede with the Lord that He may save our souls! ’ So now all of you,
Abbot of Sihastria
83 and Slat
submit to this obedience, and God will assist you through the prayers of the
Theotokos!”
Fr. Maxim’s words of encouragement gave the strength needed by all the
monks of Sihastria, both those who were to remain, and those who were on their way to
Slatina. They then all sang, “It is Truly Meet” and “O Victorious Leader,” and with their
trust in the most holy Mother of our Lord, they parted.
Slatina Monastery was founded in 1554 by the Moldavian leader Alexander

Lapusneanu. When Fr. Cleopa and his monks from Sihastria arrived in 1949, they found
only seven elderly monks living there. These monks had feared that their beloved
monastery would fall into complete ruins, and so they were very grateful for the arrival of
the abbot from Sihastria and his monks.
Upon their arrival, Fr. Cleopa began to go through all the rooms of the
monastery to see exactly what condition things were in. The monks who greeted him and
the brothers from Sihastria led their new abbot first to the staretia,10 but he asked to see the
rest of the rooms. Fr. Cleopa blessed each of the cells as they went through the buildings,
and finally, when they reached a small room full of tools and building materials near the
back of the monastery, the elder stopped, full of joy, saying, “This will be my cell!”
The brothers from Sihastria, together with the elderly monks of Slatina who
were so grateful that God had sent them such a wonderful elder for their salvation, all
wanted to clean the room and prepare it for the abbot, but Fr. Cleopa stopped them, saying,
“Brothers, I do not need help. I will do what is needed here with my own hands.” Then he
began to clean and set the room in order. His only furnishings were a simple bed with a
plain blanket, over which he spread his sheep-wool vest. The back of the bed formed a
shelf on which he put his books and the correspondence that he received from throughout
the entire country.
The beginning of their stay at Slatina was very difficult for Fr. Cleopa and his
monks, both because they all missed Sihastria and because the conditions at Slatina
demanded much attention. After several months, however, the new community was well-
adjusted to their new obedience, which they fulfilled with joy in the Lord.
10The word in Romanian for “abbot” is “starets”; thus the place where the Abbot would
have his rooms is known as the “staretia.”
Elder Cleopa 84
of Sihastria
The first thing Fr. Cleopa did was to concentrate on a renewal of the
spiritual life at Slatina: setting the daily schedule of services in order, establishing
a daily Divine Liturgy, weekly confession for the entire brotherhood and a
“monastic school” for the new and younger brothers modeled after that of St.
Theodore the Studite.11
As abbot, Fr. Cleopa was loving, but stem with the brothers in his care,
and instructed the other older monks and more experienced brothers to guide and
reprimand where necessary: “It is up to you to bring back any of the brothers who
are straying from the right path. But if you come upon a brother who is brazen
because of his youth and does not accept your words, then you need to break off the
relationship. How? I will explain: A brother comes to your cell, but he does not
come because he loves to pray with you or to hear a word of advice or to read
together from one of the holy fathers; no, he comes to waste time talking, to laugh
or joke, or to tell you news of the world. When this happens, you should say,
‘Brother, we see to our cell rule because we are in the monastery. You also have a
cell rule, so be good, and if you have not fulfilled it on your own, then let’s do it
together here.’
“Then give him a prayer rope and begin reading the Psalter, telling him
that you need to read at least half of the Psalter in the evening and he can do
prostrations while you read aloud... ‘Blessed is the man.. .do prostrations, Brother,
for that is the custom, then you can read and I will do prostrations... ’
“Once you tell him to do prostrations, watch and see if he doesn’t say,
‘Forgive me, Brother, but I have work to go and do’ and off he’ll go because he did
not come to your cell to pray, but to gossip and lose the time for salvation.
“I’m not the one teaching you this, but rather St. John of the Ladder who
says, ‘When you see someone visiting the brothers’ cells just to talk, make him pray
and do prostrations.’
11 The “monastic school” exists to this day in all the large monasteries of
Romania, if not in every monastery. It is very well organized, with classes
during the winter months in the evening; the studies include Church History,
Scripture, general catechism and music. During communist years, these
subjects were not otherwise taught, and there were very few books available
from which to learn, so those who came to the monasteries usually did not
even know the very basics of catechism.
“If the one coming to your cell is a spiritual brother, he will answer you, ‘Yes,
Brother, let’s pray.’ Then he and you both pray and he will be grateful, saying, ‘Oh, how
good it is that we have done our cell rule!’ But if he is a lazy brother, you won’t see him
visiting you again in your cell; instead he’ll be saying to himself and others like him if he
can find them, ‘I’m not going to that brother; do you know what he does? He makes me
do prostrations and a long cell rule. What! Am I stupid? I’m here in the monastery just to
wander around, to gossip, to judge everyone and to laugh and joke. If I go to him, he makes
me read from the Psalter, and not just one or two kathismas, no! Ten! I had to do so many
prostrations that my legs and back hurt, and what does he say? He tells me to do more, and
he’ll read from the Psalter some more!’
“Worldly style friendship among the brothers in the monastery is not good! Do
as I have just told you with those who seek that kind of friendship in the monasteiy! This
is the delicate way to avoid a harmfill relationship among the brothers. If such a brother in
the monastery realizes that he is not meant for the monastic life and decides to leave after
you have proceeded as I have told you, then, you tell him, ‘Please, brother, stay here in the
monastery! We did our cell rule together in spiritual love, but if you do decide to leave,
forgive me, a sinner.’ Then, if the brother leaves the monasteiy, your last words to him on
parting were the holy words of ‘forgive me.’ And you won’t see him trying to drag you
down into worldly affairs any more!”
At times, monks from other monasteries, seeing the purity of the monastic life
in the community under Fr. Cleopa’s direction, would approach him and say, “Father, I
want to leave my monastery and come here.”
. Fr. Cleopa would answer, “Come, if you want, but I am not summoning you
here. There are devils here, too, to tempt you: so many of them! Even if you were to go to
Australia or America or China, you would find devils and temptations there, but God is
still present in all places. Wherever you go, you have to struggle and submit to obedience,
prayer and patience. Do you think that if you came into this community you would not find
something that would scandalize you? You would stay for one week and then say, ‘The
abbot is such and such, the steward is this or that...!’ Then instead of knowing yourself you
would be judging others!
Elder Cleopa of
86Sihastria
“Instead, you need to look into your own heart; then you would be humble
and say, ‘Oh, I am so bad! I am not patient, I complain and eat too much, I sleep too
much and joke around and laugh, I play and wander around judging others. I am
proud and vain-glorious, I think of unclean things, I haven’t done my cell rule, etc.’
Once you start looking into yourself, you don’t need glasses to examine others
anymore because you would think to yourself, ‘Oh my soul, what an abyss I have in
my soul, so much so that I cannot even look at another!’
“When a seaman is sailing with his ship on the sea and going through
dangerous places full of hidden rocks, do you think that he is looking at the other
ships? His eyes are fixed on the helm: ‘Be careful of that rock! Here comes a wave!’
Or take the example of someone driving along the road: Does he watch how everyone
else is driving? His eyes need to be on the road, looking to the right and left, up the
hill ahead and down into the valley. Each driver has to watch how he is handling his
own car. You too! Keep your hands on the steering wheel of your soul. Watch over
your soul so that you don’t end up in the ditch! Each one has to care for his own soul
and stop being so nosey about the other brother!
“Let me tell you about Mosh12 George Lazar who wandered about for fifty
years barefoot and with nothing on his head. He was a holy man who worked many
miracles in this area. He went to Jerusalem with my abbot from the Holy Mountain
and three other brothers from Neamts Monastery who were in obedience at the
sheepfold. These brothers told him, ‘Mosh George, we are leaving this monastery!’
“ ‘Why do you want to do that, dear ones?’ that is the way he talked.
“ ‘Because there is no salvation in the monastery.’
“Then they went on justifying their decision to leave the monastery
because the others there were not holy. Mosh George, who never got angry or raised
his voice, yelled three times at them, saying, ‘So, don’t do what they do! Don’t do
what they do! Don’t do what they do!’
“What philosophy in those words! Don’t do what they do! In other words,
when you don’t approve of what others are doing, don’t follow their example by
doing the same thing! Who is making you do what those others are doing? Don’t do
it! Do you have to answer for
12Mosh means literally“uncle,” however, it is used to refer to a respected

elderly layman and not only one who is related by blood.
Abbot of Sihastria
87 and Slati
something you have not done? Mosh George did not speak with a lot of useless words
as I do. No, he said only three times firmly, ‘don’t do what they do!’ and then went
on his way.
“If you come here to this monastery, don’t think that you have come into
paradise! It is paradise, in that every monastery is a spiritual paradise, if your mind is in
paradise; but if your mind is in hell, then wherever you go is hell!
“Do you see how a honey bee goes from flower to flower, through the apple
blossoms, the cherry blossoms, and takes the sweetest nectar from each? That bee needs
ten kilograms of nectar to make two kilograms of honey. I worked with beehives and had
books that told us the amounts and measures for the honey. But the bee goes to many
flowers, and many of the flowers have nectar in one part and poison right underneath the
nectar. The bee does not take the poison, he is not stupid! The bee takes only what is good
and leaves the poison alone.
“That is how you need to be. Whatever bad traits someone in the monastery
may have, he also has good qualities as well. Borrow what is good from each one. ‘Father,
that person is such and such, but look, he is merciful, or zealous, or gives good advice.’
Take what you see good in each one. Leave the bad, the poison, alone because you do not
need that. No one is going to force you to imitate the sinful qualities of others. If you do
as I am telling you, then you will not be scandalized no matter where you are. You could
live in Bucharest, on Victoria Boulevard, as long as you know how to direct your life. If
not, then go on off into the desert, and the devil will go after you. Travel, if you want, by
train for twenty-four hours, and he will be there in the amount of time it takes you to blink!”
In 1950 several hierodeacons and hieromonks, well known theologians, asked

to be attached to Slatina, out of their respect for Fr. Cleopa. Among them were Egumen
Petronius Tanase, Hierodeacon Anthony Plamadeala, Archimandrite Dosoftheus Morariu,
Egumen Gerontie Balan, Hieroschemamonk Daniel Tudor and Hieromonk Arsenins
Papacioc.13 The presence of these individuals helped Fr. Cleopa
13Translator’s note: of these mentioned, Egumen Petronius eventually went to- Mount
Athos where he was largely responsible for renewing the Romanian skete there;
Hierodeacon Anthony rose to the episcopacy; Hieroschemamonk
tremendously in the reorganization of Slatina Monastery, making it a true spiritual

academy, unique in the entire country.
The news of the renewal of this holy monastery spread quickly, and before
long large numbers of faithful were making pilgrimages to Slatina: students,
intellectuals, and people of every age and social standing. They eagerly sought the
advice of Fr. Cleopa and the other spiritual fathers at the monastery. The monastery
choir of over thirty monks was under the direction of Egumen Petronius, and their
voices of devotion deeply moved all who were present at the services.
Through obedience, hope in the Mother of God, much hard work, and the
blessings of the Lord, Fr. Cleopa and the monks from Sihastria offered another
beautiful and fragrant flower to the bouquet of the Church—Slatina Monastery.
The rise of Slatina both spiritually and materially from a state of absolute
ruin caught' the attention of the metropolitan of Moldavia. He therefore appointed
Fr. Cleopa to supervise and guide the spiritual life in a number of other monasteries
in that region: Putna, Moldovita, Rasca, Sihastria, Sihla and Rarau. Archimandrite
Cleopa regularly vis- ted all of these monasteries, inspecting, giving advice and
guidance, hen returning to Slatina.
In his direction to others the elder laid the greatest emphasis on obedience
with love, weekly confession, the practice of the Jesus Prayer and full participation
in all the daily services; in addition, each monk was to fulfill his monastic cell rule
without fail. Fr. Cleopa taught firmly that monks could be enkindled with zeal for
Christ, obedient and humble, only if they followed these directives. If it happened
that any troubles arose amongst the brotherhood in any of the monasteries, then Fr.
Cleopa would send one or two of the spiritual fathers to settle situations and see that
peace prevailed again.
All of the above mentioned monasteries under the guidance of Fr. Cleopa
maintained the same form of monastic school for the young novices as well as the
same rules of spiritual life. Within three years all of the monasteries in his loving
care progressed greatly, to the glory of God and the joy of all the faithful in the
entire region.
Daniel died a martyr s death in communist prisons; and Hieromonk Arsenius spent
some tune later in the wilderness with Fr. Cleopa.
Archimandrite Cleopa, Abbot of Slatina Monastery
At one point while Fr. Cleopa was still serving as abbot of Slatina, a group of
visitors came to the monastery. These arrived in their -own cars, a rarity at that time, for
they were well educated and
held high positions in the country as archeological engineers. As they were driving to
Slatina, they were listening to the radio and heard an address of Patriarch Alexei I of
Russia who spoke, among other things, of peace. This greatly impressed the engineers,
and they told Fr. Cleopa about it.
“Father, did you hear about all of this? It is clear that things are going well
in the world when even those in high positions talk about peace!”
Fr. Cleopa smiled a little and said, “Sir, you are truly a child!”
“Why, Father? All these people are talking in the name of peace!”
Fr. Cleopa began to take all these words out of the worldly perspective and
place them in the spiritual realm: “The word ‘peace’ is the strongest political weapon
that exists. It is not pleasing to God when we speak about peace, but when we pray
for peace. God is pleased that we desire peace, absolutely! When he showed Himself
to His disciples he said, Peace I give to you, my peace I leave with you. He said this
twice.
“What does this double peace mean? It means that man is at peace in
himself, and very thankful; then it means that he is at peace with his neighbor. Man
should not be at odds with others. This political peace is good and pleasing to God
only if we pray to God and are sincere. We have to say these words from our hearts
and not only with our mouths.
“Listen to what the prophet Jeremiah said, They say peace, peace, but
where is peace?14 And the prophet Ezekiel said, They heal the broken people, saying
peace, peace, but where is peace?15 The apostle Paul said, When people are saying
how quiet and peaceful it is, then the worst suddenly happens as suddenly as labor
pains come on a pregnant woman, and there will be no way for anybody to evade it. 16
“Yes, Brothers! Our Orthodox Church, which has hundreds of millions of
faithful and is two thousand years old, prays for peace. Don’t you hear how the
Liturgy, Vespers, Matins, etc., all begin with the word of peace, ‘In peace let us pray
to the Lord! For the peace from above and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray
to the Lord! For the
14 Jer.
6:14
l5Ezek.
161
13:10 Thes.
5:3
peace of the whole world, for the good estate of the holy churches of God and for the
union of all, let us pray to the Lord!’ The little litanies all say, ‘Again and again in
peace, let us pray to the Lord!’ At the end of the Liturgy we say, ‘Let us go forth in
peace!’
“So you see, the Church sincerely prays to God, for peace is a great gift, not
only for people outside the Church, but for the Church and for the souls of man! When we
live in peaceful times, then we feel assured of health, life, everything. As soon as turmoil
sets in, misunderstandings, wars, etc., you feel completely confused. What you heard on
the radio today was good, and truly important. May our gracious God. and His most pure
Mother protect our small country, for it is very tiny. It doesn’t need to take anything from
another land, and other lands do not need to take from it. ‘I don’t need anything from you
and you don’t need anything from me. I want to live quietly in my country, in my house
and you in your country! If you have anything in over abundance, give it to me, and I will
give you what I have, too!’ That is how things should be.”
The people listening accepted the wisdom of the elder’s words, which are
equally applicable for us today. The small country of Romania was once known as the
“breadbasket of Europe” prior to communist occupation. The enslavement of its people
and the pillage of the fertile lands of the country were devastating; thus, what Fr. Cleopa
was trying to point out is that the country needed to be left alone, unpillaged, and it would
again rise to be a self-sustaining land.
Fr. Cleopa continued, “Why didn’t God arrange it so that oranges, grapefruits,
lemons, bananas, figs and olives would grow here? Why? Because they grow in Africa and
Asia, and so through the process of import/export, they send us what they have, and we
send them com, cheese, grain, etc., which do not grow there since they do not have fields
like ours. So we give them what they need.
“Why did God create two kinds of wheat? White wheat for the Asians, which
we refer to as rice, and yellow wheat for Europe and America. Rice is the Asian version of
wheat, and there are over two billion people who are nourished with rice. It is just another
kind of wheat.
“Do you think that God does not take care of those who do not believe in him?
Oh no! What does the Church sing? Haven’t you heard,
He who gives food to all peoples, for His mercy endureth forever!'7 Who is it that feeds
the bees and the flies, the frogs, the fish, birds and crows, the lions and wolves and
every living thing that flies in the air or lives in the water? Who feeds them? The
heavenly Father! The book of Ecclesiastes says Of all that God created under heaven,
He created nothing to hate, but that He would love and care for all things. 17 18 19
“Do you see? God is a boundless ocean of love; he embraces all of His
creation and cares for everything. Just as the Psalm says, He gives food to the lions and
to the young ravens when they cry."'9
Early in 1951 Patriarch Justinian decided that the time had come to enact a
similar renewal of the spiritual life at Neamts Monastery, the largest lavra in the
country, and to this end, he felt that Archimandrite Cleopa should transfer there,
together with about seventy monks from Slatina and Sihastria.
When this news reached Fr. Cleopa, he was greatly grieved md called
fervently upon the Mother of God in prayer, asking that he e delivered from this
obedience. He remembered the advice he had eceived from Fr. Vincent, a spiritual
father from Agapia Monastery, “My son, when troubles fall upon you, fast for three
days and pray with tears to God that He may teach you what you should do.”
With the knowledge of only his disciple, Hieromonk Serapion, the elder shut
himself in his cell where he fasted and prayed, not for three days, but for a full seven,
until the following Sunday.
During his days and nights of fasting and prayer, one moment he felt that he
should go to Neamt, and the next moment that he should withdraw again into tire
wilderness. On the seventh night as he sat for a time on a chair and sleep overcame
him for a few moments, he beheld a heavenly light encircle the icon of the Mother of
God on the wall. Then the Theotokos spoke from the icon, saying, “Do not be upset by
these troubles from Neamts Monastery; I will calm things there myself. You, however,
are not to doubt any of this.”
Fr. Cleopa immediately went to his spiritual father, Hiero- schemamonk
Paisius, and confessed, telling him what he had seen and heard from the icon of the
Mother of God in his cell. Fr. Paisius told
17 Ps.
18Eccl.
136:25
3:11 19 Ps.
147:9
him, “This is a sign from God. But, for now, do not tell anyone of this vision. Prepare
yourself, and tomorrow receive holy communion. Then, if it is God’s will and you
must go to Neamt, the Mother of the Lord will help you. If it is not the will of God,
then you will stay here.”
The next day, following the Divine Liturgy, Fr. Cleopa received word that the
patriarch had conferred with a number of others and decided to leave things as they were
and not change anything. Thus, through the intercessions of the Theotokos and the
blessing of his spiritual father, Fr. Cleopa was relieved of being sent to Neamts Monastery
where he would have had to begin anew.
The Church of the Ascension at Neamts Monastery
The number of novices coming into the monasteries under Fr. Cleopa’s
guidance continued to grow. The elder received the young brothers, knowing that the laws
of the communist government could change at any given time and the relative freedom of
those desiring the monastic life would be affected. But, with his trust in God, he received
the brothers and instructed them in the monastic life.
Fr. Cleopa strove to instill in the hearts and souls of all the monks the need for
patience. One of his disciples said, “When I came
to Fr. Cleopa and told him that I wanted to remain in the monastic life, he said to me, ‘If
you think that you can endure three beatings a day and food once in tliree days, then stay
in the monastery! ’ These words of his did not scare me off; they gave me strength and
made me even more decided on the monastic life! I realized that I would have to put all
my will and trust in God to help me!”
The elder told another of his disciples much the same, “When you have
lived for nine years in the monastery, receiving seven beatings a day and food only
once in three days, then you will be a good monk.”
The value of patience was a point that Fr. Cleopa always returned to
throughout his life in advising monks. When one of the brothers asked the elder how
he could be saved, Fr. Cleopa replied, “Patience, patience, patience. And when you
think that you have finished, then begin again with patience, patience, patience, until
the end of your life!”
The brother then asked, “What shall I be patient in?”
“Endure every harsh word, every rebuke, every dishonor, for die love of
Christ.”
Yet, in his wisdom, Fr. Cleopa also realized when it was necessary to pull
someone back down to earth when the individual wanted to ascend too rapidly upon
the ladder to God.
One monk asked him, “When is it O.K. to go off and be a fool for Christ?”
Fr. Cleopa told him, much to the monk’s dismay, “After you have been a
monk for forty years!”
Miracle at Relics of St. Parascheva

In 1951 when the feast of St. Parascheva, the protrectress of Moldavia, was
drawing near (October 14), Fr. Cleopa was called to Iasi, the capital city of Moldavia,
to assist in some of the many duties needed for the feast. The entire relics of this
beloved saint are kept to this day in a beautiful reliquary at the metropolitan cathedral
in the city, and on her feast day hundreds of thousands of people come from
throughout the country to pray and venerate the relics. The evening before the feast
the relics are carried in procession outside and placed on a raised platform where
people can come throughout the night and following day of the feast for veneration.
At all times, there are several priests who “stand guard” over the holy body of the
saint.
Fr. Clcopa was serving his rotation as priest near the relics when two elderly
Christians from Focsani approached. The line of faithful waiting to venerate the saint
wound around the entire cathedral, and standing in line would require these two elderly
women to wait many hours until their turn came to venerate the relics.
One of them besought Fr. Cleopa, “Father, please let us venerate our holy
Mother Parascheva without standing in this line; we are old and ill. Let us also put this
small pillow under her head; we brought it with us from home in gratitude to her for her
answers to our prayers.” “God bless you,” Fr. Cleopa said, “Go ahead now and venerate
her.”
As these pious women approached, the clergy and faithful who were crowding
around the reliquary saw a true wonder: Saint Parascheva raised her head completely
unassisted by human hands, and after the women placed the pillow under it and venerated
her, the saint then lowered her head onto the pillow.
Fr. Cleopa, Abbot, with the brotherhood of Slatina Monastery

Second Withdrawal into the Mountains: 1952-1954

From 1949 when Fr. Cleopa first arrived at Slatina Monastery, until 1952,
tire monastic community grew quickly and was considered one of tire best-
organized monasteries in Romania. There were over eighty monks and novices in
the community, of which about sixty were young. The faithful from the surrounding
region came to the monastery on feast days to attend the Divine Liturgy and hear Fr.
Cleopa preach, for his sermons touched the hearts of everyone present.
Everything appeared to be orderly and peaceful, but Fr. Cleopa would tell
his disciples when they were alone, “I am present here at Slatina only physically,
my soul is still at Sihastria where I was professed and where I lived for so many
years.”
The devil, who never sleeps, could not endure the good order and harmony
among the monks at Slatina. He did not have to look far in order to find a weapon
to use in his fight against the Church; the Romanian communist Securitate was only
too willing!
Their preferred method of causing disruption in the Church was to arrest
people during the night. Sometimes those arrested were kept at tire Securitate offices
for a few hours in order to frighten them; other times those who were taken during
the night hours were sent off to prisons for weeks or years, and some people were
never seen again.
The Securitate showed up at Slatina and arrested Fr. Cleopa. He was taken
to the town of Falticeni, beaten by the officials and thrown into a basement where
several hundred light bulbs were burning. This was one of their methods of torture;
everyone who was cast into this place emerged almost completely crazed. It was the
hope of the godless ones that such would be the effect on Fr. Cleopa. The light in
the basement was bright enough to blind someone, and the heat that they shed was
unbearable.
But Fr. Cleopa had a weapon greater than any of these tortures: “I
descended with my mind into my heart in the Jesus Prayer.” And it was this that
kept him completely whole. After an hour in this form of torture, the authorities took
him out of tire basement and could not believe that he could speak, see, and walk
about unaided. This was unheard of! He was returned to Slatina, but not for long.
These enemies of the Church did not give up in their attacks against the
elder. One night a large number of Securitate officials ar
rived at Slatina; they at once began questioning and accusing Fr. Cleopa and several
of the other monks who held positions of responsibility in the monastery. Finally,
they let some of the monks go, but decided that Fr. Cleopa, Hieromonk Arsenins
Papacioc and Brother Constantine Dumitrescu would go with them to their
headquarters.
Once again at Falticeni, they interrogated them all night long. They accused
Fr. Cleopa, saying, “You sabotage the national economy! You go around telling people,
‘today is George,’ or ‘tomorrow is Basil’ or some other celebration, and then they put
down their tools and refuse to work!”
Fr. Cleopa answered, “How can I not tell them that it is a feast when it is written
right on the Church Calendar?”
Finally, they decided that this was not the time to detain Fr. Cleopa longer, so
they told him to stop making such “religious propaganda” and then let him and the others
go back to Slatina.
Returning to Slatina that night, Fr. Cleopa confessed to his spiritual father, and,
with his approval, decided to withdraw secretly into the mountains of Stanisoarei, together
with Hieromonk Arsenius Papacioc, whose life was also in danger with the Securitate.
They decided that they would remain hidden in the mountains until the time came that the
Securitate would leave Slatina Monastery in peace. To this day, the place of their
withdrawal is not known. It is a secret that Fr. Cleopa took with him to the grave.
Fr. Cleopa and Fr. Arsenius did not stay together in their mountain hiding
places. They came together every two or three weeks, at which time they would confess
to each other and receive the Holy Mysteries, which they had with them. They stayed
hidden for a long time in the forests near the villages of Negrileasa and Ostra, finding
shelter from the elements at a deserted sheepfold in the mountains. A good Christian man
named Straton alone knew where they were and would bring them some meager
provisions once a month. Even though there were known to be an abundance of wolves in
that region, Straton was not afraid as he walked through the forests with food for the
monks, for he fully trusted in their holy prayers to keep him safe.
But Fr. Cleopa had come to know the animals quite well! He would later tell
of these animals and times in the forests:
“While I was wandering about in tire forest, I was often visited' by my new
friends; these were ‘Uncle Martin’ and ‘Tricky Fox.’ I got off easy with the old uncle;
whenever I would hear him growling, I just
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threw him a potato and he would leave, but it was not so easy with the fox!
She would come near the door of my little shack at night and if, by chance,
I had left some food outside, Oh, was she happy. She took good care of all
of it!
“Once I had left my cooking pot outside. There was something left
in it, so when the fox came, she was not at all ashamed to finish what was
left. I saw her and ran out to save my little bit of food. But when she saw
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passed and the blood flowed warmly through his body, he realized just how
close he had come to death.
But, again, his trials from the evil one in the wilderness did not end:
“One night, about 1:00 a.m. I had finished reading the Midnight Office
in my little hut and was nearing the end of Matins, when suddenly I heard ‘Bang!
Bang! Bang!’ The very ground shook. I went out to see and hear what the
problem was; when I opened the door of the shack, I saw a huge light, and in the
light was some kind of a brass machine with lots of gears and wheels.
“A very tall man came down from this machine; he had huge eyes and
was half white, half Negro. The only thing that he said was to demand, ‘What are
you doing here?’ That very moment I remembered something that the holy
fathers say: If you have the Holy Mysteries, you have the living Christ. I had the
Reserve Sacrament hidden in a small hollow of a pine tree that formed a part of
my shelter. I ran inside and grabbed hold of the tree that had the Holy Mysteries
and cried out, ‘Lord Jesus, do not abandon me!’
“You have to experience it to believe the strength of prayer when the
devil is at the door! When I looked outside again, I saw how he was running off,
chased by the power of Christ. There was a steep precipice near my shack, and
that is where the unclean spirit fell. How did he fall? When he reached the
precipice he tumbled head over heels three times, machine and all, and finally
fell into the precipice with a noise that resounded in my ears until the next day at
1:00.”
Another time while he was in his hut he heard noise again. When he
went out to see what was happening, it was as if a war were being fought right
there in the forest! Tanks were coming toward him with armed soldiers running
alongside. It looked like an entire army had come to catch him. But Fr. Cleopa
knew the strongest of weapons were not tanks or rifles; he began to fervently
pray the Jesus Prayer, and at that moment, the entire spectacle disappeared.
Once a torrential rainfall caught Fr. Cleopa and Fr. Arsenius in a part
of the forest where the trees were only about as tall as a one-story house, thus
offering little shelter from the rain. Fr. Cleopa went one way in search of some
sheltering branches, and Fr. Arsenius went another way, looking for some thick
bushes that would protect them. Fr. Cleopa called to Fr. Arsenius, insisting that
he come and stay near him under the trees. There were about ninety feet
separating them. Fr. Ar-
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senius called out that the bushes he’d found were very good, but as he was
speaking, he said to himself, “No! What is the matter with you? Be obedient to
Fr. Cleopa!” and he ran out from the bushes toward the trees where Fr. Cleopa
had found a dry spot. Immediately after he left there, lightening struck the
bushes! Thus does obedience protect those who submit to their elder!
The winter of 1953 found the fathers still hiding in the forests. That
year, however, the weather was unusually cold, even for northern Romania,
so Fr. Cleopa sought refuge at some of the scattered homes of faithful in that
part of the country. In the evenings, he would speak on spiritual matters to
those in the house.
While he was staying in one house, another trial came upon him:
the evil one, taking upon himself the form of a squirrel, stood on the wall
just above the icon in the room where Fr. Cleopa stayed. The elder was
angered and threw something at it to make it go away, but then he was
immediately grieved with himself and began to weep, saying that prayer and
prayer alone should be used in the war against the evil one.
Once, the owner of one of the homes in which he was being
sheltered, said, “Father, I have a young nephew; can he come to hear your
words?”
“Of course, let him come!” answered Fr. Cleopa.
A little later, the host said, “I have a niece, too. Can she come to
hear you talk?”
“Yes, let her come,” said Fr. Cleopa. But then, when the elder
observed that more and more people were gathering, he went into the other
room, wrote a note saying, “Forgive me, I am leaving,” and withdrew again
into the wilderness.
In the spring of 1954, after Fr. Cleopa and Fr. Arsenius had spent
two years in the forests and mountains of Stanisoarei, Patriarch Justinian
finally obtained approval from the civil authorities for them to return either
to the monastery or to the patriarchate in Bucharest.
When those who were sent to find them with this news came upon
Fr. Cleopa and Fr. Arsenius and told them that they should go to the
patriarchate, Fr. Cleopa was afraid that it was some kind of trap. He began
to pray deeply to God that He would reveal whether he should go or not.
Then the words of St. John of the Ladder came to his mind, “It is a matter of
shame for the shepherd to fear death when death is what is appointed to those
in obedience!”
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With that, Fr. Cleopa said to himself, “Who is calling me? The patriarch
of the Church is calling me! If he sends me to death, then I will go to die.”
With that in mind, Fr. Cleopa and Fr. Arsenins, accompanied by
Hieroschemamonk Daniel Tudor, left their desert struggles and went to
Bucharest. There, Patriarch Justinian received them with complete spiritual love.
During the time they stayed at the patriarchate, they found comfort in spiritual
conversations every evening with the patriarch. The fathers were both sent to
many of the monasteries in the area of Bucharest in order to hear the confessions
of the monastics and offer them guidance in the ascetic life.
What a contrast those days in the capital must have been compared to
the two years of peace in the wilderness! At one point during that time in 1954
Fr. Cleopa was invited by Professor Alexander Mi- ronescu to speak to a group
of more than fifty people. Among those present were government ministers,
generals and other military personnel, professors, doctors, engineers,
pharmacists, and, in short, very well educated individuals. Fr. Daniel Tudor was
also present, together with Fr. Benedict Ghius and Fr. Petronius Tanase, all of
whom were attached to Slatina.
The session began with a prayer as is proper, and then suddenly a
woman arose and said, “Reverend Father, I cannot weigh all priests in the same
scale!”
Fr. Cleopa answered, “And who are you to be weighing the priests?
Have you sat upon Christ’s throne?”
“But Father, such and such a priest is holy; Father was in
prison for the faith and is a saint; but other priests who do not wear a cassock and
who have shaved off their beards and even smoke, well, I cannot put them
together with those who are so holy.”
“And again I say to you, who gave you the right to go about weighing
and judging the priests? You don’t have the right to judge anyone, for Scripture
says, Judge not that ye be not judged.201 certainly do not have the right to judge
anyone, for our only judge is Christ Himself.”
The woman continued, “I just want to tell you that I have lost respect
for some of the clergy, and I do not believe that they all have the same grace.”
20 Matt. 7:1
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Fr. Cleopa responded immediately, “You are wrong! You need to
know that if things were as you say, then there would be no priests at all upon
the face of the earth, because we all err. But it is not like that. St John
Chrysostom says, ‘The priest has only to open his mouth, and grace is at
work.’
“If you see a priest drunk, fallen into a ditch, go and kiss his hand,
and you will be immediately filled with the grace from God. Sin never gets
confused with the grace of God that the priest received at his ordination,
otherwise it would not be grace. The priest does not act in his own personal
virtue, but in the virtue of tire grace that he has received. If he was not worthy,
then at tire final judgment his punishment will be greater than other Christians.
‘When a man has had a great deal given him, a great deal will be demanded
of him; when a man has had a great deal given him on trust, even more will
be expected of him.’
“But this aspect of what is demanded or expected belongs to Christ
and not you. We bow before the grace of God. You heard what the Savior said
to the people; He, as God, reproved tire scribes and priests, but he did not give
the people the right to do that. Have you not heard what He said? The scribes
and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore do what they
tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do since
they do not practice what they preach.21
“The Gospels teach that we must do what the priests say when they
instruct rightly, but if we see a priest doing something wrong, we do not do as
he does. The Savior Himself tells us this. The priest will have to answer to
God for what he has and has not done. I have to answer to God if I have heard
good instruction and ignored it.
“But you have not been given the right to judge. The grace of God
does not leave the priest unless he has been defrocked. Even if he is defrocked,
the grace is not taken from him; then he is like a soldier who has a sword, gun,
pistol, but does not have the permission or right to use those weapons.
Defrocking removes only the administration of grace, not the grace of God,
but only the working of that grace. On the day of judgment, a defrocked priest
will be judged as a priest.
“Let me give you an example: take a marble bowl and put a handful
of gold into it and also a handful of ashes. Then pour a bucket of water into
that bowl. What happens to the ashes? Did the ashes and
21 Matt 23:2
103
the gold mix together? Did the ashes penetrate into the gold? No! Gold is
one material and ashes another. Now, just as gold and ashes did not blend
together, neither do a priest’s sins enter into the grace which he received
from God, no matter how sinful that priest is.”
We do not know how many such sessions and lessons Fr. Cleopa gave
in Bucharest like the one mentioned above, but they were surely numerous as
he continued to uphold the Faith and the dignity of the Church through those
very trying years.
Finally, the patriarch allowed Fr. Cleopa and Fr. Arsenius to return to
Slatina Monastery where they were received with tremendous joy by both the
monks and the faithful of the region.
The “Calendar” Question Arises Again

From the time that the Romanian Orthodox Church accepted the “new”
Gregorian calendar, there were pockets of clergy and faithful throughout the
country who refused this change and broke away from the canonical authority of
the Patriarchate of Romania. In 1955, the Church decided to launch another effort
to bring back into the embrace of the Church those who had broken away.
Since this problem was especially prevalent in Moldavia, the efforts of
the patriarchate were concentrated in that region. Close to one hundred appointed
theologians, abbots and renowned spiritual fathers were sent to the region to go
through the villages and encourage those who had strayed to return to the Mother
Church.
Archimandrite Cleopa, abbot of Slatina Monastery, who was known
for his extensive knowledge regarding the canons of the Church, was among
those sent. Basing all of his explanations on the canons and traditions of the
Church, Fr. Cleopa was able to draw many individuals and families back into the
fold of the patriarchate, although to this day there remains a small group who
continue to be out of communion with the Church of Romania because of the
calendar issue. Fr. Cleopa continually stated that the problem was not the issue
of dates, but rather of obedience, showing clearly that the Church of Romania on
the Gregorian calendar, like the Church of Greece, was in full communion with
the Churches of Russia, Serbia, the Holy Land and Mount Athos who all used
the Julian calendar.
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104
In one area that Fr. Cleopa visited regarding this situation,
someone asked, “Father, why was it decided to change the old Julian
Calendar?”
Fr. Cleopa answered, “The old calendar was corrected, not
changed. The old calendar was established by a pagan philosopher from
Alexandria, Julian Sosigenes, in the year 44 B.C, according to the command
of the Roman emperor, Julius Caesar. The calendar was laid out basing the
spring and fall equinox on the dates of March 24 and September 24.
However, after the calendar was established, ancient astronomers found that
every 300 years it would fall behind the astronomical placement of the stars
by a day and a night.
“It is evident that Christians, even from the times of the holy
apostles, did not adhere to the equinox according to the Julian calendar. The
holy fathers of Nicaea made the first actual correction to the Julian calendar
according to calculations done at the time of the holy apostles, and
established the equinox to be not on the 24 th . of March, but on the 21’1 of
that month.”
“But Father, the old calendarists say that Patriarch Miron Cristea
has ignored the ancient traditions and destroyed the holy calendar!”
“Patriarch Miron is not the one who corrected the calendar. The
Church, meeting in Constantinople in 1923, looked into the matter. With the
fear of God, the representatives of the Orthodox Churches of
Constantinople, Romania, Greece, Alexandria and Antioch, examined
various aspects of the Julian Calendar and found that the corrections would
not bring about any dogmatic or canonical disturbances. By this time the
equinox on the Julian Calendar Was fixed at March 8 th.
“All of those Orthodox Churches represented at this meeting were
in agreement. On March 10th, 1924 the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the
Church of Greece moved to the corrected calendar. After this the
Patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch and Romania followed in adopting the
corrected or revised calendar.
“Holy Pascha continues to be celebrated together in all Orthodoxy,
both by those on the old calendar and by those on the new, for the sake of
unity, since Russia, Jerusalem and several other countries have not changed
to the ‘revised’ calendar. This is due to a meeting held in Moscow in 1948 at
which almost all the Orthodox countries were represented.”
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The questions continued, “But the old calendarists say that we have
done away with the fast of the holy apostles.”
“The apostles’ fast has not been abolished, but is followed under the
economia of the Orthodox Church.”
“What is to be done when the dates of Pascha and Pentecost are so late
that there is no time for an apostles’ fast?”
“Then it is up to the Holy Synod to decide and set the days for us to
fast in honor of the holy apostles,” Fr. Cleopa replied.
Not fully convinced, another questioner asked, “But Father, the old
calendarists here in Romania claim that they are correct since Jerusalem and
Mount Athos also are on the old calendar.”
“If they claim this common thread with Jerusalem and Mount Athos,
then why is it that Jerusalem will not receive them to concele- brate or receive
the Holy Mysteries with them? When I was in Jerusalem22 and met with Patriarch
Benedict, the first thing he asked us was ‘are any of you with tire old calendarists
of Romania?’ since he refused to even meet with any of those who have broken
away from the canonical Church due to the calendar. If those in Romania on the
old calendar claim to be together with Jerusalem, then why don’t they do as the
Church in Jerusalem? In the Holy Land the Patriarch of Jerusalem, the
metropolitans, bishops, priests and deacons from the holy Sepulcher and the other
holy places all serve and are in communion with the Orthodox clergy and faithful
from the Orthodox countries that adhere to the ‘new’ calendar. If the Romanian
old calendarists say that they are the same as the Holy Mountain, then why don’t
they do as on the Holy Mountain? In other words, why aren’t they obedient to
the Church and the Holy Synod of their land, serving together with the priests
and bishops on the new calendar, as the abbots, priests and monks of the Holy
Mountain do?
“If the Romanian old calendarists say that they are the same as the
Church of Jerusalem, then why did they not serve together with Patriarch
Diodorus of Jerusalem when he came to Romania at the feast of St. John of
Suceava? Why do the patriarchates of Jerusalem and Constantinople refuse to
recognize these Romanian old calendarists?
22 Although this one particular part of the conversation took place years later, we are
including it here in order to more clearly show that Fr. Cleopa’s position was one of
obedience to the Church authorities; it was not the calendar that was the ‘issue,’ but rather
obedience to the Church.
Patriarch Diodorus of Jerusalem said in Suceava, ‘we do not recognize any
other Church in Romania except the Romanian Orthodox Patriarchate. In
Jerusalem we adhere to tire Julian Calendar, but this is not a cause of division
betweeri us and our sister Orthodox Churches who use the new calendar, and
we do not make the calendar a dogma of the faith.’
“If the old calendarists in Romania claim to be one with the Holy
Mountain, then when the fathers from the Holy Mountain came to Romania
with the wood of the Holy Cross, why did they not go to Sla- tioara?23 When
the Orthodox Patriarchs from throughout the world met in Romania, why
didn’t any of them even mention the Romanian old calendarists?”
“Fr. Cleopa, are the Romanian old calendarists considered to be
heretics?”
“No. But they are schismatics, for they disregard the decisions of
the Church administration in organizing parishes and monasteries without
the approval of the Holy Synod. However, if they take it on hemselves to
rebaptize any of our faithful, then they are heretics, ac- ording to apostolic
canon 47 as well as several other canons.
“The calendar is a measure of time. It has been changed five dines
up till now and, if the need arises, it could be changed again. It is a measure
of time. If you have a calendar that has fallen behind by one or two hours,
then is your calendar good because it has fallen behind? Should we be
fighting because of the calendar? Should we hate each other because of a
calendar and thus cause divisions among ourselves? Have you ever heard
anyone sing ‘0 holy martyrs of the calendar, pray to God for us’? Have you
ever heard such madness? Do we worship a calendar? Is the calendar dogma?
Our Orthodox dogma is synthesized in the Creed.
“Have you ever heard, ‘I believe in one calendar?’ Nonsense! The
calendar is a measure of time. Why do you worship it and thus refuse to obey
the Church. Hold fast to the Church! All who have severed themselves from
the Church have done so through disobedience and pride.”
23 Slatioara is a monastery belonging to the Romanian old calendarists.
4
4
RETURN TO SIHASTRIA
MORE YEARS OF SOLITUDE
I N early 1956 Fr. Cleopa petitioned his bishop to be re-

lieved of his duties as abbot of Slatina Monastery. The
request was granted in view of his accomplishments and
sincere desire to lead a quieter life. At Fr. Cleopa’s recommendation,
Protosinghel Emilian, one of his most trusted disciples, was appointed
abbot of Slatina in his stead.
If Fr. Cleopa had thought that he could withdraw to a quiet life
at the monastery as soon as he was no longer the abbot, he was wrong.
The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church had noted, quietly
but firmly, how effective Fr. Cleopa had been in reorganizing the spiri-
tual life in Moldavia. They were anxious that this renewal, based on the
respected traditions of St. Paisius Velichkovsky of Nearnts, be estab-
lished in other areas of Romania. As soon as the beloved elder was re-
lieved of his responsibilities of administration at Slatina, he was called
by the Church to fulfill a spiritual mission in the western Romanian
cities of Timisoara and Arad. He left for that region together with two
of his disciples, and, while there, he met with Metropolitan Vasile
Lazarescu of Banat. At the time of their meeting, the metropolitan was
preparing a special reliquaiy to hold the remains of St. Joseph the New
of Partos.
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From there, Fr. Cleopa visited the Vasiova Monastery where the
renowned spiritual father, Vincent Malau, had served for many years. Fr.
Cleopa had great respect and reverence for Fr. Vincent and often said, “He
could be canonized at any time.”
From there, Fr. Cleopa and his disciples were sent to the Gai
Monastery, near Arad. They were to remain there for a time, organizing and
firmly establishing the liturgical and spiritual life, modeled after Sihastria.
One of the first things that Fr. Cleopa did in every monastery under
his care was to move the time for serving Matins to the middle of the night.
The first time the bell at Gai Monastery rang to announce Matins at midnight,
the faithful in the nearby village, unaccustomed to hearing the monasteiy bell
at such an hour, assumed that there was a fire at the monastery and called the
local fire department!1 On realizing that the fire department had been notified,
Fr. Cleopa called the villagers into the monastery church and addressed a
moving sermon to them, saying, among other things, “The fire that has been
lit here at Gai Monastery will not be extinguished until the end of the world!”
While he was at Gai Monastery, Fr. Cleopa was often called to meet
with the bishop of Arad, Andrew Magieru, both for the sake of spiritual
discussions, and also to hear the bishop’s confession. Finally, once the
metropolitan felt that everything was in order in the region’s monasteries,
through the efforts of the beloved elder, Fr. Cleopa was permitted to return to
Moldavia.
On returning to Moldavia, Fr. Cleopa was summoned to Putna
Monastery where he stayed for several months. As in so many of the other
monasteries, he set to work in renewing the spiritual life of the monastery and
the interior life of the brotherhood. Putna had recently been placed under the
direction of a new abbot, Archimandrite Dosoftei Morariu, one of Fr.
Cleopa’s spiritual children from many years back. The elder and the new
abbot worked very well together and were in complete agreement with each
other in all matters.
1The monastery bells in Romania are a language unto themselves, especially in areas
and times when “modem” means of communication are unavailable. The order in
which the bells are rung announces which particular service is being served, as well as
communicating news such as people needed to work in the fields, a death that has
occurred or a fire.
Return to Sihastria/More Years of Solitude 109
Putna Monastery was founded by the great Romanian prince, Stephen
the Great, who was canonized in 1992. The monastery is located in a very
picturesque area just a few miles from Romania’s border with the Ukraine and
has always been a place of pilgrimage for the faithful. Stephen the Great chose
this monastery as his final resting place, so Putna became not only a spiritual
center, but also a national monument. Even the communists could not ignore the
fame of this Romanian leader of the 15 th century, for Stephen fought the Turks
and kept them from completely overrunning the Romanian peoples.
Whenever Stephen the Great fought a battle and won, he built a church
or monastery in
to God. When he lost a battle, he repented and said that the battle had
been lost because of his sins; in such an instance, he would also build a church
or monastery as an offering of repentance. The Razboieni Monastery in Neamts
County is located on a site where so many of Stephen’s soldiers died that the
field was white with their bones and is called to this day, “White Valley.” The
church at Razboieni was built by Stephen over the mass grave of the men who
died in that battle. The cave of St. Daniel the Hermit is located very close to
Putna, and it was there, to this hesychastic father, that Stephen the Great would
go for spiritual counsel and confession.
Stephen the Great was the most prominent figure in the history of
Moldavia. To this day, more than five hundred years after his death, he is still
very much alive in the hearts of the people, so it is no wonder that simple villagers
as well as intellectuals from cities still gather at Putna. These people come
together daily with spiritual piety and national pride to discuss the courage and
bravery of the faithful Moldavian prince who, for years, put his life in peril for
the sake of the Faith and the nation.
During the short time he stayed at Putna, Fr. Cleopa did not miss an
occasion to speak with everyone, young and old, Romanians and foreigners,
about the beauty of Orthodoxy and the heroism of the Romanian forefathers. He
always drew peoples’ attention to the beauty of the five churches in that part of
Moldavia whose exterior walls are completely frescoed. 2 Fr. Cleopa always
pointed out that these aspects of Romanian national pride and dedication to the
Church are a true glory to God and a blessing for the country.
2 Four of these are monastery churches: Moldovita, Sucevita, Voronets and Humor. The
other, Arbore, is a village church.
Fr. Cleopa had a way of blending both national pride and spiritual
depth in the sermons and counsels that he gave to the faithful while at Putna. He
was quick to point out the harmonious blend of the ancient Orthodox piety and
tire patriotism of the Romanian forefathers, as well as to show the sacrifice that
so many generations of monastics made in keeping the candle of the right Faith
alive in the souls of the people in that country.
Finally, almost a whole year after being relieved of his duties as abbot
of Slatina, a year full of missionary activity in other monasteries, Fr. Cleopa took
up his sheepskin vest and his books and returned to his beloved monastery of
Sihastria. At the time of Iris return, Pro- tosinghel Joel Gheorghiu, who had been
the cell-attendant of Abbot loanichie Moroi, was the abbot of Sihastria.
Sihastria Monastery: 1949-1959

Abbot Joel of Sihastria was the direct successor of Fr. Cleopa, and he
conducted the community of Sihastria Monastery for ten years in complete
wisdom. One of his outstanding virtues was that he never missed any of the
services in the monastery church. While this may not seem remarkable, it must
be remembered that the monasteries in Romania are visited by countless pilgrims
seeking spiritual counsel, as well as official delegations of foreigners who are
always formally received by the abbot. These delegations are always served a
meal at the monastery, regardless of what hour of the day or night it may be, and,
as the host, tire abbot is expected to join them. Very often, the hours of these
visits and meals coincide with the services in the church. But Abbot Joel was the
first to enter church for every service and the last to leave. Whenever he saw a
brother or elderly monk who came in late for the holy services, he would say,
“My dear Father, come to church on time for tire services; when you are not in
an obedience in the fields or at the monastery farm, do not lose even one minute
of the service in church; after all, that is why we have entered the monastery!”
Abbot Joel served the Church fully and surpassed all the other brothers
and monks of the monastery as a living icon of the spiritual life. He fulfilled all
the obligations in administration as abbot, and also saw to the spiritual needs of
the brotherhood as the spiritual father and confessor. When Hieroschemamonk
Paisius Olaru returned to Sihastria from Slatina in 1953, he assisted Abbot Joel
as spiritual father to many of the brotherhood. Together, these two fathers, chosen
by God,
adorned the spiritual life of Sihastria Monastery. During the years ofFr. Cleopa’s
absence from Sihastria, thanks to the efforts of both Elder Paisius and Abbot Joel,
the level of the spiritual life which had been established by Fr. Cleopa never
waned. Many young brothers joined the community during this time owing to the
depth of the spiritual life and the concentration on each one’s interior life of
prayer.
Thus it was that when Fr. Cleopa returned to Sihastria in the fall of
1956, his joy was twofold: first, he had fulfilled the obedience given him by the
Church to renew the life in so many other monasteries; and second, he found life
at Sihastria exactly as he had left it! At the time of his return the level of
spirituality at Sihastria began another phenomenal growth: Fr. Cleopa heard the
confessions of the faithful and brothers in his cell on the hill overlooking the
monastery; Fr. Paisius heard confessions of the spiritual children in his cell in the
forest where he had withdrawn seeking silence and peace; and Fr. Joel was ever
present in his administrative and spiritual duties in the church services and at the
staretia.
These three fathers, so advanced in prayer and full of God’s grace, gave
a new spiritual dimension to Sihastria Monastery during these very decisive
years. The living example of each of them urged their spiritual children on to
deeper prayer and to obedience of God’s will as they, unknowingly, prepared
themselves for the difficult days that were approaching the monastic life in
Romania.
The community at Sihastria numbered more than eighty monks and
brothers, all striving to increase their love for God and intensify their prayer lives.
The greatest and most beloved “obedience” for the entire brotherhood was the
mandatory attendance of the whole community at the daily Divine Liturgy and
the Midnight Service which was done together with Matins, literally in the
middle of the night. The younger brothers worked at their various obediences
during the daylight hours and were always present for the night services in the
church; the elderly monks, whose obediences were less physically demanding,
were present for every service, morning, afternoon and night. The monks were
united in peace, silence and joy, and were as of one mind. Their obedience to the
three great spiritual fathers of the monastery— Frs. Paisius, Cleopa and Joel—
was absolute. Fr. Paisius’ counsels always included an encouragement for his
spiritual children to seek more quiet, silence and prayer. Fr. Cleopa encouraged
everyone, monks and laymen, that they always remember death, obey their
spiritual father
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and always defend the Orthodox faith, regardless of what the civil reaction to
that may be. Abbot Joel’s words always included an emphasis on attending every
single service in the church.
In this manner, Sihastria Monastery became a spiritual fortress of
Romanian Orthodoxy, a dwelling place of prayer for all the children of the
Church of Christ, and a house of peace and joy for the soul. Everyone who
passed through the gates of the holy monastery was able to feel the presence
and grace of God.
From 1956 until 1959 Sihastria and the other monasteries
throughout Romania enjoyed a period of relative peace and spiritual growth.
For that brief time they were not openly harassed by the atheistic civil
authorities who were ravaging the country; however, this proved to be the
calm before the storm, for a wicked and diabolic attack on the Church of
Christ was about to come over the horizon. The joint efforts of atheism and
heretical challenges from various denominations were gathering to attack
Orthodoxy. This was not something new for he Church, for during these two
thousand years of Orthodoxy the evil me has never slept but only increased
or decreased his attacks against lie Church of the apostles. The Church has
always suffered one or another kind of persecution or attack. Ever persecuted
but constantly protected by the hand of God through the prayers of the saints,
it remains alive and victorious, continuing to be the ark of our salvation.
In 1957, Fr. Cleopa experienced a forewarning of the great attack
that was coming: he had to go from Pascani to Bacau by train and found
himself in a compartment with modern-day “intellectuals” and military
officers. These men had been taught that the Church was merely a system of
myths and that those in it, especially the clergy, were to be reviled at every
opportunity. As was to happen in the greater trial that still lay ahead, the
experience that Fr. Cleopa had in the train proved that the gates of hell cannot
prevail over the humility and the power of Christ.
When the elder found himself in the company of proclaimed
atheists in such close quarters, he was not afraid, but simply thought to
himself, “A monk in a train compartment with military officers! What kind
of conversation could we possibly have?” So he decided to remain silent and
turn to interior prayer during the two hours that they would be together.
One of the men could not resist the opportunity to deride the Church
and said to the others, “Whoa, look at this! There won’t be any problem with this
train since we have a priest riding with us!”3
This was said in complete derision, for there was a common
superstition at that time, propagated of course by the communists, that if a priest
crossed your path, trouble was sure to follow. Fr. Cleopa knew that they were
trying to get a reaction from him, so he remained silent; nevertheless, the man
continued:
“Hey, listen, since there is a priest here, wouldn’t it be fun to have him
tell us that story about God? They like to say that some old geezer made heaven
and earth and the stars, as well as the mountains and oceans!”
Fr. Cleopa could not believe the blasphemy he was hearing: the man
referred to God as an old geezer! Still, he remained silent, saying to himself,
“Leave them alone. They are military officers who like to joke and laugh. What
could I possibly have to say to them?”
But then one of the men came and sat directly opposite him the tiny
compartment and asked him where he was from. The elde not want to reveal that
he was from Sihastria, so he said that he from one of tire monasteries around
Neamts.
“What are you? A priest, professor, teacher?” the man ask
Had it been revealed to the men that this was Fr. Cleopa fk Sihastria,
they would have recognized the name. But Fr. Cleopa, in his humility
answered, “I am just a simple monk and I have to travel now to Bacau.”
“Well, listen,” the man went on, “these friends of ours are curious to
have you tell us something about God! How does that story go about God? That
Bible of yours says that God made heaven, earth, all the world, but we have
other ideas about this.”
Fr. Cleopa replied, “Please excuse me. I am just a simple monk, but
even so, if I begin to tell you about God then this train will have to circle the
world three times and I still would not finish because there is so much to tell!”
“Ha! Ha! Did you hear what the priest said? Come on. We want to
know. You are a monk, we are officers, and we are all going as far as Bacau.
Come on, now, how does the story go, Father?”
3The term the man used was “popa” which is considered derogatory, instead of the
correct and respectful word for priest which is “preot.”
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So, before beginning to speak, Fr. Cleopa stood up and made the
sign of the cross. Of course, the others did not do so. “That’s their problem,”
thought the elder, as he observed their total disrespect and disregard for
prayer.
One of the men, a major, stood up and asked, “Look Father, I have
to tell you something. Isn’t it absurd to expect us to believe in something that
can’t be seen? You say that God exists, but has anyone ever seen Him? It’s
crazy for someone to believe in something that cannot be seen!”
“Sirs, first of all, I want to be assured that we will speak re-
spectfully, since this is a serious discussion,” replied Fr. Cleopa.
“Of course, Father. Hmmph! Why not? If someone gets upset, then
it’s his problem!”
Fr. Cleopa went on in his great wisdom, “I can see that you are
intelligent men, but I am very simple; still I will begin with, as you put it, the
‘story’ about God as we understand it. Look, gentlemen, I have to say that
you, all of you in this compartment, are fools!”
“Did you hear that! The priest says we are fools!”
“Of course! And if you find that I am not correct in that statement,
then when we reach tlie first station, hand me over to the police. But first I
will show you why I have said that you are fools.”
“It is absolute foolishness for someone to believe in what he does
not see! Who has ever seen God?” they demanded.
Addressing the others in the compartment, Fr. Cleopa said, “Did
you hear that he said it is madness to believe in what cannot be seen? Well,
first of all, the Holy Spirit says in the Psalms, beginning with Psalm 13 and
52, The fool says in his heart, there is no God! Didn’t you say that it is foolish
to believe in what cannot be seen?”
“Yes. That is what I said.”
“Well I told you that you are the fools. You all are idiots. And I
will tell you why I have every right to say this. I have never seen anyone’s
mind—never! So, according to your statement that you cannot believe in
something that isn’t visible, wouldn’t it then be foolish for me to believe that
you have a mind if I have not seen it?”
“Well! Score a point for the priest!” one of the men said.
Fr. Cleopa developed his reasoning, “How can I believe that you
have a mind if I have never seen it? I’ve never seen yours, nor my own. What
does it look like? Is it white, black, red, green? What form does it have:
square, triangle, hexagon? Tell me, gentlemen, tell me
what it looks like. Is it pliable or hard? If you can show me these physical
attributes of the mind, then I will say that you have one; if you cannot show
it to me, then it means, according to your own declaration, that you do not
have one!”
At that point the men began to accuse one another for not stating
their point in other words and began to call each other “stupid.” They began
to realize that they had met their match in this simple popa.
Fr. Cleopa continued, “So we will go on and admit that everyone has
a mind. Right? We agree on this, even though we cannot see the mind. Let’s
move on: Have you ever seen life? Who has ever seen the life in man? Would
anyone say that a person is dead when he is obviously alive? Yet, can you see
actual life?”
“Well, no you can’t,” they admitted.
“So wouldn’t it be foolish for us to believe that people have life if
we cannot see it?”
“But, Father, life is something that is manifested,” they countered.
“Very good!” answered Fr. Cleopa, “Through its manifestations, we
can believe that life exists even though we cannot actually see that thing we
call life. That is how it is with God.”
Then Fr. Cleopa began to teach them about the aspects of the soul
without their ever realizing that he was entering into true theology: “What are
God’s manifestations in this world? Do you have imagination? Do you feel
anger? Have you ever seen anger? Do you have thoughts? Have you ever seen
a thought? Do you have desires? You have all these things, for they are aspects
of the soul which include appetitive and incensive attributes.
“You all possess within your bodies the ability to grow. Have you
ever seen growth? Do you know how you grow? In addition to this, you have
powers of the soul, such as thought, choices, decision, sorrow, grief, joy; but
have you ever seen these things which belong to the soul?
“Scripture tells us that man is the image and likeness of God. Not
according to exterior form, but according to the spiritual. Look at how many
powers belong to the soul! You have never seen anger, rationality, desire, joy,
sadness, grief, imagination, free will, life or even the mind. Yet they all exist.
Even pagan philosophy teaches that these all belong to the soul. But have you
ever seen a soul?”
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“Exactly our point!” they exclaimed, “It can’t be seen because it does
not exist!”
“How can you say that?” asked Fr. Cleopa. “If you had no soul, then
you could not even be talking with me. You could not even blink your eyes
without God if there were no life in you. All the faculties of the soul: life,
mind, free will, reasoning, anger, joy, everything, all are unseen, and all those
faculties are according to the image and likeness of God, for God is unseen.
But man is the prototype and image of God on earth, especially in regard to
the aspects of the soul: mind, word and spirit.
“Have you ever seen speech? Have you ever seen the spirit with
which you speak? Look at how many invisible faculties there are in your soul!
You have never seen them, but you know they are there!” One of the men
began to realize that there was no way they could win in this discussion.
“Hmm! It would have been better if we had kept quiet! Look, this guy must
be a seminary director or something!”
Then one of the men, a doctor, decided that he could get the best of
the simple monk. “Father, let’s move on and leave those others alone. Listen!
I am a major and a doctor. I have done countless operations and know all the
insides of man since I have been doing surgeries for more than thirty years.
But I have never seen the soul! How can I believe that it exists in man if I
have never come upon it in all those surgeries?”
Fr. Cleopa then turned his full attention to the doctor. “You are a
doctor, and you do not believe that the soul exists because you have not seen
it?”
“That’s right!”
“But you and other doctors, do you believe that suffering exists in
this world?”
The doctor was being led right into Fr. Cleopa’s hands. “Of course
it exists, Father!”
Fr. Cleopa was pensive for a moment, then said, “I don’t believe that
suffering exists! Such a belief would be foolish, sir, because I cannot see that
thing you call suffering or pain.”
“Oh, but it does exist,” the doctor insisted.
“When you cut into someone with your scalpel and the man cries
out, or when he is thrashing in the claws of death, have you actually seen
pain?”
“Pain is not something you can see!” The doctor replied.
“Oh, but you want to see the soul? Pain is one of the faculties of the
body, it is natural to man, and it is blended into those aspects which belong to the
soul. Just as you cannot see pain, so you also cannot see the soul. Who has seen
pain? But everyone knows that pain exists.”
The doctor’s companions began to laugh at him, “Ha! Well, the priest
sure did shut your mouth, didn’t he?”
Another of the officers, wishing that the discussion had never begun,
said to the others, “We’ve come up with a bad one here!”
But one of the others was beginning to see a ray of true light. “Wait,
guys. This is something nice to hear. We can tell others what we have learned
from the priest. Go on, Father, tell us some more.”
But before Fr. Cleopa could begin, one of the men said to him, “Father,
we all know very well that the Church has always stood against science. Look,
the Russians have successfully launched a man into space! Yuri Gagarin circled
the earth three times and landed safely!”
“What has that got to do with anything?” asked Fr. Cleopa. “It didn’t
prove any of your points.”
“It is the fruit and proof of science over religion!” declared the officer.
“You are proof that the Church is against science by saying that it proved nothing.
You are all like those fools who were against Galileo!”
Now the’“simple shepherd monk” from Sihastria was about to
thoroughly put these learned people to shame. “Let me explain these things a
little. If a bee goes out of its hive and flies around the field that the hive is in, can
he assume that he knows everything that exists in the world? Of course not! But
that is exactly what man has now done. He has come out of his hive and circled
the ‘field,’ so to speak, in which he lives and now thinks that he has done
something remarkable! A gnat that flies from one finger to another has
accomplished more than man has with his science, both those in the east and
those in the west.
“But wait, there is more to say; whether you consider these words to be
pleasant or bitter or sweet, I want to continue with this explanation as much as
possible before we reach Bacau.
“Gentlemen, can you all recognize the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper
and the North Star in the night sky?”
“Of course!” •
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“All of astronomy and science, beginning with the most advanced in
such knowledge, tell us that the light from one end of the cup of the Big Dipper
has to travel 1300 light years to reach the star at the other end of the cup. Now
light travels at 300,000 kilometers per second—now imagine how far it is from
the star at the far end of the cup of the Dipper until the star at the very end of the
Dipper’s handle or the distance from there to the Prepelus.”
“What is the Prepelus?” the men asked, frilly engrossed now in what
Fr. Cleopa was saying.
“It’s a very small star out there. What I am getting at is this: tell me,
how far is it from one end of the Dipper to the very farthest end?”
“This is very interesting!” the men said. Then they wondered and asked,
“Who figured all that out?”
“A French astronomer from the last century named Camille Flamarion.
I read his discoveries in a book called God in Nature. But now let’s go on: Have
you ever noticed a star that looks as if is dancing, just as night falls and the stars
first come out? That is Alfa Centura. Astronomy says that this is the closest star
to our own solar system, yet it would take one million light years to reach that
star! Now, gentlemen, look at these figures and measurements and tell me what
fantastic accomplishment Yuri Gagarin has made!”
“Well, I guess it really isn’t even a drop in the bucket,” they admitted.
“The earth’s circumference is roughly 36,000 kilometers. What is that
compared to a million light years between a star and our planet?
“Having said all this, let’s move on to the more serious nature of our
discussion. God reveals His works not in great things, but in the minute,
according to the words of St. Nicodemus the Hagiorite. Imagine, the eye of a
needle contains eight sextillion atoms. That’s an astronomical figure! A
sextillion, written out, is 1 followed by twenty-one zeros! In order for someone
to count the atoms in a needle’s eye he would have to count more than one million
per second and continue doing so for 250 years! So, tell me how fantastic science
is compared to the fact that God has put so many atoms into the space of a
needle’s eye!
“Let’s go on to something even more miraculous. There are sixteen
billion ions on the point of a needle.. Camille Flamarion stated
these facts and brought them to the attention of atheists of his time because they
were trying to create a living being. Such attempts are impossible since only God
can create life. How big do you think these ions are? If you had a magnifying
glass that would make a flea look as big as Ceahlau, 4 you still could not see an
ion. Yet, as small as these ions are, they are alive!
“Flamarion hesitated to say that God exists in every body and plant,
since that was the pantheistic heresy. But I would put it this way: God exists in
all of His creation, since He has put life into everything that exists, right down to
the very smallest microscopic creature!
“Again, we have to be careful not to appear pantheistic, so we do not
say that God is the soul of nature. In the words of the apostle Paul, we say that
God exists, for through Him and from Him do all things exist!”
Fr. Cleopa realized that they had only begun their conversation, but he
had to wrap it up since they were approaching the station at Bacau, so he said to
them, “You have to realize that you cannot even blink an eyelid without God, my
brothers!”
“Why, Father?” They asked, no longer in an aggressive manner, but
truly inquisitive.
“Life is from God, the Giver of life. Once you die, you cannot even
blink an eye.”
The discussion had lasted over two hours. In addition to the points
mentioned above, Fr. Cleopa had also quoted extensively from the writings of St.
John of Damascus and St. Basil the Great. As the men were disembarking from
the train, they were truly sorry to be leaving Fr. Cleopa. Several of them
embraced him, others gave him some fruits or candies; but the most moving
phenomenon of all was that several of the men gave him prayer lists of names to
be commemorated. These men who had proclaimed that there is no God were
now asking the elder to pray for them and their loved ones!
“Father, we want to write to you. But tell us who you are: you must be
a director or professor at a seminary!”
“I told you that I am just a simple shepherd at a monastery. If you really
want to hear wonderful things, then you have to meet with a bishop or an abbot.
Then you will really be amazed at the beautiful things they will tell you. I am just
an ignorant shepherd monk, but the
4 Ceahlau is a large mountain in Moldavia.
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bishops have been educated and know how to speak and explain things.”
The men had been convinced. “Oh! What does our life mean? We have
been such fools! Look at what this monk has told us!”
This conversation that Fr. Cleopa had in the train shows that although
the powers of darkness seek to attack the Church and destroy it, the gates of hell
cannot prevail. The two-hour conversation between the intellectuals of the
military and the simple shepherd-monk of Sihastria was, in a sense, an image of
the Romanians under communist domination and the overcoming of that
oppression. The above conversation took place in 1957, but the Church and
people of Romania had terrible trials to endure before the yoke of atheism was
finally shaken from them. The persecution and attack mentioned earlier, which
had been looming on the horizon, was about to be launched against the servants
of Christ.
“The Decree” 1959-1964

The religious persecution from 1959 to 1964 was the most difficult
period of time for Orthodox monasticism in Romania in the 20 th century.
Although the communist government frequently issued “decrees,” the new law
issued during this time against the Church became known as the decree.
Because the churches and monasteries in Romania are historical and
national landmarks, as well as popular tourist attractions, the government knew
that they could not completely close them. In a demonic twist, the government
of Romania also wanted to convince the world—especially the west—that
Romania did not persecute the Church, but rather that the Church enjoyed great
freedom. They needed to have some monastics and clergy visible—-just so long
as there were not too many of them and not too visible, either!
The great persecution began in April of 1959. The first step was for the
government to expel from the monasteries all the abbots, abbesses, spiritual
fathers who carried on a visibly intense spiritual life and any whose preaching or
way of life attracted the faithful. The second step of the persecution, which began
almost simultaneously with the first, was to expel all the young novices and
rasaphores from the monasteries, forbidding them to wear the monastic habit and
often forcing them into marriages.
Toward the end of 1959 the government in Bucharest voted officially
on “the decree,” declaring that every novice, rasaphore or professed monk under
the age of fifty-five be expelled from the monks’ monasteries, and all novices,
rasaphores and professed nuns under the age of fifty were to leave the nuns’
monasteries. The decree was severely applied, controlled by the dreaded
Securitate, and supervised by the local police in every area where a monastery or
skete existed. By the spring of 1960 over 4000 monks and nuns had been forced
out of the monasteries. There are no words to express the intense pain that every
monastery endured. What an insidious persecution! The monasteries were
suddenly bereft of their spiritual guides and the young budding lives that had
been offered to Christ.
The monasteries most affected by this decree were those in Moldavia
since that was the area of the country with the most monastic communities and
where the spiritual life was the most intense. Some of the monasteries, like
Sihastria and Slatina, became monastic nursing homes: Sihastria housed elderly
monks and Slatina became the home for the elderly and ailing nuns. More than
forty elderly monks from throughout Moldavia were brought to Sihastria where
they lived out the rest of their lives. Their graves can be found in the monastery
cemetery to this day as a witness of those times.
Many of the smaller Sketes and monasteries found themselves totally
devoid of monks and nuns because the majority of people in these communities
were younger members. In addition to these, any of the monasteries that were
renowned for spreading and encouraging the Faith and religious life of the local
people were closed or turned into parishes with married clergy assigned to
oversee the services. Needless to say, it was strictly forbidden for any of the still-
functioning monasteries to receive young novices, and the Securitate was quick
to inspect and check that this rule was being followed to the letter!
On April 22, 1959, the civil authorities expelled Abbot Joel Gheorghiu
of Sihastria, as well as Fr. Cleopa’s beloved spiritual son, Hieromonk
Barsanuphius Lipan and forcibly sent them to their home villages. The decree
was devastating to Sihastria, for it suddenly lost its abbot and over forty members
of the community. For Fr. Cleopa personally, the decree meant the loss of his cell
attendant and the majority of his spiritual children in the monastery.
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Third Withdrawal Into the Mountains and Forests
Fr. Cleopa saw that the situation was becoming more and more tragic
as the decree was so forcibly controlled, and he was also fully aware that the
political authorities constantly watched him. Finally, moved by the Holy Spirit,
he withdrew for the third time into the densely forested mountains of Moldavia
to his beloved life of silence. This came to be his longest period of seclusion, but
again, little is known of the particulars.
He did not stay in one place during this time. When he secretly left
Sihastria he went first to the forests near the small town of Hangu, which is not
far from the famed Ceahlau Mountain. From there he went further north, toward
Halauca Mountain near Pipirig. Finally he made a small shelter out of wood not
far from the peak of Petru Voda Mountain; there he remained for more than two
years. His presence was unknown to all except for a devout Christian of the area,
Paul Martin, who brought him meager provisions from time to time.
Sometime during 1962 the elder’s beloved spiritual son, Fr.
Barsanuphius found him and joined him in his seclusion in the forest. Together
they struggled in their ascetic life for more than three years. A few of Fr.
Barsanuphius’ relatives knew of their whereabouts and secretly helped them with
some of the barest necessities for life—salt, a few potatoes, etc.
Fr. Barsanuphius was a true spiritual child of Fr. Cleopa’s and someone
the elder could trust explicitly. Before entering the monastic life he had been
married and lived in the forest where he had a few farm animals and a small
garden. One day someone stole his ram, and he went to Sihastria to ask for
prayers that the ram would be found and the thief caught. It was then that he met
Fr. Cleopa who spoke to him of spiritual matters so much that he forgot about his
ram and began to think of how he could enter the monastic life.
That day, after he left Sihastria, he went to his spiritual father and
confessed, then he read a number of books by the holy fathers and decided that
he and his wife would, from that time on, live together as brother and sister. As
soon as that decision was made, the devil began to attack him, trying to turn him
from his commitment to live a more spiritual life. Finally, one night the devil
appeared to him and his wife in the form of a grotesquely ugly, beardless, black
being who yelled and screamed “You wretched ones! What are you doing to
me?” The house shook and the windows shattered from these screams. Finally
the
demon disappeared, and three days later both husband and wife left to enter the
monastic life—Fr. Barsanuphius at Sihastria and his wife at Agapia Veche.
In 1953 Fr. Barsanuphius was tonsured at Sihastria, and in 1956 he was
ordained hierodeacon and hieromonk respectively at Sihastria. His devotion to
Fr. Cleopa from the moment he met him on the day he lost the ram, until the end
of his life was absolute; thus it is not surprising that he was the one spiritual son
whom Fr. Cleopa allowed to join him for such an extended period of time while
in the seclusion of the forest.
Their time together was free from outside worldly intrusions, but the
demons never left them in peace. The elder and his spiritual son strove
continually in constant interior prayer and silence, in fasting beyond what could
be deemed humanly possible and in ceaselessly dwelling in the presence of God.
They confessed their sins to each other weekly and partook of the Holy Mysteries
every two to three weeks when the reserve sacrament was secretly brought to
them from Sihastria.
This third and longest period of time that Fr. Cleopa withdrew to the
seclusion of the forest was not free from the diabolic attacks of the evil one. At
one point the demon of fornication began to fiercely attack him, screaming at
him to fall into fleshly sin. The elder retorted to the demon, “Anyone can fall;
but what is a man or a woman? Nothing but stench and rot!”
Another time when he was similarly attacked, he walked barefoot on
hot coals to drive off the wretched demon, who finally left him in peace seeing
that he was only put to shame by his confrontations with the holy elder.
Having endured these and countless other attacks by the evil one, it is
no wonder then that, years later, when people said to him, “Father, I do not
believe that the devil exists!” he would reply, “If you do not believe in the
existence of the devil, then go off into the deserts, fast and pray and you will see
how quickly he comes to gnaw at you!”
The depth of Fr. Cleopa’s prayers grew intensely during these years of
solitude. Interior prayer became even more fixed in his heart while he was in this
state of peace, free from people disturbing him. Pure prayer, he would say, means
to say the words with the mouth, to understand with the mind and to feel with the
heart. Yet, during this time when he was totally undistracted, he also realized that
“prayer is
not dependent upon time or place; it is nourishment for the soul. Just as the body
dies if it does not have food and water, so the soul will also die if it does not have
prayer.”
Fr. Cleopa always considered these longer years of solitude, together
with his other two briefer times of withdrawal into the forest, as the most blessed
years of his life. There, in the solitude of the mountains, he met God in his heart.
But, as the years passed, everyone was waiting impatiently for the elder to return
to Sihastria—most of all, his elderly mother, Mother Agafia of Agapia Veche.
She had not seen him in over six years and prayed that God would allow her to
see him at least once more before she would pass on to eternal life.
But Fr. Cleopa did not return. Even though there was a rumor that he
was hiding from the Securitate in the mountains, many wondered if he was alive
or dead. By this time Fr. Cleopa was not remaining hidden in the forest out of
fear of the civil authorities; he had become accustomed to the peace that this
seclusion offered him, and he delighted in unceasing prayer and the comfort of
the Holy Spirit Who brought rest to his soul day and night. Supported through
the prayers of his spiritual children, the physical hardships of the wilderness did
not affect his health. He spent entire nights in prayer and filled the days with
writing in what he later referred to as his “office” at the roots of the pine trees.
During the years that he spent in the forest he wrote extensively.
Tragically, some of those writings have disappeared; however, a number of them
have come down to us and were eventually published in Romania. These include
Sermons to Monastics (also published under the title of Ascent to Resurrection),
Guide to Confession for Bishops, Guide to Confession for Abbots, Guide to
Confession for Spiritual Fathers, Guide to Confession for Married Priests, Guide
to Confession for Monastics, About Dreams and Visions, and The Miracles of
God in Creation.5 All of these books, as well as the manuscripts which have been
lost, prove that the elder had an incredible knowledge of Scripture, the writings
of the holy fathers and the holy canons; but above all else, the context and beauty
of the words in these books radiate the interior prayer that permeated the elder’s
entire being
Hieromonk Barsanuphius later told a few of the elder’s most trusted spiritual
children that during those years of eremitic life Fr. Cleopa spent ten to twelve
hours each day and night in prayer alone. Every morning he would read the
Morning Prayers, the Akathist Hymn to the Savior and to the Annunciation, as
well as several other akathist hymns, the Canon of Repentance, the Canon to the
Guardian Angel, the Canon to the Heavenly Powers and a number of kathismata
from the Psalter.
Later, in the afternoon, he would read Vespers, Compline and several
of the Compline Canons to the Theotokos; then he would take a brief pause
during which he would eat something, having fasted all day long, and finally
continue with the Evening Prayers and the Paradis to the Theotokos. The rest of
wanted to see him again and to be comforted and rejoice in his words of counsel,
but no one knew where he was living his life of ascetic struggle. Still, prayers
were offered constantly to almighty God for him at Sihastria. Although they did
not know where he was, everyone strongly felt the power and grace of his prayers
for them. This spiritual knowledge that the elder was praying for them gave the
monks of the monastery and all those others who loved him the firm belief that,
sooner or later, their beloved spiritual father would return to be with his children.
A new abbot had been named and installed at Sihastria: Pro- tosinghel
Caliopie Apetri. He was, in fact, a spiritual son of Fr. Cleopa and had been
together with the elder at Slatina. He was a fearless man who was willing to take
a stand against those in authority when necessary, and who had a tremendous
zeal for holiness, being himself full of virtue. All of these qualities, together with
the grace of God, helped him to maintain the same zeal and order in the
community of Sihastria for twelve very difficult years.
The beauty of the order of the services in the church was faithfully
maintained, and a sermon was preached on every occasion that the faithful could
be instructed. The number of faithfill who journeyed down the bumpy road to the
monastery increased as the critical situation of the years between 1959 and 1962
settled down, especially after 1963.
The words of the prophet David resounded clearly as everyone saw the
renewed growth of Sihastria: Who is so great a God as our God? Ours is the God
who does wonders!6
Finally, by the summer of 1964 it seemed that the persecution against

the Church was easing a bit. Without a doubt, fear was still strong in the hearts
of the faithful, but worldwide events were leading to a more tolerant attitude
toward the Church. In Romania the people began to have some hope that the bare
necessities of life—food, shelter, etc.—would be more available, and, instead of
dreading “tomorrow” they began to have some hope that each day life would
improve for themselves and for the welfare of the Church. The monasteries
throughout Romania, those fortresses of Orthodoxy, which had stood
6Ps. 77:14
fast for almost two millennia, prayed fervently that the cross of Christ would
again prove victorious over the powers of darkness. As in ages past whenever
persecution arose against the Church, the persecutors found that faith did not
wane under persecution, but that the blood of the martyrs watered the Church
and brought it to flower even more abundantly. Parish churches, both in cities
and in villages throughout Romania, were full of faithful. Pilgrimages to the
monasteries grew dramatically, and as petitions arose to God like burning
flames, the Lord became even more merciful to His flock in the land that was
suffering under the diabolic yoke of atheistic communists.
fast for almost two millennia, prayed fervently that the cross of Christ would
again prove victorious over the powers of darkness. As in ages past whenever
persecution arose against the Church, the persecutors found that faith did not
wane under persecution, but that the blood of the martyrs watered the Church
and brought it to flower even more abundantly. Parish churches, both in cities
and in villages throughout Romania, were full of faithful. Pilgrimages to the
monasteries grew dramatically, and as petitions arose to God like burning
flames, the Lord became even more merciful to His flock in the land that was
suffering under the diabolic yoke of atheistic communists.
Fr. loanichie Balan, a spiritual son of Elder Cleopa, and the one who
recorded his life, was returning to Sihastria from the nearby town of Targu
Neamts during the summer of 1964, when he decided to pass by Agapia Veche
in order to visit and offer some comfort to Fr. Cleopa’s mother, Mother Agafia,
as well as to bring her some provisions. As he came to the gate of the monastery,
he found the elderly nun there, waiting for some visitors who were scheduled to
come and speak with her. As soon as she saw people coming into the monastery
courtyard, Mother Agafia would approach them, whether she knew them or not,
and ask the same question, “Have you seen my Cleopa?” The faithful pilgrims
always responded, “No, Mother, we haven’t.”
If the elderly mm did not see the people when they came through the
monastery gate, she would approach them in the church with tears in her eyes
and ask, “Have you, by any chance, seen my Cleopa?” But again they would
respond, “We don’t know anything about him, Mother, we haven’t seen him.”
Then Mother Agafia would sigh, wipe the tears from her eyes and gaze off into
the distance.
Fr. loanichie understood the pain that the poor nun was experiencing,
and he approached to give her the provisions he had brought for her, saying
gently, “Mother Agafia, stop asking people where Fr. Cleopa is. They don’t
know. No one knows!”
But she said to him through her tears, “Oh, Fr. loanichie, you don’t
know what it means to be a mother!”
These words of hers touched Fr. loannichie so much that he also wept
in his compassion for her. After praying in the church, he spoke to her again,
“It’s alright, Mother Agafia, soon Fr. Cleopa will be back at Sihastria!” Then he
set off to cross the mountain and go back to Sihastria.
In the afternoon of the next day Mother Agafia could no longer endure
waiting at Agapia Vechia and wondering about her son. Without telling any of
the nuns what she was doing, she took a walking stick in her hands and set off
on foot for Sihastria. She was over eightyeight years old. The distance between
Agapia Veche and Sihastria along the forested path cannot be termed a “leisurely
stroll,” it is more of a vigorous hike, and it was too much for the elderly nun who
lost her bearings along the way and began to wander aimlessly. Toward evening
someone found her and took her to a forest-service cabin nearby. She did not
know whether to return to Agapia Veche or to try to go on to Sihastria. The forest-
service workmen gave her a room in the cabin where she could rest and sleep
that night, praying that she would be stronger by morning. During that time the
nuns from Agapia Veche realized that she was gone. Many of the sisters went to
look for her in die forest while others rang the monastery bells constantly, hoping
that he sound would lead her home.
Finally, the sisters found her at the cabin the next day and asked her,
“How did you get here, Mother Agafia?”
“I wanted to go to Sihastria to see if my Cleopa has returned, but I got
lost. A man brought me here to this cabin, but I still don’t know which way to
go.”
“Come with us, Mother Agafia,” the sisters told her, “We’ll take you!”
When they reached Sihastria, Mother Agafia knelt before the graves of
her two other sons, Vasile and Gerasim. After weeping and praying there, she
venerated the crosses at the head of each grave, then went into the church and
spoke to the sisters who had accompanied her, “I can die now. I am at peace. Can
you leave me here?”
“No, Mother Agafia! Let’s go back to our monastery now.”
“O.K.” answered the elderly nun, her mission accomplished, “let’s go.”
In August of that same summer, 1964, a general amnesty was

announced which freed those held in prison for “political” reasons; this included
those who had been arrested for the crime of being leaders and well known
figures in the Church. The monasteries, and indeed, the entire country, offered
prayers of thanksgiving to God, and the people in general increased their hope
that their future would be brighter than the bleak and fearful years they had just
endured.
Only a few people knew where Fr. Cleopa was secluded in the woods.
At the end of August in 1964, when it appeared safe for him to come out of
hiding, one of these trusted men brought Fr. loanichie to that secret place to see
Fr. Cleopa for the first time in more than five years! Fr. loanichie fell to his knees
before the beloved elder and kissed his hand; the elder raised him to his feet, they
embraced and wept together. For Fr. loanichie, and surely for Fr. Cleopa also,
this meeting seemed like a dream! The two fathers prayed together for a long
period of time, strengthened by the Lord.
Fr. loanichie then spoke to Fr. Cleopa, “Father, I have come here, sent
by the fathers of Sihastria, to bring you home. We have been separated from you
for six years. The prisons have been opened, and God has blessed our country
with a little bit of freedom. Please, we implore you, come back to Sihastria! All
of the fathers are waiting, weeping tears of joy, at the thought of your return. The
faithful are waiting for you; but more than anyone else, Fr. Paisius, our spiritual
father and the one who raised you since your youth, together with your own
mama, Mother Agafia, are waiting for you!”
Fr. Cleopa hesitated. He had become accustomed to the peace and
quiet his seclusion gave him. Now he was faced with an interior battle in his soul:
should he renounce this quiet for the sake of others, or should he continue living
alone in the wilderness? Fr. loanichie understood the struggle the elder was
enduring in making such a decision, and decided to leave Fr. Cleopa alone for
another two weeks so that he could pray to God to guide him in this decision.
On September 29, 1964, the feast of St. Kyriacus, Fr. Cleopa and his
spiritual son, Barsanuphius, set out on foot through the mountains, valleys and
forests which they alone knew, and arrived unannounced at Sihastria.
What joy filled the monastery at the return of the beloved elder! All
the monks and brothers kissed him with tears in their eyes as they gave glory to
God that Fr. Cleopa was alive after all those years and had returned, in good
health, to his cell. In their thanksgiving, a vigil lasting all night long was served
that very night in the monastery church. The elder spent the entire next day with
his spiritual father, Hieroschemamonk Paisius.
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Fr. Cleopa, 1964, when he returned to Sihastria after six years of

solitude in the forest
On Discernment
Fr. Cleopa experienced many spiritual exercises during his years of
seclusion and quiet. These following words of his reflect some of the wisdom
and experience he learned during his “university” in the wilderness:
“Discernment is the crown of all the virtues, according to St. Isaac the
Syrian who said, ‘discernment is the adornment of every deed.’ Without this true
salt of spirituality, every good deed is ruined and lost to injury.
“According to the holy fathers, this adornment of the virtues is acquired
through passionlessness. Thus, man obtains discernment when he no longer
believes in his own judgments, but instead follows the teachings of tire learned
and experienced elders.
“In order to understand how discernment works, it is essential that we
be reminded that the soul is composed of three parts: the rational, the incensive
and the appetitive. St. Maximus the Confessor tells us, ‘Give to your soul and
body only those things which it deserves.’ This instruction of his shows us how
we should direct these three parts of the soul, and the body as well, with
discernment.
“In other words, we give honor, prayer and spiritual outlook to the
rational part of the soul; spiritual love, which opposes hatred, to the
incensive part of the soul; abstinence and moderation to the appetitive part of the
soul. As far as our bodies are concerned, we give them food and clothing only to
the degree that such are needed.
“Fasting and spiritual struggles should be undertaken according to the
strengths of each individual person. Listen to what St. Mark the Ascetic says:
‘Just as brass differs from iron, and iron differs from scrap wood, so also does
one body differ from another.’ One person may be very healthy and is able to
fast and eat nothing until evening; while another is so weak he would fall down
and die if he did not eat two or three times a day.
“It is through discernment that we remain unharmed, for discernment
keeps us from exaggerating our spiritual efforts in one extreme or another; it is
just as harmful to fast beyond our means as it is to overeat. The same is also true
regarding keeping awake in vigil beyond our strength as opposed to sleeping too
much.
“We have to exercise discernment in everything, absolutely eveiything,
since discernment is the queen of all virtues. If someone tries to advance
spiritually too quickly and has no guide, he will fall immediately.
“A new brother came to me and said, ‘Father, give me permission to
read the exorcisms of St. Basil the Great!’
“ ‘What! Do not read them! If you do the devils will carry you off! Who
do you think you are to read the exorcisms of St. Basil?’ He had just come into
the monastery and wanted to read the exorcism of St. Basil because he hated the
devils! I told him, ‘What’s wrong with you? The devil hates you and is just
waiting to make fun of you! ’
“A monk once went to St. Barsanuphius the Great in Palestine and said,
‘Give me your blessing to curse the devils and to read the exorcisms of St. Basil.’
But St. Barsanuphius said, ‘Don’t curse them, because if you do they will make
a laughing stock of you! Instead, humble yourself and ask forgiveness of
everyone! That is how you overcome devils! The devil can do so many things,
but he will never use the words forgive me since his fall came about because of
pride.’
“The devil fasts; he never eats; he lives in virginity since he never
marries; he keeps vigils. Have you ever heard of the devil sleeping? You work,
but do you think he just sits around? He cannot just sit around. Do you think that
you could outrun him if you started running? In a split second he can be at the
other end of the world. There is only one way in which you can surpass him, and
that is for you to say to
yourself, ‘I am nothing but dust and ashes. I am a sinner and can do nothing. I
am not worthy even to live on this earth!’ Humility is the only thing the devil
fears. He is not afraid of anything else, not even if you were the most ascetic
person on earth! If you do not ask others for forgiveness, you are in his hands for
him to mock as he pleases.
“We need to have discernment in our speech, in the number of
prostrations we make, in vigil, in silence, in fasting, in the amount we drink or
sleep, and in all our bodily efforts.
“Therefore, Brothers, may God help us to obtain at least a little bit of
discernment. There are all kinds of traps, temptations and ‘gray areas,’ both in
this world and in the spiritual life. We need to exercise discernment and measure
in everything we do. The forest does not fear someone who comes and tries to
make off with a huge load of wood, because it knows that once the cart begins
going downhill, the axle will snap and the load will be dumped back in the woods.
It is the same with the devil, for he fears the one who practices a bit of virtue at
a time and stores it in his soul.
“The enemy of our souls is not afraid of the one who takes on struggles
beyond his means, since he knows that person will fall. Little by little; little by
little; slowly, slowly!
“St. Theodore the Studite says, ‘Little by little man grows rich both
physically and spiritually.’ Little by little!
“Grow in virtue little by little, and always be sorry that you have not
done more.”
The Elder’s Spiritual Struggles and Virtues

The monastic life is full of struggles and spiritual striving. Fr. Cleopa’s
development into one of the most renowned spiritual fathers of the 20 th century
is not something that just “happened.” He labored spiritually his entire life to
know himself and constantly yearned for God. Many spiritual elders are known
for one specific attribute or another, yet in our beloved Elder Cleopa, we see so
many of the virtues perfected. It was this that led so many people to seek him and
follow his counsel. The labors and spiritual efforts that he expended his entire
life, even from the time of his childhood, all came together to form the qualities
that the elder was known for in his later years.
When Fr. Cleopa was a youth he prayed very much using the written
texts from prayer books—so much so that he knew these prayers by heart and
could recite them as he was working. The prayers
he preferred the most were the Psalms, which he would read daily. He had also
memorized the Akathist of the Savior, the Akathist of the Annunciation, the
Canon of Repentance to the Savior and the Paradis and recited these daily. In
addition to these prayers he would do 300-400 prostrations and bows each day.
In this manner, the practice of prayer became his life from a very early age.
While still young he strove constantly to deepen himself in the prayer
of the heart, practicing this interior prayer whenever he found any quiet time—
day or night. His brothers, Vasile and Gerasim, had already rooted themselves in
this practice of inner prayer, and their advancement urged the young Fr. Cleopa
to deepen himself even more in true interior prayer.
While he was the egumen, and later abbot, of Sihastria Monastery, Fr.
Cleopa found that he had very little quiet and free time during the day, and it was
during those years that he learned the art of prayer during the night hours. He
would sleep for two hours before Matins began in the middle of the night, then
perhaps another hour after the service. During the following hours until daybreak,
the elder would do his entire rule of prayer for the whole day. His practice of
praying during the night, and his knowledge of so many of the akathists and other
services by heart, all came to a perfection in his soul during the years he spent in
ascetic withdrawal in the wilderness; there, freed from administrative duties and
other labors, the elder prayed unceasingly to the Lord day and night.
Often Fr. Cleopa spoke to his disciples about the pure prayer of the
heart, but he did so as if talking about someone else who lived in the wilderness,
and not his own experience, much like St. Paul:7 “I met someone who was
tormented by hunger, thirst, cold and nakedness in the forest, and he told me that
he spent a night in the home of a faithful person. Since it was Saturday evening,
he was doing his rule of prayer; however, in the house next door there was a
wedding reception going on with lots of music. As the hermit was praying before
an icon of the Theotokos, he remembered the words of St. John Climacus: ‘Even
worldly songs can move him who is advanced in prayer to the highest form of
contemplation.’
“The hermit, hearing the music from the wedding reception, said to
himself, ‘If these people can sing so beautifully, then how do the
7 of. 2 Cor. 12:2

angels, lauding the Mother of the Lord, sing in heaven? With this thought, his
mind descended into his heart and he remained in this state of pure prayer for
more than two hours, feeling such a sweetness and warmth in this prayer. Tears
flowed constantly from his eyes, unabated; during this time, his heart was as if
on fire, and he felt Christ Himself speaking in his soul. He felt such an
overwhelming fragrance of the Holy Spirit and such a spiritual warmth that he
During the later years of his life, Fr. Cleopa would spend up to
fourteen or fifteen hours each day in prayer. Often, during those times he would
experience moments when he would not speak with anyone, nor would he even
be aware of another person’s presence—not even that of his cell attendant. He
also had his own secret places where he would withdraw to pray. Before his
physical strength waned, he would go off into the forests and mountains, but
during his later years, he prayed mostly in his cell alone. Another favored place
for prayer was higher up on the hill above the monastery where the beehives were
kept. There he had a small cell where he kept many of his books and manuscripts.
The night hours remained the time of the elder’s most fervent prayer.
He stood alone in his cell for hours, or often went outside to the edge of the forest,
for he maintained a deep love for all nature, tire sheep, and every aspect of God’s
creation until his death.
Since prayer penetrated every moment and aspect of the elder’s life,
every phrase or word that he spoke became a blessing for those who heard him.
Still, since he only spoke of prayer as if from someone else’s experience, the
secrets and depth of his own inner prayer remain a mystery, hidden within his
soul for those of us who still toil on this earth.
i
In addition to the practice of prayer, the elder also learned the virtues
of fasting and obedience from the time of his childhood. His early advancement
in these virtues helped to prepare his soul for the monastic struggles he would
later endure.
Prayer and fasting had never been absent from his childhood home. It
was unheard of for any of the children in his family to eat non- lenten foods on a
fasting day. When, as children, the three brothers, Constantine, Vasile and
George were old enough to care for the sheep near Cozancea Skete, they
remained firm in their fasting practices and never even considered eating non-
lenten foods on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays, or any of the fasting periods
of the Church. They were convinced that to do so would bring God’s punishment
upon them. When Great Lent would begin, they would keep the first three days
according to the monastic rule of eating and drinking absolutely nothing.
The rule at Sihastria Monastery for Great Lent was in strict accordance
to the Church Tipicon in which all the brothers and fathers abstained from food
and drink completely during those first three days.
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Elder Cleopa ofSihastria
There were two very meager meals served that first week: one on Wednesday
after the Pre-Sanctified Liturgy, and the second on Friday evening. On the other
days of the Great Fast, there was one meal served according to the fasting
regulations of the Church, with the exception of Saturdays and Sundays, when
food was prepared using oil. During Holy Week there was also one meal each
day, in the evenings on the first three days, but from Holy Thursday until after
the Resurrection, there was a total abstention from all food and drink.
Archimandrite Cleopa, in imitation of his beloved abbot, Fr. loanichie
Moroi, would also eat nothing at all the first week of Great Lent from Monday
until Saturday. During the other weeks of the fast, he ate once a day, in the
evening, and without oil, then during Holy Week, he would eat only very little
once a day until Holy Thursday, when he would take nothing at all until after the
Resurrection.
The elder kept this rule his entire life, but while he was severe with
himself, he never pushed others in this respect. During Great Lent he encouraged
all who were old, infirm and all the young brothers to eat twice each day on
Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and on the other days there was a
meal served in the refectory at 3:00 p.m. If there were any who could not follow
this rule, he would give them a blessing, allowing them to eat twice a day.
Once a young and very zealous novice came to the elder and said,
“Father, may I have your blessing to eat only once a day after sunset?”
“You, Brother?” Fr. Cleopa replied, “Don’t you see how thin you are?
Eat twice a day, and may paradise consume you!”
During all his years at Sihastria, the elder was in the habit of
withdrawing from time to time into a small hut in the woods where he would
spend an entire day or two in complete silence, prayer and fasting. His precise
struggles during those times remain unknown, for he never spoke—not even to
his closest disciples—of those hours and days when he would be completely
alone with God.
His years in the wilderness tested the elder beyond the normal
endurance of any mortal. During that time he ate only one potato per day and
perhaps some wild greens that he may have found from time to time during the
short summer months. He told his disciples that on the eve of the Nativity Fast
one year while he was in the wilderness, he had two potatoes and a beet, and this
made him feel like he had a meal for a major feast day.
In general, the elder did not approve of exaggerations in any ascetical
practices. Although he endured much during his time in the wilderness, he was a
model of the saints who were all very severe with themselves, but full of love for
others. When people wanted to take on stricter ascetic efforts, the elder would
again remind them that the forest is never afraid of someone who comes and fills
up a truck with a load of wood. “No,” Fr. Cleopa would say, “the forest fears
those who come and take one piece of wood at a time in small loads, because,
slowly, slowly, the entire forest will be carried off.”
One time an abbot from another monastery came to ask Fr. Cleopa’s
advice. He explained that the monks in his monastery had little time for prayer
because of the amount of work that needed to be done. He had decided to ask the
elder what to do, and resolved that he would obey whatever the elder told him.
“What should I do, Father? Should I eliminate some of the work that
demands to be done?”
Fr. Cleopa answered him, “Keep to the royal way!” In other words, do
not be exaggerated in either aspect, but do all things in proper moderation.
Fr. Cleopa was a monk of obedience from his earliest days in the
monastery up to the moment of his death. Whatever order his abbot would give
him, whether in his youth or in his last years, this true monastic would fulfill with
complete holiness and with never the slightest hint of a murmur or complaint. If
anyone instructed him in any wise, he sought to follow this teaching with joy and
humility. When any of the brothers called for help, Fr. Cleopa was the first to
leave what he was doing and go forth to assist. There was no other monk or
brother during his entire life at Sihastria who surpassed the elder in obedience,
steadfastness or stability. It was largely because of this that he was so beloved by
all the young brothers who tried to follow the example that he set from his earliest
days in the monastery.
The brotherhood’s love for the young Fr. Cleopa, and their desire to
follow his example were certainly obvious if we but remember the situation of
Sihastria when he was called to be the acting abbot: the skete, at that time, had
suffered a devastating fire, it was in complete poverty and lacked even the most
elementary things, yet in just a few short years, through the example of obedience
and sacrifice that Fr. Cleopa put forth, the entire skete was renovated and rebuilt,
filled with new young novices, and raised to the rank of a ruling monastery with
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Elder Cleopa ofSihastria
an exemplary spiritual life. This was all realized through the help and protection
of the Theotokos and the absolute obedience of all who dwelt in the confines of
the holy monastery under the direction of Fr. Cleopa. Obedience to God, to the
ruling hierarch and to one’s spiritual father came to exemplify Sihastria through
the guidance of the beloved elder.
Archimandrite Cleopa’s loving and gentle personality was largely
formed through his obedience, together with his zeal for holy things and the
spiritual struggles he endured and brought upon himself his entire life.
The gentle nature that the elder possessed was the basis for his gift
of tears in prayer from the time he was very young. He would often try to hide
these tears from those who were near him in church; however, as a serving
priest, this was impossible. His tears constantly flowed whenever he served
the Divine Liturgy, especially during the consecration of the Holy Gifts.
During his years of solitude in the wilderness, his prayers were always
accompanied by tears. In his elderly years, his disciples often found Fr. Cleopa
in his cell, praying with tears flowing unabated, and these tears brought him a
tremendous joy and comfort.
Tears without humility are not spiritual tears, but selfish and
vainglorious tears. The elder had such a depth of humility and often said, “We
must truly believe that we anger God every moment of our lives. Without this
humility of heart, we cannot be saved!”
The elder reminded others about the sin of vainglory, urging
everyone toward repentance, saying, “Vainglory is the source of all other evils
and sins! Vainglory is an irrational love for the body and is the heaviest and
also the most subtle of sins, enslaving human nature. Vainglory gives birth to
self-love, being easy on oneself, selfjustification, self-glorification, self-
praise, a high opinion of oneself, comfort in one’s own ways and every other
sin that is both known and unknown.”
Fr. Cleopa’s words to individuals and groups were often punctuated
with reminders to keep one’s thoughts on death, and during the last twenty or
so years of his life, he constantly said, “Tomorrow I will be in the grave.” The
elder always kept his thoughts on death, especially as he prayed during the
night hours. When he was younger, he would keep prayerful vigil for an hour
or two in the monastery cemetery, most often near his brothers’ graves where
he lit candles and be-
seeched God for their souls. Later, he often remarked on the impression the
Lives of the Saints made on him as it described the tortures the martyrs and
holy ones endured and how they welcomed death so bravely in their love for
Christ and their spiritual strength.
During his entire life, the elder longed to be in solitude and quiet. He
wanted to spend his life on Mount Athos, or at least withdraw again into solitude,
yet he renounced this for the sake of those who came to him. What an example
of patience he gave to us! He was truly a man of patience and long-suffering his
entire life. It was this very patience, stability and prayer that led Fr. Cleopa to
raise so many souls for Christ and to guide the monasteries entrusted to him for
so many years.
Although we remember his patience in later years the most, we must
also remember examples from when he was younger. During the communist era
he was followed and watched by the dreaded Securi- tate, yet he was not afraid
and showed no hatred or anger toward them, for he possessed Christ in his soul,
and he knew that there would be no salvation without patience, suffering and
trials. Whenever one of the fathers or brothers would come to him in an agitated
state, asking for guidance, Fr. Cleopa would remind him “When you come to the
monastery, you have to make sure that you have a wagon load of patience with
you; and that wagon needs to be followed by seven more full of patience.
Patience right up to the grave. Patience to the very end.”
The number of people who came to the elder for confessions and
spiritual counsels surely put a great weight upon his soul. After hearing
confessions for hours, Fr. Cleopa often went off into the forest or down to the
peace at the cemeteiy for hours of prayer in the spiritual silence he found in these
places. That exterior silence brought great peace to his soul and enabled him to
more fully practice the prayer of the heart which pulled at him all day long while
he was surrounded by people. In his elderly years, one of his greatest sorrows
was that he physically could not go to these places of solitude and withdrawal by
himself.
One of the greatest spiritual gifts that the elder possessed, and the one
that struck all who came to him, was humility, one of the principle aspects of
holiness.
Fr. Cleopa often said, “I only bear the name of a monk. I am called a
monk, but I have never been a monk in my entire life. To be truly a monk is a
great deed. How can I say before men that I am a
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monk when I am not one in the eyes of God? A monk has to be an angel in the
body, having no sort of worldly life the way I live in sin and weakness!”
True holiness is composed principally of humility and repentance. Fr.
Cleopa constantly humbled himself, always remembering the words of Holy
Scripture I was brought low and he saved me.8
“I am nothing but a parched man,” the elder said, “a tree with nothing
but leaves and no fruit; you die of hunger right next to it. St. Isaac the Syrian
says, ‘Words without deeds are the same as someone who paints a scene with
water upon the wall, but dies of thirst next to it.’ That is what I am. You will die
of hunger near me. I tell you things, but do not do them myself. Why do you
come to a barren cow? Do you come to me so that I talk vainly? Why don’t you
say to me, ‘Father, you sleep all night, you eat constantly, you have no
watchfulness, you don’t pray, you have no tears nor a crushed heart.’ Don’t ask
me about watchfulness of the mind, don’t ask me about the interior life.”
As the elder would say these things in his later years, those who knew
him could not but remember all the outstanding things he had done in his life. He
was a missionary to his own people and nation. From the time he was appointed
egumen of Sihastria in 1945, the first thing that he did was to adorn the church
with services and be sure that all the singing was done properly. Then he began
his lifetime labor of preaching, spiritually feeding monastics and faithful through
the words of the holy fathers. There was, without doubt, no other spiritual father
in all the monasteries of the Neamts region who spoke so beautifully, so warmly
and so convincingly as Fr. Cleopa. This was all because God’s grace had
endowed him with an extraordinary memory and a wonderful knowledge of
scriptures and patristics from the time of his youth.
The elder’s living words fed everyone who sought him, and throughout
his entire life those words attracted to him countless numbers of faithful from
villages and cities. All would come to hear his words, to attend the services at
the church in Sihastria and be guided by the elder. Innumerable youths were led
to embrace the monastic life through Fr. Cleopa’s noetic teachings, as well as his
instructions regarding the fathers of the Church. Many who were guided by him
8
Ps. 116:6
throughout their monastic lives became most exemplary monastics and excellent
priests.
One monk often went to the elder, knelt before him and asked for a
blessing. Fr. Cleopa would put his hand on the monk’s head, make the sign of
the cross, saying, “May God bless you!” That monk said that he always departed
from the elder full of peace and quiet, feeling on his head a warmth as from fire
for more than a half hour, while his soul was full of humility and tears.
Throughout his life, Fr. Cleopa was known for his great mercy to
everyone. He had no personal belongings, for he constantly gave everything that
he had to tire faithful who came to him. All who were poor, in need, or suffering
knew that they could turn to Fr. Cleopa and he would help them. Daily, widows,
beggars, poor people, mothers with many children, orphans and infirm people
came to Fr. Cleopa and he always helped them with money, clothing, foods and
words of comfort. Everyone who left him went to their homes grateful and giving
thanks to God.
From the time the elder was made abbot of Sihastria, he established the
rule that all who attended the Divine Liturgy were to join the community for a
meal, regardless of how large the crowd was.
One of his disciples from Slatina recounted how there were very many
people who came to the monastery for the service on a particular feast day, and
the monastery had very little food. If a meal were to be served to everyone
present, there would be nothing at all left, so the cook went to Fr. Cleopa.
“Fr. Abbot, if we feed all the people who are here, there will be nothing
left. What are we to do?”
Then Fr. Cleopa, who never put his hope in passing things said,
“Brother, put out everything that we have. Everything!”
Then, after only three hours some faithful came and brought the
monastery enough food supplies to last the community for a long period of time.
The greatest mercy which Fr. Cleopa had was not that of giving things
to people, although he certainly gave all the material things that he had; no, his
greatest gift of alms was that he renounced his desire to live in complete solitude
in the wilderness and instead offered himself to the people. His mercy to
everyone was to give of his spiritual gifts: praying for everyone, hearing
confessions, preaching, offer
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ing counsel and his writings which have come down to comfort us after his
departure from this life.
Fr. Cleopa was an outstanding spiritual father in the Orthodox world
during the second half of the twentieth century, for he knew how to win the souls
of men for the Kingdom of God. He not only heard confessions, but he gave great
hope to his spiritual children, proving himself to be a genuine guide along the
path of salvation. No one ever emerged from under his epitrachilion 9 upset,
ungrateful or in doubt.
The example of the elder’s life encouraged many to deepen their
spiritual lives. He always encouraged priests to take the greatest care of their own
spiritual children, to visit the cells of the monastics under their care and to give
them a penance that was in accordance to their strength, to confess monastics
weekly and to commune those in the monasteries every thirty to forty days with
the most holy Mysteries. Having been known as a great spiritual father while yet
very young, in his later years Fr. Cleopa was without equal as he confessed
countless priests, abbots and even bishops.
For a period of more than fifty years, Fr. Cleopa was a spiritual father,
having more spiritual children than any other priest in Romania. He had been
chosen by God to be a priest who brought comfort, joy, hope and good counsel
to all who came to him. In many ways, he was more like a nurturing loving
mother, for everyone who visited him left his cell feeling greatly strengthened in
soul.
From the time of his ordination in 1945 until the very last days of his
life, Fr. Cleopa heard confessions daily from people of all ages and social
standings. Through the grace of the Holy Spirit working in him, the elder put
everyone on the path of salvation and joy and led those who came to him to leave
their past sins behind, to repent for their wrongdoings and to begin a life of
repentance, for he was himself a model of repentance.
He urged people to see their own sins and set their lives aright, putting
all things into the hands of God. When someone was worried about the present
times and asked, “What will happen, Father?” he always answered, “The years
and times are established by the Father in
9
The epitrachilion, often called a “stole” is a vestment that the priest must wear
for all services, including hearing confessions. During confession, the penitent
kneels and the epitrachilion is placed on his head as the priest reads the prayer of
absolution.
His mastery. Whatever the Father wants, that is what will be!” If someone said,
“The weather outside is bad,” Fr. Cleopa answered, “Everything that the Lord
gives is good!”
Regardless of how difficult situations seemed, the elder counseled
everyone to put complete trust in God and not despair, while always upholding
the canons and teachings of the Church. A Christian man once came to Fr. Cleopa
and said, “Father, my wife committed suicide when she was home alone. I found
her dead. Can I include her among the departed on my prayer list at home and on
the one I give to the priest at church?”
The elder answered categorically, “No! We cannot commemorate those
who have committed suicide, even if they were close relatives. It remains
completely up to the mercy of God. Only those who were psychologically ill
when they committed suicide can be remembered at the services.”
Fr. Cleopa always skillfully directed people along the path of salvation,
instructing them to keep their eyes fixed on God and not to waver from one side
of the pathway to another. He encouraged all to keep a balance in their lives in
all things and especially liked to quote the saying from St. Gregory the
Theologian, “The mind is deceived and truth is stolen away because of too much
love and too much hatred.”
Archimandrite Cleopa with spiritual son and future biographer,
(then) Hierodeacon loanichie Balan (circa 1967)
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r
/he news of Fr. Cleopa’s return to Sihastria spread
throughout the country within a few days. Little by lit-
tle, groups of faithful began to come to him from all
over Romania, and also from outside the nation, seeking his advice, or
simply to receive his blessing and ask for his prayers. Many who came
to him would immediately prostrate before him, receive his blessing,
and have no specific questions to ask him; it was enough to be in his
presence. The grace that came through the elder’s blessing and his
prayers remained with one for many years, even a life-time.
As the people approached him immediately after his return
from the wilderness, he comforted them, daily offering counsels and
advice, hearing their confessions and drawing many back to Christ
through his words and his prayers. The communist influence on the
faithfiil had been strong, but largely in vain. Even those who were not
practicing their Orthodox faith openly, and who did not have a full
knowledge of all the teachings of the Church, still stated that they were
Orthodox. Of course, there were some who came out of curiosity just to
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see the famous elder; yet these were the veiy ones who were brought by him
back to a fuller practicing of the Faith.
Those who came sat transfixed as they listened to the advice and
encouragement from the elder. Many asked him questions on spirituality or
theology; these questions would range from the most simple and basic ideas
to deeply profound matters. In this range of questions, all those who came to
him left with thankful hearts, rejoicing that they had not only seen the
renowned elder and received his blessing, but had also been taught by him
on matters of the Faith and prayer. The Romanian people, being strongly
nationalistic, were very proud that God had so greatly blessed them as a
people and country with such a spiritual elder.
Fr. Cleopa’s words to the people always touched their hearts, for
they were inspired by the Holy Spirit. At times some may have felt that he
was talking in circles, but that was never the case. Once when he was
speaking to a group in a very crowded hall, it seemed that the context of his
words had nothing in common with what other speakers had said before him.
When he finished talking, a woman who had been standing in the back of the
hall was weeping and said loudly enough to be heard at the opposite end of
the room, “Forgive me, Father, I am a sinner!” The words that the elder had
spoken had been directed by the Holy Spirit specifically for her.
This was not an isolated incident; veiy often when the elder spoke
to a group of people his words were guided by God for someone who was
most in need and whose life would be changed and redirected along the path
of salvation.
In general, however, Fr. Cleopa’s addresses to the groups who came
to him always included certain aspects of the spiritual life. He knew well that
the people lacked even the most basic catechetical instruction and that waves
of materialism and atheism were directed at them by the government. His
boldness in encouraging and directing the masses of people also gave courage
to other priests and monastics to likewise direct the people to a fuller
participation in the life of the Church.
Fr. Cleopa always encouraged those who came to him, young and
old, from every walk of life, to preserve the right Faith diligently, and to
uphold all the dogmas of the Orthodox Church. Without adhering to the Faith
in this way, there could be no salvation regardless of how many good works
a person may have. This admonition would
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grow even stronger and be present in all of his counsels in his elderly years,
following the fall of communism right before his death.
The Importance of Confession

The elder emphasized the importance of repentance, insisting that the
faithful seek the sacrament of confession a minimum of four times each year.
He always emphasized that it was up to the father confessor to decide if, when,
and how often, the individual would partake of the Body and Blood of Christ.
Reception of holy communion in Romania is not done frequently; in fact it is
very rare, even though most monasteries celebrate the Divine Liturgy daily.
Regardless of how often one would have tire blessing to approach the holy
chalice, F Cleopa insisted that confession be frequent and very thorough. He 1
bored to draw the people back into a more sacramental life, instilling them that
they must not partake of the Body and Blood of the Lord in careless manner,
but that they must first and foremost be cleansed ot their sins.
He would frequently tell people, “When you see that someone in
your home is sick, your mother or father, whoever, do not call tire doctor right
away, but call the priest first. The doctor cannot give someone an extra second
of life; if he could, he would not give it to you, but to himself. Everything is
according to the will of God! Call the priest and tell him, ‘Father, hear my
mother’s/father’s/etc. confession,’ and the priest will hear what the person
confesses and also ask him if he has committed this sin or another.
“In confession, the penitent should say that he has committed all sins,
because if we do not commit a sin in deed, we do so in the mind or in thought.
Finally, the priest will absolve the person through the grace that has been given
to him by Christ. Then, you can call the doctor. If the person dies, having
confessed sincerely and completely, the prayers of the Church can deliver him
from the torments of hell during those next forty days, sometimes a little
longer, but the Church does deliver him. But if the person dies without having
confessed and is guilty of grave sins, he can find no deliverance, for without
confession, there is no salvation.”
Another counsel that he imparted to those who were sick, after
writing down their names to be remembered at the Divine Liturgy, was this:
“The most important service for those who are sick is Holy Unction; however,
this should not be done for someone who has not con-
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fessed. First, you must confess all your sins, and then ask for Holy Unction with
no less than three priests serving.”
The elder strongly recommended that people go to their local parish
priest as their spiritual father; but he would add that when someone wanted to
make a very detailed confession, then that person should seek an elderly
hieromonk in one of the monasteries. He always said that in cases when the
faithful go to a monastery for confession, they are obligated to receive the
blessing of their local priest prior to going to the monastery, and then they are
bound to fulfill whatever penance the monastery priest would give to them.
Fr. Cleopa himself, in addition to the numerous faithful who came to
him, heard the confessions of about forty monks and brothers from Sihastria, as
well as many monks and nuns from other monasteries, a number of parish priests,
and quite a few bishops.
Fr. Cleopa recognized that there was a shortage of spiritual fathers
according to the ancient traditions, and that many who did not have the proper
experience were seeking to be spiritual fathers. These inexperienced clergy often
attracted the most spiritually delicate and vulnerable individuals, and the results
were very frequently devastating. During a period of time when nuns’
monasteries were having difficulty finding hieromonks to serve them, the elder
commented, “The spiritual father for nuns should be at least fifty years of age
and have spent no less than twenty years in obedience in a monastery.” He said
this because the spiritual father in a nuns’ monastery must also be obedient to the
abbess; his position in a community of nuns is to hear confessions, not to be an
administrator.
He was often heard saying, “The time will come soon when you will
not find true spiritual fathers to hear your confession; then you will go off into
the woods and confess to the trees and birds!”
When one of the faithful asked him, “Fr. Cleopa, what can I do? I
cannot find a spiritual father for my soul?”
The elder replied, “You can’t find him? He will find you!”
Throughout his own life, Fr. Cleopa had a number of spiritual fathers,
all of whom left an imprint on the elder. There was never a time when he was
without a spiritual father, even during his seclusion in the wilderness. Here again,
we see that Fr. Cleopa did not counsel others to do something that he himself did
not follow.
The elder heard countless confessions from those who came to him,
and through this sacrament he gathered a multitude of souls for
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Christ. Whenever someone confessed to him, he gave that person a penance;
however, he always asked the individual if he would fulfill the penance given
him. If the penitent said that it was too much for him, then Fr. Cleopa would
change the penance to something that could be fulfilled, always keeping in mind
the age, strength and spiritual zeal of each person. His aim was always to lead
people to true repentance and also to slowly encourage everyone to strive to the
utmost in the spiritual life.
The Elder spoke on the topic of confession quite often. We include here
some of his words on this subject; although a few aspects may be repetitive, we
must keep in mind that the following have been taken from several discussions
during w'hich the elder never used notes, but spoke freely. He felt that this subject
was one of the most important topics that needed to be addressed, and we thank
God for his words now in our own times and circumstances.
“One of the foremost spiritual obligations that we have, both as
monastics and as lay people, is to confess our sins. We must first recognize that
we all sin against God. some more than others, but no one is without sin.
“Holy Scripture bears testimony to this fact, saying, If we say that we
have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our
sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.1
“If I confess all my sins, both physical and spiritual, thoroughly and
with true repentance before the priest, if he does no more than simply put his
hand on my head and says, ‘May God forgive you,’ then my sins have been lifted
from me.
“If, however, I did not approach this sacrament with a spirit of
repentance and did not prepare myself properly; if I chose to go to a priest who
is somewhat lax in these matters; if I did not confess thoroughly; if I hid my sins
and did not follow the penance I received for them; if I did not later abandon
these sins; then even if I were to be absolved a thousand times, the sin would still
be in me like poison because I did not approach the sacrament of confession
properly prepared.
“So, you see, the benefit and precious value of holy confession does not
depend on the priest, but on the penitent. When I approach this sacrament, it must
be with complete piety, with absolute conviction
1
1 Jn. 1:8-9
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before the face of God—when I stand before the priest, I am truly standing before
God, since the priest is only a witness—then I must reveal all of my sins. Do you
think the priest can otherwise be of any help to you on the judgment day if you
did not confess completely? God forbid! The priest cannot absolve things that
you did not reveal in confession. If you held back and did not confess a particular
sin, then all of the other sins will come back on you. This is what the holy fathers
themselves have said, because this reserve, this refusal to confess something,
shows that you think God does not know what you have done.
“These are some of the aspects that go into a full confession:
“First, confession must be made before a priest. You see, when I go
before the priest for confession, I am really standing before God. The priest is a
simple witness. On the day of judgment, he can only bear witness to what I have
said before him. He cannot absolve what I failed to say, either on earth or in
heaven. If I went to confession and told all my sins and the priest placed his hands
on my head and absolved me, then I am truly absolved.
“Second, confession must be thorough, with nothing hidden, as I have
already said. Have you heard what the holy Apostle Paul said? The word of God
is sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of body and
soul,2 the highest form of union between God and man.
“Third, confession must be done of one’s own free will, according to
the Holy Spirit Who says, You shall offer it of your own free will.3
“Fourth, confession must be made with humility, for yl broken and
contrite heart, God will not despise.4
“Fifth, confession should never be accusatory; in other words, blame
should never be place on someone or something else, neither another person,
another being in God’s creation, not even the devil. In confession, we should
blame only ourselves, as St. John Climacus says ‘It is my sore, it is my wound;
it is the result of my slothfulness, not someone else’s.’
2
Hebrews 4:12
3
Lev. 19:5
4
Ps. 50:17
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“Sixth, confession must be completely truthful. Tell how you have
committed all your sins, without being embarrassed. Sirach says, There is a
shame that leads to sin, as well as a shame that is honorable and gracious. 5 The
shame that you endure in confession will release you from the shame that you
would suffer with everyone on the fearful day of judgment before God.
“Seventh, confession has to be decisive. As we stand before the priest
we must be determined that, with the help of divine grace, we will no longer
commit those sins that we have confessed. We should be more willing to die a
thousand times rather than to willingly sin again. St. Basil the Great tells us
confession is ineffectual if the person says merely that he has sinned but then
persists in the sin that he so abhors. No one should confess in this manner! All of
your remorse is dependent on your determination to change your life. When I go
to confession with an attitude of contrition and repentance, recognizing my sins,
then I reveal all that I can remember to the priest. When you go to confession,
you want to remember everything so that you can give a complete confession.
Do not keep your eyes fixed on the priest; if you do that then the devil will make
you forget everything you want to say! Before the confession, go in your room
where it is quiet, take a notebook and write down all your sins from the time of
your childhood until now when you will confess. What sins are still on my
conscience from the time I was a child; when I was five years old; when I was
seven years old; when I was in first grade; when I was in second grade; when I
was in ninth grade; when I was an adult; before marriage; after marriage; during
military service; as a youth? Write everything down, because the devil has
already written these things as well. We have very good bookkeepers: the devil
on the left shoulder who records everything, and the guardian angel on the right
shoulder who records all of our good ■deeds.
“Do you want to know something else? Nothing unclean shall enter into
the kingdom of heaven.6 That is why the greatest thing you can do for someone
is to summon the priest, not the doctor, when that person is sick. The priest is the
one who has grace from God. Haven’t you heard the Gospel? Whatever you bind
on earth will be bound in
5
Eccles. 4:25
6
ICor. 6:9
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heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 7 If you confess
thoroughly before your death, your soul is saved. As the soul passes through the
tollhouses, any sins that were absolved by tire priest on earth have been erased
from the record by the Holy Spirit. The devils are furious over this, but there is
nothing they can do. ‘Look at that! We had him in our hands before!’ But now,
the Holy Spirit has erased all those sins.
“This is the power that God has given to the priests; if it were not for
this power that God bestowed on the priests, no one among men could be saved.
God, who made heaven and earth, also knew what to do for the salvation of the
world. When Christ was resurrected. He gave this authority to the apostles. What
did He say to the apostles? He breathed upon them and said to them: Receive the
Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain
the sins of any they are retained...what you bind on earth will be bound in
heaven...8 What, my brothers! Haven’t you read this? Haven’t you heard the
Gospel?
“Following a thorough confession, we need to be given a penance, and
we must fulfill that penance. The one who has confessed is absolutely obligated
to fulfill that penance in order to be delivered from the eternal torments of hell.
We see in Holy Scripture that everyone who sinned before the Lord was cleansed
through a penance. If someone has received a penance and has not fulfilled it,
then he cannot be cleansed of the leprosy of sin, nor will his soul be released
from the slavery to the devil. You should be aware that someone who truly re-
pents not only receives the penance given liim by the priest, but he even asks for
a greater penance, for he knows that every sinner will have to fulfill a penance,
whether here in this passing life, or else in eternity. Of course, the penance
imposed must be in accordance with the person’s individual strength.
“Do you think that you can outrun the devil? In a split second, he can
be at the other end of the earth. But you can outrun him in another way: if you
humble yourself and consider yourself to be nothing but dust and ashes, a sinner
who is unable and unworthy to live on this earth. The only thing the devil fears
is humility! He is not afraid of anything else. Even if you are the most ascetic
person on the earth, if you
7
Matt. 16:19; 18:18
8
Jn. 20:22-23; Matt. 18:18
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do not know how to ask for forgiveness, then you are nothing but a laughingstock
to the devils.
“Therefore, brothers, may the mercy of God help us to obtain at least a
little bit of humility and discernment, because this world is hill of traps and snares
and every kind of temptation and worldly devises to make us fall. We need
discernment at all times. Remember what I told you before: the forest is not afraid
of someone who carries off a cartload of wood because it knows that the axel of
the cart will break as it goes down the road. No, the forest fears the one who
carries off a piece of wood every time he leaves the woods. That is the way it is
with the enemy of our souls: he does not fear the one who undertakes great ascetic
feats at once, for he knows that person will become tired and abandon everything.
Instead, he fears the one who increases in the spiritual life little by little. St.
Theodosius says that by working little by little, man gains great wealth in both
material and spiritual things. Do things little by little and always regret that you
have not done more.”
Someone in the crowd asked, “When is general life-time confession
done?”
“Once a year everyone should make a general life-time confession from
the time of his fhildhood. St. Nicodemus the Hagiorite says that this should be
done once every year, during Great Lent. Do you know why? For humility. It
helps a great deal to remember these sins. I confess, but the devil makes me forget
my sins that have so angered God. But when I make a life confession, the angel
mounds up all those sins in front of me, saying, ‘See exactly who you are?’
Humility! Then God draws nearer to us as we humble ourselves from the depths
of our souls.”
Another person in the crowd asked, “How can we know that ' all our
sins have been forgiven through confession?”
“Well now, if you wash your laundry and get everything clean, doesn’t
it get dirty again, and then don’t you wash it all over once more? Don’t you use
baking soda and lye,9 wash everything and put the laundry out to dry? Just as a
shirt needs to be washed, so also the soul has to be cleansed constantly through
frequent confession.
“The holy fathers, and in particular St. Nicodemus the Hagiorite, have
an instruction for the priest: Advise everyone, O priest, to go to confession
frequently, and cleanse everyone! Frequent confes
9
the Romanian equivalent to modem day detergent and bleach
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sion, and a general life confession once a year. This is for our humility and so
that man will not forget his own weaknesses that have so angered God. This is
the way it is.
“That is why we have to repent and be sorry. God is so merciful and
good and He does not keep in mind all the bad things we have done, if we but
turn back to Him with all our heart and confess. Have you seen what the prophet
Isaiah says? Come now, and let us reason together... though your sins are like
scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they
shall be as wool... and I will not remember your sins. 10 11
“In His immeasurable goodness, He knows our weaknesses and that
we transgress both willingly and unwillingly, in knowledge and in ignorance.
There is not a single moment in which we do not err before the Lord. But, no one
knows the nature of man better than God, for He created us out of nothing. When
we turn to Him with tears, with a sorrowful heart and with a pure confession, He
forgives us. Whoever has more serious sins has to receive a penance, for God is
always ready to receive us and forgive us since we are His creation.
“Christ descended from heaven for us, in His mercy and His love for
man, and nothing else. He had mercy on the race of man. His love for mankind
is so great; listen to what St. John the Evangelist says: For God so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten Sonn in order to save mankind. The Savior
Christ came, not only to teach us what we need to do, but to endure suffering,
ridicule, spitting, beating and death on the cross for us, so that He would deliver
the race of Adam from hades where they had stayed for 5508 years from the time
of the first Adam till the coming of the new Adam—Christ.
“You need to take greater care of the soul than the body, for the soul
is immortal. The soul is more precious than all the world, for the Savior says,
What will man give in exchange for his soul?12 Even if he were to gain the whole
world, what good would that be if he lost his soul?
“Recently someone came from a nearby village, a woman sixty-three
years old, weak, troubled, with her sister, brother-in-law and daughter in a car.
She said that her husband had not been to church
10
Isaiah 1:18; 43:25
11
Jn. 3:16
12
Matt. 16:26
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since they were married forty-three years ago. He does not obey God, smokes,
swears, drinks and committed adultery, not believing in anything. He stands
around smoking all the time. Then, when the wife was away visiting her married
daughter, he came home from the bar, drunk, with a cigarette in his mouth and
lay down. The house caught on fire from the lit cigarette and the man died in the
fire; nothing was found of him except a few charred bones.
“Have you heard how a sinful man dies? What does St. Paul say? Their
end -will be according to their deeds.13 14 This man had not been to church, had
not confessed, and had not received holy communion for forty-three years! He
died with a cigarette in his mouth!1'’ He went from the fire of his house to eternal
fire, having the earnest money for the eternal torments. God allowed him to burn
alive for his sins so that he could bum eternally, in the words of the Savior, where
the worm does not die nor the fire go out.15 That is how such sinners die. Have
you heard what the Psalter tells us? Evil shall slay the wicked.16
“The woman wanted me to commemorate her husband at the Liturgy.
‘Dear woman’ I said, ‘even if you were to give us a mountain of gold that would
stretch from here to Bucharest, I cannot remember him at the Liturgy!’
“I then read to her from the canons: ‘Whoever dies from drinking is the
same as one who had committed suicide.’ He died because of being drunk, so
that is tire same as if he had hung himself. I could not pray for him at the Liturgy
because I then would have to answer for that. The canons of the Church prohibit
me, and if I ignore them, then those of Iris family who had requested that I do so
would have also fallen.
“Right now, instead of being in church for Vigil, I am weeding your
fields. But is anyone weeding my field? Mine is full of thorns, thistles and weeds.
What will the Lord say: ‘You weeded the fields of others, but what about your
own?’ But if God will allow me, I will answer, ‘Lord, I weeded for the others
and they prayed for me. They
13
2 Cor. 11:15
14
Romanian clergy and monastics can often be heard referring to cigarettes as
“incense of the devil,” hence, Fr. Cleopa’s emphasis that the man died with a
“cigarette in his mouth.”
15
Mark 9:47
16
Ps. 34:21
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weeded my field.’ That is how it is. What can I do? I stay here with you as much
as I possibly can, for that is my first and foremost obligation. We will do all that
we can, with the help of God.
“I would like to tell you briefly about the four steps of a good and pure
confession.
“Our all-gracious God has established the sacrament of con-
fession/repentance, for without this no one could be saved after baptism.
Whoever makes a pure and complete confession manages to go through a ‘second
baptism’ as you can tell from one of the prayers which says, ‘You have been
baptized with the second baptism, according to the order of the Christian
mysteries.’17
“The mystery of confession, or repentance, is one of the universally
recognized seven sacraments and consists of four stages:
“The first is heartfelt sorrow for the sins committed. It is necessary to
lament and weep for the sins that you have committed which are contrary to the
ways of God.
“The second is to confess these sins clearly before the priest.
“The third is to fulfill the penance which the priest who heard the
confession will impose on you. This may often be necessary to fulfill before the
prayer of absolution is read.
“The fourth part, the key to holy confession, is the absolution of sins
through the priest laying his hands upon the head of the penitent and reading the
prescribed prayer. This, according to Canon 8 of the First Ecumenical Council,
is called the ‘spiritual epiclesis,’ in other words, the descent of the Holy Spirit
upon the head of the one who has confessed without hiding or covering up his
sins. The mystery of holy confession cannot be completed until the priest places
his hand upon the head of the one who has confessed, just as it is necessary for
the bishop to place his hand upon the head of the deacon or priest when he is
ordained, in order for the Holy Spirit to descend through apostolic succession.
The same is true in this case: the Holy Spirit comes through the hand of the priest
and absolves the soul of the one who has confessed.
“Confession, being a laver or a spiritual baptism of the soul after the
original baptism, is a mystery through which the sins of man are absolved by tire
priest, and thus it is advisable that we seek refuge in this sacrament as often as
possible. St. John Chrysostom says in his
17
Translation taken from the Romanian Priests’ Service Book
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book The Wellspring, If possible, O Christian, confess to your spiritual father
every hour. ’
“Why? Because there is no second or minute when we do not sin
against God. Therefore, if we err against God at every moment, it is necessary
for us to confess often, to cleanse the soul through a pure confession and
repentance and penance. The pure garment that our soul received at baptism has
become blackened through every sort of sin, from hour to hour, from minute to
minute.
Fr. Cleopa (center, seated) with Abbot Caliopie Apetrie and the
Spiritual Fathers of Sihastria
“In the days of the early Church the Christians confessed daily to their
spiritual father in addition to receiving holy communion every day, as we can tell
from, the Acts of the Holy Apostles, They remained faithful to the teaching of
the apostles... to the breaking of bread and to
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the prayers... the faithful lived together and owned everything in common.™
Through this we see the first established apostolic community.
“These early Christians gave everything to the Church and gave
themselves to Christ. At that time, after the conclusion of the Service, they shared
the Agape meal in the church. Later this was moved to the narthex of the church
and after that into the homes of the Christians, blessed by the holy apostles.
“Confession was done at the beginning of every day. Later, when it
was not the practice to receive holy communion daily, confession became less
frequent until our own days when confession has been relegated to only the four
fasting periods of the year. The faith and love of the Christians has become cold,
especially in regard to confession and the receiving of the most pure Body and
Blood of the Lord; yet it is through these sacraments that great strength and
spiritual growth for our souls comes through the grace of the Holy Spirit.
“I want to speak not only about Confession as such, but about the
benefits of frequent confession. There are specifically five benefits of frequent
confession:
“The first benefit of frequent confession is that sin does not have time
to put down roots in us, and thus the nest which the devil seeks to weave in us is
destroyed.
“The devil, seeing that you confess often, that you repent, pray and
disclose his wiles, says, ‘It is useless for me to work on him since he is constantly
going to the priest and confessing, receiving absolution, and thus I gain nothing.
It is better for me to go to those who are lazy spiritually, who don’t care about
their salvation, who confess rarely, if at all, because those do not work against
me as this one does! ’ When someone confesses often, he is more aware of his
sins and does not become careless about them. When he has not confessed for a
few days, he says, ‘What have I been doing!’ Immediately he remembers. But
when he lets a month or two, or maybe a year go by, how can he remember all
his sins?
“If someone wants to test this, let him go into a comer of his house one
day, stay quietly and keep watch over the thoughts that come into his mind for
two hours; that will show him how the mind wanders! See how many sins would
come up if he did not beat them down with prayer and fear of God. Now imagine
how many such thoughts arise in
II Acts 2:42,44
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a day or two. Then imagine, moving about in society, in the world, talking to
people, seeing things and hearing so much, how heavy does our conscience
weigh upon our soul in just one hour!
“Now you can see the first benefit of frequent confession. Remember
that through frequent confession, sin does not take root in the soul of the one who
confesses.
“The second benefit of frequent confession is that man easily
remembers the sins which he has committed since his last confession. Someone
who confesses infrequently has trouble remembering everything he has done.
Because of this, many of the sins that he has committed remain unconfessed, and,
as such, unforgiven. The devil then reminds this person of those sins right at the
hour of death, and what good is this, for most often the person cannot speak at
that time and is unable to confess!
“Woe to the person who goes to confession and confesses only a part
of a particular sin, but does not confess fully, or who confesses the sin, but not in
the manner in which it was committed! He is trying to cover things up in one way
or another, thinking that he can lie to God, that God does not know how he
committed such and such a sin, or in what manner! He thinks that he has to lay
before the spiritual father a few sins, and if he receives absolution, then he is
forgiven!
“The priest absolves only that which he hears; the other sins remain
bound to the person, for he was not sincere and will find no other recourse to be
relieved of this burden than through sincere confession. So, we see here that
another prerequisite for someone to make a thorough confession is that it must
be sincere and pure. Everything that comes into the mind must be told, for he is
not telling the priest. The priest is a man of clay, just like you and me. He received
the power to bind and loose sins through the working of the Holy Spirit.
“The third benefit of frequent confession is that, even if someone has
fallen into a sin that leads to death, if he immediately flees and confesses this sin,
he enters into the grace of God. His conscience is not weighed down under the
heaviness of the sin, for it is cleansed through an immediate confession.
“The fourth benefit of frequent confession is that when death
approaches a person who confesses often, it finds him pure and in the grace of
God, thus having great hope for salvation.
“According to St. Basil the Great, the devil is never absent from the
death of the righteous and the sinners, seeking to find man in a
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state of sin so that he can claim that soul. He can find nothing in those who
confess often and completely, because they have repented and received
absolution for their sins.
“The fifth benefit of frequent confession is that such a person stops
himself and keeps himself from sin, for he is reminded that after just a few days
he will have to confess again and will receive a penance from his spiritual father
to counteract those sins that he has committed.
“When someone confesses often, all he has to do is remember his
shame before his spiritual father and the penance that he will surely be given,
and he will do all he can to keep himself from sin. Man has so much strength
to use against sin; even if all the devils from hell were to come, they would be
powerless to do anything to him if he w ould just oppose sin. This strength to
overcome the temptations of the devils is given to each of us by God at the time
of our baptism. If man did not have this strength to oppose sin, then hell would
not exist to punish sin. Don’t you know that the Holy Spirit says through the
Psalms, Lord, Thou hast crowned us with the shield of free will. And again,
Solomon says, God has created man and left him to his own devises.19
“If someone wants to sin, he sins; if he does not want to sin, he
doesn’t. The devil only puts the ideas in our minds, so if someone is foolish
and deceived, he commits the sin. Can you say on the day of judgment, ‘Lord,
the devil took me into the bar, the devil made me sin with such and such a
woman, the devil made me steal, the devil made me a drunkard, the devil made
me have an abortion, etc.’? If so, then the devil will say, ‘Lord, show me a
witness who saw me drag this person into the bar, or into the fornication, or
murder! ’
“Then that same devil will turn to the man and say, ‘See how foolish
you are? I only suggested these sins to you. But since you are a fool, you gave
yourself over to them on your own. I did not drag you! But since you listened
to me, now you are mine!’
“However, through frequent confession, this devil’s nest is de-
stroyed. Have you ever seen a stork? It will make its nest on the roof of a house.
It is a very nice bird, but if you destroy its nest once or twice it will not come
back again. It knows that you are its enemy. It is the same with us: if we destroy
the devil’s nest he will not come back soon. That is how it is for the one who
keeps his soul pure and who does not give in to sin.
19
Paraphrased from Psalms and Proverbs
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“So the fifth benefit of confession is dual in nature: First of all it
destroys satan’s nest within the soul, and secondly death does not find such a
soul unconfessed.
“Anyone who takes on the practice of confessing often does not
allow the rust of sin to settle on his mind and heart. Someone who weeds his
field often can readily tell when sin entangles him, and he immediately pulls it
out of his soul through confession. This person will not be taken by death
unprepared.
“Here’s an example: one of our priests, Fr. Nathaniel, recently died.
He had come to me on Friday, and confessed according to the guide of
confession for spiritual fathers, he then received holy communion, and after
just a few days, he fell asleep in the Lord while in prayer! This soul, even
though he died suddenly, was prepared.
“He was a wise man. But what do we say? ‘Leave me alone; I’ll
confess next year.’ No! We should not put this off, for we do not know when
Christ will call us! Fr. Nathaniel did not know that he would die so soon. But
the angel of the Lord came to his aid since he was in the habit of confessing
every week. There was no time for sins to gather in him because he had been
absolved in confession of all his sins, right down to the most miniscule ones.
“Don’t even begin to think that small sins are not serious! These need
to be confessed as much as the greater ones, for the Gospel tells us that nothing
impure will enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
The third thing that the elder stressed very much with the faithful
who came to him was that they must increase their daily prayers, according to
the command of St. Paul who said, Pray without ceasing.20 In general Fr.
Cleopa recommended that eveiyone should read the Morning Prayers and
Akathist to the Mother of God every morning, and the Evening Prayers and
Paradis in the evening, and that these prayers should always be done before
one’s icons with the candle burning. During the rest of the day, he encouraged
the faithful to constantly recite the Jesus Prayer.
Again, the elder did not encourage anyone to do anything that he
himself did not do. In fact, he frequently told other clergy and monastics,
“Never advise someone to do something that you have not done! Someone who
directs someone to do something that he does not do is like a waterfall that is
painted on the wall; while someone who
20
1 Thes. 5:17
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speaks from his own experience and tells people to do what he himself also
does is like a spring of living water!”
People came to him at eveiy hour and were insistent on speaking
with him; this often interrupted his own private time for prayer. When it
happened that he went into his cell for prayer and was interrupted by those
who needed to see him, he would say, “I came into my cell and did not pray.
I am going in and out like a thief and a brigand.” But he would make at least
three bows to the ground and say, “Most holy Trinity, our God, glory to
Thee!” Then with a bow to the icon of the Theotokos, he would go out to serve
the needs of those who sought him.
Archimandrite Cleopa, Spiritual Father of Sihastria (circa 1966)

A novice who served as his cell attendant said, “The elder kept the
following cell rule in general: Morning Prayers, Akathist to the Savior with the
appropriate canon, then an akathist to the Theotokos,
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usually the Annunciation. If it was a day commemorating a saint that had an
akathist, he would also do that particular akathist. 21 After that he read at least
three Kathismata from the Psalter and several of the Canons for the Theotokos
from Compline. At about 3:00 p.m. he would begin the evening rule, which
consisted of several more Compline Canons to the Theotokos, the Canon of
Repentance, the Canon to the Guardian Angel, the Canon to All Saints and at
least another three Kathismata from the Psalter. Having completed his rule, he
would speak with the faithful again, then finally he would eat a little, after
which he read the Evening Prayers. At midnight he would arise and read the
Midnight Office, the Psalter, and quietly say the Jesus Prayer for at least an
hour. At all other times, you could see his hands on his prayer rope; he said the
Jesus Prayer with his prayer rope so much that the nail on his left thumb became
deformed from moving over the knots. Between these hours of prayer,
whenever he was not speaking with people he would read from the Holy
Scripture or the holy fathers.”
The elder knew the importance of finding a peaceful environment for
prayer, and he encouraged people to make quiet time in their own lives,
recognizing that it is not always easy to find time to be undistracted and simply
be with God. Considering the fact that he constantly had people around him, this
was a difficult thing for the elder himself to find. One can imagine how he
suffered from this after having spent so many years in peace and solitude in the
wilderness! Still, he preferred to spend time in the quiet of the outdoors rather
than sleep. He went outside every night, usually after midnight, even in the deep
of winter, and stayed there for at least an hour. During that time he practiced the
prayer of the heart in the open air, listening to the songs of the night birds, looking
at the vast array of stars and finding deep spiritual joy in that time of silence. He
looked forward to his time in the open air after the midnight prayers, when
everyone else was sleeping, for he knew he would not be disturbed. At times,
however, one or two of the brothers would seek him even at that hour. Whenever
people came upon him during these times, he would tell them that they needed
to
21
Fr. Cleopa himself composed many akathists which he used in his private prayer,
and which he also gave to some ofhis spiritual children. This translator, in 1992,
received written permission from the elder to translate into English many of these
Akathists in the hope of future publication.
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return to their cell, but he first spoke to them briefly before going off to his own
cell for private prayer and a little rest.
One of his disciples noted, “Fr. Cleopa always spoke of things that
build up the soul; you never would hear a useless word from his lips. He had
the gift of multiplying the talents that God had given him. During the day, if
there were no faithful to speak with him, he would take his prayer rope and go
off into the mountains. I often found him standing under a tree or kneeling on
the ground, deep in prayer. If I called to him at that time, he usually did not
hear me at first, so deep was he engrossed in prayer, and I would have to call
repeatedly and louder each time in order for him to hear. If I had to tell him
that a group of people had come to see him, at first he would appear saddened
because his time of quiet was interrupted, but then he would be overcome by
the love and faith of those who came to see him, and he would receive them,
speak with them and strengthen them in their faith while at the same time
calming their worries and cares. Finally, he would seek his quiet places again,
praying for the people and asking the gracious Lord to grant them ‘a comer of
paradise. ’ He loved the people so much that he often said, ‘If only I had a
huge sack, I would put everyone in it and carry them to paradise.’ ”
The weight of the problems that people brought to the elder was very
great. He did not dismiss these worries or make light of them, but he sincerely
prayed for everyone. Daily, he prayed for his own salvation, for the Church,
for the faithful, for those fallen in grave sins, for those who were ill and for the
suffering. Countless people felt the power of his prayers and knew that
miracles were wrought in their lives through the elder’s petitions Many of their
desires which were unto salvation were fulfilled, others regained health after
being hospitalized with a serious prognosis, travelers journeyed and returned
home unharmed, students passed difficult exams and, in general, those who
sought his petitions found more calm and peace in their daily lives.
A woman once came to Fr. Cleopa together with her nephew who
was accused of a crime which he had not committed. The young man told the
elder that he was involved in a murder trial, but he insisted that he was not
guilty of murder. The elder stopped the young man from saying anything else,
saying to him, “You are not guilty, and you will not go to prison!” In the end,
the youth was indeed found innocent of the accusation.
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Superstitions, Dreams, Sorcery and Witchcraft
Superstitions, belief in dreams, and the practice of witchcraft, black
magic and other devices of the devil have influenced every people of every nation
and time. Romania is no exception. Fr. Cleopa constantly had to instruct the
faithful regarding the Church’s stand on these matters.
There was, and perhaps still is, a superstition in Romania that those
who read the Psalms will suffer terrible attacks from the devil. Once someone
asked the elder if it is recommended for the faithful to read from the Psalter. The
elder replied, “St. Basil the Great says, ‘It would be better for the sun to stand
still rather than the house of one of the faithful to be without the reading of the
Psalter. Just as the sun is the greatest of our lights, so the Psalter is the greatest
of the books inspired by the Holy Spirit.’ Have the Psalter in your homes like a
good sweetbread; when you are hungry, cut a piece from it, devour it, then go on
with your work, always coming back to read another Kathisma, or two or three,
as many as you can.”
Fr. Cleopa taught the people how to bring God into every aspect of their
daily lives. “Do not begin anything without first signing yourselves with the holy
cross! When you leave on a journey, when you begin school, when you are alone
and when you are with other people, seal yourselves with the holy cross on your
forehead, your body, your heart, your lips, your eyes, your ears, etc. Let your
entire being be sealed with tire sign of the victory of Christ over hell. Then you
will not have to be afraid of any sorcerers or spells from those who practice such
black crafts. They disintegrate before the power of the cross, like wax near the
fire and like dust in the wind.”
Romania is known as a very Orthodox country. About 85% of the
population are members of the Orthodox Church. But it is in such an environment
that the devil works the hardest to lead people away from the Faith. Palm reading,
fortune telling, “evil eye,” curses, and countless forms of witchcraft and black
magic are very prevalent throughout the country, both in the large Gypsy
population and in other circles. Fr. Cleopa counseled those who feared such
spells, “Do not be afraid of witchcraft! Instead, fear God and take care that you
do not anger Him by your sins. Then, spells and curses will have no power over
you. Confess your sins, fast and have the Unction Service performed.”
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The topics of witchcraft, sorcery and dreams came up a number of
times when people gathered at Fr. Cleopa’s cell to hear him speak. While there
are certain forms of demonic works that are very clearly seen to be from the devil,
there are many other more subtle ways in which the evil one entraps people. It is
interesting to note how Fr. Cleopa points out many of these subtle snares that the
devil uses, as well as the very obvious ones.
Someone asked, “Fr. Cleopa, what is witchcraft and how many forms
of it are there?”
“Sorcery and witchcraft mean invoking demonic powers to help man
instead of calling upon God. The aim is to fulfill certain human desires. Sorcery
has been practiced as much by the Hebrew people during the time of the Old
Testament, as it has been by Christians of the Testament of Grace, right down to
our own times. During the Old Testament even King Saul appealed to sorcerers,
and for this he was harshly punished by God. Other sorcerers included Barlaam
as well as even the three magi who practiced astrology.
“According to the teachings of St. Nicodemus the Hagiorite, sorcery,
or witchcraft, is divided into three categories. Actual witchcraft means calling
upon the devils to reveal certain hidden things to men, to find things that have
been lost, etc. Fortune telling is a second form of sorcery; this involves certain
people telling the future through things like palm reading, coffee grounds, cards,
and other objects. Seances and spiritism involve calling the devils into obscure
rooms or tombs with the intent to punish those who are alive. Those who practice
seances will tell you that they are calling the souls of the dead in hades, much
like the sorceress during the time of the prophet Samuel, 22 in order to learn about
the future or to seek revenge on another. Even in our own days those who pretend
to be sorcerers practice this sort of thing among some of the faithful in ways such
as extinguishing charcoal, combining certain words with words of prayer,
especially for the sick.
“There is also a certain amount of fortune telling that involves using
holy objects. Examples of this are fortune telling through the Psalter, through the
remnants of priest’s vestments, using the keys of the church or the ashes from the
censer, writing names on the toaca, the bells, the walls of the church or scratching
them on candles. Enchanters are sorcerers with whom young people often confer
to see if they
22
1 Kings 21:3
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should get married, or divorced, in a method that involves calling upon demonic
help.
“Other forms of fortune telling involve examining the entrails of dead
animals, interpreting dreams, using the zodiac, determining what are ‘good’ and
‘bad’ times of the day, interpreting physical movements or ailments such as
ringing in the ears, twitching eyes, itching palms. Another form of sorcery
involves carrying in one’s hands or bosom demonic amulets that had been used
in devil worship. Demon worshipers are those who foretell the future through
summoning devils. They do this in a multitude of ways including burning fires
in front of a house and jumping through the fire.
“Astrology' is a form of sorcery that has been practiced from ancient
times up to today. This entails guessing the future through the movements of the
stars, planets, even the winds and clouds and other natural phenomena of the
universe. Astrologists insist that every man has his own star.
“These are just a few of the most common forms of sorcery; some have
been almost completely abandoned, others are practiced right now in our own
times, and we must fight against these practices and flee from them because they
are demonic tricks that deceive and ensnare many Christians to perdition.”
“Father, can the devil really help man through such sorcery more than
the power and grace of God helps us?”
“Be assured that the devils have absolutely no power to heal someone,
nor to discover plots against someone. They can never perform true miracles, but
they use their false illusions to deceive those who are outside the faith or who are
weak in faith. Our Godly father, John Chrysostom, shows us the truth of this
saying, ‘Don’t you see how the devils could not heal the boils and sores of the
sorcerers and witches that served them during the time of Moses in Egypt? 23 How
do you think they will heal you? If the demons have no mercy on your soul, why
should they be sorry for the pains that afflict your body? If the demons strive to
banish you from the kingdom of God, then why should they deliver you from
sickness? This is nothing but a joke and a fairy tale. Therefore, don’t be fooled,
Christians, for the wolf never becomes a sheep, nor does the devil become a
doctor. Fire will more
“Exod. 9:11
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readily freeze, and snow will become warm before the devil will truly heal you. ,24
“Therefore, when we become sick, if we have certain troubles, if
wrongs have been done against us, if we have children that are getting married,
or any kind of difficulty in the family, we should never run to the devils and their
servants for help, for they are only sorcerers and fortune tellers. Instead, flee to
the Church and the priests, to prayer and fasting, and our good Father will
immediately help us, for He created us and has mercy on us.”
Fr. Cleopa (center) with two of his spiritual sons: Monk Ambrosie
(left) and Hierodeacon Victorin (future abbot of Sihastria) circa 1970
Another person in the. group asked, “What are the consequences of
those who fall into the sin of sorcery?”
“Those who practice sorcery, as well as those who seek it, commit a
great sin against the Holy Spirit, for they turn away from God
25 Impartire de Grau (Romanian language), pg 324
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and seek help from the devils. They abandon the servants of Christ, the priests,
and they go to the servants of Satan. In other words, they desert the living water
of the priest and the grace of salvation of the Church, to follow their own
passionate human interests and seek help from the enemies of Christ who are the
sorcerers and demon worshippers. They turn from the truth and instead receive a
lie since all the words of sorcerers are lies and demonic deceptions.
“Those who commit such a great sin against the Holy Spirit are not
forgiven either in this age or in the age to come, 25 as Christ said, unless they
repent their whole lives. Those who are guilty of the sin of seeking help from
sorcery suffer the consequence of all kinds of bad and harmful things; above all
is the fact that their consciences bother them for leaving God and seeking help
from those who are His enemies.
“Those who turn to sorcery are also refused holy communion for seven
to fifteen years, sometimes even twenty years. Those who believe in and seek
forms of sorcery have cast the grace of God from their hearts and instead bring
the spirit of the devil into their hearts and homes. Those who work sorcery and
believe in such things have turned from Christ and united themselves with the
devil. Those who commit sorcery or seek these things are QO longer rightly called
Christians, but rather apostates. God punishes those who are guilty of this grave
sin with terrible illnesses that have no relief. They have troubles in their families,
all kinds of problems and misunderstandings, and they suffer poverty and terrible
deaths. Unless they confess to the priest and weep for this sin the rest of their
lives, they have no salvation.
“Sorcerers and those who believe in them and seek the help of the devil
must abandon this practice. Unless they repent they have cut themselves off from
the Church, separated themselves from Christ and willingly give themselves over
into the hands of the enemy. Should they die in such a state of sin, they cannot
be buried by the priest, but are considered as pagans and those who denied the
faith, to their eternal condemnation and the torments of hell. So, you see now the
horrible consequences of sorcery.”
“What do the holy fathers say in the canons about those who turn to
sorcery?” Fr. Cleopa was asked.
25
Matt. 12:32; Mark 3:28, Luke 12:10
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170
“St. Basil the Great imposes the harshest canon on sorcerers. Listen to
what he says in canon 72: ‘Those who practice sorcery or any such form are to
be punished in the same manner as murderers.’ 26 27 He considers sorcerers to be
the same as those who murder and those who abandon God, and therefore he
forbids them holy communion for ten to twenty years. In canon 65, this same St.
Basil the Great says ‘Women who work sorcery for their families and those
outside are denied the chalice for nine years and are to make five hundred
prostrations a day.’ “Canon 61 of the Sixth Ecumenical Council imposes a six
year excommunication on those who go to fortune tellers, card-readers, etc. in
order to learn the future. It goes on to say ‘If these people persist in such practices
and do not abstain from these perditions and pagan tricks, then we proclaim that
they are totally cut off from the Church, in accordance to the teachings of the
holy canons.’ St. John the Faster shortens the canon against sorcerers and those
who turn to such means, to only three years excommunication if they confess the
sin and permanently abandon such practices, and z/they fast every day until 3:00
p.m. and make two hundred and fifty prostrations a day.
“Even holy Scripture shows the severity of God’s punishment on those
who seek witchcraft and sorcery; listen to what it says: You shall not permit a
sorceress to live;11 A man or a woman -who is a medium or who has familiar
spirits, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones; 28 29 and
also the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself
with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people. 19
“We see that God punished King Manasses with the loss of his
kingdom and bitter slavery in Babylon because he caused his sons to pass
through the fire...he practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and
consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord to
provoke Him to anger.30 God punished King Saul with the loss of his kingdom
and a bitter death because Saul abandoned God and called upon the sorceress,
believing her trickery.”31
26
St. Basil, canon 72; St. Gregory of Nyssa, canon 3; Laodicea 36
27
Exod. 22:18
“Levit. 20:27
29
Levit. 20:6
30
2 Chron. 33:6
31
1 Kings 28:7
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Another person in the crowd asked the following question. Although
the person was referring to a specific situation in Romania, Orthodox Christians
who live in pluralistic religious societies can draw a number of parallels: “Father,
tell us more about those who practice fortune telling using holy books and other
religious objects, for we find a lot of that being done today.”
“Fortune telling and sorcery using holy books and other such holy
objects fall into the fourth form of witchcraft. These sorcerers and ‘mystics’
combine sorcery into their prayers, psalms and other holy words addressed to the
Theotokos and the saints so that they can more easily deceive those who are weak
in the faith. It seems to be practiced especially by women who are evil, old and
Gypsies.
“Listen to what St. John Chrysostom says about this method of sorcery:
‘You say that the old woman is Christian, or that the man is a Christian fortune
teller and reveals things through opening holy books; that they use no other name,
either verbal or written, than the name of Christ, the Theotokos and the saints, so
what is wrong with that? I tell you that people like that are to be hated more than
prostitutes and other sorcerers because they use the name of God dishonorably.
They call themselves Christians, but do the work of the pagans. The devils them-
selves can speak the name of God, but they are still devils. Some people will
defend themselves, saying that the woman is Christian and foretold the future by
invoking no other name than the name of God. Because of that veiy fact, I would
hate such a one as that and turn from her, because she used the name of God with
evil intent. She may call herself a Christian, but she shows that she does the work
of the pagans.’32
“Those who use the Psalter and other holy books for the purpose of
fortune telling are excommunicated for seven years; the Psalter is a holy book
with many prophecies contained in it; it is the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and
is to be used for prayer, not for fortune telling and obtaining money or
condemnation. Some priests even fall into this sin by saying they will ‘open the
book’; these priests are to be condemned together with those who ask them to
thus ‘open the Gospels.’ ”
32
Hristoitia (in Romanian) pg. 305-320
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172
“Fr. Cleopa,” someone called out, “Why have Christians fallen into
all these forms of sorcery and mediums?”
“Because they are weak in faith and do not fear God. The faithful of
today do not pray enough so that their desires will be fulfilled through prayer.
When their half-hearted efforts at prayer are not answered, they turn to fortune-
tellers. They do not read holy Scripture to see what punishment falls upon
sorcerers. They do not go to church regularly, they don’t confess during the
fasting periods, and don’t seek the counsel and prayers of the priest when they
are in need. Some Christians go to sorcerers because they have forgotten the
promises that they made to Christ at holy baptism when they said, ‘I do renounce
Satan and all his works and all his servants....’ There are also some Christians
who seek the help of the devil when their desires have not been answered in the
way they wanted in the Church, or because they have forgotten about death and
the judgment day of Christ.
’ “The holy fathers urge us to flee only to God, only to the Church and
the priests and not to the devils and their servants. St. John Chrysostom advises
us, saying, ‘I beseech you, be pure of this deception... whenever you cross the
threshold of your house say these words: I deny you, Satan, and your honor and
your servants, and I unite myself to Christ! Never leave your house without
saying these words. This should be your staff, your armor, and your protecting
fortress. As you say these words, make the sign of the cross. If you thus arm
yourself at all times, no man that crosses your path, not even the devil, can harm
you.’ ”33
“Father, what about dreams and visions? What is the difference

between them, and how many kinds of them are there?”
“I will answer with the words of St. John Climacus who says, , ‘A
dream is a movement of the mind while the body is at rest. A fantasy is an illusion
of the eyes when the intellect is asleep. A fantasy is an ecstasy of the mind when
the body is awake. A fantasy is a vision of something which does not exist in
reality.’34
“That is what dreams and visions/illusions are. There are two kinds:
good and bad dreams and visions. The difference between them is that good
dreams and visions come from God and reveal His will, but
33
Hristoitia (in Romanian) pg 316-317
34
Ladder. Step 3, par. 26
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this happens only to those who are perfected and truly holy, who fulfill his
commandments. The archangel Gabriel appeared to the righteous Joseph in a
dream and told him to flee to Egypt with the infant Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
Good and beneficial dreams come from the angels and remind us of death and
condemnation, then once we awake, we strive more in prayer and repentance.
Contrary to this, evil dreams and visions are from the devils who appear as angels
of light or saints; they deceive us during sleep to think that we are good and
worthy of heaven; ‘then when we wake up, they plunge us into unholy joy and
conceit.’”35
“Is it a sin for Christians to believe in dreams and visions?” “St. John
Climacus says ‘He who believes in dreams is like a person running after his
own shadow and trying to catch it.’36 He also says, ‘The demons of vainglory
prophesy in dreams. Being unscrupulous, they guess the future and foretell it to
us. When these visions come true, we are amazed, and we are elated with the
thought that we are already near to the gift of foreknowledge.’37 Those who
have believed these devils of vainglory have often been shown to be false
prophets. A little further on, St. John Climacus says, ‘The demons know
nothing about the future from foreknowledge,’ 38 39 even doctors can tell us
ahead of time that we will die. Finally, in closing on this topic, St. John says,
‘As soon as we begin to believe the demons in dreams, then they make sport of
us when we are awake, too. He who believes in dreams is completely
inexperienced. But he who distrusts all dreams is
• __ >39
a wise man. "
“So, you see, it is a sin to believe in dreams and visions. Through these
the devils deceive us so very easily and cast us into the terrible sins of pride and
vaingloiy because man begins to believe more in himself than in the word of
God. The devil has used this sly temptation of his to deceive many Christians and
monks, throwing them into the abyss of perdition. If, however, someone is in
doubt about a dream
35
ibid, par 29
36
ibid, chapter 3:par 27
37
ibid, chapter 3, par 28.
38
ibid.
39
ibid. par. 29
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174
or vision that he has had, then he should confess it to his spiritual father and ask
his advice, for God speaks through our spiritual fathers.”
“Father, why are people deceived by these false dreams and visions?”
“There are seven reasons that Christians are deceived into thinking
that dreams and visions come from God. These are: pride; vain glory which is
the first daughter of pride; a mind that is weak and dull in the faith; misplaced
zeal of some Christians who purposely fast and pray specifically that they be
granted visions, of whom St. Isaac the Syrian says ‘Those who have misplaced
zeal suffer a great illness;’40 then there is disobedience to the spiritual father and
stubbornness on the part of some of the faithfill, especially those who are proud,
and because of this they are easily caught by the devil; the sixth reason is because
of the reclusive hidden life that some people lead and the failure to thoroughly
confess all thoughts to the spiritual father; and the final reason that some
Christians are deceived into believing in false dreams and visions is that they do
not ‘know themselves,’41 and they fail to read the holy Scriptures and the holy
fathers.
“The wise Sirah speaks on this topic, saying, Dreams put fools in a
flutter. (You might) as well clutch at shadows and chase the wind as put any faith
in dreams. Divinations, auguries and dreams are nonsense...for dreams have led
many astray.”42
Another day, this same topic came up again when a group of faithful
came to the elder to seek his counsel. The manner in which Fr. Cleopa spoke
again on the subject of dreams and visions also reveals his righteous indignation
regarding anything that opposes the true Faith. Although some of what follows
may be a bit repetitive of the above questions and answers, we also find another
of the elder’s gifts: that of making a point by relating stories and events from the
holy fathers and his own experience:
40
Philokalia, Vol X (Romanian language edition) cpt. 58
41
To ‘know oneself is a constant admonition in the monastic life. In truly examining
and knowing oneself, one sees his sins and faults, rather than falsely being puffed up
with pride.
42
Eccles. 34:1-2,5,7
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“Do not believe in dreams! Do not believe in visions! If you believe
in dreams and come to me for confession, I will immediately prohibit you from
receiving holy communion for three years. Who told you to believe in dreams?
Haven’t you heard what holy Scripture tells us? Go on, read from the Wisdom of
Sirah, chapter 34: You might as well clutch at shadows and chase the wind as put
any faith in dreams...for dreams have led many astray, and those building their
hopes on them have been disappointed.43
“I wrote a book about dreams and visions. If you read it you will see
how the devil deceives us with these devices.
“The soul has three parts: the rational part is situated from the upper
left portion of the chest to the collar bone. The incensive part rests in the middle
of the heart; and the desirous part stretches from the center of the heart to the
navel. Each of these three parts of the soul has its own virtues, its own passions
and its own dreams. You need to realize what comes from the rational, what from
the incensive and what is from the desirous.
“Dreams also come to us from forces of nature: thunder, lightening,
the roar of water, and the wind. Without knowing it, you can be deceived in many
ways. It is easy for you to be tricked. That is why it is against the teachings of
the Church for anyone to believe in dreams, for Scripture tells us that many of
those who are weak in faith have been cast into perdition by dreams. 44 Dreams
often come to us from the devils.
“The devil is a phantom of power. He takes on the image of Christ, he
makes himself shine like the sun; he shows himself in the form of the Theotokos,
of angels, of saints, any form he wants! He does this only to cast you into
perdition if you believe his appearances. Don’t you know what the apostle Paul
says? And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of
light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into
ministers of righteousness.45 So pay attention! Do not accept any kind of appear-
ance, nor any kind of vision!
“The holy fathers from the Patericon were great ascetics who existed
only on the roots they found in the desert, and they often fought
43
ibid.
44
of. Sirah. 34:7
45
2 Cor. 11:14-15
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176
the devils. One of them was working on weaving a basket, and the devil came to
him in the form of Christ, but he ignored it. The devil shone like the sun, but the
elder closed his eyes.
“The devil called to him, ‘Elder, look at me!’
“ ‘And who are you?’ asked the monk.
“ ‘Don’t you see that I am Christ?’
“The monk clenched his eyes shut even tighter and said, ‘I am a sinner
and am not worthy to look upon Christ.’
“ ‘You cursed old man! You knew who I was!’ and with that the devil
fled, because he saw that the monk recognized him.
“Another elderly ascetic was walking through the woods and a shining
‘archangel’ holding a fig branch and a lily—like in the icons of the
Annunciation—came to walk beside him, but the elder looked away from him.
“ ‘Old man! Look at me!’
“But the elder turned his back and said, ‘Who are you?’
“ ‘I am the archangel Gabriel. Because of your holy life, your
struggles, your prayers and all your ascetical efforts, I have come to bring you
good news from heaven, from the Mother of the Lord. ’
“ ‘Think about it, ’ said the elder, ‘you must have been sent to someone
else. You have the wrong address. I am a sinner and am not worthy to behold the
archangel Gabriel.’
“ ‘Wretched old man! We cannot trick you into worshipping us!’
“ ‘Let those who serve you, worship you; I worship Christ and do not
need you!’
“You see how the saints fled from visions. Now, maybe you will ask
me, ‘Father, what if God wanted to show me something in my life through a
vision or dream; maybe it would be something true. Then wouldn’t it be a sin if
I refused such a sign from God?’
“It is not a sin! God forbid! The Lord, who blesses those who are
humble, would never be angered when we do something out of humility such as
not believing that we are worthy to see angels. Haven’t you seen what St. Isaac
the Syrian says? ‘It is a thousand times more useful for you, O man, to see your
own faults than to behold angels,’ and he adds ‘It is more beneficial for you to
weep an hour for your sins than to look upon angels and to raise the dead by your
prayers or work wonders!’
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“We need to have the humility of which the great prophet David spoke,
For I know my iniquity and my sin is ever before me. 46 Let us see our sins and
weep for them! From a position like this, you will never fall, whereas those who
have beheld angels have been deceived by the devils and brought to perdition.
“St. John Climicus speaks about this in step three of The Ladder saying,
‘The demons of vainglory prophesy in dreams,’ 47 and the one who believes in
such dreams then prides himself into thinking he is a prophet, but ‘He who
distrusts all dreams is a wise man.’48
“Now I want to show you what St. Diadochus of Photicus says
regarding how much God loves those who do not believe in visions and dreams.
He explained it in the following story:
“An aristocrat had a beautiful palace, lands and many possessions. He
also had a very faithful servant whose name was John, and he trusted this servant
with the keys to his palace and everything in it Once when the rich man was
going away for a while with his wife and children, he gave John the keys to the
palace and the gate and told him, ‘Young man, watch over all my things and
protect them. Pay attention. Even if I myself come during the night, do not open
the door to me! When I come, I will only come during the day; otherwise, do not
open the gate! The keys are in your hands. Do not let anyone in until I come.
Don’t let anyone in during the night or he will plunder my whole house.’
“The servant took the keys and said, ‘Yes, Master. I will do as you have
said.’
“Then what happened? The man himself was in the wrong because he
came home at night instead of during the day. He knocked on the gate and the
servant came to it.
“ ‘Hey, John, open the gate!’
“ ‘Get out of here, you thief, you enemy!’ answered the servant.
“ ‘But it is me, your master! ’
“ ‘I don’t know who you are. I have orders from my master. You have
taken his voice, but you are a wolf and have come here as if you are the shepherd.
I don’t know you!’
44
Ps. 50:3
47
op.cit
48
ibid.
178
178
“ ‘It is me, young man! Don’t you recognize the carriage, the horses?
Don’t you recognize me?’
“ I don’t recognize you at night. Come tomorrow. Didn’t you say you
would come during die day? I will have to see your eyes in the light to know if it
is you. There are many who can fake my master’s voice!’
“And so he refused to open the gate to the master. Then that aristocrat
sat outside the gate all night until the sun came up in the morning.
“ ‘Is it you?’ John asked
“ ‘Yes.’
“ ‘Come in! The order I was given was that I not admit anyone during
the night.’
“So! The wealthy man was not in the least angry! ‘Well done! You are
truly a faithful servant. I came during the night with my wife and children, but
you didn’t let us in saying, ‘I do not recognize you at night.’
“The example in this story can also be applied to those who do not
believe in visions and dreams. They are blessed! What does the apostle say?
Redeem the time, because the days are evil.49 In these times we should never
desire to look upon angels! One of the holy fathers says, ‘if you want to lose your
senses and go out of your mind, then accept the so-called heavenly visions of
these days.’
“Not only is God not angry with us, but rather He loves us even more
when we do not believe in the dreams and visions that appear to us as light, fire,
stars, angels, saints, ‘christs,’ or the form of the Theotokos. You have to realize
that the present times are like one continual night, for demons are able to appear
as angels of light. Whoever does not believe in dreams and visions is a true
Christian! So do not ever think that God is angry with you when you do not
believe in these things! If they were true, then God would clarify this for you, not
through yourself, but through others who have the gift of discerning the spirits.
When a lot of witnesses say that a dream or vision was from God, then ask others
who are truly wiser than you are.
“An elderly woman came to me and said, ‘Father, I dreamt this, I saw
that; something bad is going to happen!’
“ ‘Who told you this, dear woman?’
49
Eph. 5:16
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“ ‘I dreamt it last night.’
“ ‘You have been deceived by the devil. He told you what he wanted,
and then you come to me all upset because of a dream!’ ”
The elder went on, “But you, haven’t you heard what the apostle Paul
says? We walk by faith, not by sight.50 Haven’t you heard what Christ says in the
tenth Beatitude after the resurrection? Blessed are those who have not seen and
yet have believed.5' I do not have to see in order to believe. If I believe only after
I see, then I no longer have faith.
“What is faith? Listen to what the apostle says: Faith is the substance
of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.52 Do you hear then what faith
is? Let faith prove what you have not seen and give credence to those things for
which you hope. This is true faith. If I have seen something, then there is no more
faith. But if I have not seen something and yet believed, then Christ blesses me
as He blessed those in the Gospel.
“Brothers, do not desire to see angels! If you do, then Satan can deceive
you as much as he wants. I will tell you what we have to see—our own sins! Let
us confess them, be sorry because of them and repent of them. Remember,
Nothing unclean shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.53
“Listen to what St. Ephraim the Syrian says in the prayer that is used
during Great Lent: ‘Indeed, O Lord and King, grant that I may see my own faults
and not judge my brother,’ to not judge anyone! ‘for blessed art Thou unto the
ages of ages. Amen.’
“St. Isaac the Syrian says that those who behold their own sins enter
into the kingdom of God more readily than those who behold angels.
“That is what we need to see. We should never consider ourselves
worthy to speak with the saints or to the Mother of the Lord! What pride!
“Let us see our sins and weep for them! This is the most exalted
philosophy under heaven. Do not believe in dreams and visions! Visionists fill
the world, and they are all the forerunners of the antichrist.”
50
2 Cor. 5:7
51
Jn. 20:29
52
Heb. 11:1
33
1 Cor. 6:9
180
180
On Prayer
In speaking to the people on prayer, the elder said, “Do not theologize
in prayer and do not allow thoughts to come into your mind; instead, pour out
tears. There are sentries from hell that take up their watch at the gateway of man’s
imagination. These bring all kinds of thoughts to our minds when we pray and
contemplate on Scripture, saying The mountains leap like goats and the little hills
like lambs/4 Then these same sentries from the underworld ask you, ‘What are
the mountains? What are the hills?’ They themselves offer their interpretation,
‘The mountains are spiritual men and the hills are those who are on the next step
of the spiritual ladder.’ All this is in order to distract you from prayer.”
Together with private prayer, Fr. Cleopa always urged those who came
to him to attend the Divine Liturgy. This was during years of communist
domination in Romania when many risked their jobs, their livelihood and their
lives by going to church. Still, the elder always told the people that they must be
at the Divine Liturgy a minimum of once a week, or at the very least for those
under certain circumstances, at least every two or three weeks. He insisted that,
if for some reason a person could not go to Liturgy on Sunday, then that person
must send another member of the family—husband or wife, children—as the
‘apostle for the family.’ The one at home should spend that time reading from
Scripture and other holy books, praying, eating nothing until the ‘apostle for the
family’ would return home from Liturgy with a piece of antidoron for him.
He would stress the importance of the Church, saying, “The Church is
our mother! Do not depart from the Church, for it is there that we are united with
Christ. That is where Martha and Mary come together. Hold fast to the order of
the services, and obey the fasts and feasts according to the Church tipicon. The
Church upholds all of us!”
Together with prayer and fasting, the elder also counseled the people
to give alms generously. It is important to note that a large number of those who
came to him were simple village people who struggled and labored unspeakably
hard to provide the most basic of food and shelter for their families; yet these
were the very ones who would give most generously to those who were in need
or to the
54
Ps. 114:4,6
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Church. The depth of poverty that existed in Romania is unimaginable to the western
mind. People who were homeless, starving, with nothing to feed their families,
maimed, crippled, etc., could be found everywhere in the cities and begging from
home to home in the villages.
Three ascetics of prayer: Hieroschemamonk Paisius, Archiman-

drite Cleopa and Protosingel Joel of Sihastria (circa 1975)
Fr. Cleopa addressed the faithful lovingly, “Never let anyom leave you without
having been shown mercy, dear ones! If you don’
182
182
have any money to give, then give him a potato, a piece of bread, a handkerchief,
something, no matter how small it may seem! If you give something to a poor
person and feel badly that you did not give more, then your act of mercy will
reach God quicker than a bolt of lightening. Why? Because two great virtues
were found in you: mercy and humility.”
The elder advised everyone to do these acts of mercy in the name of
Christ, according to tire means of each individual person, since one who gives
alms and shows mercy ‘loans God’ and finds salvation much more readily.
According to the words of the Lord in the Gospel of St. Matthew, Blessed are
the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.55
Once, when a group of seminary students came to Fr. Cleopa, he spoke
to them regarding when and when not to encourage people to give alms. “You
can give people a penance to give alms, but do not give anyone wealthy such a
penance since someone who has full pockets may feel as if he can throw a wad
of bills down on the table and say, ‘OK! I’m set for salvation!’ These people who
are wealthy have to know that the kingdom of God is not purchased with money.
“Instead of giving them a penance that involves almsgiving, tell them
to fast more, make prostrations, or keep vigil. They will have to labor and strive
in these things, and these efforts are rewarded by God. Those who are struggling
financially are the ones that need to give alms; they need to work very long and
hard in order to earn enough to meet their most basic needs, and thus their
sacrifice of giving alms receives a greater blessing from God.”
A Miracle Wrought Through Almsgiving

In speaking of the significance of almsgiving and mercy, again Fr.
Cleopa stressed the importance of these virtues by relating a story.
“Emperor Nicephorus of Constantinople reigned from 1078 until 1081.
He decided to build a cathedral that would be almost as grand as St. Sophia.
When it was ready, the patriarch of Jerusalem, the patriarch of Alexandria as well
as the patriarch of Constantinople were all invited to consecrate the beautiful new
church built by the emperor. Announcements had been made about the
consecration for several
55
Matt. 5:7
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months in advance so that everyone would have time to travel to the great city of
Constantinople; remember that during that time there were no cars, planes or
trains. Everyone had to travel either in carts pulled byoxen, horses or donkeys,
and those from great distances had to cross the sea in boats.
“When Nicephorus’ cathedral was ready to be consecrated there were
three patriarchs, forty metropolitans, and thousands of priests presents, since this
was an imperial cathedral. Thousands of carts and wagons converged on the city
as the faithful came from all around. Everyone brought something for the new'
cathedral: rugs, barrels of wine, oil, flour, candles, etc. Each person wanted to
offer something!
“At that time there was a widow named Anastasia who lived in
Constantinople. For fifty years she had lived faithfully, going to church regularly
and praying to God. She lived on the edge of the city, right along the road on
which all the carts and wagons of people had to travel to reach the new church.
But Anastasia was very poor. Her house was a dilapidated shack, she had no
money, no oil, no flour, nothing that she could offer to the new church. As she
saw so many oxen pulling wagons of people toward the new church, she decided
to give an armful of grass to the poor animals, since she did possess a small sickle
and a pitchfork.
“The widow was poor in material things, but very rich in faith! During
the winter months she would spin flax and wool for the people of the town, and
in tire summer she would take her sickle and glean in the fields after the
harvesters had left, then she would wrap the wheat in a rug and beat it to make a
little flour for herself. Thus, little by little, she was able to provide herself with
some flour for her own meager needs. That is how poor this widow, Anastasia,
was!
“Poor though she was, she had a very merciful heart! What went
through her mind as she saw the oxen pulling such heavy loads of goods for the
celebration of the new church? ‘I don’t have any money, or rugs, or oil, nothing.
But I can give the animals a little grass.’ Still, she was afraid because she did not
own land, so where would she get the grass without doing something wrong?
“She took a big sack and went into a field where there was a kind of
wild grass, called couch-grass, growing. She cut a lot of this grass, being careful
not to damage the other crops that were growing,
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and put it into her sack, saying to herself, ‘I will give the oxen some grass, even
if it is not from my own land.’
“She took a walking-stick and set off with the sack of grass toward the
area near the church where many people had gathered. She found a pair of oxen
who had finished eating the little bit of feed that had been set out for them; they
were looking about for more food, still hungry, but there was none that they could
reach.
“Anastasia opened her sack of grass and put it in front of the oxen,
saying, ‘Lord, accept this bit of grass, and forgive me, for I have nothing to bring
to the church consecration, and even this is not from my own land!’ She wept as
she said these words, then when the oxen had finished eating, she also went to
the church for the consecration.
“She was astounded at what she saw in the church: so many people
and such rich adornments for the new temple! The church was prepared like a
bride for a wedding with all the embellishments ready for the consecration that
was to take place the following day. Anastasia went to an icon in the rear of the
church, where women generally would stand; there the poor old woman, her face
wrinkled with age, an old scarf on her head, the poorest of sandals on her feet
and wearing a raggedy dress, knelt and prayed to the Lord, saying, ‘Lord, forgive
me, for I have not brought any kind of offering for the church! I have nothing.
The emperor is a king on earth and will be great in heaven, but I am so poor and
have no money, nothing to offer.’ and as she prayed her tears dropped to the
ground.
“Then Emperor Nicephorus, with all his entourage and servants, came
into the church. His chief minister, Peter was his name, pointed to the dedication
plaque—since ih churches and monasteries that are historical monuments there
are dedication plaques over the doors—and drew the emperor’s attention to it.
The plaque was made of marble and the golden inscription read ‘To the glory of
the all holy Trinity of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, this holy
church was built and provided for by me, the Emperor Nicephorus.’ The emperor
frilly approved of the way the inscription had been executed, since he was the
one who had ordered it.
“Thus, the emperor, empress and a crowd of generals and other
officials went into the church to see how it was prepared for the big event of
consecration the following day. Everything was in order: beautiful frescoes on
the walls, icons with golden risas, fine covers for the icon stands and curtains at
the royal doors, gold-embroidered vest
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ments, chandeliers, holy vessels for the altar, Gospel book, everything was in
perfect order.
“While the dignitaries were inspecting everything in the church, the
elderly widow Anastasia, who had given an armful of grass to the oxen, was
weeping before the icons in the rear of the church. As she prayed, the angel of
the Lord changed the inscription on the dedication plaque. The inscription, even
more beautifully executed now read, ‘To die glory of the all holy Trinity of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, this holy church was built and
provided for by me, the widow Anastasia.’
“The people in the rear of the church saw the inscription and froze with
fear. Before they had clearly read the emperor’s name on the inscription. There
were people all around, no scaffolding was in the church for someone to reach
the plaque and change the writing; thus, no one could explain how this change
had happened. The men read the inscription and began to talk among themselves.
“ ‘What! What does that say?’
“ ‘What’s there?’
“ ‘Look, it says that a widow built this church!’
“ ‘But just a moment ago when the emperor came in, it had his name
on it.’
“ ‘What will the empdror say when he sees this?’
“Those present were afraid to tell the emperor, so they called the head
minister, Peter, and showed the inscription to him.
“Peter read the inscription and said, ‘But this is a miracle! It’s alright.
I will tell the emperor!’
“The emperor listened to Peter. What a sight it was: the emperor and
empress both had shining gold crowns on their heads and were dressed in all their
royal garments, surrounded by soldiers.
“ ‘Your Majesty, come into the vestibule a moment.’
“The emperor came and looked at the plaque in amazement.
“ ‘But, when we came into the church, it was my inscription,’.
“ ‘I know that it was yours, Your Majesty. Everyone knows it was
yours. But look at what is written there now!’
“ ‘Oh! What a sinner I am! This is a great miracle! No one could have
done this except God Himself! This is a wonderful miracle. I lost the church
because I made it in my own pride. Now it has been given to a widow! ’
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“The emperor then called all his chief servants and told them, ‘This
church is not to be consecrated until we find this widow! Once she is found, we
will do the consecration in her name because she is greater before God than I
am.’ Then he gave the order to search throughout his entire empire for the widow
Anastasia.
“Now, it was God’s will to reveal this mysteiy quickly, and He did so
through another widow who was about the same age as the blessed Anastasia.
This woman was in the crowd, but was not aware that Anastasia was also there.
“In all the commotion that was going on in the rear of the church, she
asked ‘What is the matter?’
“When someone told her that they were looking for a widow by the
name of Anastasia, she said, ‘I know Anastasia. She lives at the edge of town.’
“ ‘What! You know her! Come here to the emperor!’
“The old woman told the emperor where the widow Anastasia lived,
and he then immediately sent servants to find her and bring her to the church.
“Servants, riders and horses quickly headed off to the edge of
Constantinople to find Anastasia and bring her to the emperor. When they
reached the place that the old woman had told them, they found some children
playing.
“ ‘Do you children know where an old woman by the name of
Anastasia lives?’
“One of the older children pointed and said, ‘Anastasia lives over
there, near the garden.’
“The men went to the house in the unfilled garden. What did they find
at the widow Anastasia’s door? No lock. No bolts. No latch. When someone has
nothing, they are not afraid of thieves. The door was held shut by a string tied
onto a nail. It was obvious that the old woman was not home. The few belongings
that she had were in plain sight, but there was nothing worth stealing. She had
gone to the church for the consecration.
“The servants said to the children, ‘The old woman, Anastasia, is not
home.’
‘No. Anastasia left with an armful of grass to the farmmarket,’ the
children answered, not knowing that she had gone to the church.
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“The generals and other men all returned to give their report to the
emperor. ‘Your Majesty, we went and found the small house on the edge of town.
There were some children playing and they said that Anastasia is here, in this
crowd, somewhere.’
“Someone who knew Anastasia heard this and said that she was in the
church, ‘She is praying to the Savior!’
“ ‘If she is in church, tell her not to be afraid, since she has never met
me,’ said the emperor. ‘Send some elderly women to her to tell her that at the
consecration of the church the emperor is going to make a gift of a cow to all the
old women.’
“Following the emperor’s order, they found the elderly Anastasia and
brought her before the emperor who said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Anastasia. You have
been found worthy of a great blessing from God! What offering did you bring
this morning for the consecration of the church?’
“ ‘I did not bring anything, Your Majesty, because I am so poor!’ She
did not consider the armful of grass that she’d given the oxen as any kind of
offering.
“ ‘Please, think, dear Anastasia. You must have brought a great gift
because my church has been given to you!’
“ ‘I didn’t bring any gift because I have no money. I have nothing! All
I have is a sickle and a pitchfork. During the winter I spin wool for people, and
in the summer I use the sickle to glean after the harvesters. I manage to get a little
wheat from what I glean. Aside from that, I have nothing.’
“ ‘This is an imperial church and I spent a fortune from my own gold
and silver to build it; but look at the inscription that says it was made by
Anastasia! What did you give to this church?’
“ ‘I didn’t give anything except for an armful of grass to a yoke of oxen.’
“ ‘Don’t be afraid, Anastasia. The inscription was done by God, not
you. God Himself wrote that this church is yours!’
“And there it was on the inscription, ‘To the glory of the all holy Trinity
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, this holy church was built
and provided for by me, the widow Anastasia.’ The men had to read it to her,
since she was illiterate.
“ ‘You see, dear woman, you say that you did not bring anything, but
remember that you did bring an armful of grass!’
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“ ‘I did bring that, but it was not a real offering from me since I cut it
from someone else’s field.’
“ ‘Look, Anastasia, your armful of grass was more precious than all
the treasures that I gave. See, the angel of the Lord has put the church in your
name and it will remain yours forever. We will consecrate the church with all
these patriarchs, with all the pomp and celebration as we planned, but the church
will be Anastasia’s forever. The church will be consecrated with your name since
the angel has written that both in heaven and here.’
“The poor widow was astounded and exclaimed, ‘What a miracle!’
“When the blessed Anastasia from Constantinople died, the emperor
buried her in the holy altar, with an inscription above her tomb, ‘Here, in the
church that God miraculously gave her, is buried the widow Anastasia.’
“An armful of grass, given in the name of the Lord with humility and
a sorrowful heart far surpasses all the wealth of the Emperor Nicephorus. That is
what God desires!
“St. Ephraim the Syrian says, ‘God does not look upon the quantity of
offerings that you make, but the heart with which you bring these offerings.’
However small your offering may be, give it with humility and a sorrowful heart
that you cannot offer more. That is true almsgiving.
“God truly beholds a broken and contrite heart. Just the other day a
poor woman came to me. I looked at her and wondered at how God had brought
her to me! She said ‘I want to offer forty Liturgies, but I have no money even to
get home from here. Here! Here is a handkerchief.’
“That’s all she came with. A handkerchief. I told her, ‘Don’t worry, I
will serve the Liturgies and pray for you at them!’ I served forty Liturgies three
times for that single handkerchief. She insisted on giving fifteen lei. 561 told her,
‘No! We did not come to the monastery to become rich! We came here to weep
for our sins.’
“ ‘But Father, God does not receive the offering if I don’t give any
money! ’
“ ‘He receives it, believe me!’ I told her.
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Fifteen lei, at that time, were worth about one dollar.
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“So, you see, I do not get upset if someone offers only very little. The
Lord does not look specifically upon the offering itself, but He looks at the desire
of the one who brings the offering.
“When St. Anthony saw the snares of the devil stretching as far as the
eye could see, he said, ‘Lord, who can pass through all these traps?’ Then he
heard a voice from heaven, ‘Anthony, humility and almsgiving.’
“When these two virtues, humility and almsgiving, meet, they pass over
all the snares the world can set! You see, almsgiving is not measured in the
amount of money, but rather it is measured in the heart and the desire with which
you make your offering.”
Fr. Cleopa’s counsels inevitably included recommendations to the

faithful to maintain love and Christian harmony among themselves, according to
the words of Christ, ffTzat I command you is to love one another.37
In addition to prayer, fasting, church attendance, almsgiving and love,
Fr. Cleopa laid great importance on the strength of the family unit and love in the
family. During communism when abortions were performed secretly, as well as
after the fall of communism, the elder fought vehemently against this work of the
devil. He insisted that families bear as many children as God saw fit to give them.
When some people argued in favor of abortion, the elder firmly upheld the teach-
ings of the Church and the holy canons, forbidding people to participate in any
such act that resulted in the murder of children. He clearly explained to everyone
that abortion is one of the gravest of sins in the life of a Christian.
When young people came to him, the elder spoke to them of the
importance of preserving their virginity until they were married in the Church, 57
58 59
and also told them that they must be obedient to their priest and their parents,
according to the law of Moses, Honor thy mother and thy father so that you may
have a long life in the land that the Lord thy God has given to thee. 39
57
In. 15:17
58
Romanian law does not recognize a Church marriage as legal. Thus it is mandatory
for couples to first have a civil/legal marriage performed; then those who chose may
seek the sacrament of Matrimony in the Church.
59
Exod. 20.12
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“There is a Christian saying, ‘A child that receives a spanking from his
mother will grow.’ The mother corrects her child out of the tremendous love that
she has for him. She does whatever she has to do in order to rear the child along
the right path. Sometimes she is upset, she sometimes pretends to be angry, she
will pick up a willow switch, anything that is needed in order to raise her child
to be good. She corrects both the child that is good and the one that is naughty,
but in times of trouble, she forgets all they have ever done to upset her. A true
mother would give her life for all.
“God forbid, but if such a mother, has a child that grows up to be a
drunk, a crook, one who swears and does not obey her, she would still throw
herself into the water or fire or any other danger to save that child. She would
rather die with him in her attempt to save him. She does not then remember that
he has upset her. She forgets everything! As soon as her child calls out ‘Mama,
help me!’ she is there!
“Why? Because a true mother realizes that the child is a piece of her
heart and she cannot abandon him when she sees him in need.
“This is how we must be also. Every person in the world is our
neighbor. Just as a good mother gives her life for her children, so we also must
love everyone the same and be willing to give our lives for another. We need to
be like a mother who loves all her children, both those who behave and those
who are naughty; we should never make distinctions among people, but we need
to love everyone as ourselves.
“In regard to this, I want to tell you a little story about a mother’s heart,
so that you can see how far the heart of a mother goes.
“There was once a young mother. Her husband died in the war against
the Persians. She was from Greece and was left a widow with a young child.
Since she was a serious woman and feared God, she decided in her heart that she
would not remarry.
“She conducted her life in honesty, purity, fasting, almsgiving, visiting
the churches and raising her one child. Her sole comfort was this little child. She
showered him with love from the time he was a little infant, since, having no
other children or husband, he was the focus of all her love. As he went to school,
she watched over him like the apple of her eye, and as he grew, so did her care
for him increase.
“He grew up, passing through the various stages of youth, until it was
time for him to serve in the army. By then, enjoying all the care his mother had
to give him, he was known by all as one who was honest and obedient. He had
never uttered one word against his mother,
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had never upset her, and had never done anything without first asking the counsel
of his mother.
“Then the wickedness of the world fell on him. When he returned from
his service in the army, he had changed completely. He began not only to disobey
his mother, but he also showed no love toward her at all. Every evening he would
go out in the village and not return home until very late. His mother was so upset
by this and was wasting way; yet she would light the candle before the icon of
the Theotokos and make prostrations, saying, ‘Most holy Mother of the Lord,
watch over him!’
“When her son, whose name was John by the way, came home very
late, she said to him, ‘John, my beloved child, where have you been so late? I
have been so worried about you. Look, here is some warm food, and your room
is all prepared. I was so worried and wept because you have no brothers, and I
was afraid that someone had hurt you or that you had done something wrong, or
maybe some bad people had beaten you. ’
“Then he began to speak to her in a way that she had never heard
before, ‘Mama, leave me alone! Why do you treat me like a little child? I know
how to take care of myself in the world! ’
“Never had he spoken like this to her, and the harshness of his words
were like a sword in her heart. ‘Oh, my dear child! Do you think that I talk to you
like this because I hate you? I love you! But I am afraid because you are all I
have, my only hope! If I don’t see you, it is better for me to die!’
“Now pay attention to what happened!
“There was a very immoral and cursed girl in the neighboring village.
She caught many men in her snares. Young John began to go to her also, but his
mother did not know this. As he was going out one evening, the mother grew
suspicious and asked him, ‘Where are you going? I heard that you go to that
sorceress. Woe is me! It would be better for me to die than to hear that! ’
“Instead of listening to his mother, John answered her sharply, ‘Leave
me alone, Mama! Why do you continue to protect me? I am a grown man now!
’
“The sharpness of his tone and words, so unlike the way he had treated
her in the past, brought her to tears once more, for she knew that she had no
control over him. Then what happened? That wicked sorceress heard from others
that John’s mother was telling him not to
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visit her anymore, so the next time he went to her house she said, ‘Hey! You
listen to me! Tell me the truth: who do you love more, me or your mother?’
“Poor John! He was bewitched by that cursed woman and paused just
a little before he said, ‘I love you more.’
“ T don’t believe you,’ she answered. ‘Go on home, and if you love
me more than your mother, then tonight I want you to come to me with your
mother’s heart. Will you do that or not?’
“John paused for a moment; then, urged by the devil he said, ‘I will do
it!’
“He left the woman and went home. The poor mother had prepared
food for him and lit the fire to warm his room, and then she wept before the icon
of the Theotokos, asking the Mother of the Lord to bring her son home safely.
Look at what the mother prepared for him and think of what he was preparing
for her! What a contrast! What an unspeakable sin was being planned! She waits
for him weeping and praying that God will keep her child safe, while he comes
to cut out her heart!
“It was past midnight by the time John got home, and his mother was
waiting for him, ‘My dear one! You are coming so late. I was so worried about
you.’
“It was as if he did not even see her. He looked to the right and to the
left all through the house, searching for a knife. He laid hold of a large kitchen
knife, put his hand over his mother’s mouth so that she could not cry out, and
then stabbed her in the heart.
“The poor mother was dead. Her blood flowed all over, but that was
all that was left of the dear mother who sacrificed herself for her son.
“Then what did he do? Pay attention to just how far the devil can drag
someone. That wretched son cut off his mother’s left breast and dug out her heart,
then he put it in a bowl and washed it, after which he dressed his mother in funeral
clothes and laid her on her bed. He then turned toward the door, wrapped his
mother’s heart in a clean cloth and went out toward the woods to go to the
sorceress’ house to show her how much he loved her.
“When someone hurries through the woods, especially if the woods
are very thick, he bumps into branches and trips over roots. Well, John was
hurrying quickly so that he could return to his house before daybreak in order
that no one discover the crime he had commit
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ted, and he also was anxious to show that wicked woman that he loved her more
than his own mother.
“As he hurried along, carrying his mother’s heart in a clean white cloth,
a branch from one of the trees was blown by the wind and struck him in his right
eye. The pain that this caused was veiy sharp, and John quickly raised a hand to
his eye. Just then he heard his mother’s voice coming from her heart, ‘My dear
little one, does it hurt badly?’
“Finally, he came to his senses! ‘Oh, Mama! How did I get to this
point? Where am I? Where am I going? Dear Mama, good Mama, how is it that
I cut out your heart and yet you still suffer for the pain in my eye?’ Then he began
to wail uncontrollably and realized that he had been cursed. He hurried home,
but by now it was just one hour before dawn. He placed his mother’s heart back
into her body and began to cry loudly that his mother was dead.
“As the sun came up the neighbors heard his cries. ‘John, what is the
matter?’
“ ‘My mother is dead. My mother is dead!’
“People came to comfort him, but he could not be comforted, for
something else was happening: Eveiy fifteen minutes, wherever he was, he heard
his mother’s voice asking him, ‘Mama’s dear one, why did you kill me?’ Every
time he heard his mother’s voice, it was the worse punishment for him.
“Everyone that came to the house wondered why he was crying so
desperately for his mother, for men are usually much stronger than that! He alone
knew why he was weeping so much, for he heard his mother’s voice asking him
in a reproving but loving way, ‘Mama’s dear one, why did you kill me?’
“Then what happened? He sent for two old women in the village to
wash and prepare the body of his mother for burial. When they washed her, they
discovered that she had been stabbed in the heart. ‘Oh, John! Your mother was
stabbed!’
“When he heard their words, he wailed, for he knew well who had
stabbed her. She was then clothed in funeral clothes and buried three days later;
but instead of quieting down, John wept and mourned even more, and the people
were saying, ‘Look at how much he loved his mother! ’ But he knew the truth,
and constantly heard his mother’s voice clearly asking him, ‘Mama’s dear one,
why did you kill me?’
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“After his mother was buried, he remembered all the things she had
done for him. ‘Dear and good Mama, how you struggled for me! How you tried
to pull me out of the devil’s snares, and you took me to all the monasteries, but
now I am left alone!’
“Then look at what God put into his mind: He decided to go on his own
to a spiritual father at a monastery and confess. ‘I will go, because poor Mama
wanted to pull me out of these temptations, and I did not realize it then. I will go
now!’
“John then locked the doors of his house and went to a very renowned
spiritual father of a monastery. There he fell before the elder, weeping, “Father,
I am the worse of all men on the earth, and a horrible criminal!’
“The elder spoke to John and calmed him down, then he read the
preparatory prayers for the sacrament of repentance. Finally John began to
confess his sin and told the elder how he had killed his dear mother.
“The elder, being a wise man said, ‘My son, do not despair of your
salvation! But you need to be aware that anyone who has killed his mother or
father is not permitted to receive holy communion for thirty years!’
‘“Father,’ the youth replied, ‘there is more; I hear my mother’s voice
several times every hour asking me: Mama’s dear one, why did you kill me?’
“The elder replied, ‘She is still trying to care for you and remind you
of the crime you have committed so that you will repent; that way, through
repentance, she will not be deprived of you in the life to come as she has been in
this life.’
“ ‘How can I repent, Father?’
“ ‘Listen, my son. If you decide to become a monk, the penance is
reduced to half, to only fifteen years! ’
“ ‘I will do that! I don’t need to be married. All I need is for God to
forgive me! ’
“ ‘Then go, my son, weep for your sin, and God will forgive you!’
“ ‘I will take care of eveiything right now!’
“John then returned home, sold everything he had except for two
changes of clothing, gave his house to a widow and left for a monastery on the
edge of the Jordan. There, he knocked on the door.
“A monk came to the gate, ‘What do you want. Brother*?’
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“ ‘I have come here to weep for my sins. Will the abbot receive me in
this community?’
“ ‘We will receive you! A monastery is a spiritual hospital for anyone
who is a sinner. The monastery heals all!’
“John was thus received as a beginner in the monastery and given the
most difficult obediences: the kitchen, serving in the refectory, in the garden,
caring for the sick and watching over the animals. He did everything with
complete love, while weeping all the time as he remembered his sins and how he
had killed his mother.
“Then, according to the measure of his repentance in the monastery and
the zeal with which he fulfilled his obediences, he began to hear his mother’s
voice less often. Instead of several times an hour, it came only once every few
days, and later only once every few months.
“When Brother John told the spiritual father about this, the elder said,
‘As you hear your mother’s voice less often, that means that God is drawing
closer and closer to you, because your mother wants to bring you to heaven since
she mourns the fact that she had lost you in this life! Even after death, she still is
a mother!’
“ Tather,’ Brother John asked, ‘what strict penance can I do so that God
will forgive me sooner?’
“ ‘My son, eat only once a day, and that must be food without oil; do
this for three years; and in addition, make five hundred prostrations each day and
say Psalm 50 as often as you can every day.’
“‘I will do that, Father!’
“So, for three years, Brother John fulfilled the penance the elder had
given him. He worked at the most difficult chores in the monastery and, with the
exception of only Saturdays and Sundays when he ate twice a day, he ate only
once every day, fasting food without oil, and never so much as tasted wine.
“The monks in the community were amazed at the zeal and love with
which Brother John fulfilled his obediences and his penance, even though they
did not know the secret of his grave sin. ‘Oh, Brother John has such grace from
God; look at how he weeps.’
“After three years, right before the feast of the Lord’s entry into
Jerusalem, when Brother John went to confess again to the spiritual father, the
elder asked, ‘Brother John, how is it going? Does your mother still speak to you?’
“ ‘Very rarely, Father. In fact, I would like to hear her more often, but
it happens very rarely now.’
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“The young novice had grown quite thin and weak during those three
years of strict fasting, five hundred prostrations per day, and working at the most
difficult tasks in the monastery.
“ ‘Brother John, Holy Week is now coming. From this Sunday until
Pascha, do not taste anything, no food or water; then come and see me again on
Holy Saturday.’
“Brother John returned to the elder on Holy Saturday, very weak, but
joyful, because the Holy Spirit grants joy to the penitent according to the measure
of one’s repentance.
“ ‘Listen, Brother John, we are going to church for the service of the
Resurrection tonight, but you are not to come. ’
“‘What am I to do, Father?’
“ ‘Go to your cell, prepare your oil lamp with a wick and oil, but do
not light it. Pray to God and remember your mother, for she is a martyr and has
boldness before God to help you in your prayers. If your oil lamp before the icons
lights of its own accord, that will be a sign that God and your mother have both
forgiven your sin.’
“Brother John went to his cell; he had not tasted anything since Palm
Sunday. He fell with his face to the floor before his icons and prayed, ‘Lord,
Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner, through the prayers of Thy most pure
Mother and of my mother! ’
“He prayed thus for four hours, pouring out streams of tears, for he saw
that the sign of forgiveness had not happened, and the Feast of the Lord’s
Resurrection was come. He threw himself on the floor in the form of a cross and
cried out with all his strength to the Savior, to the Theotokos and to his mother
to forgive him and to grant him a sign of comfort that he had been forgiven.
“Just as the bells were ringing for the Lord’s Resurrection, while all
the monks were outside the church for the procession, suddenly a sweet light
filled his cell and his oil lamp was lit of its own accord, while, from the icons, he
heard a voice, ‘Mama’s dear one, I have forgiven you.’
“After such a sacrifice, the good mother still remained a mother!
Instead of thirty years of penance, or even fifteen years in a monasteiy, this
mother forgave him in three years, and this was testified to by the lighting of the
oil lamp. Even after he had killed her; after she suffered a martyr’s death at the
hand of her own son, she still had the heart of a mother.
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“Beloved faithful, I have told you this so that you will learn to have
mercy for each other. Remember: have the heart of a son toward God, the attitude
of a judge over yourself, and the heart of a mother for your neighbor!
“We must forgive anyone who sins against us, just as a good mother
always forgives her child. If everyone on the face of the earth could do this—
love one another as a mother loves her children—then the earth would become
heaven, it would be a paradise; there would be no more judgments, no more
killing, no more wars or troubles; everything would be full of mercy and
compassion and joy throughout the entire world.
“May God, worshipped in Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, through
the prayers of our most pure Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, and of
all the saints, have mercy and help us sinners so that we may remember this
lesson; may we have the heart of a son toward God, the attitude of a judge over
ourselves and the heart of a mother toward others. Amen!”
The fact that Fr. Cleopa used the example of familial relations in the
above story to emphasize a point also shows the importance he gave to the
sanctity of the family unit. When young engaged couples came to him to receive
his advice and blessing, and to ask for his prayers before their marriage, he would
always urge them to base their marriage on prayer and unfailingly tell them,
“Pray to the Mother of God with fasting and prostratioYis and read the Akathist
of the Annunciation.”
If a woman came to him and said that her husband mistreated her, Fr.
Cleopa would tell her not to seek a divorce, but instead that she should pray for
her husband. “It is not I who tell you this, but the holy apostle Paul; how do you
know that you will not save your husband? Don’t you know that an unfaithful
husband can be sanctified through a faithful wife, and visa-versa?” He would say
the same to men who came to him complaining about their wives, and in this way
peace came to many a home through Fr. Cleopa, instead of the tragedy of divorce.
There was another instance of a faithful woman from a family of
intellectuals in Piatra Neamts who frequently came to Fr. Cleopa, weeping
because her husband, a professor of physics, had declared that he was an atheist.
Fr. Cleopa suggested to the woman that she convince her husband to come and
see him. It took a great deal of persistence on
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“The young novice had grown quite thin and weak during those three
years of strict fasting, five hundred prostrations per day, and working at the most
difficult tasks in the monastery.
“ ‘Brother John, Holy Week is now coming. From this Sunday until
Pascha, do not taste anything, no food or water; then come and see me again on
Holy Saturday.’
“Brother John returned to the elder on Holy Saturday, very weak, but
joyful, because the Holy Spirit grants joy to the penitent according to the measure
of one’s repentance.
“ ‘Listen, Brother John, we are going to church for the service of the
Resurrection tonight, but you are not to come.’
“‘What am I to do, Father?’
“ ‘Go to your cell, prepare your oil lamp with a wick and oil, but do
not light it. Pray to God and remember your mother, for she is a martyr and has
boldness before God to help you in your prayers. If your oil lamp before the icons
lights of its own accord, that will be a sign that God and your mother have both
forgiven your sin.’
“Brother John went to his cell; he had not tasted anything since Palm
Sunday. He fell with his face to the floor before his icons and prayed, ‘Lord,
Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner, through the prayers of Thy most pure
Mother and of my mother!’
“He prayed thus for four hours, pouring out streams of tears, for he saw
that the sign of forgiveness had not happened, and the Feast of the Lord’s
Resurrection was come. He threw himself on the floor in the form of a cross and
cried out with all his strength to the Savior, to the Theotokos and to his mother
to forgive him and to grant him a sign of comfort that he had been forgiven.
“Just as the bells were ringing for the Lord’s Resurrection, while all
the monks were outside the church for the procession, suddenly a sweet light
filled his cell and his oil lamp was lit of its own accord, while, from the icons, he
heard a voice, ‘Mama’s dear one, I have forgiven you.’
“After such a sacrifice, the good mother still remained a mother!
Instead of thirty years of penance, or even fifteen years in a monasteiy, this
mother forgave him in three years, and this was testified to by the lighting of the
oil lamp. Even after he had killed her; after she suffered a martyr’s death at the
hand of her own son, she still had the heart of a mother.
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“Beloved faithful, I have told you this so that you will learn to have
mercy for each other. Remember: have the heart of a son toward God, the attitude
of a judge over yourself, and the heart of a mother for your neighbor!
“We must forgive anyone who sins against us, just as a good mother
always forgives her child. If everyone on the face of the earth could do this—
love one another as a mother loves her children—then the earth would become
heaven, it would be a paradise; there would be no more judgments, no more
killing, no more wars or troubles; everything would be full of mercy and
compassion and joy throughout the entire world.
“May God, worshipped in Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, through
the prayers of our most pure Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Maiy, and of
all the saints, have mercy and help us sinners so that we may remember this
lesson; may we have the heart of a son toward God, the attitude of a judge over
ourselves and the heart of a mother toward others. Amen!”
♦
The fact that Fr. Cleopa used the example of familial relations in the
above story to emphasize a point also shows the importance he gave to the
sanctity of the family unit. When young engaged couples came to him to receive
his advice and blessing, and to ask for his prayers before their marriage, he would
always urge them to base their marriage on prayer and unfailingly tell them,
“Pray to the Mother of God with fasting and prostrations and read the Akathist
of the Annunciation.”
If a woman came to him and said that her husband mistreated her, Fr.
Cleopa would tell her not to seek a divorce, but instead that she should pray for
her husband. “It is not I who tell you this, but the holy apostle Paid; how do you
know that you will not save your husband? Don’t you know that an unfaithful
husband can be sanctified through a faithfid wife, and visa-versa?” He would say
the same to men who came to him complaining about their wives, and in this way
peace came to many a home through Fr. Cleopa, instead of the tragedy of divorce.
There was another instance of a faithfid woman from a family of
intellectuals in Piatra Neamts who frequently came to Fr. Cleopa, weeping
because her husband, a professor of physics, had declared that he was an atheist.
Fr. Cleopa suggested to the woman that she convince her husband to come and
see him. It took a great deal of persistence on
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200
the part of the woman, but finally the husband agreed, even though he declared,
“I don’t have anything to talk to a priest about! No one is going to convince me
of anything!”
When they reached Sihastria, Fr. Cleopa was speaking to a group of
people. After he had finished and the people left, the elder was very tired, but he
did not give in to the weariness of his flesh. He took a great deal of time and
spoke with the professor, reciting astronomical dates, distances between planets
and stars, and other natural laws of creation and physics. The discussion went on
until midnight, and the professor was so amazed at the knowledge of the elder
that he actually took out a notebook and wrote down much of the data that Fr.
Cleopa had given him.
Finally, he asked the elder, “Father, I have studied in many higher
institutions of learning, and I have never heard such things. Where did you learn
all this?”
“Who has ever told me I could not learn these things?” Fr. Cleopa
answered.
Then, the professor who had proclaimed himself an atheist asked Fr.
Cleopa to hear his confession!
After some time went by, the woman again came to Sihastria, no
longer upset, but instead very joyful. “Fr. Cleopa,” she said, “ever since my
husband had that discussion with you, he has changed completely. He goes to
church regularly, and he prays at home and works very hard to convince others
of the truth of the existence of God!”
The elder loved children and'Was very patient with them. Once, one
of the brothers from the monastery was upset because children visiting Sihastria
were making a lot of noise and running up and down the hills of the monastery.
He went to the elder and asked him what he should do about this disturbance.
Fr. Cleopa told him, “Try to remember; weren’t you once a child? I
love the children because they are like angels! I worry when they are here that
they not fall or break an arm or leg. Christ loves them so much that He said, Let
the little children come to me and do not stop them, for theirs is the kingdom of
Heaven!64
In all things, Fr. Cleopa especially reminded people to keep in mind
the hour of death. When people told him that they were tormented
64
Mark 10:14
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by the passion of fornication, the elder said to them, “Death, death, death! The
grave, the shovel and pickax! St. Basil the Great says, ‘When you see the most
beautiful woman in the world, think of her grave and what she will look like a
few days after her death—stench and decomposing flesh that smell worse than
any sewer.’ Why should you desire anything like that?”
The elder had such a wonderful way of putting everything into
perspective, so clearly and simply, yet so profoundly. He spoke about how God
speaks with us:
“Come on. Tell me, where were you one hundred years ago? Where
will you be one hundred years from now? Come on. Tell me, where?
“The body will return to the earth from which it was taken, but where
will the soul go? Have you heard what the Savior says in the Gospels? He tells
us that we do not know where we are from or where we are going, but He knows
where He is from. He is from the Father and goes to the Father. We are simply
passing through this earth, on a short visit, a very short visit, dear ones.
“Don’t you see? Adam lived for nine hundred and thirty years. The
archangel Michael, one of the seven ranks of angels, came from heaven when
Adam was dying and asked Adam as he was being tormented by death, ‘Adam,
Adam, what did your life seem like?’ Adam replied, ‘it was as if I went in one
door and out another.’ After nine hundred and thirty years! How long is our life?
Haven’t you heard what we are? Who can tell us more truly or with more sanctity,
or who can be easier to believe than the One who made us? Listen to what the
Holy Spirit, who fashioned all that is seen and unseen, says: Js for man, his days
are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. 65
“Look at little children; they are like young flowers. They grow up,
and the flowers mature. They marry and then slowly; slowly, begin to fade.
Suddenly gray hair appears, the first sign of departure, the autumn of life. Once
gray hair comes in, autumn is here. Then comes death and we depart to eternity!
“And how many die before old age? If death came and took only those
who are eighty years old, then you might say, ‘Wait a minute, there is still work
to be done!’ But you see, the Savior has armed us with the weapon for all ages
when He said, Watch therefore, and pray,
65
Ps. 102:15
1
1
the part of the woman, but finally the husband agreed, even though he declared,
“I don’t have anything to talk to a priest about! No one is going to convince me
of anything!”
When they reached Sihastria, Fr. Cleopa was speaking to a group of
people. After he had finished and the people left, the elder was very tired, but he
did not give in to the weariness of his flesh. He took a great deal of time and
spoke with the professor, reciting astronomical dates, distances between planets
and stars, and other natural laws of creation and physics. The discussion went on
until midnight, and the professor was so amazed at the knowledge of the elder
that he actually took out a notebook and wrote down much of the data that Fr.
Cleopa had given him.
Finally, he asked the elder, “Father, I have studied in many higher
institutions of learning, and I have never heard such things. Where did you learn
all this?”
“Who has ever told me I could not learn these things?” Fr. Cleopa
answered.
Then, the professor who had proclaimed himself an atheist asked Fr.
Cleopa to hear his confession!
After some time went by, the woman again came to Sihastria, no
longer upset, but instead very joyful. “Fr. Cleopa,” she said, “ever since my
husband had that discussion with you, he has changed completely. He goes to
church regularly, and he prays at home and works very hard to convince others
of the truth of the existence of God!”
The elder loved children and'was very patient with them. Once, one of
the brothers from the monastery was upset because children visiting Sihastria
were making a lot of noise and running up and down the hills of the monastery.
He went to the elder and asked him what he should do about this disturbance.
Fr. Cleopa told him, “Try to remember; weren’t you once a child? I
love the children because they are like angels! I worry when they are here that
they not fall or break an arm or leg. Christ loves them so much that He said, Let
the little children come to me and do not stop them, for theirs is the kingdom of
Heaven!64
In all things, Fr. Cleopa especially reminded people to keep in mind
the hour of death. When people told him that they were tormented (
64
Mark 10:14
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by the passion of fornication, the elder said to them, “Death, death, death! The
grave, the shovel and pickax! St. Basil the Great says, ‘When you see the most
beautiful woman in the world, think of her grave and what she will look like a
few days after her death—stench and decomposing flesh that smell worse than
any sewer.’ Why should you desire anything like that?”
The elder had such a wonderful way of putting everything into
perspective, so clearly and simply, yet so profoundly. He spoke about how God
speaks with us:
“Come on. Tell me, where were you one hundred years ago? Where
will you be one hundred years from now? Come on. Tell me, where?
“The body will return to the earth from which it was taken, but where
will the soul go? Have you heard what the Savior says in the Gospels? He tells
us that we do not know where we are from or where we are going, but He knows
where He is from. He is from the Father and goes to the Father. We are simply
passing through this earth, on a short visit, a very short visit, dear ones.
“Don’t you see? Adam lived for nine hundred and thirty years. The
archangel Michael, one of the seven ranks of angels, came from heaven when
Adam was dying and asked Adam as he was being tormented by death, ‘Adam,
Adam, what did your life seem like?’ Adam replied, ‘it was as if I went in one
door and out another.’ After nine hundred and thirty years! How long is our life?
Haven’t you heard what we are? Who can tell us more truly or with more sanctity,
or who can be easier to believe than the One who made us? Listen to what the
Holy Spirit, who fashioned all that is seen and unseen, says: As for man, his days
are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. 65
“Look at little children; they are like young flowers. They grow up, and
the flowers mature. They marry and then slowly; slowly, begin to fade. Suddenly
gray hair appears, the first sign of departure, the autumn of life. Once gray hair
comes in, autumn is here. Then comes death and we depart to eternity!
“And how many die before old age? If death came and took only those
who are eighty years old, then you might say, ‘Wait a minute, there is still work
to be done!’ But you see, the Savior has armed us with the weapon for all ages
when He said, Watch therefore, and pray,
65
Ps. 102:15
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202
for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 66 67 We do not know when
we will depart. Some die in childhood, others as youths, and others as old men.
Some die in an accident, others in an earthquake, or others from a heart attack
during the night. That’s it! Only He who dwells on high knows these things. That
is why we must always be prepared.
“Christ said, It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the
Father has put in His own authority. 61 No one can give orders to the sun or the
wind or the rain or the storm or tempest. Only the Father. Everything is in His
hand, according to His will. Yet, He speaks with us.
“Remember what the Savior said in the Gospel? A tower had fallen in
Siloam. Now Siloam is a small lake near the edge of Jerusalem, and when the
tower fell, it killed eighteen men. The people said, ‘Lord, look at what happened!’
The Savior said, Those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed
them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in
Jerusalem? No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 68
What an example for us!
“Three families came here from Banat. There have been thirty
earthquakes until now in Banat. The earth shakes and shakes, then it is quiet, but
then three days later, another earthquake. All of these things speak with us—
everything. That is the way God talks to us. He is too great to speak with us in
other ways.
“He shows us that the earthquakes and everything else are all in His
hands. Doesn’t the Psalter say He looks on the earth, and it quakes; He touches
the hills, and they smoke.69
“May the most holy Trinity and the Mother of the Lord protect all of
you, and may our gracious God lead all of you into paradise! You, your ancestors,
your children. How I <vould love for us all to meet in paradise, if it will be in
accordance with the Lord’s mercy.
“Pay attention! Watch and pray, for we do not know the hour. The
Holy Spirit says about man, Man is like a breath; his days are like
66
Matt. 24:42
67
Acts 1:7
68
Lk. 13:4-5
69
Ps. 103:32
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a passing shadow,10 and in another place, My days are consumed like smoke, and
my bones are burned like a hearth. My heart is stricken and withered like grass.70
71 72
The apostle James says, What is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for
a little time and then vanishes away.11
“God has granted us life, but it is up to us to use it for good so that we
depart this life for the eternal life of rejoicing for ages of ages. God forbid that
we should give ourselves up to the vanities of this world and thus fall into hell!
Remember Andrew the monk who was sent to experience hell for one hour, but
it seemed like three hundred years to him!
“Why am I telling you this, dear ones? Don’t you see that we don’t even
want to put up with a needle prick or something hot touching us? My! But what
about the torments of hell? Those torments are not only for a thousand years; no,
they endure for all eternity. So keep the fear of God in your hearts.
“We should always be asking ourselves, ‘Is what I am saying now
pleasing to God? Is what I am doing now pleasing to God? Is what I am thinking
now pleasing to God?’ Your conscience will answer you either ‘yes’ or ‘no.’
“During every fasting period, be sure to confess your sins thoroughly.
During Great Lent, confess twice, once at the beginning of the fast, and again at
the end of it; the same with the Nativity fast. St. John Chrysostom says, ‘If
possible, O Christian, you should confess every hour.’ We sin against God every
minute, every second of our lives.”
Many of the elder’s counsels were surprisingly simple and very basic.
We need to remember that most of Fr. Cleopa’s life was spent under the
communist domination in Romania, and the people who came to him had little,
if any, spiritual and catechetical instruction. In general he told his spiritual
children living in the world simple things that perhaps are often taken for granted.
In speaking on the importance of a proper family atmosphere, Fr.
Cleopa emphasized that children need to be raised in the fear of God from the
time they are very young. They should learn certain
70
Ps. 144:4
71
Ps. 102:3-4
72
James 4:14
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prayers by heart, go to confession and holy communion monthly, attend Divine
Liturgy regularly, be obedient to their parents, pray and make prostrations for
their parents, siblings and relatives, learn about the Faith, keep the fasting periods
and not take anything that is not theirs.
The elder always advised young people to have a spiritual father and
confess every month, receiving holy communion only with great piety and only
when the spiritual father gives them a blessing to do so. They should be
completely obedient to their parents and avoid the foolishness and terrible sins
that abound in the world; they should read holy books, and those who feel the
calling should enter into the service of God, whether that calling may be to enter
seminary or the monastic life. Any young people who fall into serious moral sins
should confess to an elderly spiritual father and fulfill the penance that he gives
them.
For those who wanted to get married, the elder counseled them o speak
with their priest who would need to examine them carefully to ind out if they
were in any way related. He also told these young peo- jle that they should not
marry against the will of their parents. Then, he added, that they must respect the
commandments that God has given for those who are married; in other words,
that they must not commit abortion, that they obey their parents, that they be
good Christians, give alms and obey the advice of their spiritual father with
completely pure hearts.
Fr. Cleopa would tell those who were already married that they must
make their house into a true temple by giving birth and raising children in the
fear of God, by praying often, offering alms to the poor and widows, and by going
to confession and receiving holy communion at least four times per year if they
have the blessing of the spiritual father. He added that they must keep their home
in the purity of Orthodoxy and never bring heretics into their house. In all
matters, he stressed that they must maintain peace in their home, care for their
parents and elderly family members in a holy manner, and that they must always
obey their spiritual father.
The Clairvoyance of the Elder

The Romanian term for “clairvoyant” is literally “one who sees in the
spirit.” In the case of Fr. Cleopa, it would be “one who sees in the Spirit.” The
depth of his prayer life and his love for the people
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led Fr. Cleopa to receive from God the foreknowledge of certain situations; this
was not for him but rather to help and bring peace to the people who came to him.
Was the elder clairvoyant? He certainly would have denied it, but there
are a number of instances that have come down to us which show how God often
revealed His will for others through Fr. Cleopa. Looking at the crowds of people
who came to him, the elder would see someone whom he had never met before,
but he would recognize, through the revelation of the Holy Spirit that that person
was truly virtuous. Although he often said not one word to the particular person,
he would look at him with a definite loving-kindness, and blessing would flow
from him to the individual.
There was one man who was divorced; his former wife’s relatives, who
were very powerful people in the communist system, constantly harassed him.
He was followed and threatened by a number of officers in the militia. Finally,
he went to Fr. Cleopa together with his sister to ask that prayers be offered for
him. As they were leaving Si- hastria, they met a monk who asked them to help
him take some things to Sihla Skete. Along the way, the man and his sister told
the monk of his problems with the militia officers. When they reached Sihla the
monk asked the names of the officers and he was quite amazed. He went in front
of the church at Sihla and made three prostrations saying, “I give thanks to Thee,
O Lord, for you have answered the question I had: why am I praying for
Constantine who has problems, and yet even though I pray so hard, Constantine’s
problems are increasing?”
Constantine was one of the militia who were harassing the faithful man,
and very recently his wife had become seriously ill, while his daughter had just
been in a car accident. When the monk realized that Constantine was unjustly
harassing an innocent man, he called him and told him that he was persecuting
someone unjustly and that was why these things were happening to him; upon
being corrected, Constantine became very conscientious in his job.
But the attacks against the faithfill man continued. His former wife’s
relatives appealed to a colonel in the militia and enlisted his aid in persecuting
the former husband. The colonel called him on the phone and told him, “You will
be in prison in five days! Your file is ready now!”
“With no motive?” asked the faithful man.
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“I don’t need a motive,” answered the colonel, “and the only way you
will ever leave prison will be feet first, dead!”
When the man heard this, he quickly fled to Fr. Cleopa again, together
with his sister, in the middle of the night and told the elder of the latest threat.
The elder received them lovingly and then reproved the man, saying,
“What little faith you have! Why are you afraid of men?”
“But, Father, he gave me a specific time frame: five days!” “Ignore
him! In three days he will be in prison, not you!” After three days, precisely, they
learned from a judge that the colonel had been arrested! From that time on, the
man was no longer harassed. When he went back to Fr. Cleopa again, the elder
told him, “Don’t ever be afraid—not of a few officers, not even of thousands,
millions or billions of militia officers! Do not fear even if they are standing there
with their rifles raised and loaded, with their fingers on the triggers! No gun will
be fired and no bullet will touch you if you are blameless in the eyes of God.”
Another time a woman and her husband came to Fr. Cleopa, desperate
because three of her superiors at work were conniving to fire her unjustly. After
she had explained everything to the elder, he comforted her with these words:
“Don’t be afraid. You will soon come to me again and say to me, ‘Father, I have
never heard of such a great miracle!”’
The woman returned to her home feeling very calm; however, the
situation at work became worse. There was only one final step before she would
be fired. Her husband had lost all patience and faith and no longer wanted to go
to the monastery, when finally the miracle mentioned by Fr. Cleopa took place.
In the course of less than one week all three of the superiors were fired—the
highest ranking was fired on Monday, the second in rank lost his job on
Wednesday, and the last one on Friday. When the husband and wife again visited
Fr. Cleopa, both of them cried out simultaneously, “Father, we have never heard
of such a miracle!”
There were two young people who married and bore several children;
however, they did not know that they were blood relatives. When it was
discovered, their spiritual father urged them to go to a bishop for confession and
to obey whatever advice or decision he would give them. The husband had also
been advised by others to seek
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the advice of Fr. Cleopa, even though he did not know him. Still, he went to
Sihastria, but when he reached Fr. Cleopa’s cell, he could not come near the elder
because, as usual, he was surrounded by a group of faithfill.
The young husband waited patiently near the rear of the crowd, but
suddenly Fr. Cleopa called out, “Anthony, come here to me!” Since the man had
never met the elder, he assumed that he was calling someone else and so did not
move from his place. After a short time, again Fr. Cleopa called, “Anthony, come
here to me!” Again, the man did not move. Finally, the elder fixed his eyes firmly
on the man and motioned to him to come, “You, over there, Anthony, come
here!”
Anthony was struck with fear and said to himself, “How can this priest
know my name when he has never met me?” But he drew near to the elder and
received his blessing. We know that Fr. Cleopa spoke to him at length regarding
his marital situation; however, the exact details have not been given to us.
Finally, the elder finished talking to him, and the young man departed feeling
very much at peace.
There was another case of two women who came to the elder and
revealed that they were tormented by the devil. The elder blessed them and said,
“After you have the Unction Service done for you three times, you will be
healed.” The women did have three Unction Services done and, according to the
will of God and as foretold by the elder, they were indeed healed.
One of the brothers from the monastery came to Fr. Cleopa as the elder
was sitting on a chair on his deck; the brother drew near and kissed the elder’s
hand, but did not tell him that he was struggling tremendously with bad thoughts.
Fr. Cleopa looked long at him and said, “Brother, go to your spiritual father,
make a pure and complete confession and ask for a penance so that you will be
delivered from these unclean thoughts that reign over you.”
One woman had left from home with her mother, without telling her
husband. They took the car and wanted to go to a Memorial Service for their
loved ones. As they were on their way home, even though it was late, they
decided to go and see Fr. Cleopa first and ask for his prayers that her husband
would not be angry with them for leaving without his knowledge.
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Fr. Cleopa calmly said, “Go on home and do not be afraid; when you
reach your house you will find your husband on his knees in front of the icons,
and he will not say anything to you.”
When they reached the house, they found the husband exactly as Fr.
Cleopa had said. Later, the woman asked the elder, “Father, how did you know
what would happen?”
Fr. Cleopa answered her briefly, “Prayer raises you on the steps of
knowledge. The more you pray, the more you will know and you will never be
afraid of anyone or anything. But pray! God and His holy Mother see and hear
you!”
The elder’s love for the people was so great! It was a true love, nothing
Pharisaical or forced. Often while he was speaking with those who came to him,
he would say, “The angels of the Lord have brought you to this holy monastery,
beloved! You cannot see this, but each one of you has a guardian angel standing
right next to you.” The way he looked so gently and lovingly at the people made
everyone feel that he could actually see their angels.
The power of Fr. Cleopa’s prayers for these people was strongly felt
by everyone. One example comes to us from a woman who explained how her
father was healed through the elder’s prayers:
“I had been to Sihastria a number of times and met with Fr. Cleopa.
My father was very sick and had suffered from the passion of alcoholism for
almost forty years. After he had tried many cures unsuccessfully, I went with him
to Fr. Cleopa. The elder was sitting in a meadow under a big shade tree talking
to several people. We sat down on a bench right in front of him while he was
speaking on spiritual things to those present.
“Suddenly he paused for a moment, looked over our heads and began
to talk about alcoholism. My father froze on that bench, amazed at the elder’s
sudden change of topic. Fr. Cleopa spoke about this passion for a time, and then
dismissed each of us, giving everyone his blessing, as was his custom. As my
father approached him and bowed to receive his blessing, the elder clasped my
father’s head in his hands, then made a huge sign of the cross over him and said,
‘So, dear one, go and confess completely and purely and the Mother of the Lord
will help you. May we meet in paradise!’
“My father and I left with a feeling of peace. What happened then, I
cannot understand! For almost thirty years, I had not seen my
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father make the sign of the holy cross, but then when we returned home, he went
into the dining room and made three prostrations. I looked at my mother and she
at me, and we were both amazed. Since that day, my father goes to confession
regularly and has been delivered from the passion of alcoholism.”
Truly, the elder’s prayers were very powerful and rose immediately to
God; however, his humility was so great that he never attributed any healing or
mercy to his prayers. He never said to someone who came to him with a problem,
“I will pray for you, and all will be well” or anything to that effect. Instead, he
would say that he was such a sinner that God could not hear his prayers! A brother
once asked Fr. Cleopa to remember him in his prayers, and the elder responded
by moving his finger in a waving motion on the ground, “My prayer is like the
smoke of Cain! It just waves along on the surface of the earth.”
Once one of the brothers went to the elder for confession. After
finishing his confession, he said, “Father, do not forget me in your prayers, for I
am a sinner.”
The elder gave the usual answer, “The Lord!” and then said ever so
softly to himself, “But I am the worse sinner of all!”
A reporter once came to interview the elder, saying, “The people are
seeking light, living water.”
The elder replied, “Yes! They have the light of the holy Gospels, from
the prophets, the apostles and the holy fathers and other great eremitic saints as
well as the millions of the martyrs—they have the source for light! They can only
find darkness from me. I am not a son of light but am dark because I am a sinner,
full of wickedness, weak and lazy. I do not have love for God, I don’t fast, I have
no discernment, nothing! I have lost everything through my laziness and don’t
have anything good in this world! The apostle Paul says, Christ Jesus came into
the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first. 13 If he, who was raised up to
the third heaven, says that he is the first of sinners, then what can I say? That I
have done something good? Never! Not even unto the ages of ages!”
He was constantly amazed that people came to him and wondered why
they did so. While sitting on the porch of his cell one day, he looked at one of his
disciples and said in all sincerity, “I don’t know why so many people come to
me, a rotten old man.”
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1 Tim. 1:15
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When some of these people came to the elder, agitated and declaring
that the antichrist was deceiving the people, or saying that war would soon break
out and other such things, Fr. Cleopa would say very loudly, as if in reproof,
“The Father is at the helm!” Then he would recite Psalm 32, verse 10, The Lord
brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples
of no effect. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all
generations. Then he would advise them, “Don’t get all worked up, and do not
be afraid; it will not be as they say. Ha! They want to do so much, but you should
not be afraid. Pray and make the sign of the cross with faith, and the devils will
flee!”
At the same time, the elder was aware that difficult times were ahead,
and he would warn the people, “Learn to fast, for the time is coming when you
will be glad to have one potato in a week to eat!”
His reference to “one potato” was also to quell the praise people
showered on him, both in his presence and when he was not with them, regarding
his spirituality and especially the years he had spent in the wilderness when he
often had but one potato a day to eat. He referred above to one potato a week in
order to silence their laudations of his own ascetical feats.
The elder certainly did not seek praise, nor did he in any way revel in
people’s seeking him. He yearned for the quiet he had enjoyed while in the
wilderness, yet he knew that God had called him to be a spiritual guide and
comfort to so many people. Often he would say, “What can I do? The holy fathers
say, ‘Flee from people! Flee from people!’ The Savior also said, Alas for you -
when the world speaks well of you and when your praise is greater than your
deeds! ”74
Truly, Fr. Cleopa did everything he could to keep people from praising
him. If someone wanted to take his picture, he would say, “Go find a donkey and
take his picture; then write on that photograph ‘Cleopa.’ ”
In addition to the multitudes of people who came to the elder, many
wrote letters to him. He did not neglect these at all, but according to one of his
disciples at Sihastria, “People with all kinds of problems wrote letters to Fr.
Cleopa; one of my obediences was to help him in answering them. He would tell
me what exactly to write to each one of them. Other times when there were so
many people to see him, the
74
Lk. 6:26
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elder would give me the obedience to speak with them a little and write down the
names for their prayer lists. I complained about this once because there were so
many people and so many letters to write, and I was not able to fulfill my own
cell rule, so I asked him what I should do. He told me, ‘Fulfill your obedience,
write the letters and speak to the people while you constantly recite the Jesus
Prayer, for the holy fathers say clearly that helping one’s neighbor is the true fruit
of your labors.”
Another disciple said, “When I had to write letters to the faithful and
came upon a difficult problem, I would ask Fr. Cleopa about it; he would tell me
briefly what I should answer, then add that I should tell people that he is old and
sick and that they should not write anymore. Sometimes he would tell me to go
outside and tell the people that he was not well, that they should not come to see
‘the rotten old man, because the rotten old man died and is no more.’ ”
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Elder Cleopa, guide and nourisher of thousands of souls

6
6
COUNSELS TO MONASTICS
F '/'r. Cleopa’s spiritual knowledge, wisdom, experience and

maturity drew multitudes of lay people and parish
priests to him from near and far. The depth of his mo-
nastic wisdom, added to these other factors, made him a true “father of
monks.” He was a spiritual father to many during his years as abbot,
both at Sihastria and at Slatina, but it was after his return from his third
and final withdrawal into the wilderness that his fame became so great
and drew monks and nuns from throughout all of Romania, and indeed
from outside the country as well, to seek his counsel.
Without exception, even in the depths of winter, every day
would find monks from Sihastria and other monasteries coming to Fr.
Cleopa for confession and spiritual advice. The Holy Spirit guided the
elder’s words to everyone as he spoke with each individual regarding
that person’s own specific needs and troubles.
The monastic spiritual life is unique from that of those living
in the world: monks and nuns have a set cell rule that is given them by
their spiritual father (or spiritual mother); they have different struggles
and are beset by different kinds of temptations and passions. The spiri-
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tual direction that they are given often differs from that given to people who have
jobs and families. There is a great need for learned and experienced spiritual
fathers to offer this guidance and hear the monastics’ confessions, directing them
along the path of repentance that leads to Christ.
Whenever a monastic came to Fr. Cleopa, he would first ask about the
specific problems that weighed on that individual’s soul. Then he would ask how
long it had been since his last confession, who his spiritual father was, if he had
a blessing to receive holy communion, and if there were any particular sins that
were weighing on his conscience that had remained unconfessed and hidden from
the spiritual father, either due to shame or negligence.
The answers given to the above primary questions would then
determine the spiritual guidance that the elder would direct toward the monastic.
Fr. Cleopa had a deep knowledge of holy Scriptures, the holy fathers, the
Philokalia and the canons of the Church. Together with this vast knowledge, the
inspiration that came to him from God always led him to address each monastic
in the way that was most useful for that person’s soul, according to the need and
spiritual struggles of each one. Thus, each monastic who received advice and
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215
was it a cenobitic community with one purse, one common table and emphasis
on church attendance? Was the monastery isolated in the woods? Once he
received the answer to those questions, he then asked, “Do you eat meat in your
monastery?” If the answer was yes, the elder became obviously saddened.
“Oh,” he sighed. Then he would say quite sternly, “If only I were there!
Look do you see St. Calinic? He is looking at us!” and he would then point to the
icon of St. Calinic of Cemica Monastery, “St. Calinic left all of us a testament in
which he wrote, ‘When a monk or nun eats meat in the monastery or while
visiting relatives in the world, then the entire monastic community must gather
and condemn him (her) and deliver thirty-nine whiplashes to his (her) back.’ Give
it to him! Give it to him! Give it to him! Then that person must be expelled from
the monastery.”
Other words of advice that Fr. Cleopa imparted to all monastics
included that they must fulfill all obediences with love and with the Jesus Prayer
always in the mind and heart, and that they must participate in the Divine Liturgy
and other regular church services every day, fulfilling whatever service they are
assigned as altar servers, singers, etc., without fail.
Fr. Cleopa always spoke with monastics about the importance of
obeying their spiritual fathers. If a monk was not able to fillfill his cell rule, then
Fr. Cleopa would tell him that he was to ask the spiritual father for another rule
which would be more in accordance with his strength. He further emphasized the
importance of reading holy Scripture daily, saying that a minimum of at least one
chapter a day should be read, especially from the New Testament. From there he
added that the monastic must read from the holy fathers and other such books
that feed the soul every day.
Taking into consideration the vast number of monasteries in Romania,
Fr. Cleopa was aware that monastics often tended to think that life in another
community would be “better.” The elder could easily discern this temptation in
those who came to him and countered it with his advice that the monk must be
stable in the monastic life as a whole and that it was not healthy to wander from
one monastery to another. He further spoke against a temptation that was very
strong in' many places at that time regarding personal belongings. He firmly told
all monastics that they must not have anything “personal” without the blessing
of the abbot or spiritual father.
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Fr. Cleopa’s counsels to the monastics also included words of direction
about several specific monastic virtues: patience, obedience, the importance of
receiving a blessing for everything and humility. He himself set the best example
of these virtues: even when he wanted to drink a little bit of water, the elder
would first turn to his cell attendant and say, “Bless” before he raised the glass
to his lips.
Although the elder was quite severe with himself in his ascetic
struggles, he did not impose strict asceticism on his own disciples. One disciple
recounted Fr. Cleopa’s answer to him when he asked the elder for a blessing to
eat something: “Eat, drink, sleep!” The disciple asked him what he meant by
these words. “Eat when you are hungry, drink when you are thirsty and sleep
when you are tired!” While this may seem lax, we need to observe that Fr. Cleopa
was directing the novice to follow the middle road, also known as the royal path,
in the monastic life. Nothing should be to excess, neither over-indulgence, nor
undertaking struggles beyond one’s power. In all this, however, the elder gave
the most perfect example: no one ever saw him over-eating, lazy or sleeping too
much, and it was his example of abstinence that served as the strongest lesson
and direction for his own disciples.
When the elder came upon a monk who was lazy, he would say to him,
“Set that stinking carcass of a body to work and keep your mind at the feet of
God in prayer.”
Whenever a monastic given to vainglory and love of praise came to Fr.
Cleopa for advice or confession, the elder would say that he himself was the most
sinful, avaricious and wretched monk, thus putting himself down in order to teach
the other humility.
He told several young brothers who had just entered the monastic life,
“Be prepared to endure many things, to be beaten, to endure hunger and thirst.
Even if you are cast out of here, don’t go! Stand near the monastery gate, and if
the police drag you off, come back so that you may die in the monastery!”
One new novice asked him, “How can I best prepare myself for life in
the monastery?”
The elder answered, “When you come into the monastery you should
have your mind made up that you will endure being put to death by everyone.”
But the elder also knew that young novices who were overly zealous
needed to be restrained. Often beginners in the monastic life try to engage in
spiritual battles for which they are not yet prepared. A new
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brother who had been in the monastery for only a few months, asked, “Father, I
hate the devils. Give me a blessing to read the exorcism of St. Basil the Great!”
Fr. Cleopa answered, “You! You don’t know what you arc saying! You
hate the devils? You should see how much they hate you! Get out of here and do
not do any such thing. Humph, you came to the monastery just yesterday and
want to curse the devils and read the exorcisms of St. Basil the Great. So brave!
Ha!”
The elder could also discern when someone was called by the grace of
God to live in the monastic life. One brother had come to the monastery with the
intention of staying only two or three months. He went to Fr. Cleopa for
confession, and the elder addressed him with a tone of voice that was both
decisive, but also innocent, “So, you have come to old Costache!” he said, using
the diminutive of his former name, Constantine. “Don’t leave here!” These brief
words were enough, for, through the mercy of God, the brother remained in the
monastery.
One brother came to Fr. Cleopa and after listening to his words a
number of times, he asked the elder, “Father, what must I do to be saved?”
Fr. Cleopa knew this “brother's heart well and answered him in a way
that may seem strange to others, but a way that spoke directly to the brother’s
character, “Do what you know and you will be saved!”
That brother pondered the elder’s words and came to realize that he
knew the spiritual life in theory, but had not put any of his knowledge of
spirituality into practice.
When another brother asked what to do in order to be saved, the elder
answered, “Listen, Brother, you know to pray, you know to go to the services,
you know to fast, you know to show mercy, you know all the commandments of
God. But you have to want to do them, because otherwise you cannot be saved.”
Fr. Cleopa often instructed the novices and monks saying, "Obedience
without complaining gives birth to humility.”
His emphasis on obedience, as could be observed in his entire life, was
always the basis of his teachings. He had received a number of letters from
Pucioasa Monastery, asking his advice on problems they were facing and which,
in fact, they had brought on themselves. After a time of deep thought and prayer
on how to answer them, he finally re
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sponded and said, “Pucioasa reeks and the stench will not leave until you obey
the decisions of the Holy Synod!”1
This was but another example of the simplicity of the elder’s way of
talking. He always referred to himself as a “simple shepherdmonk,” and even
though he was visited by the highest of the intellectual community and was also
summoned to audiences with bishops, patriarchs, foreign dignitaries, etc., Fr.
Cleopa always retained the simple village style of talking, using expressions that
were very earthy and never couching harsh reprimands in literary finesse.
There are times when a monastic asks a blessing from his spiritual
father and times when he asks for the blessing of the abbot (when the two
positions are not centered in one person). Fr. Cleopa knew well that, even though
he was the spiritual father to many of the monks, the abbot was the one to give a
blessing in most instances. When monks from Greece brought the relic of the
head of the holy apostle Andrew to Romania, one of the brothers wanted to travel
to Iasi to venerate the saint, and had even found someone to drive him there. But
the brother wanted to go without the knowledge of the abbot, so he went to Fr.
Cleopa, his spiritual father, to ask for a blessing.
When the elder heard the request, he said very loudly, “Humph,
Brother! You have an abbot and a God!”
“What should I do?” asked the brother. “Should I go and ask Father
Abbot?”
“Of course! Go to him and ask him for his blessing,” answered Fr.
Cleopa.
One brother, obviously without a blessing from either the abbot or his
spiritual father, had taken on ascetic struggles to a degree that surpassed his
strength. He did not sleep on a bed, read the Psalter constantly, and did an
excessive number of prostrations. All these activities are good, but only when
done with a blessing. This brother was not doing them with the proper direction
or'the right intent: he wanted solely to calm the bodily passions while neglecting
to sever the spiritual passions. The outcome was that he was angry, judgmental,
condemning of everyone and suffering from numerous temptations. Finally, he
went to Fr. Cleopa to ask a blessing. The elder pointed to a text written on the
wall under his icons that said, “Good is not good when it does not
1This is a play on words: “Pucioasa pute” are the words the elder used. “Pucioasa”
means smelly or stinky, pute means to stink or reek.
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produce good.” With that as his only answer to the brother, he added, “I wrote
that there.”
The elder did not neglect advising the monks in ascetic struggles, but
insisted that young and new novices especially, do all things with a blessing. In
speaking of the passions that assail the flesh, he said, “This body drags us down
to the earth; as St. John of Damascus says, ‘Earth attracts earth.’ But we have to
prevent that and not give in to this rotten carcass.”
A desire that often comes to monks who are overly zealous, especially
in the beginning years of their monastic life, is to withdraw and live the life of a
hermit. Whenever any of these monks expressed such a desire to Fr. Cleopa, he
would say to them, “Have you been in the monastic life for twenty years and
fulfilled the lowest of obediences? Only then can you leave to go off into the
desert. St. Basil the Great says that anyone who wants to go off into the desert
should take another one or two monks with him so that he will continue to have
the experience of obedience and renunciation of his own will.”
Fr. Cleopa always insisted in maintaining the “exteriors” of monastic
life in proper order. One novice asked him if he could go out of the monastery
without his rasa, to which the elder replied, “If you go out of the monastery
without your rasa, then that evening you must make one thousand prostrations.”
One of his spiritual sons in the monastery noted he had never seen the
elder without his belt or dressed in something other than his cassock. In fact, most
people remember that he almost always had a monastic vest or a shepherd’s wool
vest on over his cassock.
While the elder insisted on the importance of the habit, he stressed that
the monk is one whose life is given to poverty and that his clothing should never
be of the best materials. When someone asked him, “How many changes of habit
should a monk have?” the elder answered, “Just two changes. What? Do you
want to be a hermit with a cart full of clothing? When something tears, then put
a patch over it, whatever color that patch may be: yellow, red, green...!”
Above all, the monks—like the lay people who came to the elder—
sought advice on prayer. His counsels and answers to their questions were, as on
other topics, simultaneously simple and very profound.
One brother asked Fr. Cleopa, “Father, I cannot pray enough. What
should I do?”
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“Haven’t you heard what the apostle says? Pray without ceasing!2 So,
pray all the time during the day and the night, and you will feel the grace of the
Holy Spirit in your heart.”
These simple words were addressed to a beginner in the monastic life.
To another monk in the monastery who asked Fr. Cleopa how he should pray,
the elder answered in more detail, “First, pray with your voice, with words;
prayer will then move from the mouth to the mind and finally to the heart. But
this result requires much effort, a fountain of tears and the grace of the Holy
Spirit.”
During the time of communism in Romania when many of the clergy
and monastics were arrested and cast into prison or tortured through various
diabolic means, one of the brothers asked the elder, “Father, if we are imprisoned
for the Faith and they hypnotize us so that we deny Christ, are we answerable for
that?”
The elder answered, “No one can change your faith if you keep the
Jesus Prayer in your heart. But you have to attain that stage in prayer. When you
say the words, ‘Lord Jesus Christ... ’ all of hell trembles, but you have to say
those words in your heart.”
Some new brothers wanted to imitate the life of the elder in ways that
were beyond their spiritual strength. Whenever one of the novices revealed to Fr.
Cleopa that he wanted to suffer as a confessor or martyr for the Lord, Fr. Cleopa
would see his weakness and say to him, “We’ll see what you do when the
Securitate drives up to get you and take you downtown!”
Fr. Cleopa emphasized that there is a strong bond that must exist
between the two monastic virtues of obedience and prayer: “Obedience without
prayer is slavery; and in contrast, whoever fulfills his obedience with prayer
serves a perfect Liturgy.”
Many people have the wrong impression that monastics are in church
praying during all their waking hours and do not do any kind of physical work,
as if all their daily needs and the cares of the monastery are provided for
invisibly! This is certainly not so in Romania where the monks and nuns in every
monastery work very hard. One of the fathers at Sihastria, exhausted by the
burdens of his physical obediences, came to the elder and asked, “We are often
so tired from our obediences that we cannot do our cell rule. What should we
do?”
2
1 Thess. 5:17
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With great wisdom, and showing his balanced concern both for the well
being of the monastery and for the spiritual welfare of the monk, Fr. Cleopa
answered, “Brother, the body is Martha and the soul is Maiy! Martha labors for
what is earthly, but Mary, who is the image of the soul, sits at the feet of the Lord
and prays. That is why the Lord said that Mary had chosen the better part. It is
our duty to bring peace between Martha and Mary; in other words, first we need
to pray and then we fulfill our obediences with prayer in the mind and heart.”
When another young monk asked Fr. Cleopa, “Father, there is so much
work to do in the monastery, and there is not enough time for prayer in the church.
What can I do?”
The elder said, “Brother, when the hands are working, the mind should
be praying, saying ‘Lord Jesus Christ...’ constantly.”
An elderly monk of the monastery asked Fr. Cleopa a question
regarding the problem that assails the monks who are older and infirm: “Father,
how are those of us who are old and ill supposed to pray, because we can no
longer make prostrations or bows, yet we still want to fulfill our monastic canon
of prayer?”
“Listen, Father,” the elder replied, “Set your alarm clock to ring two
hours from the time you begin your prayers; then kneel either on your bed or a
chair, and repeat the Jesus Prayer with all your attention. This is the canon of
prayer for monks who are old or sick and cannot do physical struggles. After you
do the prayer for two hours, then read the daily monastic canon of prayer.
Inasmuch as we pray with attention and tears, in the same measure will God grant
us forgiveness.”
Fr. Cleopa also knew how important the remembrance of death is for
the monk, and he often spoke on this topic. He reminded monastics that they must
not only be dead to the world, but that they should always keep their last days in
mind since they will have to give an account for all their words and deeds.
The one thing that the elder most frequently said, both to monastics and
to the lay faithful, was: “If you want to walk straight to God, then you need two
walls. These walls are not made of brick or stone, nor of clay, but they are two
spiritual walls. You must have the fear of God on your right side, according to
the words of the prophet David, 'The fear of the Lord -will keep a man’s steps
from all harm,3 and Sirah says that if we remember our last days, we will never
do
3 This is a paraphrase of Ps. 34:11; 37:23
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wrong. Thus, these two virtues—fear of God and remembrance of death—while
having ever in your heart the prayer, ‘Lord Jesus Christ...’ will deliver man
from sin, and you will thus become a saint, dear brother.”
One of the fathers of the monastery asked for a word of counsel, and
the elder replied, “Never forget death. Death, death, death! This fear of death will
keep us from sin.”
He said almost these same words to another monk who asked what he
must do to be saved: “Always maintain the remembrance of death and ‘Lord
Jesus Christ’ in your mind and heart, and you will not fear anything. These
virtues will give you the repentance of the thief on the cross. St. Basil says that
the greatest wisdom that prevents man from sinning and instead leads him to
paradise and eternal blessedness is the thought and remembrance of death, while
we must always have in our heart and mind ‘Lord, Jesus Christ...”
The beloved Elder Cleopa

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While talking to a group of brothers one day he reminded them,
“Everything is passing! Take care of your souls, confess your sins and receive
communion. Keep your lives pure, do acts of mercy, do all good deeds inasmuch
as your strength permits and maintain love toward each other. Love never
dies...no one can deliver you from hell except the mercy of God and your good
works during this life.”
The elder loved the young brothers. Often he took them for a walk
during the spring and summer, going off into the mountains and forests that he
loved so much. There they would sit around him while he spoke to them
collectively. He frequently spoke with each one privately during those times as
well. These occasions were the times of greatest joy for the monks at Sihastria.
Being in the meadows and forests on the mountains reminded Fr. Cleopa of his
own beginning days in the monastic life, the time when he read so voraciously
as he tended the sheep for the monasteiy, and he used that remembrance to
instruct the young novices, “Dear brothers, don’t stand around doing nothing!
Don’t waste time. Put a book in your backpack wherever you go, whether it is to
care for the sheep or the cows, or if you are sent anywhere, and then you can use
every free minute to read the Word of God.”
One brother reflected on those informal times with Fr. Cleopa: “No one
ever tired of listening to Fr. Cleopa! Whatever he spoke of was interesting. He
told beautiful stories about his childhood; about life in the monastery; about how
he had been persecuted, arrested and then fled into the forest; about how he
served the people; and he also related countless stories from the holy fathers in
such a lively way. Often those who listened to him would weep, and sometimes
the elder wept with them. He touched everyone’s soul not only by what he said,
but first and foremost because the grace of God worked in him and through him.
His mere presence, through the working of the grace of the Holy Spirit in him,
changed men’s hearts.
Fr. Cleopa indeed knew the hearts and minds of those brothers who
came to him, and he spoke in a way that touched the soul of each one. Inasmuch
as he rejoiced at seeing so many youths coming into the monastic life, he knew
that each one must enter the monastery at the right moment. One brother
recounted an example of this: “I used to come to Sihastria a lot while I lived in
the world, and I listened carefully to everything that Fr. Cleopa had to say.
Finally, I thought that it was time for me to take on the yoke of Christ, but I was
hesitant about this. I decided to ask the elder since he was the one who inspired
me in
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my zeal for Christ, and I determined that I would follow whatever advice he gave
me. When I laid my question before Fr. Cleopa, it was as if he knew my very
heart, and he said, ‘Don’t come. Stay in the world and do missionary work. ’ At
that time, as he knew, I was very zealous and used to distribute books on
spirituality everywhere. After another two years passed, my heart leaned
completely toward the monastic life. I was really determined to enter the
monastery, but I was a little afraid because I remembered the elder’s answer to
my question before; so I prayed to God and then went to the elder and told him
that I wanted to enter the monastery. ‘Come!’ he said to me, and that word filled
me with tremendous joy.”
Once several of the brothers of the monastery said to him, “Fr. Cleopa,
your novices are severe in their ascetic practices, but we cannot do as they do.”
The elder was firm, but very loving and said to them, “You don’t want
to, you don’t want to, you don’t want to! That’s why! Take the Mother of the
Lord as your helper. Read the Akathist of the Annunciation every morning with
a candle lit before her icon, and do the Paradis each evening, and then, with her
help, you will be able to strive further in asceticism.” In this way, he would give
a little prayer rule, both to monks and lay people, but encourage them to strive
for a greater spiritual life. However, he was also quite harsh in his words to any
monk who was in the least bit lazy in prayer.
When one brother said to him, “Father, pray for me, a sinner, and if
you depart to the Lord, do not forget me.” The elder replied, “Sure! You eat and
sleep until you are full, and I will pray for you!” Although we do not know the
outcome of that particular monk, such words surely must have brought about a
change in his life!
Conversations with Another Spiritual Father

On Prayer and the Divine Liturgy
One hieromonk, himself a spiritual father to many, had a discussion
with Fr. Cleopa that brought out many of the same questions that are addressed
to both clergy and monastics in our own times and circumstances:
“Father, what are we to understand regarding good deeds, and how can
we know if our deeds are acceptable to God or not?”
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“Any good work is the fruit of righteousness.4 Good works are also
called fruits worthy of repentance.5 Jesus Christ was the example of true good
works in all things.6 7 Works are only considered as good when they are united
with the right faith and done for the glory of God. 1
“No one can be saved only through good works; works must be
completed by the unlimited mercy of God and the fulfillment of the person’s
spiritual obligations.8 We all need to be aware that every good work was
implanted in us by God since it is God who works in us, but we have to desire
this and fulfill the works according to His will.”9 10 11
“What is the highest of virtues in the eyes of God?”

“The greatest of the virtues is love for God.'0 This greatest of virtues is
rooted in the heart of man through the working of the grace of the all Holy Spirit."
The second virtue, like the first, is to love our neighbor as ourselves. "*2
“Can a man be saved only through some good works, since no one can
fulfill all good works?”
“Our Savior Jesus Christ said that we must observe all things that He
has commanded us.13 The holy apostle James says that if we transgress a single
commandment then we have become transgressors of all the commandments of
God.14 So, from these two examples taken from holy Scripture we see clearly that
we are to keep all the commandments in order to be saved. Yet, since the Savior
did not come to call the just, but rather the sinners to repentance,15 then whoever
does
4 Ph. 1:11, Matt. 5:16, James, 3:18
5 Matt. 3:8; Lk 3:8; Acts 26:20
6Jn. 10:32; Acts 10:38
7 Matt. 6:1-4; Ephes. 5:9-10; Col. 1:10,23
8 Ephes. 2:8-9; 2 Tim 1:9; Titus 3:4-5
9 Philip. 2:13-15; 2 Cor. 3:5; 9:8; Heb. 13:20-21
10 Matt. 22:37-38; Mk. 12:30-31
11 Rom. 5:5; Gal. 5:22; 2 Thes. 3:5
12 Matt. 22:39
13 Matt. 28:20
14 James 2:10
15 Matt. 9:13, Mk. 2:17; Lk. 5:32
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deeds worthy of repentance'6 will, through that repentance, complete whatever
works he lacks, and he finds salvation through true repentance.
“This is confirmed also by St. Isaac the Syrian who says, ‘To grieve in
your mind and repent surpasses all the efforts of tlie body.’ 16 17 Scripture testifies
that a single sigh uttered from the depth of the heart can be for salvation, for
Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation. 18 19 20
“Humility is another important good work that encompasses many
virtues toward salvation. The prophet David spoke of this work when he said, I
humbled myself and was saved.'9 The Savior also speaks of this in the first
Beatitude: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom ofheaven w St.
John Climacus speaks of humbleness of mind in Step 25: T did not fast, I did not
keep vigil, I did not sleep on the ground; but I humbled myself, and the Lord
quickly saved me.’
“In that same step of The Ladder, St. John Climacus says, ‘Humility is
the gate of the kingdom of heaven.’ St. Isaac the Syrian talks about the same
thing: ‘Humility without good deeds can bring forgiveness of sins, but works
without humility are completely useless. ’
“Every day we read in Psalm 50: A sacrifice unto God is a broken
spirit; a heart that is broken and humbled God will not despise. Our God-inspired
father, Ephraim the Syrian, adds ‘If you sigh in your repentance, the weight of
the beast leaves you at the moment of that sigh, and the burden on your mind is
relieved. The sigh drives the beast off into the cloud of ignorance while it
comforts the eye of your soul as peace immediately enters it and guides it toward
salvation.’ So, we should strive, as much as our weak strength permits, to fulfill
all good works, and the mercy of God will join with humility to complete that
which is lacking in us.”
16 Matt. 3:8; Lk. 3:8; Acts 26:20
17 Philokalia, vol, X, par. 34 (note: Romanian arrangement of the Philokalia differs from
that available in English.)
18 2 Cor. 7:10
19 Ps. 115:6
20 Matt. 5:3
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The elder was then asked, “What is prayer and what arc the steps of
prayer, according to the holy fathers?”
“ ‘Prayer is the conversation of the mind with God. Prayer is the
offspring of gentleness and the absence of anger. Prayer is the fruit of joy and
thankfulness. Prayer is the banishment of all sorrow and despair.’ These are the
words of Evagrius of Pontus. The Philokalia also tells us, ‘Prayer is the union of
man with God and works toward the strengthening of the world and the
reconciliation of God and man. It is the mother of tears and also the daughter of
tears.’ It is, in the words of the Philokalia, ‘the key to the kingdom of heaven,’
and St. Theophan the Recluse says, ‘Prayer is the ascent of the mind and thoughts
toward God.’
“Prayer has three stages: the first is oral prayer, or prayers that are read
and done by the bodily organ of the mouth; the second stage of prayer is that of
the mind; and the third prayer is prayer of the heart.”
“What composes prayer?”

“Prayer is composed of three aspects: praise and exaltation of God;
thanksgiving; and last of all, petitions.”
“How can someone know if he has truly prayed to God?”

“The sense of God in us is prayer, even if someone has not spoken a
single word. When someone brings the words of prayer into the feeling of the
depth of his heart, then he will know that he has truly prayed to God.”
“Is it possible for a person to know when he has passed from one stage
of prayer to the next?”
“According to the majority of the holy fathers, the one who prays does
not realize when he has moved from quantity to quality of prayer. Moving from
one of the three steps of prayer to the next is often likened to one’s being unaware
of his growth in the spiritual life. Spiritual growth and advancement in prayer are
like the growth of a plant; it grows without one’s being aware or understanding
the exact moment when the growth occurs. It is like a child who grows, passing
from one age to another, without being aware of the precise time of that growth.
“One’s growth and advancement in prayer, as well as his growth in the
spiritual life, are not the result only of his own efforts, but are due mostly to the
grace and mercy of God. This growth and ad
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vancement both in prayer and in the three stages of spiritual ascent are often
hidden from one through divine dispensation so that man does not fall into
vainglory.21 One of the great fathers of prayer said, ‘One zealous in prayer is
unaware of his ascent toward perfection.’
“Still, our holy father Isaac of Syria has revealed some signs which can
help someone understand what measure or stage he has attained. This is what he
says: ‘The man who is in a state of laziness is terrified at the thought of tire hour
of death; when he draws near to God, he fears the judgment that awaits him. But
when he enters fully into love, then these two other emotions are swallowed up,
consumed by divine love.’ ”22
“Generally speaking, our faithful pray very little, but with a great deal
of humility. Can they hope for salvation when they pray so little? And what about
those who are sick or cannot read, how should they pray?”
“Our Savior Jesus Christ said, When you pray, do not use vain
repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heardfor their many
words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father . knows the things you
have need of before you ask Him.23 24
“After these words, He taught them to pray the ‘Our Father.’ So, our
Savior Jesus Christ Himself has instructed us to use short prayers. Anyone who
says short prayers, but with humility, piety and a humble heart, will be saved.
We need to remember the story about the old man who for forty years always
repeated this short prayer, ‘Lord, I as a man have sinned, but do Thou, as God,
forgive me.,24 Those who are ill should pray in the same way—with a form of
short prayer during which they must also give thanks to God for their sickness.”
“What is the holiest time and place for prayer?”

“Eveiy place and every time is suitable for prayer, according to the
words of the Psalmist: I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall always
be in my mouth,25 and//? all places of His dominion,
21 See for reference Sbomictil, Vol 1, edited by Valaam Monastery.
22 Philokalia (Romanian edition). Vol X, par. 38.
23 Matt. 6:7-8
24 Pateric (Romanian edition), edit. 1930
25 Ps. 34:1
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bless the Lord, O my soul.26 But if you are seeking the holiest place for prayer,
think of the heart of man, for this is the noetic altar of God upon which he must
bring forth the sacrifice of prayer.27 The time for prayer, as we have already said,
is all the time."
“What is the most powerful prayer: Oral prayer, Psalms, Akathists,

‘Our Father’ or the Jesus Prayer?”
“According to holy Scripture, the most powerful prayer is short prayer
that is done from the depth of the heart, with sighs and tears: Out of the depths
have 1 cried to Thee, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice.28 Such short prayer was used
by the thief on the cross, the Canaanite woman, the apostles when they were
caught in the storm on the Sea of Galilee, the blind man of Jericho and the leper.
“Therefore, the most powerful prayer is prayer that is short with
heartfelt sighs, according to the Psalm, I groan from the turmoil of my heart.29
Long prayers are certainly good: reading of the Psalms, The Horologion, etc., but
these are more suited for those who are somewhat advanced in the spiritual life
and not for beginners.”
“What prayer rules do you recommend for the faithful, for monastics
and for clergy?”
“Generally, I advise laity to always do the Morning and Evening
Prayers, as well as the prayers for meals. During the day while people are at work
I tell them to say the Jesus Prayer silently and other short prayers as well. In
addition to that, I tell them that they need to go to services at church, and that
they should know the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed and Psalm 50 by heart. I tell them
to read holy Scripture and other spiritually beneficial books. For those who are
more zealous and advanced in the spiritual life, I tell them to read the Psalter,
akathists, and other prayers found in The Horologion.
“For monastics who bear more difficult obediences in the
monasteries301 especially recommend watchfulness and guarding of the
26 Ps. 102:22
27Philokalia (Romanian edition), Vol X, par. 32.
28 Ps. 129:1
29 Ps. 37:8
30 Every chore or task in the monastic life is assigned to the monks/nuns by a superior or
elder and is considered an “obedience.”

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thoughts and the Jesus Prayer, for these two activities are as intrinsically bound
as the body is to the soul. In addition, I urge them not to miss the services in the
monastery church, especially the daily Liturgy and Matins.
“There are some monastics who are unable to attend the services in the
church because of their obediences; in such instances I tell them that they must
fulfill their obedience with love and read Matins, Vespers, Compline and the
Hours. If they cannot read these, then they must concentrate specifically on the
remembrance of the Name of Jesus in their minds. They must do all things with
joy and without contradicting anyone; they must read the Morning and Evening
Prayers and also the Psalter according to their strength, as well as reading from
the teachings of the holy fathers, particularly the Long Rules of the Monastic Life
by St. Basil the Great, as well as The Instructions of St. Theodore the Studite.
Both of these holy fathers teach us that ‘One who fulfills his obedience with love
and without complaining in the monastery serves both a liturgy and a martyrdom
and will be crowned in like manner as the martyrs.’ ” 31
“Can the heartfelt prayer with tears from the poor man or the widow
be considered as powerful a prayer as the Jesus Prayer?”
“The prayer of the poor, the widow and the monastic, if it is uttered
with humility, tears and stability, is both powerful and will bear fruit of true
repentance. According to St. John Climacus, ‘mourning is a golden spur in a
soul.’32 Anyone who prays with tears of repentance for his sins and with pain in
his heart for the fact that he has saddened God will surely be cleansed of all stain
through such prayer, but he must remain steadfast.33
“Those who do not have the gift of tears from God, but who pray with
sadness in mind and heart, who condemn themselves for their sin, who grieve
and are sorry for the sinful things they have done in their lives will also attain the
same measure of absolution, of light and spiritual blessedness.”34
31 St. Theodore the Studite, Instruction #8 (in Romanian)
32 The Ladder of Divine Ascent Step 7, par. 1
33 ibid.
34 ibid.
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“How important are tears in prayer, and how can someone obtain the
gift of tears?”
“According to the teachings of the holy fathers, tears shed after holy
baptism are more powerful than baptism itself. Baptism cleanses one from sins
committed before that sacrament, but the streams of tears cleanse us from sins
committed after baptism.35
“In like manner, St. Isaac the Syrian says, ‘Tears in prayer are a sign of
the mercy of God which He has granted to the soul for its repentance.’ 36 We also
need to be aware that beneficial tears are bom either from fear of God, love for
God, remembrance of the dead, fear of the torments of hell and of the final
judgment.37 There are other kinds of tears as well: mediating tears, which are
natural for the physical state of man; and another kind of tears called evil or
passionate, which spring from the passions of hatred, anger, vengeance, etc.”
“How many kinds of weeping are there according to the holy fathers,
and what kind of weeping is the most beneficial for the soul?”
“In the teachings of the holy fathers, there are two kinds of weeping.
First, weeping with tears of repentance, which is the best form of weeping. The
second form of weeping is sadness in the mind for God, done with grieving and
sighs of sorrow for the things that one has done wrong in the eyes of God.” 38
“What is the difference between weeping and sadness of heart, and how
can someone reach the point of contrition and self-reproof?”
“The difference between weeping and sadness of heart is simply that
the first is with tears while the second is without tears. In order for someone to
come to the state of contrition and self-reproof, he must first very seriously
examine his conscience in order to recognize his own weakness and the heaviness
of his sins. Even more than this, he must recognize that he has become a slave to
the passions of the soul that have mastered him. These passions take the form of
self-love, hard-heartedness, pride, hatred, wickedness, remembrance of wrongs,
35 ibid.
36 Philokalia (Romanian edition) vol X, par 33
37 ibid.
38 Op. cit.
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hypocrisy and many others as well, all of which are difficult for man to
acknowledge because they are so subtle.
“If someone reaches the point of true knowledge of self, he has attained
true blessedness. According to the words of the fathers, ‘Blessed is the man who
knows his weaknesses, for this knowledge will become his foundation and root
and beginning of all good things.”39
“How can one advance in true spiritual prayer?”

“The answer to this is that every Orthodox Christian, whether a layman
or a monastic, can attain the highest steps of prayer if he urges himself to pray at
all times. The greatest teacher that exists to guide man in the advancement of
prayer is the effort that one makes in prayer itself. St. Macarius the Great testifies
to this when he says, ‘Do you want to obtain prayer? Then strive in prayer, for
when God beholds the efforts that you make for this, He will grant true prayer to
you.’”40
“What is prayer of the mind, and what is prayer of the heart?” “Prayer
of the mind is prayer of thought, when the mind becomes accustomed to
gathering into itself at the time of prayer and does not allow itself to wander
outside the state of prayer during that time. During prayer, the mind melts and
becomes one with the words that are being spoken or read so much so that it is
as if the mind itself has come up with those very words.
“Prayer of the heart is noetic prayer with the awareness of prayer in
one’s entire being. Through complete attention, the heart is warmed, and the
awareness from the prayer of the mind now becomes full feeling. But this feeling
is spiritual need and desire. One who has reached the state of noetic prayer prays
without words because God is the God of the heart. Therefore it is only from this
point that one begins to advance in prayer. At this point, reading written prayers
can cease, as well as the persistence of thoughts, while one remains in this state
through prayer itself. Thus, from what we have said here, we also need to
remember that ‘understanding and feeling are the powers of prayer,’ in the words
of St. Theophan the Recluse.”
39 Philokalia vol X, par. 25
40 Sobomicul, vol 1.
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“How do these two forms of prayer differ from each other, and what is
the sign that one has attained pure prayer of the heart?”
“The difference between prayer of the mind and that of the heart is this:
the one who prays with the mind remains with prayer in the head, while the one
who prays with the heart has entered the heart, or rather, has descended with the
mind into the heart. Only then, when the mind has become united with the heart,
can we expect to find ourselves advancing in the remembrance of God and the
feeling of God’s presence, according again to St. Theophan the Recluse.”
“What does it mean for the mind to be united with the heart?”
“St. Theophan tells us that the uniting of the mind with the heart means
that the spiritual thoughts of the mind become one with the spiritual feelings of
the heart.”
“What are the fruits of the Jesus Prayer?”

“The first fruit of the Jesus Prayer is that the thoughts of the mind are
removed from the beauties of the world, according to St. Diadochus who says,
‘He who dwells continually within his own heart is detached from the attractions
of this world.’41
“The second fruit of -the Jesus Prayer is that one beholds the grossly
sinful state of his soul that has been stained by evil thoughts and actions.
According to St. Gregory Palamas, this awareness brings man to a state of
humility, weeping and tears.
“The third fruit of noetic prayer of the heart is that, through the descent
of the mind into the heart, both the mind and heart of man become a pure mirror
in which the one who prays becomes aware of the demonic movements of his
thoughts, and thus calls upon the Lord Jesus to help him.42
“The fourth fruit of the noetic prayer of the heart is the purification of
one’s nature, as well as the work of this purification of nature, which is a divine
gift of the Holy Spirit that surpasses nature itself. “A fifth fruit of the prayer- of
the heart is that, as the mind enters the heart to converse there with the Word who
dwells therein, it does not depart from divine joy and gladness, as Joseph Vrienus
and Nicetas the Monk have told us.
41 Philokalia, Vol 1, pg 270
42 Philokalia (Romanian Edition) Vol 9, par. 28
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“A sixth fruit of this noetic prayer is that one discovers the grace of
God that is hidden in the heart.
“A seventh fruit of the Jesus Prayer is that the constant remembrance
of the name of Jesus gives birth in the soul to a tremendous love for Christ. For
more on this, read St. Nicodemus the Hagiorite’s Watchfulness of the Five
Senses.
“Other fruits of noetic prayer are watchfulness of thoughts, love,
humility, knowledge of self, piety, fear of God, remembrance of death, peace of
heart and mind, concentration of attention in the heart and a spiritual warmth.”
“What is the difference between noetic prayer and watchfulness?”

“Noetic prayer occurs when someone pulls his attention into the heart
and from there offers prayer to God. Watchfulness is when someone stands
attentively with the remembrance of God in his heart and rejects every other
thought that tries to penetrate the heart.”43 44
“Is there another form of prayer to God that is fulfilled through the
working of good deeds?”
“Yes, there is. St. Paul speaks of this when he says, Never say or do
anything except in the name of the Lord Jesus.** So, when someone does a good
deed for the glory of God, or speaks of God for the sake of another or for His
glory, that person has performed prayer through deeds. That is why St. Theodore
the Studite, in speaking to his novices, told them, ‘One who performs good works
and is obedient in humility and without complaining performs a liturgy and
service of the priesthood.’ ”45 46
“Does oral prayer have a basis in holy Scripture?”

“Prayer offered from the lips, tongue and with an audible voice all
have a sufficient basis in holy Scripture. The holy apostle Paul says, Offer to God
the fruit of your lips.*6 The prophet David says, O
43 c.f. Sbomicul vol 1.
44 Col. 3:17
45 Sfantul Teodor Studitul, cuvint4. Ed. Bucharest 1940, pg. 59-65
46 Heb. 13:15
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Lord, open Thou my lips and my mouth -will show forth Thy praise.4'1 In another
place he says I cried to Him with my mouth,46 and Hear my prayer, 0 Lord, and
let my cry come before Thee,47 48 49 and I cry out to the Lord with my voice; with
my voice to the Lord I make my supplica- tion.50 All of these examples are in
regard to prayer which is offered audibly.”
“What spiritual benefits are there to spoken or oral prayer that is

practiced for the most part by the faithful?”
“There are no great benefits from prayer that is offered only from the
tongue, orally, for God asks man to offer his heart in prayer rather than just words
from the mouth and tongue. He says, My son, give me your heart.51 52 God asks
us not only for our voice and prayer offered with the mouth, be it audible or
silent, but He especially asks us to offer Him our sighs and the voice of our hearts.
“Listen to the words of the Psalms: My heart said to Thee,51 and I groan
because of the turmoil of my heart.53 The great prophet Isaiah, seeing that the
people of Israel prayed to God only with their mouths and not with their hearts,
said, These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their
lips, but their heart is far from Me.54
“In his Commentary on the Life of Moses, St. Gregory of Nyssa says
‘Prayer of the tongue and mouth is the lowest limit of prayer.’ Other holy fathers
refer to oral prayer as the bottom rung on the ladder of spiritual prayer. With this
in mind, let us pray to the all- gracious God that He help to raise us to a level of
prayer higher than that of oral prayer, so that we can praise Him and sing to the
Lord in our hearts.”
47 Ps. 50:16
48 Ps. 65:16
49 Ps. 101:1
50 Ps. 142:1
51 Proverbs 23:26
52 Ps. 26:8
53 Ps. 38:8
54 Is. 29:13; Matt. 15:8

The Community of Sihastria Monastery, 1970
Fr. Caliopie, Abbot (center), Fr. Cleopa seated 8,h from the right
237
“How can the faithful in our own times fulfill the command of St. Paul
to pray without ceasing?"55
“Anyone can pray unceasingly if he walks constantly before God in his
mind and heart. One can be working at anything, but the mind and heart should
be dwelling on God. I only want to add this much: the principal point of spiritual
prayer is that our minds and hearts must never be separated from God, regardless
of the time or place in which we find ourselves. The main aspect is that we always
are in the presence of God. In regard to this St. Theophan the Recluse says ‘this
takes the place of all the order of prayers and is in itself an unceasing prayer.’ 56
“The holy prophet David had this spiritual awareness and presence of
God in his mind when he said, I have set the Lord always before me and shall
not be moved.5'' So we need to understand that a faithful man’s life is one of
uninterrupted prayer as long as he keeps his mind fixed on God.”
“Is there another stage of prayer after the prayer of the heart?” “There
is contemplative prayer, prayer of ecstasy, divine vision, which is also called
theoria58 and which goes beyond the bounds
551 Thes. 5:17
56 Sbomicul, vol 1, manuscript in Romanian
57 Ps. 15:8
58
The following definition of ‘theoria’ is taken from Monastic Wisdom published by St.
Anthony’s Monastery, Florence, AZ, pg 408^109: “Theoria is the ‘vision of the spirit’ or
‘a non-sensible revelation of the nous’... through which one attains spiritual knowledge.
That is, through theoria, the Holy Spirit grants one understanding of the mysteries of God
and creation which are hidden to the rational human intellect. Knowledge stemming from
theoria is revelation from above. Theoria is not intellectual work, but an operation of the
Holy Spirit which opens the eyes of the soul to behold mysteries. The Church Fathers
often contrast it with praxis which is an indispensable prerequisite of theoria. In the first
stage of theoria, the prayer is said without distraction and with a sense of the presence of
God with love peace, mourning, etc. In the next stage, the nous proceeds to feel what
Adam felt in paradise before the Fall and it sees spiritually how all nature glorifies God.
Furthermore, it sees His omnipotence, omniscience and providence therein. By St.
Maximus the Confessor, this is called perceiving the inner essences or principles of
created beings. In the final stage of theoria, one beholds God Himself in uncreated light.”
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of prayer. One who attains to this stage no longer prays with prayer, but rather it
is a state of his very being, his existence. His soul lives in the spiritual element.
This kind of prayer is so exalted that there is barely one person in a generation
who is found worthy of this gift from God.”
“Is it only actual prayer itself that can be considered as prayer, or are
there other spiritual actions of the mind that can be called prayer as well?”
“As I mentioned previously, the life of the Christian can be a continual
prayer through his deeds and actions. Now, if you are asking about spiritual
works of the mind which penetrate into the bounds of holy prayer and can be
called prayer, then I will not answer this question with my own words, but with
those of St. Isaac the Syrian who says, ‘Any divine conversation that is carried
on in the hidden parts of man’s heart or mind, all of the mind’s direction and care
toward God, as well as all spiritual thoughts, can be considered as prayer.
Spiritual reading, words uttered by the mouth in praise of God, mourning before
the Lord, bows and prostrations made by the body, singing of Psalms, all these
things are prayer and are considered as prayer.’”
“How are the faithful to stand during the holy services, and what are
those who go to church expected to do?”
“The faithful are to stand during the holy services in the church with
faith, with fear of God and with much attention. They are expected, according to
the strength of each, to pray without allowing their minds to wander, and to pray
from the heart. The spiritual obligations of the faithful at the Divine Liturgy are
the following:
“To attend Divine Liturgy regularly. Anyone who is absent from
church for a time is not permitted to partake of the Holy Mysteries with the
exception of those who are ill. Those in attendance must be at peace with
everyone and ask forgiveness of those with whom they are not at peace.
“They are to be pure in body for at least two days prior to the church
service and at least one day after the service.
“They must arrive at church early in order to have time to venerate the
icons peacefully and to listen to the service of Matins. 59
59 The Romanian practice is to do Matins prior to Divine Liturgy that morning.
239
“Each of the faithful should, according to his means, bring an offering
to the Lord, however small it might be, as a sacrifice from the work of his hands. 00
“They should bring their prayer list early and ask the priest to
commemorate the members of their families, both living and departed, at the
proskomedia.
“Everyone should stand respectfully in church, the men on the right and
the women on the left; everyone should be dressed in clean and modest garments,
and the women should have their heads covered in a pious manner.
“Once the Divine Liturgy has begun, the faithful must each stand in his
respective place and not move about to venerate the icons; instead they are to pay
attention to the Divine Liturgy in all piety as they follow the prayers that are
sung.
“During the service it is a sin to talk in church unless absolutely
necessary; everyone should be particularly attentive to the Epistle and Gospel
reading, as well as the priest’s sermon.
“No one should go outside the church during the service until the Divine
Liturgy has ended, except when absolutely necessary.
“The faithful who have been to confession and prepared themselves to
receive holy communion are to read the Pre-Communion Prayers before Liturgy
and ask forgiveness of others before drawing near to the chalice.
“After receiving holy communion, the faithful are to privately read the
Thanksgiving Prayers, or stay and listen to them as they are read in church; then
they are to spend the rest of the day in spiritual thanksgiving and avoiding any
temptation to sin.
“Parents are expected to bring their children to church and take them to
receive the Body and Blood of Christ.
“At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the faithful are to piously
return to their homes and keep in mind for that entire day at least, the sermon and
readings, and they should visit the sick.
“The faithful should relate to other family members who were not able
to attend Liturgy, what they had heard in the Epistle, Gospel, and sermon, as well
as any special hymns that were sung. *
III The Romanians, in addition to financial offerings, also bring flour, wine, oil,
etc. to the church.
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240
“These are the basic things that the faithful should keep in mind as they
attend Divine Liturgy on Sundays and feast days.”
“What are the sacramental, mystical and dogmatic aspects of the

Divine Liturgy?”
“In the mystical aspect, the Holy and Divine Liturgy brings before us
the ‘entire dogmatic and moral treasure of the Orthodox Church.’ The first and
foremost aspect of the Divine Liturgy is that of liturgical sacrifice; this is one and
the same sacrifice as that on Golgotha, with the single exception that there the
sacrifice of Christ was with blood, while the liturgical sacrifice is bloodless. The
sacrifice on Golgotha was performed once only and bore enough power to
expiate the sins of the world, while the liturgical sacrifice is performed unceas-
ingly until the end of time, and its principal intent is to bring salvation to each of
the faithful through the sacrifice of the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
“The Divine Liturgy has the character of both sacrifice and a supper.
During the Divine Liturgy the bread and wine are changed through the action of
the Holy Spirit into the Body and Blood of the Lord, and this is then imparted to
the faithful. This is why holy communion is also called Eucharist, the Lord’s
Supper, the Cup of Blessing, the Feast of Love, etc. For more about this, read
Commentary on the Divine Liturgy by Nicholas Cabasilas.”
“Is the Divine Liturgy effectual for the forgiveness of sins only for
those living and dead who were commemorated at the Proskomedia, or is it
effectual for the forgiveness and salvation of all mankind?”
“The sacrifice of the Divine Liturgy is offered only for those who are
Orthodox. During the first part of the Divine Liturgy, however, those who are
unbaptised, in other words, catechumens, may be present. During the Liturgy
prayers are offered for all mankind in general, according to the teaching of the
holy apostle Paul. Specific commemoration by name at the Proskomedia and
during the Liturgy can be done only for those who are Orthodox and then only
those who are not prohibited by the Holy Canons.”61
61
cf. InvUtura de Credinta Ortodoxa, ed. 1952, chapt 278; Pravila Bisericeasca by
Nicodim Sachelarides
241
“What are the teachings of the holy fathers regarding the effects and
importance of the Divine Liturgy?”
“There is nothing that is more helpful for us and more beloved to God
than tlie sacrifice of the Divine Liturgy because it is the action of the Savior and
the resurrection of mankind as He is united to us. The Divine Liturgy far
surpasses every other prayer or praise, and it is thus fitting that we give proper
attention to this divine work, for all the other services lead up to the Liturgy and,
according to St. Simeon of Thessa- lonica, it is the service that is performed the
most during our life.
“The Divine Liturgy is the center, the crown and the fulfillment of the
other services through which we offer praise and thanksgiving to God. At the
same time, it is the only service in Christianity that was established and
performed by the Savior Himself, and is thus named the ‘crown of the Seven
Praises of the Church,’ because during this service the Holy Gifts become the
Body and Blood of Christ.
“Through the sacrifice of the Divine Liturgy, we become partakers of
the divine Mysteries, which we receive as often as we are deemed worthy to
approach. Those who are also reposed in the true faith also ‘partake invisibly’ of
Christ at this sacrifice through their commemoration at the holy altar for the
forgiveness of their sins. Those who faithfully participate in the Divine Liturgy
receive many great blessings. Christ Himself, together with the holy angels and
all the saints, is present at this most holy service.”
“Who among the living and dead can be remembered at the Divine
Liturgy, and who cannot be commemorated?”
“Any Orthodox Christian who has no canonical impediment can be
remembered at the Divine Liturgy. Among the living who cannot be remembered
at the Divine Liturgy are pagans, atheists, apostates, heretics, those who are
unbaptized, those who have sinned against the Holy Spirit and blasphemed
against God, and those who oppose the Truth willingly and knowingly. Those
who are married outside the Church also cannot be remembered at the Divine
Liturgy. The departed who cannot be remembered at the Holy Liturgy include
those who died outside the Faith, heretics and those of other faiths, those who
commit-
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242
ted suicide, those who were not baptized or were aborted from their mother’s
womb.”62
“What good deeds are beneficial to prayer and what good deeds are
bom of prayer?”
“Acts of mercy and almsgiving are beneficial in prayer. According to
St. John Climacus, ‘Mercy is a wing of prayer.’ Also peacefulness and abstinence
help one in prayer, for, again St. John Climacus says that the seed of the sweat
of fasting gives rise to the growth of full wisdom, and peacefulness is the pinnacle
of perfection for those who pray. He also says that anyone who has touched upon
the beauty of prayer will flee from confusion and the multitudes of people as
from a wild beast.
“Humility is a great aid in prayer according to the teachings of the holy
fathers. St. Isaac the Syrian says that anyone who does not consider himself a
sinner cannot offer acceptable prayer to God. Piety also helps us in prayer, for
this same holy father says that tears in prayer are a sign of God’s mercy. There
are many other virtues that make our prayer more effective, but these are the most
important ones.
“The virtues that are bom and come forth from prayer are also
numerous, such as: faith, hope, mercy, patience, abstinence, etc. According to
the holy fathers, however, the greatest virtue that takes root from prayer is divine
love.”
“What is fasting and what are its forms?”

“Fasting is the total or partial abstinence from evil thoughts, bodily
pleasures and rich foods, especially from foods derived from animals. Fasting is
a physical sacrifice which must be joined to acts of mercy and the offerings which
one brings before the holy altar. Fasting, together with acts of mercy, offerings
to the Church, bows and prostrations, all together form the bodily worship that is
offered as a sacrifice to the Lord.
“Fasting is ordained to humble the soul. Fasting is the abstinence from
all foods, or in the case of those who are ill, from only certain ones; fasting
includes abstinence from drinks, from worldly pleasures and all evil desires,
especially of the body. The holy fathers call fasting the ‘wing of prayer’ which,
together with almsgiving, will raise
62 cf The Rudder, and Pravila Bisericeasca by Nicodim Sachelarides
243
man to the throne of God. Fasting helps the faithful to offer prayers more easily,
and it reconciles man to God; it helps in ridding the soul of passions, kills
physical desires and mediates the obtaining of the grace of the Holy Spirit.
According to the degree of strictness, fasting can take on many forms: complete
abstinence or black fast, fast of one day, fasting from all animal products, and
what is called the ‘royal fast’ which means to eat once each day, but not to
satiety.”
“Do those who fast due to conditions imposed on them (such as being
in prison, extremely poor, etc.) reap any spiritual benefit? What about those who
cannot fast because of illness, hard labors or need?”
“Those who fast under constraint will have a great reward if they give
thanks to God for this and do not complain to Him about their condition, for St.
Paul said. These sufferings bring patience,63 64 and our Lord Jesus Christ Himself
said, He who endures till the end will be saved.M
“The holy canons grant a dispensation to those who cannot fast because
of illness and allow them to eat certain foods out of necessity.65 I have not found
a dispensation in the canons for those who cannot fast because of difficult labor,
except for soldiers. These, however, through repentance and other virtues can
complete the obligation to physically fast. For such dispensations it is best and
most proper for someone to ask his local bishop or priest who, depending on the
individual case, can assign other virtues for the person to practice in place of
fasting.”
“What fast if the greatest and most pleasing to God?”

“Not every fast can be considered a religious fast and one that is
pleasing to God. A fast that is pleasing and received by God is that which is done
in the name of the Lord, according to the law of God, as that which was given to
Adam, which was taught by the prophets and practiced by all the saints.66 St.
John the Baptist fasted his entire life;
63 Romans 5:3
64 Matt.10:22; 24:13; Mark 13:13
65 Canon 8 and 10 of St. Timothy of Alexandria; Apostolic Canon 69
66 Gen. 2:16-17; 3:26; Lev. 12:29-31; Is. 48:1-6; Joel 2:12-15; Ex. 14:18; Matt. 4:2
244
244
the Savior clearly told us that we have to fast, and how we are to fast;67 the
apostles fasted and prayed.68
“Therefore, the greatest and most pleasing fast is that which is done
according to the teachings of holy Scripture; in other words, it must be
accompanied by humility, mercy, purity, repentance, and the spiritual fasting of
restraining the senses and thoughts. This is what the holy fathers teach. St.
Theodore the Studite tells us that a true fast and one which is pleasing to God is
the abstaining from all evil.”
On the Theotokos and Humility

Fr. Cleopa encouraged everyone, layman and monastic, to love the
Theotokos and turn to her at all times. He also counseled everyone to be humble
in every circumstance. The humility that is present in the monks of Sihastria, as
well as their love for the Theotokos to whom the monastery is dedicated, is
evident to everyone who makes a pilgrimage to that holy monastery. Often, when
speaking about the Theotokos, tears of love would flow from the beloved elder’s
eyes. At one gathering of faithful and monastics, he gave the following address
which so clearly shows his own humility, love and the fact that he based
everything he spoke on Scripture and the holy fathers.
“God has bestowed His great mercy and compassion on the most holy
Virgin Mary through the many gifts that she possesses. Out of all these gifts,
which do you suppose is the reason for the great glory and spiritual honor that is
accorded to her? Which do you think is the greatest of the gifts of the Theotokos?
Is it her virginity, or wisdom, or sanctity, or understanding, or another of the
many and innumerable gifts that she possesses?
“Yes, my brothers! Truly God has adorned the most holy Virgin Mary
with all these spiritual gifts. But the great gift that has accorded her such glory
and ineffable honor is her gift of humility. Without this virtue, all her other
virtues would have been useless.
“Humility is the basis for the glory and honor of the most holy Virgin
Mary above all the other gifts that she possesses. It was due to her humility,
according to the witness of the Holy Spirit, that the Lord
67 Matt. 6:16-18; Luke 21:24
68 Acts 13:3; 14:23; 1 Cor. 7:5; 2 Cor. 11:27
246
245
Fr. Cleopa visiting the sheepfold in the mountains near Sihastria
246
Fr. Cleopa visiting the sheepfold, 1970, (note ‘opinci’ footwear)
looked upon the humble state of his handmaiden69 and lifted her to the heights of
glory and honor so that she is glorified in heaven by all the heavenly hosts and
blessed by all the generations of earth.
“Humility is the virtue that has led to the exaltation and glory of all the
saints of God. It was humility that exalted Abraham and made
69 Lk. 1:48
247
him the friend of God and the father of many nations, for he considered himself
to be nothing but dirt and ashes. Humility raised Joseph to occupy such an exalted
position in the land of Egypt. Humility made Moses, who was slow of speech, to
be the guide and leader of all the people of Israel, for he considered himself to be
unworthy of such a service and prayed to God to send someone else to lead Israel
out of the slavery of Egypt.
“Humility showed that David lived according to the heart of God since
he considered himself to be a worm and not man.10 Humility radiated from the
prophet Daniel, the three youths, the great prophet Isaiah, and above all, the holy
Baptist John who felt that he was not worthy to undo the latch of Christ’s sandals;
because of the depth of his humility, he was deemed worthy to be the foremost
witness of the revelation of the Holy Trinity at the Jordan and was called by
Christ Himself the greatest of those born of woman1'
“If these great saints of God showed such exceptional humility, then
who can delve into the depth of the humility that rested in the heart of the most
holy Virgin Mary? When she heard and understood from the Archangel Gabriel
that she was to conceive of the Holy Spirit and give birth to the Son of God, she
did not exalt herself in her heart; instead, with complete humility she considered
herself to be a simple servant, saying, Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it
unto me according to Thy word.70 71 72 73
“This answer of hers was the exact fulfillment of the words of Scripture,
he who humbles himself will be exalted11, St. Ephraim the Syrian says that God
shall be exalted in the depth of the heart.
“Therefore, according to the words of this saint, all the greatest virtues
and spiritual gifts will rest upon those who are humble. In the case of the most
holy Virgin Mary, all the most exalted spiritual gifts with which God adorned
her rested upon the eternal foundation of her humility of thought and heart.
“My beloved brethren, in order to more clearly explain the humility of
the Mother of God, I want to tell you a story; A renowned sculptor who had made
a number of very admirable statues also made
70 Ps.22:6
71 Lk. 7:28
72 Lk. 1:38
73 Lk. 14:11
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248
one that was an incredible single blade of wheat with a dove sitting on it
Everyone admired and was amazed at this outstanding statue, for it certainly
appeared that this work of art surpassed every rule of nature. There was a hidden
mystery in this work of art: how could a single, delicate blade bear the weight of
a dove? This mystery is revealed in the image of the most holy Virgin Mary. It
was she who was the image of the blade of wheat, and the dove symbolized the
Holy Spirit.
“The blade of wheat was bent under the weight of the dove,
symbolizing the tremendous humility of the most holy Virgin Mary who bowed
with complete love and humility when the Holy Spirit came upon her and made
her tire dwelling place of Christ God.
“My beloved brethren, as you have heard, humility was the cause of
glory, honor and exaltation of all the saints, and especially the most holy
Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary. But you must realize and understand that their
humility was surpassed by the immeasurable humility of our Lord, God and
Savior Jesus Christ, Who humbled Himself and was obedient even to death, death
on the cross.
“This immeasurable humility of Christ has brought Him immeasurable
glory and honor; therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the
name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should
bow, of those in heaven and of those on earth, and of those under the earth. 14
“Now, perhaps someone will ask, ‘What is humility?’ I will answer
that not in my own words, but in the words of St. Isaac the Syrian, who says that
humility is the garment of divinity, for it was with this that God clothed Himself
when he deigned to come into the world and was clothed in our humble nature.
If anyone should further ask what gives birth to humility, we find the answer in
St. John Climacus who tells us that it is bom from obedience and the putting off
of one’s own will. If anyone further asks why humility is considered to be so
important, then I reply that it is the only virtue that can kill the greatest sin, which
is pride. It was because of this sin that the angels fell from heaven and our
ancestors, Adam and Eve, fell from paradise, for they listened to the serpent-
devil who deceived them into thinking that they would become as gods.
“My brethren, I want to tell you that today, more than any other time,
this tremendous sin of pride has captured the entire world.
74 Phil. 2:9-10
249
Everyone wants to be greater than others and enslave others, being a master over
them. Everyone wants to be wealthier than his neighbor, everyone wants to be
honored, renowned and more famous than everyone else. Everyone wants to be
considered wiser than the rest of the world; everyone prides himself in being the
best and most skilled at his job or craft.
“Who teaches the poor person to take the bread from his children’s
mouth and buy a television so that he will appear to be the same as those who
have money? Isn’t it pride that does this?
“Who teaches women and young girls to work for months and even
years, not so that they can purchase things that are necessities of life, but instead
so that they can buy fashionable dresses and expensive shoes and other vain
things—things that neither feed them nor keep them warm in cold weather? Isn’t
it pride that does this?
“Who teaches the poor man who has a house full of children that he
should work overtime in order to give the children expensive and fashionable
clothes so that they will look like ‘everyone else’? Isn’t it pride that does this?
“Who teaches loose women and girls to paint their faces with powder
and make-up, and to polish their nails, so that they look younger and prettier?
Isn’t it pride and vainglory, which is the firstborn daughter of pride? They want
to be like the rest of the world, at any price, and do not hear the words of the
apostle James who says that the world is full of evil, and that Friendship with the
world is enmity with God.75
“Who teaches the unlearned to ridicule those who have knowledge?
Isn’t it pride? Where do violence, ambitiousness, self-praise, making excuses for
oneself, defiance, anger and jealousy among men come from? Isn’t it pride?
What makes everyone want to be considered stronger and more righteous than
the other? Isn’t it pride? ,
“What an immeasurable wickedness! Who, in these days, recognizes
his own wickedness? Who, in these days, labors to drive this pestilence from his
heart and soul?
“My brethren, you must realize why holy humility is the greatest of all
the virtues; it alone can protect everyone, and without it, nothing is of any worth.
You have to know and remember that only this
75 James 4:4
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250
virtue of humility can save man in the hour of death, according to one of the
fathers from the Philokalia.
“This is why our Savior blesses those who are humble in heart first,
saying Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 76
Someone who is humble in heart, even if he also possesses all the other virtues,
will still consider himself as pitiful and feel that he has done nothing good in the
eyes of God.
“Therefore, my brethren, do not forget how important the gift of
humility is and what blessing and gloiy this great virtue brings to man.”
Fr. Cleopa had a great gift for retelling many of the sayings and
miracles of the holy fathers. He used these sayings and stories to emphasize the
importance of love, and also to teach both laity and monastics in a simple manner
that captivated those who were listening to him. Since the elder’s years of
speaking publicly were largely during and right after the communist era in
Romania, his instructions were often on very elementary catechetical subjects.
The elder knew that the vast majority of monks coming into the monasteries
during those years literally knew next to nothing about the teachings of the
Church and Church history. Again, he stresses the importance of the Theotokos
in our lives:
“Once there was a monk in Gall, what we call France today. It was
during the time when the Church in the west was not the Catholic church as we
know it now, but there was one single Orthodox Church in the whole world. Until
1054, there was no such thing as the Roman Catholic or Protestant churches for
everyone was Orthodox. This monk had a great love and devotion for the Mother
of the Lord and daily read canons, Akathist hymns and the Paradis to her. He
made many prostrations and prayed with tears before the icon of the Mother of
the Lord, asking her to help him in this life and to be his protector at the hour of
his death and on the day of judgment.
“Hearing of the beauty of heaven, he said, ‘If an angel is so beautiful,
then what does the Mother of the Lord, the Queen of the Cherubim, look like?
Isn’t it possible for me, in this life, to see the Mother of the Lord, at least as much
as is possible for man?’ Then, with this in mind, he began to pray, ‘O Mother of
God, if thou so will-
76 Matt. 5:3
251
est and if thou wouldst think that it will profit my soul, then let me look upon
thee just once during this life, so that I may have even more love for thee and an
even greater faith. I see thy holy icons, but I want to see how thou dost appear in
heaven. I am not worthy, for I am a sinful man, but grant this to me inasmuch as
is possible for a man to behold.’ The monk knew that if the Theotokos revealed
her true glory to anyone, he would die from beholding so much beauty since it
surpasses the ability of man on earth to see such things.
“After praying in this way for many years, the monk heard a voice,
‘Father, pay attention. The Mother of the Lord will show herself to you in your
love for her, but thereafter, you will be blind! Do you accept that you will have
no eyesight?’ He answered, ‘Yes! I will accept to be blind for the rest of my days,
if I can but see her! ’
“Then, soon thereafter, as he was praying, the Mother of the Lord
appeared to him. First a fragrance from the Holy Spirit came and then as a
tremendous light began to appear, like the rising of the sun, but a thousand times
more radiant, he thought to himself, ‘So that I do not become completely blind,
I will shut one eye and then I will be blind only in the other eye.’
“As he shut one eye, the Mother of the Lord, with the Savior in her
arms, just like in the icons, appeared. He fell with his face to the ground from the
radiance of the light and from her beauty which the tongue of man cannot
describe. The Mother of the Lord said to him, ‘Do not cease in your prayers. I
have shown myself to you only inasmuch as is possible.’ Then she blessed him
and ascended into heaven like lightening. The monk was blinded in the eye that
had looked upon this radiance; however, he was joyful because he could still see
with his other eye.
“After the Mother of God had departed, the monk was full of joy and
comfort from the Holy Spirit that the Theotokos had come to him. He felt such
love for God, but he was sorry that he had not looked upon her with both eyes to
better behold her unspeakable beauty. He fell before the icon of the Theotokos
and said, ‘I thank thee, O Mother of God, for I have looked upon thee! I am so
sorry that I closed one eye; I want to be completely blinded until my death, if
only I can see thee one more time.’
“He thus prayed daily for several years to the Mother of the Lord,
shedding tears, and fasting, asking that he would see her one more time, for her
first appearance to him had brought such joy into his soul
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252
that the mind could not comprehend and the tongue of one bom on
earth could not describe the beauty of her image.
“Finally, he heard a voice, ‘Father, the Mother of the Lord
has heard your prayer and she will appear to you again. But, do you
accept that you will be completely blind for the rest of your life?’
The monk was so oveijoyed that he would see the Mother of the
Lord again, for he had often said that there is no other greater
blessing and joy for anyone on earth than this, that he immediately
said, ‘I thank the grace of the Queen of heaven and earth for her
love. For this, I am ready to give not only my eyesight, but my entire
passing life, if only I may see her again.’
“Then he thought to himself, ‘I will put my hand over my
eye and only look a little through my fingers at her light. ’ When
the time came and she was to appear to him, again the great light
appeared first; then he put his hand over his eye to just look between
his fingers; when he opened his eye to look at her, instead of
becoming blinded, a miracle occurred—the Mother of the Lord
granted sight to his other eye. Then the monk heard her say,
‘Behold, I have healed your other eye since, because of your love
for me, you agreed to be completely blind. This is all for now, but
in the life to come you will look upon me for all eternity!’
“This monk was even more filled with love for the
Theotokos, and for the rest of his life, the other monks always heard
him singing hymns to her at all times. He was overjoyed that he had
been granted full eyesight instead of being blinded. He offered
constant praise to the Theotokos the rest of his days, and the words
‘Mother of the Lord’ were constantly on his lips.
“The simple monk was taken into heaven to be filled with
the joy of light, the unspeakable joy of beholding the immaculate
Theotokos, not for a moment or a minute, but for all eternity. He
gazed upon her holiness at the right hand of the Savior in the Trinity
and all the saints, in the unapproachable light that is full of joy and
gladness.
“We should not expect such a revelation like this for our-
selves! This was something quite daring that was granted to one
who had a great soul. We, on the other hand, should look at our sins
and not expect to behold the Mother of the Lord, for we are not
253
,neighbors Only then can we sinners hope in the mercy of the Savior
and the most pure Virgin Mary, that we shall behold them in eternal
not for a minute, or a day, or a year, or a thousand years-but for
“Through the prayers of the most pure Theotokos and ever-
virgin Mary, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us sinners.
Amen.”
Two Monastic Elders who had the Gift of Prayer
From 1968 through 1970 there were two elderly monks,
spiritual sons of Fr. Cleopa’s, who led truly chosen and exemplary
lives at Sihastria Monastery. They were present at Matins every
night; at the end of the service, in the middle of the night, all the
other monks would return to their cells to rest, but these two elderly
monks stayed in the church after everyone else had left. Then,
unseen by anyone but God, they cast themselves on the floor, laying
with arms outstretched in the form of a cross, praying with tears to
the Savior Christ, beseeching Him to have mercy on them, and
grant them forgiveness and remission of their sins.
These two did this every night after Matins, without being
observed by anyone. However, one night, unknown to the two
monks, Fr. Dimitrie Bejan, parish priest from the village of
Ghindaoani, near Bal- tatesti in Neamts County, who was fond of
coming to Sihastria from time to time, had remained in the church.
This elderly priest, who led a holy life, was praying
unobserved in a comer of the church. The two monks, with their
faces to the floor, did not realize that someone else was in the
church. As they prayed from their hearts, Fr. Dimitrie saw a flame
of transparent light grow larger and larger above the heads of the
two monks. This was a flame of the Holy Spirit which grew
stronger according to the strength of the prayers of the two elders.
The priest, who had never seen anything like this, amazed by this
miracle, fell to his knees and prayed.
After a time, the flame began to grow smaller and smaller
until it was extinguished. Then the two elderly monks rose to their
feet, made three prostrations, venerated the holy icons, and left for
their cells.
254
names of these two monks for sure, however, some of the elderly monks say that
they were Father Januarius and Father Cassian, both spiritual sons of Fr.
Cleopa’s.
Fr. Cleopa’s cell at Sihastria

7
7
PILGRIMAGES TO HOLY PLACES
AND
A GENERATION OF ELDERS
In the early 1970’s, despite the atheistic attempts to

eradicate and suppress the Church in Romania, the
country
could boast of a number of holy monastic elders according
to the ancient traditions. Although Fr. Cleopa was only in his fifties,
his
experiences, wisdom and the depth of his prayer life had established
him as one who merited the respected identity of an “elder.” The
harsh
life he had led aged him in many ways, and he began to consider
him-
self “old.” Having withdrawn from the position of abbot, he felt
himself
to be simply one of the monks of the community, under obedience,
like
the rest of the brotherhood. His main obedience’s were to hear
confessions, give counsel to those who sought him and also to serve
his
weekly rotation in the altar of the monastery church.
It was during one of these weekly rotations that he
witnessed
another miracle at Sihastria, and he related it in order to strengthen
the
faith and devotion of the other monks of the community:
“During the winter of 1971,1 was in my rotation as the serving
priest. I went into the church at 4:00 p.m. and was standing near the
holy altar, reading the prayers for preparation of receiving holy 256
munion. After a short time a woman came into the church to pray. She had arrived
at the monastery the night before, but I did not know her. She prayed quietly in
front of each of the icons and was constantly making prostrations. Since it was
very early morning in the winter, the church was still dark, so she was unaware
that anyone else was present. When I realized that she was praying so fervently,
I looked through the royal doors to see who it was that was praying with such
faith. The woman was kneeling in the middle of the church, her hands raised in
prayer, and she was calling out from her heart, ‘Lord, do not abandon me! Lord,
do not abandon me!’
“It was then that I saw a yellowish light around her head. I was struck
with fear. Just then the woman fell with her face to the floor and prayed silently.
The rays of light above her became brighter and brighter and shone above her
head. After a while, the light began to wane, and then finally the woman arose
and left the church. It was then that I could see that she was a village woman.
“So you see! Who has the gift of prayer? Admit that laymen far surpass
us monks! I was doing the proskomedia after this happened and was struck by
such emotion at what I had seen that I began to weep with the holy spear in my
hand. God alone knows how many of His chosen there are in this world!”
Pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Mount Sinai

Although it was extremely difficult during communist times for the
average Romanian layman to obtain an exit visa to visit other countries, the
government did allow a large number of monks, nuns and priests to go to the
Holy Land and other countries under the guise of “missionary workers,” students
Pilgrimage to Holy Places/A Generation of Elders 257
ion was not persecuted as in the Soviet Union. As we know now, such
propaganda was useless.
In the fall of 1974, ten years after returning to the monastery from his
solitary time in the wilderness, Fr. Cleopa, together with Pro- tosinghel Joel
Gheorghiu and Fr. loanichie Balan, traveled to the Holy Land to venerate the
tomb of the Lord. This pilgrimage was one of the greatest joys in the Fr. Cleopa’s
life. The following account is directly from Fr. loanichie Balan:
“The first and holiest place where we went was in the holy city of
Jerusalem to venerate the Holy Sepulcher. From there we climbed up to Golgotha
where we kissed the Cross upon which our Lord was crucified for our salvation
and for the entire world. There, we attended the Divine Liturgy, giving glory to
our Savior Jesus Christ, then continued on our pilgrimage to the other holy places
in Jerusalem, full of spiritual joy and emotion.
“In the following days, the three of us prayed at Mount Zion where the
Mother of God fell asleep, and also at the tomb of the holy prophet David. Then
we went down to the Garden of Gethsemane and venerated the tomb of the
Theotokos, and from there went on to other nearby holy places. With the New
Testament in our hands, we went up the Mount of Olives and visited the two
large nuns’ monasteries there, the Monastery of St. Mary Magdalene, and the
Eleon Monastery where ten Romanian nuns carry on their ascetic struggles.
“We went through the Holy Land to Nazareth of Galilee, where the
Theotokos received the annunciation of the incarnation of Christ. It seemed that
Fr. Cleopa was overwhelmingly full of joy, more than we others were, for he had
tasted so many hardships in life.
“We stopped in Cana of Galilee and at the well of the Samaritan
woman. From there we reached the Jordan River where the Savior of the world,
Jesus Christ, was baptized, then we returned to Jerusalem.
“A few days later we all left for a trip of over three hundred kilometers
to Mount Sinai where Moses received the Tables of the Law. It was from there
that Moses led the chosen people to the Holy Land. Lord, what desert filled that
land, and how blessed is our country of Romania, sheltered and protected by Thy
loving-kindness!
“From far off in the desert, looking toward the horizon, one could see
the fortress of the Orthodox Monastery of St. Catherine, where the relics of this
holy martyr rest. The abbot of the monastery, Metropolitan Damianos, received
us with great hospitality.
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258
“The day after we arrived, we climbed up to the top of the mountain
where the holy prophet Moses received the Tables of the Law. Then we returned
again to the holy city of Jerusalem, giving glory to God for all we had been
blessed to see and experience.
“After we again venerated the tomb of the Lord, we visited the village
of Ain Karem, the birthplace of St. John the Baptist; from there we went to
Jericho and the monasteries of the Jordan valley. On October 30, we returned to
Romania.”
The pilgrimage to the Holy Land so impressed Fr. Cleopa and filled
him with tremendous joy at having touched and venerated the places where our
Lord sojourned on earth. His counsels, sermons and addresses to people after this
trip right up to his last days were filled with “when I was in Jerusalem...,” “there
in Mount Sinai...,” “you know, in the Holy Land...,” etc. The blessings and grace
that he received from this holy pilgrimage remained alive within him, and he
strove to impart this to all those who came to him and who were unable to visit
these holy places themselves. Often, when someone came to visit him, especially
from America or other countries, he would ask, “Have you been to Jerusalem? I
went. Oh! What blessings one receives from a pilgrimage to the holy places!”
Pilgrimage to Mount Athos and Other Holy Places

Three years after that first pilgrimage, in September 1977, a group of
four hieromonks from Sihastria, led by Archimandrite Cleopa, traveled by train
to Greece to visit Mount Athos.
Athos, often called the “Garden of the Mother of God,” is the second
most holy place in Christendom, after the Holy Land. It is a paradise for
Orthodox countries, unique in the Christian world.
Again, Fr. loanichie Balan recounted this pilgrimage that he made with
Fr. Cleopa:
“We arrived in Thessalonika, the ancient capital of Macedonia, where
several Romanian monks from Athos met us. We spent one day visiting ancient
monasteries and churches in northern Greece, and then finally turned our steps
toward Mount Athos.
“We would see the outline of several Athonite monasteries while we
were still quite far off on the sea; there was the port of Daphne, with the peak of
Mount Athos rising 2000 meters above the sea. It all seemed like a miracle to us.
Mount Athos is a long tongue of land covering about 339 square kilometers, over
80 kilometers long.
The more than 1500 Greek, Serbian, Russian, Romanian and Bulgarian monks
of Mount Athos reside in the twenty large monasteries, more than fifteen skctes
and about 200 large and small cells that stretch over the entire Athonite
peninsula.
“Having traveled more than two hours by boat to reach the Holy
Mountain, we arrived at the port of Daplrne. From there we climbed up to Karyes,
the capital of Athos. Once we received our entrance visas, which were necessary'
in order to visit anywhere on this monastic peninsula, we set out toward the
Romanian Skcte of Prodromul where we stayed two days. On that Saturday night,
during the service of Matins, the Rasaphore John was tonsured a monk. Since he
had been one of Fr. Cleopa’s novices, the elder himself led him into the church
under his mantia for the service of monastic profession. Archimandrite Victorin,
the abbot of Sihastria, officiated the service of the tonsure and gave the new monk
the name of loanichie.
Fr. Cleopa (4th from right) on a visit to Mount Athos, 1977

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“The Divine Liturgy began immediately after the tonsure and Matins.
At that Liturgy, Fr. Cleopa delivered a sermon that greatlv touched everyone
present. Following the service, we ate and then left to visit all the caves and
hermit cells that surround the Prodromul Skete The next day we left Prodromul
to pray at the other large Athonitc monasteries that are known throughout the
entire world.
“The first stop we made was at the Great Lavra. There we venerated
the tomb of St. Athanasius the Athonite which is located in the narthex of the
main church of the Lavra. We continued on to visit the Romanian cells at the
Lacu Skete, then on to Iviron Monastery, Kout- lomousiou and Stavronikita. All
of these great monasteries were adorned and renovated by endowments from
many Moldavian and Muntenian princes throughout the centuries. What moved
all of us the most was the Portarita icon of the Mother of the Lord at Iviron
Monastery. Led by Fr. Cleopa, we all venerated this renowned wonderworking
icon. On the way to Karyes we detoured a bit to visit the cell of the renowned
hesychast Paisius the Hagiorite, who is a veiy holy man, sought out by all of
Greece. We were all in awe of his holiness and humility.
“After that we visited and prayed before the relics and wonder
working icons at Protaton Monastery in Karyes, as well as at Pantocra- tor,
Esphigmenou and Vatopedi Monasteries. Stephen the Great built an arsands 1 at
Vatopedi, which is still in good condition to this day.
“We continued our pilgrimage on to Hilandar Monastery, and from
there crossed the mountains to Zographou Monastery to which Stephen the Great
also largely contributed between the years of 1476 and 1502. The main feast of
the monastery is the great martyr George.
“From there we went to the monasteries on the west side of Athos:
Docheiariou, whose founding benefactor was Alexander Lapus- neanu during the
16th century; Xenophontos and Panteleimon Monasteries; to Xeropotamou, as
well as Simonopetra whose principal benefactor was the Romanian prince,
Michael the Brave; Philotheou, Grig- oriou (to which Stephen the Great also
donated a great deal of financial assistance), Dionysiou Monastery which was
largely assisted by Nea- goe Basarab, and St. Paul Monastery.
“When the Athonite abbots heard that Archimandrite Cleopa was on
Mount Athos, many of them asked him to speak to their com
1
A pier with warehouses and other buildings
munities. During our time there, the elder spoke on five different occasions
regarding patristics and the teachings of the Philokalia. His words touched many
of the young souls that were on the Holy Mountain at that time and echoed
immediately throughout all of Greece; in fact a large part of the sermons that Fr.
Cleopa preached while we were on the Holy Mountain were almost immediately
published in Greece.
“Finally, we left the Holy Mountain and went on to Athens to visit the
monasteries there in the capital city. We met with the great spiritual father, Elder
Porfirius, who had the gift of clairvoyancy and is a true saint of our own days.
He was living in a small skete in Attica. From there we left for the island of Corfu
to venerate St. Spiridon, a saint for whom Fr. Cleopa had a very strong devotion.
Fr. Cleopa, seated, with Metropolitan Hierotheus of Aegina,

Greece, and other clergy, 1977
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262
“The next day—Sunday—we concelebrated at the Divine Liturgy
at Platytera Monastery. Again Fr. Cleopa was asked to deliver the sermon.
Late that evening we left by ship for Italy to venerate the relics of St.
Nicholas, the great hierarch and wonderworker. It had been Fr. Cleopa’s
lifelong desire to pray at this saint’s relics and venerate them at least once
during his life.
“We reached the city of Bari at 10:00 a.m. and went to the ca-
thedral where the relics of St. Nicholas are kept. All of us shed tears as we
venerated his reliquary, which is kept beneath the altar of the large cathedral.
We begged this wonderful saint to help and intercede for us personally and
for our country. After venerating the relics, Fr. Cleopa began to read the first
part of the Akathist to St. Nicholas; however, he was overcome by tears and
could not go on reading. Others of us continued, while we all sang together,
‘Rejoice, great wonder-worker Nicholas!’ The emotion that we all felt far
surpasses what can be put into words and is something none of us present
would ever forget.
“From Bari, we went on to Rome and visited the catacombs of St.
Calistus and St. Sebastian. Finally, heading back toward Romania, we
stopped at Cheliye Monastery in Yugoslavia to speak with the great Serbian
theologian, Fr. Justin Popovich. All of us wanted to have the opportunity to
talk with this world-renowned theologian and dogmatic expert, who was
living under house arrest in the monastery.”
For two days, Fr. Cleopa and Fr. Justin spoke together, through
the help of a translator. Later, Fr. Cleopa related that he had consulted Fr.
Justin on a question that was turning over and over in his soul: should he
remain on Athos for the rest of his life? He recounted this part of their
conversation when he spoke about the priesthood years later:
“I was in Serbia and spoke with Archimandrite Justin Popovich.
He is the greatest priest in the Orthodox world of today. He has two
doctorates, is eighty-four years old and has been serving the Divine Liturgy
for thirty years in Cheliye, a nuns’ monastery. He was a monk from the Holy
Mountain, known worldwide. I spoke with him after we had visited the Holy
Mountain; I wanted to return to Athos permanently where the monks had
received us with such great love. I asked him what to do.
“He said to me, ‘Fr. Cleopa, I am a monk from the Holy Mountain.
The Holy Mountain is a huge sack full of wonderful things, true jewels, for
that is where men with such an exalted spiritual life
dwell. If you go to Athos you will add a gem to an already full sack. Stay
where you are and, inasmuch as God’s mercy helps you, serve the people
who are experiencing such hardships and sorrows; comfort them, help them.
Our Orthodox faith is being attacked from all sides, and the clergy have to
fight like never before. Don’t you see? Protestants, Catholics, atheists, a
spirit of indifference, all are attacking Orthodoxy. Today we need priests,
like never before, to be learned in holy Scripture and to lead a pure life. Fr.
Cleopa, if you go to the Holy Mountain, you will add another flower to the
Garden of the Mother of God, but to whom will you entrust the faithful?
There, on Athos, you will pray for yourself; but in your own country you
will pray for everyone and can lead many souls to God who would otherwise
be without a guide. I myself stayed on Mount Athos for a time in my
monastic struggles, but then I returned to take up my mission in my own
country. I say that you should stay in your own country and seek your
salvation there where you can help in the salvation of so many others. This
is the greatest virtue that monks of today can have, especially now when we
have to fight against atheism, proselytes and religious indifference!’ ”
A strong spiritual bond was established between these two great fathers
during those hours and days of conversation. Although Fr. Cleopa returned to
Romania, while Fr. Justin remained in Serbia, a bond in Christ does not suffer
from geographical separation, for the love of Christ transcends this chasm and
draws souls together. When the time came for the two fathers to part, Fr. Justin
gave Fr. Cleopa the very scufia he was wearing.
No one had known that Fr. Cleopa felt such a strong desire to remain
on the Holy Mountain until after this conversation. The elder did obey the words
spoken to him by Fr. Justin and returned to Romania, but the longing for Athos
remained in his heart for many years after, possibly even to the day of his own
repose; however, he accepted the words of Fr. Justin as coming from God
Himself. An entire nation, and indeed, clergy and faithful stretching far beyond
the borders of Romania owe a debt of gratitude to St. Justin Popovich for
directing our beloved elder to return to his homeland where he continued for
more than another two decades to direct, guide, counsel and admonish those who
came to him.
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A Generation of Elders in their Latter Years
By 1978 Fr. Cleopa was sixty-six years old and had been renowned as
a spiritual elder for many years. When he first entered the monastic life he
respected and trusted several well-known elders of that time, most especially Fr.
loanichie Moroi of Sihastria, and Hierosche- mamonk Paisius who had been his
spiritual for all but a very few years of his life. During his younger years in the
monastery he saw his own brothers, Vasile and Gerasim, fall asleep in the Lord,
while he alone of all his siblings lived to an old age. In the late 1970’s he
witnessed those of his own generation, known and respected spiritual fathers,
begin to fall asleep in the Lord. It was about this time that Fr. Cleopa himself
began to say, “Tomorrow or the day after I will depart as well,” since he was
starting to feel the physical effects of the hardships of his own life. God, in His
wisdom and mercy for all the people who so depended on Fr. Cleopa, was to
grant the beloved elder another twenty years on this earth.
Beginning in the late 1970’s, the elder began to feel increasingly ill
and weary, but he never ceased in his mission of love to help those who came to
him. As each year went by, it seemed, another beloved spiritual father of his
generation departed to the Lord.
Fr. Caliopie Apetri, a former abbot of Sihastria who spent several of
his last years as a spiritual father at nearby Varatec Monastery, became very ill
in the spring of 1978. He was hospitalized in Piatra Neamts, but it was obvious
to all that death would soon take this beloved spiritual father. One day, the abbess
of Varatec, Mother Nazaria, was visiting Fr. Caliopie at the hospital and met
Abbot Victorin of Sihastria there. They spoke openly of the fact that a funeral
would soon be served for this elder. Although Mother Abbess Nazaria requested
that Fr. Caliopie be buried at Varatec, Abbot Victorin of Sihastria remained firm
that he be buried at Sihastria, among the fathers, abbots and elders who had
served that holy community.
On the night of May 20, 1978, Fr. Caliopie fell asleep in the ord. The
next day, May 21, the feast of Saints Constantine and Helen, would have been
his birthday, and in fact, his name before monastic tonsure had been Constantine.
He was among the first of that generation of elders to depart this life, and
representatives from all the monasteries of Moldavia came to his funeral, as well
as. a very large crowd of aithful. Many of the abbots and abbesses spoke very
beautifully at the
funeral, but everyone was waiting to hear the main homily, which was to be
delivered by Fr. Cleopa. Finally, the elder stood up to speak:
“God created three worlds: the first is heaven where there is nothing
but light, joy, hymnody, comfort, eternity, absolute delight and all those things
that a rational being could desire.
Main Church and Bell Tower at Varatec Monastery

“Here upon earth, life is passing and changing..Here, youth is joined
with old age; poverty with riches; joy with sadness; life with death, and in all
things we find this confusion.
“On the other side of the grave, in the world beneath the earth, there
exists only revulsion, nothing but torment, torture, tears, pain, sadness and
eternity in hardship and pain.
“Our all holy and gracious God, Whose good will it was to multiply
and bless the race of man upon earth, Who, because of the sin
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Elder
Cleopa of
Sihastria
of our first ancestors, banished mankind to this place,
in this valley of weeping and temptation, in this place
of elucidation and preparation for eternity, did not
leave us under that first condemnation.
“He sent the new Adam, Christ. Through His
blood that was poured out on the cross, comfort and
salvation came to mankind. The fall came through man,
but through the God-Man salvation come for the
human race.
“Now our hope for salvation is strong, when
we remember the words of the Savior Who said, He
who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 1
So it is for our beloved brother, Protosinghel Calio- pie,
who was baptized in the name of the all holy Trinity,
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, who
so strongly believed in Christ, our God and Savior, who
received the second spiritual baptism of monastic
tonsure, and who was further ordained to the
priesthood. We put our trust in the unspeakable power
and immeasurable mercy of God that Fr. Caliopie has
now moved from death to life.
“Even if our life lasted only one minute, it
would be impossible for us not to sin before God, for I
was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother
conceive me,3 or in the words of the Godly Job, Who
can bring what is pure from the impure? No one.4
“We have all inherited the sin of the first man,
and all that is bom of the body is body; flesh and blood
cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven without having
been bom also of water and the Spirit, which has been
granted to all of you present who hear these words
today.
“There are three great virtues that I clearly
saw in our beloved brother, Caliopie; In my
unworthiness, I served as his abbot and spiritual father,
and witnessed his spiritual development in our
monastic family, and I included him in the small
community that went with me to Slatina Monastery.
“First of all, as his spiritual father, I knew
those most hidden aspects of his life. He fought
valiantly to preserve his life in all purity, according to
the vow he made before the holy altar. He fulfilled
every aspect of this vow, mastering his body through
pilgrimage .0 Holy Places/A O""®0" °f
te k.„ M l» did .« give these
Who examines the heart and veins of everyone. . t0 me and
“Fr. Caliopie’s second virtue that was well known
to me ana possibly to others, was the great virtue of
almsgiving an m of the poor wept when he was no longer
the abbot of this monastery, many widows told me that
they received help from him. I knew that e was very
merciful, always reaching out his hand to help someone
in need. No one who ever asked for help from him left in
sorrow.
“His third virtue was the holy and difficult yoke
of suffering. He carried this yoke of illness to his grave;
although his soul bore the sorrow of suffering for nearly
twenty years, he was always joyful in spirit. As the great
apostle Paul says, Godly sorrow produces repentance
leading to salvation.5
“He endured up to his last breath. We served the
Unction Service for him three times; I communed him and
read the absolution for him several times. He suffered,
bearing the cross of suffering We believe that, in God’s
mercy, Fr. Caliopie has now found relief. We are firm in
this belief because he bore the cross of suffering to the
very end.
“St. Isaac the Syrian says, ‘Just as fire cleanses
the rust from iron, so also sickness cleanses sin from
man.’ Even if Fr. Caliopie erred, being man, the suffering,
sorrow and pain that he endured—both secretly and
openly—for so many years, have cleansed him, and now
he goes to his rest. Now, according to the word of the
Savior, he goes to Christ to receive comfort and rest
following the warfare he waged in this life against the
three enemies of our salvation: the world, the body and
the devil.
“My beloved brothers: when the great trumpet
sounds at the final judgment, will our brother,
Protosinghel Caliopie, come forth as ne see him now?
Will he come like this, with a pale body, crushed by
suffering, with the original image almost completely
gone, lifeless? No, my brothers! Listen to what the God-
inspired and great apostle Paul, the mouthpiece of Christ,
the chosen vessel, says. He so clearly shows us the four
attributes of our bodies after the second coming. W at he
say? The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in
incorr pt
" \°”Av of
“Our beloved Fr. Caliopie will not arise with t is
ming dust! God forbid! The bodies of the righteous, after
268
can no longer be severed by the sword, they cannot be killed by guns, they do
not decompose, are not harmed by old age, sickness or weakness or anything
else. They arise in incorruption.
“Again, the great apostle Paul says, It is sown in weakness, it is raised
in power,7 Have you heard how strong the body of a righteous man is on the day
of judgment? Let us ask Basil the Great: ‘His threat alone can make the world
shake like the branch of an apple tree; he can defeat innumerable legions of
soldiers; he can move mountains, he can pass through locked doors; he can work
any miracle, for the body arises in great strength, not in weakness.’ 8 God has
granted tremendous strength to those who have served Him.
“Again the great apostle Paul says, It is sown a natural body, it is
raised a spiritual body.9 Now listen to what the holy fathers say: ‘After the
second coming, our bodies will be so light and spiritual that they can be in heaven
in the blink of the eye, or they can be in hell in the blink of the eye, or on earth,
or to the very end of the earth, or anywhere you can think of’ They will move
about so rapidly, and the God- inspired prophet Ezekiel says that the souls of the
just move about so quickly but return to the Lord faster than a flash of lightning.
“There is no such thing as distance for these new spiritual bodies.
They feel no weight or heaviness in themselves; instead they are purely ethereal
and spiritual. These spiritual bodies are lighter and move faster than lightning.
They are like the angels of God, just as the Savior Himself taught us, and at the
judgment they will no longer marry or be given in marriage, but are all like the
angels of God.
“Again, the great apostle Paul says, It is sown in dishonor, it is raised
in glory.10 What is man? He is a handful of earth, food for the worms, nothing, a
shadow upon the earth, a dream and a flower. But that is not how he will arise at
the last judgment! How? Listen to the holy fathers. Listen first to Christ Who
said the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. 11
7
1 Cor. 15:43
8
Here, and in other places as well, Fr. Cleopa is quoting the fathers from memory.
Exact text references are unavailable.
9
I Cor. 15:44
10
1 Cor. 15:43
11
Matt. 13:43
“Right now the sun is shining brightly since it is noon on this cloudless
day. Now picture in your minds that you see another sun, and another, one
hundred of them, one thousand, then tens of thousands of suns! What fear would
take hold of everyone! What trembling we would experience! What terror and
amazement at seeing so many noetic lights! What will it be like when millions
upon millions of righteous and saints shine like the sun? Imagine what
amazement, what joy, what comfort and what trembling will then be in the hearts
of all mankind!
“Our beloved brother, Protosinghel Caliopie, will be one of those suns
who will shine before the Savior and will come on the clouds of heaven together
with innumerable angels and all the hosts of the righteous.
“This is what we believe, this is what the Church teaches and this is
our hope: that we will see our beloved brother Caliopie, coming with glory and
great honor. The hosts of angels will come, as the holy fathers say, and will sound
the trumpets of heaven. St. John Chrysostom says, ‘When you hear the apostle
say that the Lord will come with the sound of the trumpet, do not think that there
will be just one trumpet! ’ The Gospel says, He will send His angels with a great
sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds,
from one end of heaven to the other.12 St. John Chrysostom goes on to tell us,
‘There will be innumerable multitudes of angels, and innumerable will be the
trumpets of gold that will sound.’
“But where will these sound? Listen to what St. Gregory the
Theologian says: ‘Each angel will sound the trumpet in the place that he guarded
upon the earth. ’ The prophet Moses says in the second Biblical Song: He set the
boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the angels of God.13 Did
you hear that? The boundary of every nation, every province, every region, every
village, every city, every monastery, has its own angel. Each angel will sound the
trumpet over the place that he was entrusted to protect for all ages upon this earth.
“These angels are from the ranks of the principalities, which is the first
host of the first hierarchy of angels, according to St. Dionysius the Aereopogite,
whom St. John Chrysostom calls ‘the bird of heaven.’
12
Matt. 24:31
13
Deut. 32:8
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270
“So, when those trumpets sound, listen to what the God- inspired
Gregory says: ‘What trumpets will be sounded by millions of angels? They will
split the spirits and open the tombs! They will awaken the dead from all the ages!
In the blinking of the eye, they will take on a body from the four elements that
formed the body of man: water, earth, fire and air. What trumpets! They will
traverse the entire earth and reach even to the depths of hades to summon every
spirit, all the devils and all the sinners! What trumpets they are, for they will
sound even above, they will open the heavens and their sound will penetrate
heaven above to all the angels who are without number and all the righteous to
judgment.’
“Then will be fulfilled the word of the great prophet David, who spoke
by the Holy Spirit, He shall call to the heavens above, and to the earth, that He
may judge His people.14 When you hear that He will call heaven, this refers to all
the hosts of angels; all the angels in heaven will come down at the sound of the
trumpet. When he says ‘the earth,’ this means all of mankind from the creation
of the world, and all the evil spirits who are unseen upon earth and in hell. He
says, He shall call to the heavens above and the earth below. Why? That He may
udge His people.
“Then the righteous will be separated from the sinners, as Scripture
says, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.15 Then those who have done
good will go forth to rest and eternal delights, while those who have done evil
and have not repented will go forth to torments and eternal condemnation.
“So, together with our beloved father, Caliopie, who is being taken
from us now for a short while, may the mercy and long-suffering of God grant
that we may also have a portion with the host of angels, together with all the
saints who have been well pleasing to Christ God, of the immeasurable
blessedness, the joy and delight of the Holy Spirit, unto ages of ages. Amen.”
Sermon on the Feast of the Transfiguration, 1978

Most of the monasteries throughout the Neamts region, as well as those
in the further northern area of Romania known as Bucovina, celebrate their
patronal feast days during the summer. With the blessing
14
Ps. 49:4
15
Matt. 25:32
of good weather, the beautiful custom has developed for multitudes of faithful
and monastics to journey to the monasteries to join in their patronal feast, or
hram, as it is known in Romanian. The hram for Sihla Skete is the
Transfiguration of Christ, August sixth. Since the skctc is located high in the
forested mountains near Sihastria and was, at the time of which we arc writing,
accessible only by foot,16 it was a favorite place of pilgrimage for many of the
faithful. Fr. Cleopa’s early years in the sheepfold were spent in the mountains
surrounding Sihla, and this, coupled with the fact that his beloved spiritual father,
Fr. Paisius, was residing at Sihla in 1978, brought Fr. Cleopa once again to that
beautiful skete for the celebration of their hram at which he delivered the
following sermon:
16
see chapter 2, footnote #9
272
272
“Fathers, Brothers, and beloved faithful, the right-believing Church of
Christ has a belt which girds it throughout the year. There are twelve very
precious and holy pearls adorning this belt: the twelve Great Feasts.
“The sermons on these feasts are deeper and more dogmatic since the
fullness of the economy of Jesus Christ’s incarnation and the salvation of
mankind is completely revealed in these feasts.
“Today is the divine Transfiguration of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus
Christ. This great event in the life of our Savior, this great and radiant feast, took
place during the thirty-third year of our Lord Jesus Christ’s life, that final year of
His preaching.
“At the time of this feast, the Savior was in the region of Caesarea
Philippi, where the great apostle Peter confessed that He was the true God. Jesus
had asked the apostles, Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? The apostles
responded, ‘some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one
of the prophets.'
“The Savior, desiring to expunge from their minds—and to eradicate
from the minds of all Christian peoples for all generations— this great error of
thinking that He was one of the prophets reincarnated, took the three apostles,
Peter, James and John his brother, and went up to the top of Mount Tabor. Once
they arrived at the top of the mountain with the Savior, the three apostles were
tired from the climb, for the mountain is very large, long and high, so they sat
down to rest and fell asleep. Then, tluough the economy of God, they awoke to
behold the Savior transfigured before them. His garments were radiant, His face
shone brighter than the sun; and they, beholding this, were clutched with fear.
Then they saw that He was speaking with the two great prophets, Moses and
Elijah.
“Moses was an image and forefigure of the Savior, who had led the
people of Israel through the desert and received the Law, long before the coming
of Christ; Elijah was the most glorious of the prophets, and he is to come a second
time to preach the Gospel for three and a half years on the earth, together with
Enoch and John, during the time of the antichrist, to turn the Hebrew people to
the true faith.
“As the apostles stood there and looked upon the Savior, they heard
Him speaking with Elijah and Moses in the Aramaic language, the language of
Adam, about the entrance which He would soon make
17
Matt. 16:13-14
into Jerusalem, and about His al! glorious passion, crucifixion, death and
resurrection. The apostles heard all this, but they were dizzy from the light, and
full of fear and trembling, for a cloud suddenly covered the top of Tabor. This
cloud was not dark, but instead it was radiant like the sun, and it spread from
heaven to earth. From high in the cloud they heard a voice saying, This is My
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!™
“Then, as they stood there, suddenly the two prophets disappeared.
Elijah went to his own country and Moses was lifted up to heaven, while the
apostles stood there amazed. They now understood that Christ is not Elijah, but
that He is the God of Elijah; that Christ is not Jeremiah, but that it was He Who
sanctified Jeremiah from his mother’s womb; and that Christ is not Moses, but
rather He is the One who gave the Law to Moses. The Lord specifically willed
that these two prophets be seen, for He is the God of the prophets and not one of
the prophets.
“O Lord! How great are Thy wonders! What was Tabor at that time?
Tabor had assumed the form of the Church. There, the two Testaments were seen:
Elijah and Moses represented the Old Testament, while the New Testament was
represented through the three apostles, John the Evangelist, James and Peter.
“There, in the words of our holy father Ephraim the Syrian, the
apostles looked upon the prophets and the prophets looked at the apostles. There,
the economy of the Father was seen: Moses, the great servant of God, and the
great apostle Peter to whom the keys of the kingdom of heaven were entrusted.
There, the virgin of the Old Law, Elijah, saw the virgin of the New Law, John
the Evangelist, and thus Mount Tabor became the image of the Church. There
the voice of the Father was heard after the departure of the two prophets, saying,
This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!' 9
“The apostle Peter, who so loved the Savior, like John the Evangelist,
according to the Gospel, did not know what he was saying, for he wanted to stay
perpetually in that joy, light and enchantment. Therefore, when he saw the two
prophets on Tabor, he said to the Savior, Lord, it is good for us to be here... let
us make here three taberna-
18
Matt. 17:5 19ibid.
274
274
des; one for Thee, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. 20 He forgot that he, John
the Evangelist and James would also need a tent! His love was such that he was
concerned only with those three upon whom he had been blessed to look.
“Then it was as if the Savior said to Peter, ‘O Peter, you want to make
a tent for me? Look at the tent that is coming! ’ For it was then as they were
talking that the shining cloud covered them and wrapped them in both shadow
and light. The Savior was saying to Peter, ‘Look, Peter, look at the tent! Do you
still want to make a tent? I brought you a cloud from heaven to cover and shine
upon you. Remember, Peter, that I do not need your tent here! I am the One who
covered the 638,000 people of Israel who had been enslaved and who escaped
from slavery under the cloud. I led them by day covered as if under the wings of
an eagle and by night I shined on them with a pillar of fire. Peter, look at the tent
that you did not make! Look at this cloud that shines brighter than the sun and at
the same time shades you. Now you know, Peter, that I do not need your tent. I
can cover the entire earth and all of heaven, for I made both of them!’
“Then, after the prophets had disappeared, Peter heard the voice of the
Father from that precious cloud. The Father came from heaven and bore witness
to Christ. What did He tell them? ‘You have seen that Christ is neither Elijah,
nor Moses, nor Jeremiah! Christ God, who is with you on Tabor is my beloved
Son in Whom I am well pleased; hear Him! ’ 2I
“God the Father knew well that Peter would later bear witness to Christ
even as far away as Rome where he would die by being crucified upside down;
John the Evangelist would be buried alive, and James would be beheaded by
Herod’s sword. He knew that these three would confess Christ right up to their
deaths. ‘But know exactly Who it is that you confess! The One who was
transfigured on Tabor and Whose clothing now shine with light, and Whose face
is like the sun, is not Moses, nor Elijah, nor Jeremiah, nor any of the prophets;
He is my beloved-Son, in whom I am well pleased and the One to whom I bore
witness in the Jordan, saying, hear Him! ’
“So it was that the apostles Peter, John and James believed even more
firmly that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Son of God, and
20
Matt. 17:4
21
Op. cit.
not one of the prophets, but rather the God of the prophets, the One who formed
the prophets in the very wombs of their mothers.
“O Lord, how great are Thy wonders! What was revealed on Tabor?
The essence of Christ? God forbid! It would be heresy to think that it was the
essence that shone from Christ. During the 12 th century there was a heresy that
originated in Bulgaria, called the Bogomil heresy. The booklets entitled The
Dream of the Mother of God, The Epistle, and The Twelve Fridays came from
that heresy and are considered as apocraphal books that the Church tolerates but
has never approved. Those Bogomil heretics believed that when they prayed,
they beheld the essence of God. What heresy and foolishness! They claimed that
a light appeared when they prayed, and that they looked upon the essence of God,
which is not seen by even the cherubim and seraphim and all the noetic powers
of heaven. Believing that anyone could see God’s essence is a tremendous
heresy! What does the holy evangelist John say? No one has seen God at any
time!22 Here he is not speaking of the incarnate God, Whom he had seen; nor of
God Who revealed Himself to Abraham, Isaiah and Moses in His descent and
image, but rather he is speaking of the essence of God, which no one has ever
looked upon.
“The essence of God is inaccessible to all the hosts of the rational minds
in heaven and on earth, and no one can see Him in His essence. But those heretics
claimed that they beheld the essence of God during prayer.
“The glory of the essence of God reflects rays and shines like the sun,
for He is Himself God and from His divinity rays are emitted like an intense
divine sun. What was seen on Tabor was not created light, but rather uncreated,
the light that comes forth from His divinity, and it was therefore the radiance of
the essence of God or the light of the glory of God. This is the difference between
the transfiguration of Christ and His saints, prophets, patriarchs and holy ones of
latter times.
“This was the tremendous and hostile attack that was made against St.
Gregory of Sinai and St. Gregory Palamas who were both so divinely inspired in
their thinking and reasoning. The heretics Barlaam and Achindin, those serpents
from Calabria, Italy, accused the hesa- chysts of Athos of being Bogomils who
claimed that the light they behold during prayer is the essence of God.
22
Jn. 1:18
276
276
“The divinely wise Gregory Palamas, whose relics I, in all my
unworthiness, venerated a few years ago at the Metropolia of Thessalo- nika, was
the greatest Greek Theologian of the 14 th century. He surpassed all others in his
theology, and is considered even greater in his apophatic theology than St.
Dionisius. St. Dionisius the Areopagite is known for his exalted apophatic, or
negative, theology; yet St. Gregory Palamas surpasses even him. He has even
surpassed the divinely minded Maximus the Confessor, also considered as the
pinnacle of Greek theology. When the hesychastic fathers of the Holy Mountain
were accused of Bogomilism because they beheld a great light during noetic
prayer, it was St. Gregory Palamas who defended the fathers against these unjust
accusations.
“These fathers do not behold the essence of God. It is something else
that they see. What? It is the glory of the essence of God! You have volume 7 of
the Philokalia;23 read it and you will find out about this great dispute that went
on for several hundred years about hesychasm. You will see that it was light that
radiated from Christ, not his essence. Listen to what the godly father Ephraim the
Syrian says: ‘The radiance of the glory of God radiated from His entire body. ’
“Thus, the light of Tabor is not the essence of Christ, but rather the
glory of His essence. Remember this all the time, especially those of you who
are theologians! You will have discussions with people who consider themselves
philosophers of this present day. The essence of God has never been revealed to
anyone; but the glory of God’s essence has been. That is why the Church today
sings ‘... revealing Thy glory to Thy disciples’ - how much? Not completely, but
‘as much as they were able to bear.’24
“Therefore, it was the glory of the essence of God that was revealed to
the apostles on Tabor. This same glory can also be revealed to the saints who
have entered into the noetic prayer of the heart, those who pray to God with the
heart. This is not His essence, but rather the glory of His essence. Remember
this!
“Now, you have to understand one thing. The glory of the essence of
God is inseparable from His essence. Just as the ray cannot be separated from the
sun, so also the glory of God cannot be separated
23
Translator’s note: Fr. Cleopa is referring to volume 7 of the Romanian translation
of the Philokalia.
24
From the troparion of the Transfiguration
from His essence. But it is not His essence itself, but the glory of the essence of
God.
“So behold, brethren, what the Transfiguration of the Savior is about.
As I said at the beginning, the light did not come from outside, but from within;
in other words, Christ was not illumed from something or someone else in the
way the moon shines, but just the opposite. In Christ, the light that was seen on
Tabor was not like that of the saints who radiate. You need to understand the
difference between the light that was seen on Tabor and the light that those saints
who enter into the highest form of prayer of the heart behold.
“Everyone is called to be transfigured. How? If yesterday someone was
immoral, he can confess and no longer be as he was! If someone was a thief, he
can abandon this practice! If another person was one who swore or was a
drunkard, then he can turn from drunkenness, swearing or smoking; he can
abandon wickedness, confess his sin, weep for the rest of his life and fulfill his
penance. In this way a man can change, not in his outward appearance, but inside,
in his soul. Then the state of the man who formerly lived in sin has nothing in
common with his changed state of blessedness, his spiritual advancement, toward
perfection. Yesterday, he was like a devil, serving sin; but today, if he has
repented and directed his life on the right path, he has been sanctified; he is
radiant and has spiritual light within himself, moving from power to power, from
perfection to perfection, along the three stages of spiritual ascent.
“These three stages are: Rational passionlessness of the soul, or a moral
way of life; the spiritual freedom of the rational soul, which withdraws the mind
from natural feelings and binds it to God through the true natural contemplation
in spirit; and the spiritual rest for the rational soul, (the Sabbath of Sabbaths),
which draws the mind away from all natural contemplation in spirit, from
dwelling on the most exalted of all creation, and binds it completely to God in
the ecstasy of love. Amen.”
Greetings and Messages between Fr. Cleopa and other Elders

Fr. Cleopa and a number of his closest contemporaries throughout
Romanian Moldavia did not often see each other in their later years although they
remained united through their prayers for one another. They had spent many of
the earlier years of their monastic lives together, but now were called to serve in
other parts of the coun-
276
276
“The divinely wise Gregory Palamas, whose relics I, in all my
unworthiness, venerated a few years ago at the Metropolia of Thessalo- nika, was
the greatest Greek Theologian of the 14 th century. He surpassed all others in his
theology, and is considered even greater in his apophatic theology than St.
Dionisius. St. Dionisius the Areopagite is known for his exalted apophatic, or
negative, theology; yet St. Gregory Palamas surpasses even him. He has even
surpassed the divinely minded Maximus the Confessor, also considered as the
pinnacle of Greek theology. When the hesychastic fathers of the Holy Mountain
were accused of Bogomilism because they beheld a great light during noetic
prayer, it was St. Gregory Palamas who defended the fathers against these unjust
accusations.
“These fathers do not behold the essence of God. It is something else
that they see. What? It is the glory of the essence of God! You have volume 7 of
the Philokalia;13 read it and you will find out about this great dispute that went
on for several hundred years about hesychasm. You will see that it was light that
radiated from Christ, not his essence. Listen to what the godly father Ephraim the
Syrian says: ‘The radiance of the glory of God radiated from His entire body.’
“Thus, the light of Tabor is not the essence of Christ, but rather the
glory of His essence. Remember this all the time, especially those of you who
are theologians! You will have discussions with people who consider themselves
philosophers of this present day. The essence of God has never been revealed to
anyone; but the glory of God’s essence has been. That is why the Church today
sings ‘... revealing Thy glory to Thy disciples’ - how much? Not completely, but
‘as much as they were able to bear.’2'1
“Therefore, it was the glory of the essence of God that was revealed to
the apostles on Tabor. This same glory can also be revealed to the saints who
have entered into the noetic prayer of the heart, those who pray to God with the
heart. This is not His essence, but rather the glory of His essence. Remember
this!
“Now, you have to understand one thing. The glory of the essence of
God is inseparable from His essence. Just as the ray cannot be separated from the
sun, so also the glory of God cannot be separated 23 24
23
Translator's note: Fr. Cleopa is referring to volume 7 of the Romanian translation
of the Philokalia.
24
From the troparion of the Transfiguration
from His essence. But it is not His essence itself, but the glory of the essence of
God.
“So behold, brethren, what the Transfiguration of the Savior is about.
As I said at the beginning, the light did not come from outside, but from within;
in other words, Christ was not illumed from something or someone else in the
way the moon shines, but just the opposite. In Christ, the light that was seen on
Tabor was not like that of the saints who radiate. You need to understand the
difference between the light that was seen on Tabor and the light that those saints
who enter into the highest form of prayer of the heart behold.
“Everyone is called to be transfigured. How? If yesterday someone was
immoral, he can confess and no longer be as he was! If someone was a thief, he
can abandon this practice! If another person was one who swore or was a
drunkard, then he can turn from drunkenness, swearing or smoking; he can
abandon wickedness, confess his sin, weep for the rest of his life and fulfill his
penance. In this way a ma, can change, not in his outward appearance, but inside,
in his soul. Th the state of the man who formerly lived in sin has nothing in comm
with his changed state of blessedness, his spiritual advancement, i ward
perfection. Yesterday, he was like a devil, serving sin; but today if he has
repented and directed his life on the right path, he has been sanctified; he is
radiant and has spiritual light within himself, moving from power to power, from
perfection to perfection, along the three stages of spiritual ascent.
“These three stages are: Rational passionlessness of the soul, or a moral
way of life; the spiritual freedom of the rational soul, which withdraws the mind
from natural feelings and binds it to God through the true natural contemplation
in spirit; and the spiritual rest for the rational soul, (the Sabbath of Sabbaths),
which draws the mind away from all natural contemplation in spirit, from
dwelling on the most exalted of all creation, and binds it completely to God in
the ecstasy of love. Amen.”
Greetings and Messages between Fr. Cleopa and other Elders
Fr. Cleopa and a number of his closest contemporaries throughout
Romanian Moldavia did not often see each other in their later years although they
remained united through their prayers for one another. They had spent many of
the earlier years of their monastic lives together, but now were called to serve in
other parts of the coun
278
278
try. The love and respect which each one of the elders felt for the others was
tremendous; each considered himself to be the “least among the brethren,” and
valued the counsel, prayers, and advice of the other. This can be seen in the
following transcripts of tape-recorded greetings that were exchanged between
several of these fathers. We who read these words owe a debt of gratitude to
Brother Peter who took it upon himself to record these messages between some
of the greatest spiritual fathers of the 20 th century. Through his efforts in
recording the following greetings and messages, we see how a bond of love can,
and must, prevail among all of us. No doubt, it was that very love that radiated
throughout all Romania during the final years of communist oppression.
Fr. Cleopa’s Greeting to Fr. Arsenius Papacioc (Feast of the Nativity, 1979)
"If the Lord does not guard the dwelling of the soul, in vain do we keep
watch. But if we defend the soul, no one can break into our fortress. This is an
antiphon sung by the Church. I am a sinner and unworthy of the mercy and
protection of God. But I trust in His mercy, for Christ died for sinners.
“Ask the holy spiritual father Arsenius, the great abbot of Te- chirghiol,
to pray for me, a sinner, for I know that his soul is very active, faithful, full of
good advice, patient, perceptive and adorned with all virtues.
“I do not possess any of these qualities. I am lazy, impatient, dull,
sleepy, wandering in mind, lacking piety and watchfulness; there is no good in
me. May he pray for me, a sinner, so that I can at least make a good beginning.
“I wish him many blessed years, and a blessed holiday season. May the
all holy and gracious God grant that we may all meet together in paradise.”
Fr. Cleopa’s Greeting to Fr. Hillarion Argatu (Feast of the Nativity, 1979)
“Please extend to Fr. Archimandrite Hillarion Argatu my humble bows
and all love in Jesus Christ. May he pray for me, a sinner, that the all-gracious
God may help me to make a good beginning in virtue, so that I may be patient,
for I have neither patience, nor humility, nor self-denial; I am not watchful, I lack
prayer and am poor in all
the virtues. Perhaps, through your prayers, I. the sinner, may be able to make a
good beginning.
“Tell him also that I wish him many blessed years, and that I ask him
to pray for me, a sinner, to God and the Mother of the Lord. Amen.”
Fr. Cleopa’s Greeting to Fr. Paisius Olaru (Friday, August 1,1980)

“Bless, Reverend Fr. Paisius!
“Well, through the efforts of Brother Peter we can speak a few words
to each other. I have just finished hearing confessions from the brotherhood. It is
almost 2:00.1 have also been to Piatra Neamts (to the dentist), and he pulled
almost all my upper teeth. There arc only two left. All the old caps on my teeth
had to be cut as well. A lower molar is bothering me a lot. I can’t talk very well;
when I talk everything sounds very garbled.
“I have another appointment with the dentist on Tuesday, the eve of
the Transfiguration. I am supposed to be at Piatra Neamts at 7:00. I don’t know
if I will be able to go to the hram.251 might be able to go if I can send a message
through someone to the doctor that I want to cancel the appointment on Tuesday.
He has to take all the measurements now in order to make dentures for me since
there are not enough teeth left for him to attach a partial plate.
“Here, people do not leave me neither day nor night. It’s like being at
the North Train Station!261 am very sorry that I did not stay on the Holy Mountain
as I had intended. At least there I could be away from people, while I cannot
escape the crowd when I am here. If you will pray for me, maybe, maybe... and
if I could get rid of this toothache, maybe I can go up the hill (to Sihla) on
Monday, if I can cancel this appointment with the doctor. If you don’t pray
fervently for this, then I will not get better and will not be able to go.
“I would like to go [to Sihla] Monday evening; that is, Monday after
the service, so that I can stay there because I need to go to confession; and, with
the help of God’s mercy, maybe I can serve as well. I don’t know what kind of
sermon I could give, since I can’t
25
The Hram (Patronal feast day) of Sihla Skete, where Fr. Paisius was living at that
time, is the Transfiguration of Christ.
26
The North Train Station (“Gara de Nord”) is located in Bucharest and could be
likened to Grand Central Station in New York City.
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280
speak very well right now. That’s just the way things are at the moment.
“We’ve had very important guests here, three bishops: the bishop of
Ramnicu-Valcea, the bishop from Roman, and the bishop from Ungro-Vlahia,27
who came with the director of the Biblical Institute, Fr. Anania,28 who is
correcting my manuscript so that it will be ready for publishing.
“We have so much work to do that it is piled up to our necks. We are
all tired and not feeling well. I can’t do any more! I know that you are also very
busy. I realize this, especially taking your age into consideration, but here people
come by the busload constantly.
“Just now I heard someone say that a delegation from America is
expected to arrive. They are coming from Iasi. I don’t know if they will get this
far or not. So, if it is the will of God, and if I feel able (I have been taking an
antibiotic for two days and still have more to go before I finish the prescription),
then I will try to climb up the hill [to Sihla]. It seems that my toothache is a little
better, so I might be able to go.
“Bless and forgive me, and pray for me, a sinner.”
Fr. Paisius’ Response to Fr. Cleopa (Saturday, August 2, 1980)
“Bless, Reverend Fr. Cleopa!
“I have received the news through our correspondent, Brother Peter,
regarding the situation you are in and your desire to come and see us. We are
very glad to hear of the latter.
“Cancel your appointment at the dentist; you can go another time. You
can find a doctor any time, but the feast of the Transfiguration is only once a
year. If God grants that we have good weather, I want to again hear your voice,
preaching the sermon, as you are known to do on these occasions.
“The weather here has been nice. The services will be outside as in the
past. Now, regarding the Holy Mountain, which you mention
27
All three of these are places in Romania.
28
Fr. Bartholomew Anania served as Director of the Biblical Institute, having also
spent a number of years in America. He then lived for a time at Varatec Monastery
until he was elevated to the rank of bishop in 1992. At the time of this writing His
Eminence, Metropolitan Bartholomew, is serving as Metropolitan of Cluj, Romania.
He was a long-time spiritual son of Fr. Cleopa’s.
all the time, you do not have a blessing from us! Maybe someone else will give
you a blessing for this, but you do not have a blessing from us to go to the Holy
Mountain permanently.29 We need to give thanks to God, in spite of the situations
that exist, right here in our own country of Romania; we have to protect and
preserve our ancestral Church here, instead of in other places.
“Fr. Cyril Rosu is also taken up with this thought and is almost ready
to leave. I can’t argue with him. I opposed his desire for a while, but now I said,
‘Go in good health, Fr. Cyril, and pray for us,’ but he has not left yet.
“So, we are expecting you to come. Regardless of how garbled you
sound when you speak, you will still preach a little sermon. I talk all slurred and
garbled now for over ten years; whoever has good ears can hear me, whoever
doesn’t, well, I can talk as loud as I want right into his ear.
“So, I thank Brother Peter for bringing us such good and j< fill news
from you as well as from our brother, Fr. Arsenius, and fr< the nuns at Ramets.
We are waiting for you to come either on Mondi evening or Tuesday morning,
whenever it is possible for you.
“May God grant you health and strength so that you may fulfill this
obedience again this year. May God help! Bless and forgive me. Amen.”
Fr. Cleopa’s Message to Fr. Arsenius (Friday, August 1,1980)

“Bless, Reverend Fr. Arsenius!
“Well, through the help of God and the Mother of the Lord, and the
intervention of Brother Peter, we can say a few words to each other even over
such a great distance.
“I realize that it is God’s benevolence that has brought you where you
are. You have such an active soul and like to get involved with the salvation of
others. More than anywhere else, the place you are at provides you the
opportunity to have contact with so many different people who travel there both
for rest and the benefit of the mineral/hot baths. I don’t know what it is like there,
but I do know that you are active and get involved in fighting along every
pathway for the salvation of people’s souls.
29
Fr. Justin from Serbia also refused Fr. Cleopa such a blessing, (see earlier in this
chapter).
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282
“But there is not little to do here. There is a lot of work! It is very rare
for me to have an hour, or a day or two free. Once in a while it happens during
weekdays, but on feast days we are overwhelmed with visitors.
“I understand that a nun there has typed out a book of my sermons30
for me. If it is the will of the Lord, then I will send another book after I receive
the one she has already typed. I will pay the nun whatever it cost to have it typed
and bound. After that, I will give you another book that I have just finished,
Sermons for Monastics.
“There is another book on sects/denominations. I am doing the final
corrections on it now to prepare it for publishing since both the patriarch and the
State have given approval for it to be printed. Fr. Bartholomew Anania was here
yesterday with Bishop Roman from Ungro- Vlahia, and he told me that it has
been approved. He hopes that it will be printed by October or November. The
title of it will be Guide to the Understanding and Defense of the Ancestral Faith.
I worked on it for several years, here and there as I could.
“With God’s mercy, I am working on something else that I will tell
you about later. But I have so little time free when I can work. Right now, as I
speak, I have just come up the hill from hearing confessions of the monks.311
was hearing the monks’ confessions from early this morning until now, almost
2:00.
“I am not feeling well; my upper teeth have all either been pulled or
fell out, and the lower teeth that I still have are all capped and hurt a lot. It is hard
to talk. The grave and the tomb are coming, and I am not prepared and will leave
this world spiritually impoverished. I have not done anything good. Please pray
for me, a sinner.
“His Eminence, Archbishop Antim from Galati came here with Fr.
Theofilus Pandele. Bishop Epiphanius from Constanta came not too long ago.
They both tried to convince me to go to Dobrogea32 to visit the monasteries there.
They said they would put a car at my disposal and would go with me.
30
During the communist times, it was not permitted to have a typewriter, so it was
quite a feat someone had typed out Fr. Cleopa’s sermons.
31
Fr. Cleopa’s cell was not within the central compound of Sihastria, but was a
good walk up a hill to a small house/cell that overlooked the entire monastery.
32
Southern Romania
“I didn’t promise them anything because I don’t have time; we are
pulled in so many directions with things that need to be done here. But, maybe
after the Dormition of the Mother of God, I might go as far as Galati. A monastery
there just had a huge bell weighing 2300 kilograms cast at a state foundry. The
abbot there said that he wants me to be at the dedication of the bell, regardless of
what it would cost, and Fr. Theophilus, who has come again a second time, is
also trying to convince me to go. You probably know that Theophilus was a
director in the Ministry of Religions. He is a great benefactor of our monastery
and has done a lot to help us here.
“If, through the help of the mercy of God, I do go south, and if the
weather is good, then I might be able to visit you, for I really want to see you
again in this life, face to face, since I miss you very much. But we do not know
what awaits us in this life. I have had some heart trouble and am very tired. Before
we depart from the body, I want to see you again, if it is the will of the Lord and
His holy Mother.
“Forgive me, and pray for me, a sinner. I have heard that tl weather is
very nice where you are and that the crops are growing wel Here in the
mountains it is raining and raining again. Today it is nic! but it has rained a lot.
That’s the way it is in the mountains all the time, as you know. Forgive me, and
may the mercy of God help us to see each other again. May God have mercy on
us. Amen.”
Fr. Paisius’ Message to Fr. Arsenius (Saturday, August 2,1980)

“Bless, Fr. Arsenius!
“May Brother Peter find you in spiritual advancement and joy. I want
to thank you for your attention and for not forgetting us; nor have we forgotten
you in our unworthy prayers. We are glad that we can rejoice for one another at
least through the news that reaches us from you. Forgive me. I am still at Sihla.
Waiting.
“You have read, I know, about the elder who sent his disciples to the
market; he then stood waiting in the doorway, wondering, ‘which disciple will
come back first? The one who went down the hill, or the one that went up?’ That
is tlie way it is for me too; I wait to see which disciple will come first!
“Forgive me, for I am ill and busy all the time with the cares of this
life. Bless! May God help you to abound in the deeds and words and sermons
that you preach to the people and nuns there.
“May God help us! If we cannot meet again in this world, then may the
Lord and the Mother of God grant that we may be together in the life to come.
There, where there is neither pain, nor sorrow, nor sighing, but the life of joy that
does not end. Amen.”
Fr. Cleopa’s Greeting to Fr. Paisius (Friday, January 1, 1982)

“Reverend Father and Elder, Paisius,
“Through the efforts of Brother Peter,, who is determined to help us
keep in contact with each other, now that I have a few moments free here in the
cell on the hill, I humbly bow and prostrate before you with love in Jesus Christ,
for this new year of 1982.1 extend to you my desire that the all holy God and His
most pure Mother will grant you length of days so that you can continue to help
the thousands of Christians who visit you. In this New Year, may you continue
to advance in the grace of God and help us monastics, as well as all the people
and faithful who seek your counsel.
“With all my heart, I wish you many and blessed years, and I beseech
you again from my heart that you do not forget me, a sinner, lazy and impure, in
the holy and pure prayers that you offer there to the Savior and the Mother of the
Lord.
“As always, I am weighed down with cares, allowing my mind to
wander; I am lazy in both soul and body, unfeeling, inattentive and fainthearted.
Now that we have started a new year, instead of making a good beginning, I am
going backwards like a crab.
“Bless and forgive me, a sinner.”
Fr. Cleopa’s Greeting to Fr. Arsenius (Friday, January 1, 1982) “Reverend

Father and Elder, Arsenius,
“I see that Brother Peter has no intention of leaving me alone until I
send a few words to you. I am amazed at the love he has in finding a way for us
to speak with each other. It is obvious that the all holy God is working through
him.
“So, having a few moments free, I beg you from all my heart to receive
my unworthy bows and kiss of greeting in the love of Jesus Christ.
“May the all holy and gracious God and his most pure Mother and all
the saints help you to increase even more and more as you offer help to millions
of the faithful who visit you and seek your advice, and whom you comfort and
build up in Christ.
“How good it is that you adhere to the words of the great apostle Paul
who says, We ought not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor
for his good, leading to edification.33 It is good that you are sacrificing yourself
there for the sake of thousands of souls, for, in the words of St. Isaac, ‘Your
neighbor’s benefit is your fruit.’
“The Godly-wise John Chrysostom says in one of his homilies, ‘I speak
here in this Cathedral of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople, and see a multitude
of people here. If one hundred turn to Christ, then I will have a reward of one
hundredfold. If sixty or thirty turn to the Lord, my reward is not small and if only
one person turns to Christ, Christ will still give me a great reward, for a single
soul is more precious than all the world, according to the words What profit is it
to a man if he gains the whole -world,... what will a man give in exchange for his
soul?34 But if not even one single person turns to Christ, I still would not cease
to teach, to preach; the stream still gushes forth and the waters flow, whether
someone comes to drink from it or not, the waters still fulfill their obligation by
flowing.’
“That is how I know you to be: aflame with faith and with love to build
up others and be useful to them. Those are the qualities I found in you, through
the mercy of the Lord, when we were together, and that has been multiplied there,
where God has led you, so that you can offer all that spiritual activity for the
benefit of the people and the thousands of souls that are thirsting for the Word of
God.
“My most heartfelt desire is that, when we die and meet before the
Savior, the all holy God will grant that I may see a host of thousands of souls
following Elder Arsenius, all illumined and purified through his words and
example of life.
“May this desire always remain for both of us: that with the grace of
God we may work for the good of our neighbors, and that the mercy of God may
complete what we lack for the benefit of the souls that visit us and seek spiritual
help.
“I am being encouraged by Brother Peter; thus, if you think that is
fitting and good, please extend to all the beloved faithful in Constanta and
Mangalia, especially those who know us, our greetings of joy in Christ, the
comfort of the Holy Spirit, and spiritual advancement in this year that has just
come upon us [1982], and above all, we extend
33
Rom. 15:2
34
Matt. 16:26
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286
our desire that all those souls may find salvation and advancement in the fear of
God, in the love of God and in all virtue.
“May the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ and the protection of His all
holy and pure Mother be with all of us in this present time, and the coming year,
and in the age to come. Amen.”
Fr. Cleopa’s Greeting to Fr. Hillarion (Friday, January 1, 1982)

“Reverend Father, Archimandrite Hillarion,
“Look, God has placed Brother Peter as a go-between for us so that we
can meet through the help of a tape recorder, even though we are so far from each
other in distance. He has asked me to send a few words to you.
“I, the sinner and unworthy one, send you, first of all, my humble bows
with love in Jesus Christ, and I extend my wishes to you before the all holy God
and His most pure Mother, that you may advance in spiritual strength, physical
stamina and all spiritual good things in this year that has arrived. May you remain
in the apostolic service there for the millions of soul who visit you and seek your
spiritual counsel.
“May the most holy God strengthen you, comfort you, and support you
in this spiritual activity, and may His most pure Mother cover you with her divine
omophorion from all temptations from the visible and invisible enemies. I
beseech you from my whole heart that you do not forget me, a sinner, in your
holy prayers, for to this very day, I have not even started to make a beginning in
virtue.
“May you have great joy in Jesus Christ, and great desire to continue to
advance and grow in spiritual stature. Extend this greeting also to all who know
us there, and ask everyone not to forget me in their holy prayers. Amen.”
Fr. Hillarion’s Response to Fr. Cleopa

“Reverend Father Cleopa,
“I was so oveijoyed at the beautiful words that you addressed to me, the
sinner, here at Cemica. I rejoiced to know that you are well and that you pray for
me, a sinner.
“I pray to the all gracious God that He may keep you healthy for a long
time to come; and through your prayers, I know that I have been strengthened in
the day-to-day warfare, both with my own passions and with the attacks that
come from outside.
“I kiss your hand with great love, and I believe and desire that we may
meet as soon as possible so that we may share words of encouragement and joy,
words of spiritual help for our salvation.
“Bless and forgive me, the sinner, Hillarion Argatu!”
Fr. Arsenius’s Greeting to the Monastic Community of Sihastria (1982)

“Fr. Paisius, Fr. Cleopa, and all those dear to me at Sihastria.
“My unworthiness has caused me to struggle alone, always keeping in
my heart the spirit of Sihastria as I knew it. The memory of the wilderness of
Sihastria35 is such a great help to me, as are especially all of you, Fr. Cleopa, Fr.
Paisius, Fr. Joel, Fr. Cyril, Fr. Macarius and Fr. Valerian, and all my beloved
fathers from there. You have preserved the honorable and angelic unity of the
place and its order. You have been a great help to so many people as pillars of
piety, stable and wise, with warm hearts open to all.
“I know that you have heard how I am so weakened and wounded, but
I rejoice greatly that you have visited me, and I feel that comfort that you have
given me and which I have always felt from you ever since Divine Providence
willed to bring us together. I love you so much! Circumstances have caused me
to be separated from you, but the all-gracious God and the Theotokos know my
impoverished tears, those of a stranger, which are shed for my salvation.
“I certainly cannot forget beloved Ambrozie and Mark who have
struggled in a manner pleasing to God so that we can be together in this life.
“I kiss your hands with much humility and love, I who am your weak
son, but full of hope, Arsenius. Amen.”
Fr. Paisius’s Response to Fr. Arsenius (1982)

“I have rejoiced, Fr. Arsenius, at your blessing and the love that you
have for us, and for the fact that you have not forgotten us, since you mentioned
not only us but also those whom you knew.
“We wish you all which is good and beautiful, all which is useful and
pleasing to God. If we do not meet again in this life, then
35
A play on words in Romanian: “sihastreasca Sihastrie,” literally means the eremitic
hermitage.
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290
“I am also very, very busy with so many souls who do not give me any
respite day or night. Whenever I find a few moments of quiet, I mike some notes
or write something, so that there will be something left after I finish my wretched
life, in case someone wants to read something.
“With humility and love I remember the times we spent together, when
you were such a great help and comfort to me in my wretchedness and in the
difficulties that I endured; I have always considered you as an angel of God near
me, for you were a man who feared God and who possessed tremendous love and
bravely faced every trial that arose, as you also gave me strength and were such
a comfort to me.
“Now, the all merciful God has deigned that we be separated from each
other, yet this separation, as I have said, is in body only and not in spirit. Nothing
stops us from living in unity of thought and spirit before God as long as love for
the all holy God remains steadfast in us.
“From time to time faithful come here from Constanta, Man- galia,
Dobrogea and Tulcea; they don’t come frequently, but some of them still make
it this far. I always ask them how you are, if you are well, and some who know
you have told me of the wonderful things you are doing. They speak highly of
the spiritual energy that you have always had and still possess.
“If it is the will of the most merciful God, I want to see you igain, but
we do not know what God wills for us.
“I was invited, almost begged, to go to Galati, where Fr. Tieophilus
Pandele worked so hard to build a church that will be consecrated on the feast of
the holy Archangels, Michael and Gabriel. He sent a car for me, and came
personally as well to escort us. As well as myself, our abbot, the abbot of Secu
and the abbot of Neamts, together with a number of priests were all invited. I felt
an obligation to go with this priest since, from the time that he was the director
of the Ministry of Religions, he has helped our monastery a great deal, especially
when it suffered from fire and was in such dire straits.
“But in the end, none of us could go: for one thing, the Holy Archangels
is also the patronal feast of Agapia Monastery and His Eminence, Metropolitan
Theoctist, called our abbot there to serve with him, as well as the abbots from
Neamts and Secu; that left just me, and since I don’t feel well, I did not feel up
to such a long trip to Galati and decided to stay home.
“Had I been able to go, I was thinking that since I had never been to
Dobrogea in my life, I would go to see you and visit the holy Cocosu Monastery,
especially since I heard that they have the relics of four holy martyrs: Attalos,
Zoticos, Philipos and Camasis which were found at Niculitel in Dobrogea.38 With
such a blessed occasion, I wanted to come and see you and also venerate the holy
relics. But now this desire is up to the will of God to fulfill at another later time,
if I live to such a day.
“There have been many times, whenever I have a few moments of
peace, that I so longed to see you again. But, as I said, all this is left to the will
of God and His gracious dispensation. One thing remains firm between us: the
love of God and his good will, and that we may beseech His loving kindness that
we never be separated in spirit. But may the mercy of our Lord, God and Savior
Jesus Christ, and the protection of the prayers of His all holy and pure Mother
and all the saints be upon us sinners, in this present age and the age to com Amen.
Fr. Cleopa’s Message to Fr. Arsenius (April 1984)

“Please convey to Fr. Arsenius my humble and love filled reverences,
and ask him to pray for me, a sinner. I am very, very busy. Right now, as I am
speaking, some students have arrived from Neamts Monastery 39 to inform me
that their student body and a number of the professors from the seminary are
coming to listen to the homilies that I preach here on the mountain.
“I have also received an official letter from the Metropolia. Bishop
Anthony has invited me to a conference, I don’t know where, but I have to attend.
The official invitation states that I am to be there on June 1 st.
“I have been having some heart trouble and am very tired. I have
responsibilities toward the monastic community here and also have to serve my
weekly rotation in the altar. I have no respite from the number of people who
come here. I don’t even have time to think.
38
These holy martyrs were from the very early centuries of Christianity and testify
to the faith of the people in what is present-day Romania.
39
Neamts Monastery also has a seminary attached to it.
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290
“I am also very, very busy with so many souls who do not give me any
respite day or night. Whenever I find a few moments of quiet, I make some notes
or write something, so that there will be something left after I finish my wretched
life, in case someone wants to read something.
“With humility and love I remember the times we spent together, when
you were such a great help and comfort to me in my wretchedness and in the
difficulties that I endured; I have always considered you as an angel of God near
me, for you were a man who feared God and who possessed tremendous love and
bravely faced every trial that arose, as you also gave me strength and were such
a comfort to me.
“Now, the all merciful God has deigned that we be separated from each
other, yet this separation, as I have said, is in body only and not in spirit. Nothing
stops us from living in unity of thought and spirit before God as long as love for
the all holy God remains steadfast in us.
“From time to time faithful come here from Constanta, Man- jalia,
Dobrogea and Tulcea; they don’t come frequently, but some of them still make
it this far. I always ask them how you are, if you are well, and some who know
you have told me of the wonderful things you are doing. They speak highly of
the spiritual energy that you have always had and still possess.
“If it is the will of the most merciful God, I want to see you again, but
we do not know what God wills for us.
“I was invited, almost begged, to go to Galati, where Fr. Theophilus
Pandele worked so hard to build a church that will be consecrated on the feast of
the holy Archangels, Michael and Gabriel. He sent a car for me, and came
personally as well to escort us. As well as myself, our abbot, the abbot of Secu
and the abbot of Neamts, together with a number of priests were all invited. I felt
an obligation to go with this priest since, from the time that he was the director
of the Ministry of Religions, he has helped our monastery a great deal, especially
when it suffered from fire and was in such dire straits.
“But in the end, none of us could go: for one thing, the Holy
Archangels is also the patronal feast of Agapia Monastery and His Eminence,
Metropolitan Theoctist, called our abbot there to serve with him, as well as the
abbots from Neamts and Secu; that left just me, and since I don’t feel well, I did
not feel up to such a long trip to Galati and decided to stay home.
“Had I been able to go, I was thinking that since I had never been to
Dobrogea in my life, I would go to see you and visit the holy Cocosu Monastery,
especially since I heard that they have the relics of four holy martyrs: Attalos,
Zoticos, Philipos and Camasis which were found at Niculitel in Dobrogea.38 With
such a blessed occasion, I wanted to come and see you and also venerate the holy
relics. But now this desire is up to the will of God to fulfill at another later time,
if I live to such a day.
“There have been many times, whenever I have a few moments of
peace, that I so longed to see you again. But, as I said, all this is left to the will
of God and His gracious dispensation. One thing remains firm between us: the
love of God and his good will, and that we may beseech His loving kindness that
we never be separated in spirit. But may the mercy of our Lord, God and Savior
Jesus Christ, and the protection of the prayers of His all holy and pure Mother
and all the saints be upon us sinners, in this present age and the age to come.
Amen.
Fr. Cleopa’s Message to Fr. Arsenius (April 1984)

“Please convey to Fr. Arsenius my humble and love filled reverences,
and ask him to pray for me, a sinner. I am very, very busy. Right now, as I am
speaking, some students have arrived from Neamts Monastery 39 to inform me
that their student body and a number of the professors from the seminary are
coming to listen to the homilies that I preach here on the mountain.
“I have also received an official letter from the Metropolia. Bishop
Anthony has invited me to a conference, I don’t know where, but I have to attend.
The official invitation states that I am to be there on June 1 st.
“I have been having some heart trouble and am very tired. I have
responsibilities toward the monastic community here and also have to serve my
weekly rotation in the altar. I have no respite from the number of people who
come here. I don’t even have time to think.
38
These holy martyrs were from the very early centuries of Christianity and testify
to the faith of the people in what is present-day Romania.
39
Neamts Monastery also has a seminary attached to it
292
292
“Whenever I do find a few moments, or an hour or two of quiet, I go
to the house in the monastery apiary high in the woods; there, I can write a little
so that when my eyes are finally closed for good, there will be something left of
me for the monastery library.
“May the all gracious God and His most pure Mother grant us
salvation. I greet you also with, ‘Christ is Risen,’ Fr. Arsenius, and beg you not
to forget us in your holy prayers!
“May the mercy of the Lord and the protection of His all holy Mother
remain with us in this age and in the age to come. Amen.”
Fr, Cleopa’s Message to Fr. Paisius (April 1984)

“Reverend Fr. Paisius,
“I will speak a few words quickly, since I am pressed for time. We just
had a monastery council meeting and I am also in rotation serving in the church
this week. We are overcome with visitors; we don’t know what to do with so
many people here. The feast of the Ascension is coming. Pentecost is coming.401
have been informed that a number of classes from the seminary, together with
professors, are coming here .for me to speak to them.
“I am busy beyond words. I want to ask you to pray more intensely that
the snow up there would melt. All of it! When I was at Si- hla I was sick for three
weeks. I was treated constantly with massages and injections, but I was about to
die. I slept in a small cell there, but endured such sweats that I was covered in
perspiration. I got out of bed when I heard the toaca for church, thinking that
there was heat in the church, but when I got there, there was not- even a fire in
the wood burner in the altar. I stayed at Matins for two hours, then when I came
back here I was struck with pain, like the way I felt when I came back from Italy.
Kidneys, kidneys, kidneys! I felt awful for two or three weeks.
“Now I have learned my lesson: when I go to Sihla, I have to take extra
clothes with me and take things slowly, being careful about how I sleep and what
I do there. If it is the mercy of God and the Mother of the Lord, then I hope that
after a week or two, before Ascen
40
The feast of Ascension is the hram of Neamts Monastery, for one week prior to the
feast, tens of thousands of pilgrims from Romania, especially from the northeastern
section of the country, travel from monastery to monastery on foot, finally arriving
at Neamts for the feast itself.
sion, we can see each other, but only if you pray that all the snow melts. When I
get there, it has to be warm! Tell Fr. Hillarion from the kitchen that when I come
he has to make a good sour soup with nettles! He knows how.
“We are living from one day to the next, tired beyond belief and buried
beneath the avalanche of people, as well as caring for the brotherhood. I was in
rotation serving in the church the first week after Pascha, and it will be my
rotation again next week. When God so wills, and through your holy prayers, we
will strive to get some things done.
“Please do not forget me in your holy prayers. When God wills that I
can go up to you again, then we will talk more extensively about whatever the
gracious God will then put in our minds.
“Brother Peter, who is like a courier, is leaving Constanta now and
coming back here, and then he will go from here to Bucharest and many other
places to convey our greetings everywhere. Remember him in your prayers, and
pray also for me, a sinner.
“Bless and forgive me.”
Fr. Paisius’ Message to Fr. Cleopa (April 1984)

“Fr. Cleopa, I thank you for the love that you have for me, a sinner,
and I rejoice that you havepromised to come and visit us. I have been expecting
you to come as soon as the cuckoo begins to sing, but here at our monastery, his
song has not yet begun since it is still winter.
“May God help us to meet again in this world, and may the Lord grant
us patience in everything that He has ordained toward our salvation. Amen.”
Fr. Cleopa Speaking About Fr. Arsenius (March 1986)

“Poor man, he is struggling along at Terchirghiol. He has a huge beard,
and he is a man whose heart is completely for the Church of Christ and for the
salvation of the world. Wherever he has gone, he has brought great honor to the
Church. He is sincere with himself, with God and with people. His great love is
to teach the people. His favorite saying has always been, and still is, ‘Brothers,
do not play around with salvation!’ That is what he says all the time, ‘Do not play
with salvation.’
“He has preached ever since he was a simple brother in the monastery.
His name when we received him here was Brother Angelos. He was my novice
at the staretia. I had a small footstool then that I
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294
slept on during the night, because a young priest needs to be more wakeful, and
one time he asked me, ‘Will you allow me to use that footstool when you are not
here?’ I told him, ‘Use it.’ That is when he began to use it and speak to others
saying, ‘Be attentive! I am only a novice, but since I am using the abbot’s chair
I will instruct you in his stead!’
“Then he would speak beautifully and give instruction to others. That
is how his life has been. He is very, very sincere and devoted. His life has been
one of sacrifice, poor man, in many parts of our country. Now he is there, and I
think that he is over seventy years old, but I cannot remember exactly. Still he
never forgets the monastery from which his mission began.
“He was with me at Slatina where I was also the abbot. I know that he
puts his entire heart into teaching people and instructing them. But, poor man, he
has become very weak and can’t endure much longer. I know what old age is
like.”
Fr. Cleopa’s Message to Fr. Arsenius (March 1986)

“Fr. Arsenius, right now as I am speaking to you, the house is full of
people; Brother Peter will attest to that. We are expecting another fifty Christians
from Pitesti any time now. We are overcome with people. But I rejoice that God
and the Mother of the Lord have kept you in good health and strengthened you
so that you can work up to this present day.
“I am nothing but a potshard bound with twine. I went through a
difficult operation this past summer for a strangulated hernia. Now I have some
heart problems as well as trouble with my lungs. Age certainly enters into all of
this. In another three weeks I will be seventy- five years old. May God’s mercy
grant that we may meet in paradise. Perhaps we will not be worthy to meet again
in this life, although it is my wish every day that we could be together, but such
a great distance separates us.
“Struggle on where you are, with the grace of God and the intercessions
of the Mother of the Lord. You are always remembered on my prayer list at the
holy proskomedia. You are not only on my list, but many of the fathers that you
know also keep you in remembrance. Wherever you have gone, you have
remained an upright man with the fear of God, and someone who loves others
greatly, desiring their salvation.
“That is why I want to tell you, since Brother Peter has come and
we are in the Great and Holy Fast; during this seven-weck journey, we have to
concentrate on prayer and fasting above all. Together with these two virtues,
we need struggles, reading holy books, watchfulness, mental vigilance, and
attentiveness to our thoughts, because all sin begins with a thought, and so we
must be watchful at all times.
“Fasting, prayer and a watchful mind are praiseworthy, but love is
greater than all these. The apostle Paul shows us that love remains above all
else. We need to show mercy to everyone as much as possible, because mercy
is the daughter of love. Let us work in mercy as much as possible, so that we
may obtain mercy on the day of judgment and in the hour of death.
“May the all holy God and the Mother of the Lord help you and me,
a sinner, so that we may finish our journey rightly, and that we may meet in
paradise.
“I wish you all spiritual joy in this Great and Holy Fast, and may
you greet the light of the resurrection of Jesus Christ with joy, rejoicing in the
day of His resurrection.
“I wish you joy, health and salvation, and ask that you do not forget
me in your holy prayers. Amen.”
Fr. Arsenius’ Greeting to the Brotherhood of Sihastria (1986)

“Bless, Fr. Cleopa, Fr. Paisius, Fr. Joel, Fr. Valerian, Fr. Am-
brozie, Fr. Barsanuphius, Fr. Macarius, and all the fathers of the monastery.
“In the fear of God and wiQi all sincerity of heart and humility of
thought, I beseech your blessing and all of your prayers. I have never
spiritually left any of you in any way, nor that most precious and holy place,
Sihastria.
“Day in and day out, my heart is with all of you, and this is a great
comfort to me. It has been clearly God’s will that I should travel to other
places and bear the cross and name of holy Sihastria. The gracious God
knows that, in my unworthiness and weakness, I have done nothing but honor
our holy Sihastria and your name as well, Fr. Cleopa, together with all the
other fathers and members of that beloved monastery.
“I have been to many places, always alone, yet I have never
departed from the hope and power of divine grace. With great fear, I tell
you that I have not abandoned the joy that I hope will be mine, hav
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ing the most holy, most precious and most powerful Mother of the Lord as
intercessor, for no one places his hope in her in vain.
Fr. Cleopa with Fr. Barsanuphius 1980

cometnTp^S my eleventh year here. Wave upon wave of faithful them and
k° *S my resPonsibility to receive them, understand here with hope W at 1 Can t0 eac^
^lem spiritually so that they leave of vou withri<5'e0P j’?0U a11 the fathers are
Ow
my joy. I remember all Do not aband/ . ât you 311 316 very strong in your
prayers. X“:X"tamxvour prayers-jus*as '■-
“Bless and forgive me, Egumen Arsenius ”
Fr. Paisius Speaking About Fr. Cleopa (1984)
“Are you going down the mountain to Fr. Cleopa? If so, then with
the grace that he has from God, he will fill you with good words. He was sick
and his leg was very painful, but he is better now.
“He does not relax his schedule. He works constantly, writing his
books, speaking and writing more. Fr. Cleopa was here with us; he comes
once or twice a year, but that’s all. Maybe now he will come more often.
“He was thinking of going to America, but decided against it. He
is ill, and doesn’t feel that he can leave his brothers’ and mother’s graves; she
is buried at Agapia Veche. He always says something about his brothers in
his sermons; he had so many brothers, but in the end....
“The gift that God has given to Fr. Cleopa is unique in our entire
country. But in the end....
“Tell him to pray and remember me in his prayers, for I have only
today, tomorrow...God help us!”
Fr. Cleopa Speaking About Fr. Paisius (1988)

“I came to the monastery in 1929, but I knew Fr. Paisius from the
time he was Brother Peter. He was visiting the abbot, Vladimir Bodescu,
having just come from the war front at Budapest durin 1 World War I. I
remember all this, poor man.
“As tired as he is, whenever he sees people coming, he is f of
compassion and says, ‘Let’s welcome them!’ The other day Neoi was there
with him; poor Fr. Paisius, his left leg was all swollen, 1J hadn’t eaten all
day, hadn’t slept either, and just then some people came from Bucovina: ‘We
kiss your hand, Reverend Father!’ That’s how they talk in Bucovina, ‘we
have come...’ ‘Where are you from?’ ‘From Margina. ’ Now remember, he
had not eaten at all that day and was very tired, so Neonil said, ‘Dear people,
do you want to kill him? Look, he is old and has not eaten anything; you don’t
leave him alone so he can sleep or pray or anything! His leg is hurting him;
look at how swollen it is and how painful it must be.’ But Fr. Paisius said,
‘Wait, Neonil, wait, leave them alone! My leg hints, but my tongue does not!
Let them come in,’ and he received them.
“Now Fr. Paisius is older than all of us. He turned eighty-eight on
June 20. He was bom in 1897, and his parents’ names were John and
Catherine. His father was a forester for many years, from the village of
Stroiesti, which is in the same township as my home village. He
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was at Cozancea Skete for twenty-eight years and served there as chief
sacristan as well as abbot. I brought him here to Sihastria in 1948 when I was
abbot. I petitioned the metropolitan for him and arranged his transfer as well
as Fr. Cyril’s, and he has been here ever since. He entered the monastic life
in 1921. My brothers Gerasim and Vasile were his disciples from 1925 to
1927.
“He heard confessions for as long as he could, and when he could no
longer, then he read; when he could no longer read, he would speak some
beneficial words. He never turned anyone away for as long as he could. This is
how he will end his days, amidst the people, and a multitude of people will mourn
his passing. He has always been very patient and a truly good man. He was a
person who comforted so many people; thousands upon thousands of souls found
comfort under his epitrachilion during his life.
“May the mercy of the most holy Trinity and the protection of the
Mother of the Lord be with us in this present age and in the age to come. Amen.”
The Elder Walks Through the Forest

As can be seen in the above messages, by the late 1980’s Elder Cleopa
and the other renowned spiritual fathers of Romania were all becoming advanced
in years and struggling with failing health. Whenever Fr. Cleopa felt a surge of
strength and had a respite from the number of visitors and pilgrims who sought
his counsel, he would go off into the forest around Sihastria, either alone or
occasionally taking a few of the brothers from the monastery with him. What a
joy it was for those brothers who were blessed to accompany the elder on those
walks into the woods. It was a blessing just to be with him in silence, but most
often when Fr. Cleopa took some of the brothers with him, he would find a
peaceful place in the forest, sit down and speak to those who were young in the
monastic life about the trials and joys that come to those who dedicate their lives
to God in the monastery.
On one particular day in 1988, the elder decided to go in search of the
old hut in the forest that had sheltered him during his withdrawal into the
mountains in 1948. A mighty resolve, together with a surge of strength and the
realization that his advanced years might not allow him another opportunity to
visit this site that was so holy to him, came together to enable him to make this
pilgrimage. He took two of
his disciples with him and set off into the forested mountains that he so dearly
loved.
They reached the general area that the elder recognized as the place
where he had withdrawn forty years earlier, but they could not find the old shack
that had offered him refuge; finally, sadly, they came to the conclusion that their
search was in vain.
Fr. Cleopa, wearing a sheepskin vest, resting on a bench at Sihastria

Tired and hungry, the elder and his two spiritual children sat down on
the edge of an embankment to eat something. As they were eating, Fr. Cleopa
realized that they were sitting on the very spot where the hut had previously
stood. Four decades of forest growth, harsh elements and abandonment had taken
their toll on the ramshackled old hut, and there was nothing left of it but bits and
pieces of wood, card
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300
board and metal sticking out from under the thickly mulched forest ground and
down the steep embankment.
The memory of those years of complete silence in this very place where
they sat overwhelmed the elder; it was here that he had so strenuously fought the
enemy of souls; here that he had come so close to God, and here that he had the
quiet that so filled his soul. With tears of joy in his eyes and gratitude to God for
allowing him to once more visit this holy place of his younger days, the elder
turned to the other monks and said, “What a true miracle this is! Just when we
thought that we had searched and worn ourselves out in vain, the Lord has
granted us this great joy of finding the old hut!”
The monks realized that the elder would probably never again be able
to visit this place of his spiritual warfare, and all gave glory to God for allowing
Fr. Cleopa, and them, to make such a holy pilgrimage to that special place. They
returned down the mountain to Sihastria, full of gratitude to God.
The Repose of Hieroschemamonk Paisius41

The relationship that existed between the renowned spiritual fathers of
Romania during the latter part of the 20 th century was truly a bond of spiritual
love. These were the fathers and shepherds of souls who encouraged and
comforted the vast multitudes of faithful who were suffering under the repressive
and atheistic yoke of communism. The fathers, all advanced in age, never
expected to see the days when Romania would once again be free The events of
the December, 1989 Revolution that overthrew the tyrannical rule which had held
their land in an iron grip for over forty years came as an unexpected blessing to
these elders. It was something that would certainly place new demands on Fr.
Cleopa in his last years.
By this time, Hieroschemamonk Paisius, Fr. Cleopa’s spiritual father,
was waiting for the day when he would depart to the Lord. The names of Fr.
Paisius and Fr. Cleopa are forever bound together, just as their lives had been
from Fr. Cleopa’s early youth. These two elders were known throughout all of
Romania, and indeed even beyond its borders, above all the other skilled and
ascetical spiritual fathers of that land in the last years of the 20 th century.
41
The account of Fr. Paisius’ death and funeral are translated from Parintele
Paisius, Duhovnicul by Archimandrite loanichie Balan.
Both Fr. Cleopa and Fr. Paisius were visited by countless faithful and
monastics; both were gifted by God with the grace of preaching and the gift of
tears. Both were father to thousands of spiritual children of all ages, simple
peasant children and adults as well as intellectuals, priests and hierarchs. Both
were charismatic and gifted with foresight. Both were men of prayer who
sacrificed themselves for the salvation of the multitudes who came to them.
Inasmuch as both of these spiritual fathers possessed many of the same spiritual
attributes, each had qualities specific to himself.
Fr. Paisius had a very gentle, calm and affectionate nature. He never
refused to hear anyone’s confession, regardless of how tired he was or the fact
that there were numerous other priests who could hear the confessions of those
who came to him. He spoke very slowly and quietly, was always quick to forgive
and shed tears for all who came to him, having a special love and place in his
heart for mothers, children and those who were ill. He heard confessions day and
night from the multitude of people who would line up at his door, and he
constantl; strove to bring peace into their souls so that all who departed from hin
would return to their homes with grateful hearts. Because of the number of people
who came to him, he would not lie down to sleep on a bed, but instead he just
leaned back on his chair to hear confessions and nap a little until the next person
came to him. Whenever someone knocked on his door or called out to him from
outside, he would ask, “Who is it?” Then, if he did not have someone else with
him confessing at that moment, he would say, “Come in. Come in!”
There were two things that we were never able to ascertain about Fr.
Paisius: we never knew when and how much he ate, nor when and how much he
slept. Every day one of his disciples would bring him some food, leaving the tray
on a chair in his cell; but the elder would not eat anything until he had finished
hearing the confessions of the faithful who were waiting for him.
Before his final illness, but while he was already quite elderly, Fr.
Paisius would grab a hoe and go out in the garden whenever he found a few free
moments. One time another spiritual father asked him, “Fr. Paisius, why do you
work so much in the garden? Aren’t your labors with the faithful enough to wear
you out?”
But the elder replied, “I go outside into the fresh air and work a little
bit in the garden so that I can forget some of the serious sins that I hear in
confessions! The devil likes to constantly remind priests of the
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sins that they hear in confessions, especially carnal sins, in the hope that these
might tempt us old men. I also like to work by myself in the garden so that I can
practice prayer of the mind and strengthen my own soul. Otherwise we could not
have the strength for all these people who come to us, and our words and prayers
would have no effect on changing the souls of the faithful.”
Fr. Paisius never imposed strict penances on his spiritual children;
instead he always took into consideration the age, zeal and love that each one had
for Christ. The most common canon of penance that he gave to people was to
repeat Psalm 50 seven times and the Lord’s Prayer fifteen times each day, as well
as do the Jesus Prayer with prostrations, and read the Morning and Evening
Prayers, the Canon to the Savior and the Paradis to the Theotokos. This is why
so many of the faithful would seek him, and he was able to save more than a few
souls for the kingdom of God.
When people came to him for confession, the elder would always say
“Be patient! Don’t cut down the cross in any way!” In other words, do not
complain or lose hope during the trials and tribulations of this life. He would
weep with those who wept over their sins, and would likewise rejoice with those
who were delivered from passions. Surpassing this great compassion,
Hieroschemamonk Paisius also possessed the gift of foresight. He would
sometimes tell someone not to leave the monastery toward evening, so that the
person would not have an accident or other mishap; to others he would say that
they should not leave the monastery without partaking of holy communion. All
who obeyed these final words of advice would escape harm and find that things
in their lives went well, through his blessing. This is why none of the elder’s
disciples ever went against his direction.
Hieroschemamonk Paisius lived a more eremitical life between 1973
and 1985 at Sihla Skete, a dependency of Sihastria, near the cave of St. Theodora
of Sihla. There he combined the eremitic life with that of being spiritual father
and guide to many of the faithful as well as to a number of monks from Sihastria.
Although he did not rest day or night, he was very peaceful in soul during that
time because he saw that God worked through him to bring peace and joy to the
homes of those who came to him.
In 1986, Elder Paisius broke his leg and was brought down to Sihastria
where his disciple, Fr. Gerasim, could better cared for him. From that time until
his death he never left his bed, and although he no
longer received everyone who sought him, he still heard the confessions and
offered counsel to a number of elderly monks, priests, faithful and even bishops
who had all been his spiritual children for many years. By this time, in addition
to the fracture in his leg that would not heal, he was quite hard of hearing and
almost completely blind from advanced double cataracts in his eyes, but his
memory, ability to offer counsel and watchfulness over his own soul and
others’ was still very' sharp, for the grace of the Holy Spirit abode firmly in
him.
When one monk came to see him a few days before his falling asleep,
the elder said, “Father, pray, pray, pray for me. This is serious. Pray that God
may release me from the bond of the body in peace and that He may grant
forgiveness of sins to me and to all those who confessed to me during my life.”
Shortly before his death, another disciple, himself a spiritual father to
many, went to the elder to receive a final blessing and last words of advice. Fr.
Paisius spoke in the soft voice of one who is at peace in his soul, “Father, do
not put off until tomorrow that which yoi can do today, for you do not know if
you will live until tomorrow! De everything with prayer and with a blessing, for
the good of the community, in the name of the Holy Trinity.”
All who went to receive a final blessing from Elder Paisius during the
last days of his life remembered how he always bade farewell to them, “May
we meet at the gate of paradise!”
Some of his closer disciples asked him, “We want to meet together in
paradise; why do you want to meet at the gate of paradise?”
The elder answered them with love and gentleness, “Let us see
ourselves delivered from the evil wiles of the devil, then if we reach the gate of
paradise, God will not abandon us. At that holy gate we will cry out to the
Theotokos, beseech the aid of the saints and weep at the door of the merciful
Savior, and He will not leave us outside! Up to that point of reaching the door
of paradise it is difficult.”
Just as the sun was dawning on October 18, 1990, the great spiritual
father, Hieroschemamonk Paisius, who had neared the age of ninety-four, gave
his soul into the hands of Christ. Two of his closest disciples were at his
bedside and witnessed how the elder fell asleep in the Lord peacefully, as one
sleeping. It was a gentle and blessed ending to his life, one for which he had
prepared since his youth and which he had awaited with great longing.
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The funeral for Fr. Paisius was held in Sihastria on October 20, a
Saturday, officiated by Metropolitan Daniel of Moldavia and Bucovina, and was
attended by thousands of his spiritual children, both monks and laymen, who
accompanied their beloved spiritual father to his final resting place in Sihastria’s
cemetery. Standing at the head of his coffin, as had been promised from their
younger days, stood Elder Cleopa.
The funeral service for the beloved elder held a most holy and festal
atmosphere, full of great hope in the truth of the resurrection. The longing for
eternity fell on everyone present, for Fr. Paisius had always spoken to everyone
about paradise, about the joy of being united with Christ. Now the beloved elder
was preceding all his beloved children to that door of paradise, and everyone was
full of the hope that his prayers would open those doors to all of them.
From the day of his burial, the vigil lamp on the elder’s grave has never
been allowed to bum out. With the interment of the holy elder, Sihastria’ s
cemetery became a place even more holy, a place of prayer and spiritual strength
to all who visit his grave and offer prayers there.
Shortly after the fortieth day following the falling asleep of Fr. Paisius,
one of his closest disciples was praying in the elder’s cell one night. Exhausted,
he knelt down and sat back on his heels; perhaps he slept a moment or two, but
suddenly he saw Elder Paisius in front of un, clothed in rasa, schema and
epitrachilion, standing near the edge his bed, with a cross in his hand, weeping.
The disciple was greatly sadened at the elder’s tears, kissed the cross and the
elder’s hand and sked, “Why are you crying, Fr. Paisius? Are you in pain?”
The elder replied, “No, my beloved. But if you do not weep, then I must
weep for you, for it is very difficult to reach paradise. What trials and fear the
soul endures then! If you do not weep for yourself here, then who will weep for
you after death? Only those who suffer heartache and who have a pine conscience
weep. Do you see how quickly time passes! Oh! Do not let time go by uselessly,
for once it is gone, you cannot regain it. Do what you are able to do today and do
not put things off until tomorrow, for we do not know if we will live until then.
If there are things that you are able to do and you neglect to do them, you have
committed a great sin, and you cannot hide anything from God’s eyes. He
searches the intent you have for everything you do. Do you do things to please
man or God? Be attentive, for paradise
Pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
is so very precious and it is so difficult to attain. Be attentive to your soul, for
everyone must answer in detail for it. It is not years that help us, but deeds, my
beloved.”
The disciple said to the elder, “Fr. Paisius, eat something because it is
3:00.” But the elder replied, “Wait until after Vespers.” and with those words he
disappeared from before the disciple’s eyes. The disciple wept a great deal
because of Fr. Paisius’ tears and told others, “I feel as if I can always see him
standing before me, weeping and saying those words to me.”
The true spiritual fathers of our own days continue to care and instruct
us even after death.
With the falling asleep of Fr. Paisius, Fr. Cleopa found himself deluged
not only by those who had always come to him, but by those who formerly sought
Fr. Paisius as well. Quite elderly by this time, the elder thought of quiet and
silence in his last years, but this was out of the question: there were so many souls
seeking consolation, and proselytizing wolves had begun to invade Romania
following the 1989 Revolution.
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Fr. Cleopa with faithful seeking a blessing under his epitrachilion

ELDER CLEOPA: DEFENDER
ELDER CLEOPA: DEFENDER
OF ORTHODOXY
Fr. Cleopa’s Qualifications as a Theologian
ITC s Fr. Cleopa neared the age of eighty, any thought of a respite
was out of the question. With the fall of com- 4=kmunism in Romania and the
eastern bloc, the elder would be officially called upon by bishops of the
Romanian Orthodox Church to defend the Faith against proselytizing foreign
activists. The aged, simple “shepherd-monk” who had little formal education was
able to confront and fight the battle on a front of spiritual warfare.
There have been several references to Fr. Cleopa’s writings during his
years as abbot of Sihastria and following his return from his solitary years in the
wilderness. It is hard to believe that he ever found time to write because of the
number of monastics and lay people who sought him out, as well as his own very
exhaustive prayer rule; yet, even during the years of communist domain, the
Church called upon his talent for writing and published a limited number of some
of his
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308
works. There were certainly many other learned monks, priests and theologians
who could have written books, yet it was always Fr. Cleopa’s writings that were
sought and that carried the authority of one who not only knew the faith, but truly
suffered for it.
The elder was known throughout the nation as a powerful preacher, for
God had endowed him with a gift of speech, and he so thoroughly knew holy
Scripture, the teachings of the holy fathers and the canons of the Church that he
truly spoke with authority. At the urg- ings of a number of hierarchs and
theologians, he began to write down a number of sermons, as well as compose
certain books pertaining to patristics, theology and morals. The great Romanian
theologian, Fr. Dumitru Staniloae, in particular, encouraged Fr. Cleopa to write
these books, as did Metropolitan Anthony who was one of the elder’s spiritual
children. Without question, it was Metropolitan Anthony who interceded with
the civil authorities for the permission to print these books during communist
times.
We have no record of Fr. Cleopa’s earliest writings. These were done
while he was in obedience at the monastery sheepfold as a young novice and
were, as he himself often recalled, notes and thoughts that he jotted down on
scraps of paper. Since he did this without receiving a blessing beforehand, he
burned all of those earliest inscriptions. What a loss this is for us! What insight
those notes would have given us into the hidden life of the young novice who
was to become one of Romania’s greatest spiritual leaders. Yet, it was God’s will
that his thoughts during that time remain known only to the Lord alone.
Once Fr. Cleopa became the acting abbot of Sihastria, he started to
write down some notes and short sermons or words of advice that he gave to the
brothers to read. As he advanced in age and became better known, his association
with other theologians, such as Fr. Petronius Tanase, Metropolitan Anthony
Plamadeala, Hieromonk Arsenins Papacioc and others, encouraged him to begin
more seriously to write these sermons and words of counsel for monastics and
lay people. Prior to the fall of communism, the following are works written by
Fr. Cleopa and published (in very limited quantities) in Romania:
VIIThe first of his official writings was one in which Fr. Cleopa
worked in direct collaboration with other theologians from Slatina and was
entitled Letter to the Holy Monastery of Vladimiresti. This was written on
October 14, 1954 and was a dogmatic and canonic
Fr. Cleopa: Defender of Orthodoxy
309
confrontation against the serious abuses and teachings contrary to the instructions
of the holy fathers that were occurring at that monastery.
VIII Explanation Regarding the Errors of the Old Calendarists was Fr.
Cleopa’s second literary work. This was done in 1955 under the direction of the
Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, with the intention of drawing
those schismatic faithful back into the embrace of the Mother Church. 1
IX Sermons for Monastics (Philokalic Sermons) is the work which is
most representative of Fr. Cleopa’s spirituality. This was written between 1961
and 1962 during the elder’s third withdrawal into the wilderness. Fr. Cleopa liked
to say that it was written “at the roots of the pine trees.” This was, however, not
published until after the fall of communism when the Metropolia of Moldavia
and Bucovina printed it under the title Ascent to Resurrection in two editions:
1992 and 1998. This contains fifty sermons of profound noetic quality, intended
particularly for monastics and those Christians who strive to go deeper into the
spiritual life. This book was also translated and printed in Greek in 1988 at
Thessalonika.
X Guide to Confession for Hierarchs. This was written during one
of the elder’s periods of withdrawal in the wilderness. As he relates, “While I
was living in the little shack in the forest, the thought came to me to write a guide
for confession for bishops, but I hesitated, wondering if it was a good thing for
me to write this or not. The afternoon sun was beating on my face, then I made
three prostrations and prayed that God would give me the understanding to bring
this work to a good conclusion. As I was praying and preparing to begin this
work, through the rays of the sun I saw a bishop clothed in vestments that radiated
with light, and he blessed me as a bishop does with both hands. Then I understood
that God had blessed me to do this work, so, signing myself with the holy cross,
I began to write.”
L As noted earlier in this book, the Romanian Orthodox Church adopted the revised
Gregorian calendar in the early 20th century, however, a small group of clergy and laity
refused to obey this decision of the Holy Synod and broke away from the Patriarchate of
Bucharest. Fr. Cleopa’s emphasis is always on obedience to one’s hierarch and the Holy
Synod. As has been shown, there is definitely conununion between the Church of Romania
(on the Gregorian Calendar) and those Churches (such as Russia, the Holy Land, Mount
Athos, etc.) who still use the Julian calendar.
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308
works. There were certainly many other learned monks, priests and theologians
who could have written books, yet it was always Fr. Cleopa’s writings that were
sought and that carried the authority of one who not only knew the faith, but truly
suffered for it.
The elder was known throughout the nation as a powerful preacher, for
God had endowed him with a gift of speech, and he so thoroughly knew holy
Scripture, the teachings of the holy fathers and the canons of the Church that he
truly spoke with authority. At the urg- ings of a number of hierarchs and
theologians, he began to write down a number of sermons, as well as compose
certain books pertaining to patristics, theology and morals. The great Romanian
theologian, Fr. Dumitru Staniloae, in particular, encouraged Fr. Cleopa to write
these books, as did Metropolitan Anthony who was one of the elder’s spiritual
children. Without question, it was Metropolitan Anthony who interceded with
the civil authorities for the permission to print these books during communist
times.
We have no record of Fr. Cleopa’s earliest writings. These were done
while he was in obedience at the monastery sheepfold as a young novice and
were, as he himself often recalled, notes and thoughts that he jotted down on
scraps of paper. Since he did this without receiving a blessing beforehand, he
burned all of those earliest inscriptions. What a loss this is for us! What insight
those notes would have given us into the hidden life of the young novice who
was to become one of Romania’s greatest spiritual leaders. Yet, it was God’s will
that his thoughts during that time remain known only to the Lord alone.
Once Fr. Cleopa became the acting abbot of Sihastria, he started to
write down some notes and short sermons or words of advice that he gave to the
brothers to read. As he advanced in age and became better known, his association
with other theologians, such as Fr. Petronius Tanase, Metropolitan Anthony
Plamadeala, Hieromonk Arsenins Papacioc and others, encouraged him to begin
more seriously to write these sermons and words of counsel for monastics and
lay people. Prior to the fall of communism, the following are works written by
Fr. Cleopa and published (in very limited quantities) in Romania:
26 The first of his official writings was one in which Fr. Cleopa
worked in direct collaboration with other theologians from Slatina and was
entitled Letter to the Holy Monastery of Vladimiresti. This was written on
October 14, 1954 and was a dogmatic and canonic
309
confrontation against the serious abuses and teachings contrary to the instructions
of the holy fathers that were occurring at that monastery.
27 Explanation Regarding the Errors of the Old Calendarists was Fr.
Cleopa’s second literary work. This was done in 1955 under the direction of the
Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, with the intention of drawing
those schismatic faithful back into the embrace of the Mother Church. 1
28 Sermons for Monastics (Philokalic Sermons) is the work which is
most representative of Fr. Cleopa’s spirituality. This was written between 1961
and 1962 during the elder’s third withdrawal into the wilderness. Fr. Cleopa liked
to say that it was written “at the roots of the pine trees.” This was, however, not
published until after the fall of communism when the Metropolia of Moldavia
and Bucovina printed it under the title Ascent to Resurrection in two editions:
1992 and 1998. This contains fifty sermons of profound noetic quality, intended
particularly for monastics and those Christians who strive to go deeper int' the
spiritual life. This book was also translated and printed in Greek 1988 at
Thessalonika.
29 Guide to Confession for Hierarchs. This was written d ing one of
the elder’s periods of withdrawal in the wilderness. As r relates, “While I was
living in the little shack in the forest, the thought came to me to write a guide for
confession for bishops, but I hesitated, wondering if it was a good thing for me
to write this or not. The afternoon sun was beating on my face, then I made three
prostrations and prayed that God would give me the understanding to bring this
work to a good conclusion. As I was praying and preparing to begin this work,
through the rays of the sun I saw a bishop clothed in vestments that radiated with
light, and he blessed me as a bishop does with both hands. Then I understood that
God had blessed me to do this work, so, signing myself with the holy cross, I
began to write.”
L As noted earlier in this book, the Romanian Orthodox Church adopted the revised
Gregorian calendar in the early 20th century, however, a small group of clergy and laity
refused to obey this decision of the Holy Synod and broke away from the Patriarchate of
Bucharest. Fr. Cleopa’s emphasis is always on obedience to one’s hierarch and the Holy
Synod. As has been shown, there is definitely communion between the Church of
Romania (on the Gregorian Calendar) and those Churches (such as Russia, the Holy Land,
Mount Athos, etc.) who still use the Julian calendar.
310
310
During the years of solitude and quiet between 1961 and 1963, Fr.
Cleopa’s spiritual father gave the elder the obedience of drawing up other guides
for confessions. Fr. Cleopa was the ideal person to do this since he knew the holy
canons of the Church so thoroughly. Thus during those years, the following were
composed:
30 Guide to Confession for Abbots/Abbesses
31 Guide to Confession for Hieromonk-Confessors
32 General Confession for Monastics
33 Guide to Confession for Married Clergy
34
About the Orthodox Faith is another of Fr. Cleopa’s essential
works. This examines the dogmatic teachings of the Orthodox Church in a
manner that is understandable by all and contains a preface by Fr. Dumitru
Staniloai. This work was written between 1975 and 1976 and printed by the
Biblical Institute of Bucharest in 1981 and again in 1985. In 1991 the Episcopate
of Dunarii de Jos reprinted the book under the title of Guide to the Orthodox
Faith.
35 Spiritual Conversations, a work compiled by Archimandrite
loanichie Balan, was published in 1984 by the Episcopate of Roman2 and Husi.
This book was composed of transcripts of spiritual conversations with about sixty
spiritual fathers of Romania and included ten conversations with Fr. Cleopa. This
particular book was very well received among the faithful throughout the country
since it dealt with numerous spiritual and canonical problems which were
affecting the ife of the Church. In 1993 two editions of this work were re-printed
in Romanian. In addition to the Romanian versions, the book was translated into
Greek in 1985 and the conversations with Fr. Cleopa were printed in Italian in
1991 and in English in 1994.
36 Spiritual Conversations II was printed in 1988 and contains four
veiy important transcripts from Fr. Cleopa on various dogmatic, canonic and
moral topics.
37 Light and Deeds of the Faith was published by the Metro- polia of
Moldavia and Bucovina in 1994 and consists solely of the fourteen transcripts
from Fr. Cleopa which had previously been printed in Spiritual Conversations I
& II. This was reprinted in 1999.
2Translator’s note: “Episcopate of Roman” does not refer to the Roman Catholic Church.
Roman is a city in northeastern Romania and home to a diocesan center of the Romanian
Orthodox Church.
311
38 Sermons for the Great Feasts and Saints During the Year by Fr.
Cleopa was published in two editions in 1986 and 1996 by the Episcopate of
Roman. This was a work long awaited and well utilized by all parish priests in
Romania.
39 Sunday Sermons for the Year by Fr. Cleopa was published in 1990
and 1996, also by the Episcopate of Roman.
40 The Value of the Soul was published in 1991 in Galati and in 1994
in Bacau.
41 Dreams and Visions was published in 1993 in Bucharest and in
1994 in Bacau.
42
Spiritual Counsels of Fr. Cleopa (volumes 1-8) were compiled
and printed by the Episcopate of Roman between 1995 and 1999. 3
43 Miracles of God in Creation, printed in 1996 by the Episcopate of
Roman.
44 Akathistier composed by Archimandrite Cleopa and Hiero-
schemamonk Paisius, was printed by Editura Pelerinul in Iasi in 1996 and again
in 1998.
The writing and publication of these works throughout the years was
indeed a major accomplishment. Aside from the fact that many of these were
printed during years of communist oppression, they were also composed by an
individual who, in the eyes and judgment of the world, had very little education.
As has been noted throughout this book, Fr. Cleopa’s formal education was very
limited; however, possessing a remarkable mind and memory, he was self-
educated to a level that few possess.
The first schooling that Fr. Cleopa experienced was that which he
learned in his family from his earliest childhood. The elder’s spiritual formation
had its basis in the piety and tears of his mother, the courage and steadfastness of
his father and the moral authority of Fr. George Chiriac who served as the parish
priest in Fr. Cleopa’s home village when the elder was a young child. All these
influences left such an imprint on the souls of the elder and his siblings that, as
they grew
^Translator's note: there are now 10 volumes of these counsels, many of which have been
included in this book; the rest are slated to be translated and printed in a separate volume
by New Varatec Publishing of Protection Monastery, Lake George, Colorado.
312
312
older, they naturally drew nearer to God through prayer and virtuous deeds.
The educational and spiritual influence of Hieroschemamonk Paisius,
attested to throughout this biography, formed a deep impression on Fr. Cleopa,
as well as his brothers Vasile and George. They were under Fr. Paisius’ direction
for five years, during which time they were well grounded in obedience, silence,
humility, spiritual struggles and the practice of the Jesus Prayer.
The seed which Fr. Paisius had sown in the three youths fell upon the
fertile earth of their hearts, for, as we have seen, all three entered Sihastria
Monastery where they served Christ to the end of their earthly lives, each of the
brothers fulfilling his obediences perfectly and struggling along the ascetic path.
One of the lessons firmly implanted in each of the Hie brothers,
especially Fr. Cleopa who outlived the other two, was that of almsgiving. The
elder always had a special place in his heart for those who were in want and never
failed to sacrifice things that he personally needed for the sake of the poor. There
were many who were literally saved from death during times of famine through
the love and sacrifices made by the elder. He not only learned to give alms, but
taught others that, no matter how poor people may be, they must sacrifice and
make offerings to others and to the Church; thus the elder learned and advanced
in this virtue and was a “professor” of it to others.
Fr. Cleopa’s third withdrawal into the wilderness between 1959 and
1964, through the grace of Christ, brought him to the highest level of asceticism
which few reach in our present times—that of ceaseless prayer of the heart. He
spoke with no one but rather thought constantly of death; he had no possessions,
no money, no comfort except the mercy of God and the intercessions of the
Theotokos. He was given the gift of tears and great peace in his heart. He longed
to stay in the wilderness and not return to the community life of the monastery;
his beloved wilderness brought him such sweet peace and prayer. The elder
always considered those years of solitude as his “university.”
That “university” of peace prepared him not only to guide people, as
we have seen, through so many oppressive years of communist tyranny in
Romania, but it also prepared him for what still lay ahead of him in his old age.
After returning from the wilderness, the beloved elder spent another thirty-four
years guiding and spiritually protecting the faithful in Romania, and now even
those dwelling be
313
yond its borders, from wolves seeking to devour their souls. He burned constantly
for Christ, as a pure beeswax candle, waiting day and night for the coming of our
Lord again upon the earth.
Whenever learned individuals from society such as professors,
theologians or dignitaries came to the elder and asked him where he had studied
to gain such learning and knowledge of the canons, dogmas of the Church and
teachings of the fathers, Fr. Cleopa would answer with a slight smile on his gentle
face: “See that walking stick near the door? That is what I used when I was taking
care of the sheep. See that knapsack hanging on the nail? I carried books that I
borrowed from Neamts Monastery in that and read them while I was watching
the sheep. Look at those opinci;4 do you see them? That is my knowledge! My
schools were at Taciunele, at Piciorul Crucii, at Rascoale, at Chita Mica, at Chita
Mare, at Movila lui Dubau, at Fagii Rari, at Paraul Solomazdrelor, at Piciorul
Cucului, at Piciorul Rotunzii, at Paraul Ruginii, at Rapa lui Coroi, at Piatra
Dediului, at Poiana lui Iosif, at Poiana lui Serchie, at Poiana Arsitei, and
everywhere else where I wandered with the monastery sheep for more than ten
years!”
These were indeed the schools and universities that formed the beloved
spiritual father, Elder Cleopa, who lovingly cared for those who came to him
from near jmd far. As a true shepherd, in his elder years, he did not sleep nor
abandon his flock when ravaging wolves descended upon it.
The fall of communism throughout Eastern Europe in 1989 was an
event which those of Fr. Cleopa’s generation never expected to see. Now, the
beloved elder was besieged by thousands of people who came to seek his counsel
and receive instruction. Many of these people were the same who had been
coming to him for years, but in addition to these, were those who had long wanted
to speak to the elder and receive his blessing, but feared to do so previously
because of sure retaliation from the atheist authorities; these included teachers,
professional people and most likely even those who worked specifically for the
former government. Now, as these all flocked to Fr. Cleopa, the local bishop and
the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church called the elder into further
service to the Church in writing and publishing various texts, many of which we
have mentioned above, as well
4 See chapter 2, note 7
314
314
as articles for Church magazines and newspapers which were enjoying the new
atmosphere of being able to publish freely.
Like any good shepherd, the elder was gentle and loving with his own
sheep, but when others sought to attack and steal them away, he came out
brandishing his spiritual weapons and defending the people and the Faith with a
vigor one would not have expected to see in such an aged monk!
During the communist years of rule, the Department of Religions kept
strict control on the religious activities permitted in Romania. Since over 85% of
the population was Orthodox, obviously Orthodoxy was the main faith, but the
state also allowed limited worship for the Roman Catholics, Baptists, Lutherans
(who also had a seminaiy in the country), one Unitarian parish, and a few other
denominations. Before the 1989 Revolution, Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses and
“non- denominational” churches were not permitted in the country. While it may
appear on the surface that there was a good measure of religious freedom in
Romania under the communists, this was hardly the case; religious persecution
was very strong but not always as obvious as it was in other eastern block nations.
The Department of Religions tried to give the impression that it worked together
with the Church, when in fact it was quite oppressive, only throwing a “bone” to
the Church authorities from time to time. The department officials would openly
declare, “We are working with you, not against you,” yet it is interesting o note
that the chief of the Department of Religions in 1968 was also he professor of
atheism at the University of Bucharest!
The December 1989 Revolution opened the door in Romania, allowing
all the previously prohibited groups to enter the country and set up their own
places of worship. The new government gave complete freedom to everyone to
publish, preach, teach and further educate the people. Seminary enrollment at all
Orthodox seminaries soared, and additional seminaries and theological
academies opened where enrollment immediately reached full capacity.
Finally, the clergy were permitted to preach the Faith fully instead of
skirting around issues, and people were no longer afraid to attend Church services
or ask the priest for instruction. But the decades of little or no instruction in the
teachings of the Church had taken their toll. While the majority of the people in
the country still proclaimed that they were Orthodox Christians, their poverty
level and lack of ba
315
sic catechism knowledge made them a prime target for the proselytizing groups
that invaded the country from wealthy western nations.
Adventists, Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses and Christians belonging to
no specific group flocked into Romania with abundant gifts for children, trying
to bribe the faithful away from Orthodoxy. While Fr. Cleopa had always
defended the Faith and did everything he could to instruct the people in the
teachings of the Church in spite of communist threats, now was the time when
he was sought constantly by the faithful. The bishops of the Romanian Orthodox
Church called on him constantly on him to speak, teach, travel, educate and
combat the various Protestant and Neo-protestant groups that were attacking the
sheepfold. Thanks to the fact that many people recorded Fr. Cleopa’s sermons
and discussions, we have his exact words on a number of topics related to this
problem.
Fr. Cleopa preaching the true Faith

316
316
On Jehovah Witnesses
There was a faithful Orthodox Christian who had a relative that was
attracted to the Jehovah Witnesses. Inasmuch as this faithful Orthodox person
tried through discussions and arguments to turn his relative back to the true Faith,
he was unable to do so; finally they decided to come together to Fr. Cleopa.
When they reached Fr. Cleopa’s cell, there was a large group already
there, as usual, and the elder was speaking to them on the theme of “how the
devil deceives man.” As they listened to the elder speaking, the faithful man was
waiting for the end of Fr. Cleopa’s discourse hoping for an opportunity to steer
the elder into a discussion with his wayward relative, for he knew that Fr. Cleopa
would be able to clearly explain the true Faith. As the elder was still speaking,
however, the man noticed that his family member’s face had changed com-
pletely: he looked joyful and peacefill, and the expression on his face was radiant.
As he listened to the elder speaking, his heart was moved deeply, and he no
longer had anything to ask or debate with Fr. Cleopa. Still the Orthodox man
wanted to begin a discussion with the elder, but the formerly wandering relative
stopped him, saying, “There is nothing I can ask him! I have never seen a man
like this in my life!”
This was just one of numerous cases when Fr. Cleopa’s mere presence
was enough to change a person’s heart from abandoning the True Faith.
On another occasion, the elder spoke clearly regarding Jehovah

Witnesses:
“These are called antichrists, for they specifically attack the divinity of
Jesus Christ. One of their preachers from Piatra Neamts came here to speak with
me, being brought by his parents. He had refused to go into the army or even
touch a weapon, and because of that he served two years and seven months of
imprisonment. They deny the authority of the state as well as that of the Church.
This young man was handsome and strong, and he came here together with his
parents.
“They said to me, ‘Father, we came here for you to talk with our son;
he doesn’t want to listen to anything that we have taught him since he was a child.
’
“ ‘Well, what is your name?’
“ ‘George.’
“ ‘What religion do you adhere to?’
317
“ ‘I am a witness to Jehovah who is in heaven.’
“ ‘Really? Do you recognize any military, political or Church
authority?’
“ ‘No! Everything is Jehovah in heaven.’
“There were a lot of people present. This was the first time I had any
kind of discussion with a Jehovah Witness; he had been brought by his parents,
but later others came from Botosani.
“ ‘What! Listen! Don’t you submit to any kind of authority?’
“ ‘No.’
“ ‘Do you believe the New Testament, the epistles of the great apostle
Paul?’
“ ‘Yes, I believe them.’
“ ‘OK, then open to Romans 13:1-8.’
“He had a Bible in his pocket, but did not want to open it.”
“ ‘Open it, young man! Look, I have a Bible right there, but you open
it, since you are the one who does not believe in any kind of authority.”
“ ‘No!’
“Then his father said, ‘Read it, son, read it! We brought you here so
you could learn. ’
“I had already written a book with a chapter called The State in
Biblical Understanding which explains why we pay taxes to the government,
why we obey civil authorities and why we remember those in authority in our
holy services. Finally, he opened his Bible and read, Let every soul be subject to
the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God.
“ ‘Did you hear that? Did you hear that, dear people? God sets
authorities in place all over the face of the earth. It doesn’t matter if we think they
are good or bad. God has set them in power. Now, read the next verse! You don’t
want to? Read it, because the second verse will hit you even harder over the head
since it says therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God.
Now, wait a minute! Who is Jehovah?’
“ ‘God.’
“ ‘Really? I also know that He is God, for we call Him God and
Jehovah and Sabaoth and Jesus Christ. The Russians call Him ‘Bozhe,’ the
English call Him ‘God,’ the Greeks call Him ‘Theos,’ the French call Him
‘Dieu,’ the Jews call him ‘Jehovah’ and we Romanians call Him ‘Dumnezeu,’
but they are all the same name for God.
318
318
Have you heard that Jehovah has established authority on earth9
For there / s- no authority except from God. Did you hear that? And
furthe on, what docs it say? Whoever resists the authority resists
the ordi nance of God. So, Jehovah is God?’
“ ‘Yes.’
“ ‘So you see that you are against Jehovah? You are not
a Je- hovist! You are the greatest anti-jehovist. You are the greatest
antichrist, deceived by Satan! Now hold on, you are not getting
away with just that! Read on further!
‘Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom
taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor
to whom honor. Owe no one anything. ’
“ ‘Now, have you seen what the apostle orders? We
have to give taxes and honor and be subject and pray for those in
authority.’
“After I had said all that and given him the proof from
Scripture, he approached me, said, ‘Good day’ and left without
saying anything else because he was embarrassed at being proven
wrong in front of so many people.
“After about three weeks, his parents came to me and
said, ‘Father, our son went to his job where there is a group of about
twelve Jehovah Witnesses and used the Scripture verses that you
showed him against their own teachings.’
“Brothers, these are antichrists. Do not follow them, for
they are the forerunners of the antichrist and deny the divinity of
Jesus Christ. The evangelist John, in chapter four of his first epistle
says Every pirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in
the flesh is not of God. This is the spirit of the antichrist. That is
why he says, Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether
they are of God because many false prophets have gone out into the
world, and they seek to deceive men and lead them astray from the
true Faith right into gehenna.”
About Pentecostals
As a group gathered outside the elder’s cell one day to
hear him speak, he sat down on the porch and began to speak to
them about the errors and waywardness of those claiming to be
Pentecostals. This was during the time when many Pentecostals
were making inroads among the faithful and leading them away
from Orthodoxy.
Fr. Cleopa. Defender of Orthodoxy
Fr. Cleopa. Defender of Orthodoxy
319
“As our Lord was walking with His disciples on the
Mount of Olives, He told them that they should not leave Jerusalem,
but rather that they should wait there for the promise made by the
Father. You know what the Savior told the apostles, You shall be
baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.5
“How is it that these cursed Pentecostals of today claim
that they have been baptized with the Holy Spirit? Who gave you
the Holy Spirit? The devil caused you to be baptized with the Holy
Spirit and fire! The Holy Spirit was given only to the apostles, in
the form of tongues of fire, and then through them it was given to
their disciples, the bishops and priests through ordination.
“Why is it that the Holy Spirit did not come in another
form' We remember another event in history, the confusion of the
tongue; where we see the Holy Spirit confusing the languages at the
tower o Babel, and now He comes in the form of tongues to gather
all the people together into a single faith.
“There was a discussion I had with some Pentecostals
from Vicovul de Sus in Bucovina. They said, ‘We have been
baptized with the Holy Spirit, and that is why we have charismatic
gifts of speaking in tongues!’
“ ‘You have the spirit of pride!’ I told them, for Christ
does not ask for this from us. Only the apostles, the bishops and
priests have the power from Christ to baptize with the Holy Spirit
and fire.”
Someone in the crowd spoke up, “The Pentecostals
boast that they speak in tongues.”
The elder answered, “Yes. The devil knows all the
different tongues and can teach them to anyone since he is a great
linguist! Now here is the situation: When a Pentecostal tells you
that you have to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, you give it to
him right between the eyes! What they are saying is not what
Christ asks of us. That kind of baptism was given only to the
apostles, for the Savior said, You shall be baptized with the Holy
Spirit and fire not many days from now and you will be endued
with power from on high,6 whereas to the other church, the
obedient Church, it was given to be baptized through water and
the Spirit.
5
Acts 1:5
6
Lk. 24:49
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320
“Nicodemus came to the Savior during the night and
spoke with Him, and He said, Unless one is born from above, he
cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.7 Even though Nicodemus
was a great teacher of the Old Testament, he did not understand
these words. The Savior then told him a second time, Unless one
is born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. 8 This
confused him even more: Lord, how can a man be born when he
is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be
born?9 He simply could not understand what kind of birth the
Savior was speaking about. Then the Savior said clearly a third
time, look it up yourselves in St. John, chapter 3, verse 5, Unless
one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom
of God.
“So, you see what kind of baptism is required for all of
us: baptism through water and through the Spirit, which we have
all received from the Holy Church of Christ through the new bath
of regeneration. The Spirit is invisible, and the water is visible.
All the sacraments of the Church which were established by
Christ are twofold: one aspect is visible and another invisible, one
is noetic and the other is tangible, in this case, the Spirit and
water.”
On Baptism
Along the same theme as the above topic, the elder
spoke another time regarding baptism when someone asked him,
“Why do small children need to be cleansed through baptism
since they are pure and have no sin?”
The elder took this question and expanded on it
regarding the nine forms of baptism: “Because they must be
cleansed of the ancestral sin with which we are all born. But do
you know how many baptisms there are? Have you read St. John
of Damascus’ Dogmatic! You know, there are nine baptisms until
the consummation of the world!
“The first baptism was that of the flood, when God
drowned sin with water!
“The second baptism was the passing of the chosen
people through the Red Sea, through the sea and through the
cloud, which was an image of the descent of the Holy Spirit.
7 of. Jn. 3;3
8 Jn. 3:5
9 Jn. 3:4

321
“The third baptism was the Levitical baptism, in other words, the
circumcision of the Old Testament. No Levite could perform circumcision or be
considered a priest unless he had been first baptized with water, washing his
clothing and body.
“The fourth baptism was that of John the Baptist and was called the
baptism of repentance.
“The fifth baptism was the baptism of water and through the Spirit, our
Christian baptism, which was given by Christ to the holy apostles. Didn’t the
Savior Christ say to Nicodemus: Unless one is baptized through water and the
Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven? 10
“The sixth baptism is the baptism of confession. When the Savior
breathed the Holy Spirit upon the disciples, he said Whose soever sins ye remit,
they are remitted unto them, and whose soever sin. ye retain, they are retained. 11
This baptism was instituted by the Savio immediately after the resurrection when
He gave the apostles the power to bind and loose the sins of men Whatever you
bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be
loosed in heaven.12
“The seventh baptism is the baptism of the descent of the Holy Spirit,
when He descended in the form of tongues of fire and gave the apostles the power
to speak in all the languages of the earth.
“The eighth baptism is the baptism of blood, of martyrdom. The two
sons of Zebedee, at the urging of their mother, asked that they be given places at
the right and left of the Lord, and He replied, You do not know what you ask....
with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized.13 The baptism of blood
with which Christ was baptized on the cross is the eighth baptism. This is the
most holy baptism under heaven, for no man can sin after this baptism. He is
baptized in his own blood, as Christ was on the cross, and then He ascended to
heaven.
“The ninth baptism is the end of the world, the baptism with fire which
is not unto salvation, but eternal torment. Everyone will pass through fire and be
burned; for some it will be for cleansing and salvation, but for others it will be
eternal torment.
10 ibid.
11 Jn. 20:23
12 Matt. 18:18
13 Mark 10:38,39
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320
“Nicodemus came to the Savior during the night and spoke with Him,
and He said, Unless one is born from above, he cannot enter the kingdom of
heaven.7 Even though Nicodemus was a great teacher of the Old Testament, he
did not understand these words. The Savior then told him a second time, Unless
one is born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. 8 This confused him
even more: Lord, how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second
time into his mother’s womb and be born?9 He simply could not understand what
kind of birth the Savior was speaking about. Then the Savior said clearly a third
time, look it up yourselves in St. John, chapter 3, verse 5, Unless one is born of
water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
“So, you see what kind of baptism is required for all of us: baptism
through water and through the Spirit, which we have all received from the Holy
Church of Christ through the new bath of regeneration. The Spirit is invisible,
and the water is visible. All the sacraments of the Church which were established
by Christ are twofold: one aspect is visible and another invisible, one is noetic
and the other is tangible, in this case, the Spirit and water.”
On Baptism
Along the same theme as the above topic, the elder spoke another time
regarding baptism when someone asked him, “Why do small children need to be
cleansed through baptism since they are pure and have no sin?”
The elder took this question and expanded on it regarding the nine
forms of baptism: “Because they must be cleansed of the ancestral sin with which
we are all bom. But do you know how many baptisms there are? Have you read
St. John of Damascus’ Dogmatic? You know, there are nine baptisms until the
consummation of the world!
“The first baptism was that of the flood, when God drowned sin with
water!
“The second baptism was the passing of the chosen people through
the Red Sea, through the sea and through the cloud, which was an image of the
descent of the Holy Spirit.
7
cf. Jn. 3;3
8
Jn. 3:5
9
Jn. 3:4
321
“The third baptism was the Levitical baptism, in other words, the
circumcision of the Old Testament. No Levite could perform circumcision or be
considered a priest unless he had been first baptized with water, washing his
clothing and body.
“The forth baptism was that of John the Baptist and was called the
baptism of repentance.
“The fifth baptism was the baptism of water and through the Spirit,
our Christian baptism, which was given by Christ to the holy apostles. Didn’t the
Savior Christ say to Nicodemus: Unless one is baptized through water and the
Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven? 10 11
“The sixth baptism is the baptism of confession. When the Savior
breathed the Holy Spirit upon the disciples, he said Whose soever sins ye remit,
they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained."
This baptism was instituted by the Savior immediately after the resurrection
when He gave the apostles the pow< to bind and loose the sins of men Whatever
you bind on earth will bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be
loosed heaven.12
“The seventh baptism is the baptism of the descent of the Hol], Spirit,
when He descended in the form of tongues of fire and gave the apostles the power
to speak in all the languages of the earth.
“The eighth baptism is the baptism of blood, of martyrdom. The two
sons of Zebedee, at the urging of their mother, asked that they be given places at
the right and left of the Lord, and He replied, You do not know what you ask....
with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized.13 The baptism of blood
with which Christ was baptized on the cross is the eighth baptism. This is the
most holy baptism under heaven, for no man can sin after this baptism. He is
baptized in his own blood, as Christ was on the cross, and then He ascended to
heaven.
“The ninth baptism is the end of the world, the baptism with fire
which is not unto salvation, but eternal torment. Everyone will pass through fire
and be burned; for some it will be for cleansing and salvation, but for others it
will be eternal torment.
10
ibid.
11
Jn. 20:23
12
Matt. 18:18
13
Mark 10:38,39
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“These are the nine baptisms according to the words of St. John.”
Differences between Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism

“Fr. Cleopa, does purgatory exist, as the Roman Catholics claim?”
“There is no purgatory. The Roman Catholics say that there is a huge
fire between paradise and hell where souls stay for several hundreds of years to
be cleansed, and then they are granted entrance to paradise. Such a thing does
not exist. We have the Gospel of the Judgment,14 as do the Roman Catholics, but
this does not show us three places, only two - paradise and hell. When the Savior
will sit upon His throne of glory and gather together all the peoples that have
existed since the creation of the world for judgment, then He will separate them,
just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the
righteous on His right side and the sinners on His left.../Ae sinners will go away
into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. 15 Therefore, we
cannot say that there are three places, but only two: eternal torment and eternal
life.
“The greatest adversaries that the Roman Catholics have are e
Protestants and Calvinists. They broke away from the Roman itholic Church
in 1517, through Martin Luther, then Zwingli, Calvin d Huss.”
“What are the main points on which the Orthodox and the Roman
Catholics disagree?”
“The principle dogmatic and canonical teachings that distinguish us
from the Roman Catholics are:
“First: the filioque. They say that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the
Father and the Son. This dogmatic error is very serious. The Holy Gospel
according to St. John says that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and is
sent into the world through the Son.
“Second: the supremacy of the Pope. The Pope is considered by the
Roman Catholics as the supreme head of the entire Christian Church, in other
words Christ’s locum tenens upon earth. They claim that the Pope is greater than
all the patriarchs! The universal Church
14 i.e. Matt. 25
15 Matt. 25:46
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never accepted this. Demonic pride! They refer to the Pope as the successor of
St. Peter.
“Third is papal infallibility. The Roman Catholics say that the Pope
cannot err as a man in matters pertaining to the faith or when he preaches. This
is a dogma that the Orthodox Church rejects.
“Fourth is purgatory. They say that there is a great fire between
paradise and hell where souls stay for several hundreds of years to be cleansed
before going to paradise. This is not found anywhere in holy Scripture, and no
teaching on this subject can be found anywhere.
“Fifth is leavened bread. They do not serve holy communion with
raised bread, but with wafers, like the Jews.
“Sixth is the new dogma which the Romans instituted of the
‘Immaculate Conception. ’ They claim that the Mother of the Lord was bom of
the Holy Spirit. This is not true. She was bom in the natural manner from her
holy parents, Joachim and Anna, as a fruit of prayer.
“Seventh is transubstantiation. The Roman Catholics do not have the
prayer of the invocation of the Holy Spirit as we do at the Epi- clesis of the Divine
Liturgy. They claim that the gifts are sanctified solely through the words ‘Take,
eat...’ and so forth. There is no prayer for the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the
holy gifts.
“Eighth is clerical celibacy. Roman Catholic priests may not be
married. They are all celibate, which is contrary to the decisions of the
Ecumenical Councils that allows married men to become priests.
“Ninth is papal indulgences. Another error. No matter what sins people
have committed, if they give a lot of money to the Pope, he can forgive and
absolve them. Their saints have too many virtues and good deeds and don’t have
a use for so many of them, so they give these extra deeds to the pope and he sells
these for the forgiveness of sins to people who don’t have enough good deeds.
“Tenth is a very important point: Chrismation. The Roman Catholics
do not chrismate children immediately after baptism, but only when they are
seven or eight years old, and then only the bishop can perform this service.
“We have the Constantinopolitan Liturgies of St. Basil the Great, St.
Gregory the Diologist and St. John Chrysostom, but the Roman Catholics have
only the Roman Liturgy and the Ambrosian Liturgy.
“These are the main dogmatic and canonical points that separate the
Orthodox Church from the Roman Catholics. However, regard
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ing the Protestants, we have nothing in common. They completely reformed the
dogmas of the Church that were established by the holy fathers and denounced
the seven sacraments. They have no hierarchy, no sacraments and no salvation.
Of the seven sacraments, they keep only two: baptism and eucharist, which they
perform with unleavened bread like the Roman Catholics. Every sect and neo-
protestant group that exists took its birth from Protestantism and continue to
attack Orthodox countries today.”
Sheltered area attached to the elder’s cell where he addressed the

groups of people who came to him
Questions about the Faith
Those who sat on the benches outside Fr. Cleopa’s cell to hear him
speak would often call out questions to him.
“Father, are the places at the right and the left of the all holy Trinity
predestined for someone?”
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“No! The Savior says, To sit on my right hand and on my left is
not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.' 6 These two
places are prepared by the Father for the Mother of the Lord and St. John the
Baptist. Who is John the Baptist? The greatest of those born of women. And
who is the Mother of God? What does Psalm 44 say? At your right hand
stands the queen in gold from Ophir.
“Having given birth to the Son of God by the Holy Spirit, she was
the bridal chamber of the Holy Spirit; she bore Him in her womb and fed
Him with milk. Who could possibly be greater than she? She is the Queen
of the Holy Spirit, the Queen of the cherubim and seraphim! On the day of
judgment all the pagans and those in various sects will see clearly exactly
who the Mother of the Lord is as she shines greater than the cherubic hosts!
What a wretched state those unbelievers are in! Satan will take them into the
fire of gehenna together with himself and all the devils who have
blasphemed the Mother of God.
“You see when Christ was hanging on the cross, spat upon and
beaten, even then He did not forget the Theotokos. He said to St. John the
Evangelist, Son, behold your mother!16 17 In other words, take care of her!
And St. John did so. He said to His mother, Mother behold your son!18 and
thereby set her over the most honored apostle. She then lived another fifteen
years until her translation to heaven.”
“Some of these sects say that John was a biological son of the
Mother of God.”
“That is not true! St. John the Evangelist was the son of Zebe-
dee. He was our Lord Jesus Christ’s youngest disciple. Doesn’t the Gospel
tell us this? John and James were the sons of Zebedee and not of the
Theotokos. The Mother of the Lord did not have any other children. What
does Scripture say? And he did not know her until she had brought forth
her first-born Son.19
“This word ‘until’ means eternally. He must reign until He hath
put all enemies under His feet,20 or Lo, I am with you always, even
16 Matt. 20:23; Mark 10:40
17 cf.Jn. 19:26-27
18 ibid.
19 Matt. 1:25
20
1 Cor.l5:25
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until the end of the world.21 What? Christ will no longer exist after the end
of the world? Scripture also says about Michal, the daughter of Saul, that
she had no children until the day of her death.22 What is this? Did she give
birth to children after she died? So, you see how this word ‘until’ actually
means eternally. It does not simply mean that no man had known the
Theotokos before she gave birth.”
“Father, the Apocalypse speaks about the seal of the antichrist, 666,
which is the power of the antichrist.”
“Brother do you really believe that this is literally the numerals 666?
These three successive sixes symbolize the three horrible passions that will reign
over the world in the last days. These passions are:
“Uncontrollable fleshly desires for fornication, adultery and
drunkenness as has never before been seen.
“Careless conjectures which lead to adherence to heresies, all kinds of
confusions, spiritual sicknesses, witchcraft, despair and suicides.
“The third six refers to unjustified anger, or hatred among lankind—
wars, revolutions, all sorts of violent crimes, arguments, nrest between
Christians, between parents and children, as it is written in the Holy Gospel.
“All these passions, which are symbolized through the number 666,
rule over the earth today and will continue to do so until the end of the world and
the final judgment. Then every person will be judged according to his deeds.
“Do you think that there will be an actual stamp with the number 666?
Stupid! If you insist on the literal 666 as in the Apocalypse, then I will ask you
to show me the dragon, and the fiery red horse, the pale yellow horse, the black
horse and the city that gave birth—literally became a woman and gave birth.
“Now you tell me what these are? What are the seven cups of God’s
anger, or the seven trumpets? Come on, tell me!
“The most heretical sect that exists and continues to threaten us is the
Jehovah Witnesses. What blasphemy they bring against God! They do not
believe in Christ. It is, in reality, a political Jewish sect that fights against
Christianity and tries to attack the dogma of the Holy
21 Matt. 28:20
22 2 Sam. 6:23
Fr, Cleopa: Defender of Orthodoxy
Fr, Cleopa: Defender of Orthodoxy
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Trinity, for they continually separate the Father from the Son and the Holy
Spirit.
“Was the Father ever without the Word? Christ is the Word of the
Father. Was the Father ever without the Spirit? What does Psalm 34 say, By the
word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath
of His mouth. So, was there ever a time when the Father was without the Word
or without the Spirit?
“Haven’t you read in the creation of man, Let us make man in Our
image.23 If the Father was not conferring with the Son and the Holy Spirit, then
who was it that made up the ‘our’? Haven’t you read in the confusion of the
languages, Let Us go down and there confuse their languages.24 The Holy Trinity
has been revealed from the beginning in the mysteries of Scripture.
“So, the diabolic wickedness is to be found in uncontrollable carnal
desires, careless conjectures, unjustified anger. That is what 666 means.
“St. Andrew says that at the end of the world there will be a sect that
will refuse to make the sign of the cross, and the antichrist will place a seal on
their right hands so that they cannot lift their hand to their forehead, since the
forehead is the mind which is the rational part of the soul.
“A while ago several Baptist women from Abrud-Alba came to see me.
Two of them made the sign of the cross, even though they had been Baptist for
thirty years. One of the others said, ‘Father, I do not make the sign of the cross!’
“ ‘Make the sign of the cross!’ I told her.
“ ‘I don’t make it because I cannot lift my hand!’
“ ‘The devil has set a seal on you, that is why you cannot lift it. Make
the sign of the cross, woman, and you will see the power of God!’
“ ‘No! I cannot lift my hand!’
“Then I lifted her hand and made the sign of the cross over her with it
three times.
“ ‘Oh! Oh! I was able now to raise my arm!’
“That is how the devil that ruled over her was driven off.
“ ‘Wow! I feel so light!’
23 Gen. 1:26
24 Gen. 11:7
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“ ‘Yes, because the devil has now left your hand! ’
“ Then I heard her confession and she returned to the Orthodox Faith.
You see the power of the holy cross?”
People spoke up from the crowd with a number of various questions

that were on their minds:
“Fr. Cleopa, can a patriarch be removed from his position and another
put in his place; and if so, under what conditions is this done?”
“Only the Holy Synod can change or remove a patriarch or a bishop
from his position, and then only if he is in serious dogmatic or canonical error or
if he is seriously ill and asks to be released.”
“What should be done with the holy antidoron if it becomes old and
moldy and cannot be eaten?”
“If you were careless and did not eat the antidoron before it became
moldy, or if mice got into it - since that does happen sometimes - then you should
discard it into a running stream or river, or else bury it in a clean place. Do not
throw it on the fire, and don’t bum old icons either. If you have anything like
that, it is better that you take them to the church and give them into the hands of
the priest.”25
“Is it alright for Christians to sing [in church] with instrumental

accompaniment or not?”
“The best organ for singing to God is man’s mouth and heart, way it is
in the Eastern Church. The Roman Catholics use an his is a distraction and lends
a theatrical air. We do not go to e entertained, for the organ tends to lead the mind
into istractions. We have to sing from the heart, for listen to almist says: I groan
because of the turmoil of my heart.26 <is praise God, I will bless the Lord at all
times; His praise > _ sttinually be in my mouth.27 That is how we should
praise God;
no .“With an organ or guitar!”
Fr. Cleopa told people not to bum the antidoron or icons because those ashes would
most likely simply be thrown into the yard or the.street where they would be trampled
upon or desecrated. The ashes from holy things that are burned should be buried.
26 Ps. 38:8
27 Ps. 34:1

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“What should I do if I have an argument with someone, then try to
talk to that person, but he still doesn’t talk to me?”
“If the devil has so entered that person’s heart that he refuses to
forgive you, be it an in-law, sister, brother, whatever, then you have to say to
him three times, ‘brother, forgive me a sinner, and may God forgive you.’”
“But what if he still hates me and will not forgive me even after
that?”
“If you have asked his forgiveness three times and he still does not
forgive you, then the sin remains on his soul, not yours. It is your obligation to
ask his forgiveness three times. If he does not forgive, then the burden is his,
but you should pray for him and do whatever your priest tells you.”
Following the 1989 Revolution, abortion became legal in Romania,

thus opening an issue that had formerly not been raised. Many people came
and asked Fr. Cleopa questions related to that and other similar topics. His
answers show his deep knowledge of the canons, the writings of the holy
fathers, and the teachings of the church.
“Father, do aborted infants have souls?”
“Of course they do! How could they not?”
“At what age in its development does an infant receive a soul?”
“From the moment of conception.”
“It has a soul from that very moment?”
“Yes! The prophet Jeremiah said, Lord you have created the soul of
man from the moment of conception.
“Then wouldn’t that mean that I am only a soul, Father?”
“The seed of a man and a woman is alive; at the very moment of
conception both the soul and the body are created.”
“Father, which of these two is created first in man?”
“First and foremost the soul is created and then the body. The body
takes shape after the soul.”
“Then what is the state of aborted infants?”
“A mother who aborts a child is prohibited from receiving holy
communion for twenty years. The infant is alive from the moment it was
conceived in its mother’s womb, from the time it was the size of a hemp seed.
From that moment, if the mother does anything purposely
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to kill the child, she is a murderer. Why shouldn’t I tell you this? How could I
keep quiet about it? The Savior is going to ask me if I told you the truth!”
“Father, is there forgiveness for someone who has had an abortion?”
“There definitely is forgiveness! You go and confess and fulfill the
penance you receive from the priest, and God forgives you. There is no sin that
cannot be forgiven except the sin that one does not repent of and confess - that
remains forever.”
“Where are the souls of aborted infants?”
“The souls of aborted infants are in a place that is neither dark nor light.
They do not rejoice, neither do they suffer. They ciy out to God, ‘Lord, why are
we denied the joy of Thy face, for we have never seen the light of the sun, we
have not beheld the beauty of this world and have never committed a single
sin?’28 Their voices rise up to God; however, God will demand their souls from
the hands of their murderous mothers. Parents who are guilty of killing children
in the womb can fulfill the penance given them by the priest, and then they will
free these children from that state.”
“What penance should be given to those who practice birth control?”
“Those who practice artificial birth control are denied holy communion
for two years.”
“There is a woman who was ill for three years and suffered a
miscarriage; she wants to know what she needs to do?”
“She needs to go to confession to the priest and fulfill the penance he
gives her; if she does not do penance in this world, then she will have to do it in
the next.”
“But what if the priest does not give her a penance?”
“He must give a penance, [otherwise] those who have suffered a
miscarriage are not to receive holy communion for a period of two years.”
“How and when should we drink of the holy water from Theophany?”
“You can drink the holy water from the Great Blessing of Water on
Theophany for the eight days during the feast, until the leave- taking. Alt of the
faithfill may partake of this except for women during
28 Fr. Cleopa is here quoting St. Basil the Great.
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to kill the child, she is a murderer. Why shouldn’t I tell you this? How could I
keep quiet about it? The Savior is going to ask me if I told you the truth!”
“Father, is there forgiveness for someone who has had an abortion?”
“There definitely is forgiveness! You go and confess and fulfill the
penance you receive from the priest, and God forgives you. There is no sin that
cannot be forgiven except the sin that one does not repent of and confess - that
remains forever.”
“Where are the souls of aborted infants?”
“The souls of aborted infants are in a place that is neither dark nor light.
They do not rejoice, neither do they suffer. They cry out to God, ‘Lord, why are
we denied the joy of Thy face, for we have never seen the light of the sun, we
have not beheld the beauty of this world and have never committed a single
sin?’28 Their voices rise up to God; however, God will demand their souls from
the hands of their murderous mothers. Parents who are guilty of killing children
in the womb can fulfill the penance given them by the priest, and then they will
free these children from that state.”
“What penance should be given to those who practice birth control?”
“Those who practice artificial birth control are denied holy communion
for two years.”
“There is a woman who was ill for three years and suffered a
miscarriage; she wants to know what she needs to do?”
“She needs to go to confession to the priest and fulfill the penance he
gives her; if she does not do penance in this world, then she will have to do it in
the next.”
“But what if the priest does not give her a penance?”
“He must give a penance, [otherwise] those who have suffered a
miscarriage are not to receive holy communion for a period of two years.”
“How and when should \Ve drink of the holy water from Theophany?”
“You can drink the holy water from the Great Blessing of Water on
Theophany for the eight days during the feast, until the leave- taking. Alt of the
faithful may partake of this except for women during
28 Fr. Cleopa is here quoting St. Basil the Great.
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their cycle and men who have not abstained from relations with their wives, as
well as those who have been tempted through dreams; these must wait twenty-
four hours before taking of the holy water. Those who have confessed to their
spiritual fathers may take this holy water the day before receiving holy
communion.”
The Orthodox Church has always prayed for those who are departed,
and the Romanian people are very fervent in their prayers for those fallen asleep.
The evangelizing/proselytizing groups that invaded Romania launched another
attack on the Church, telling the people that these prayers are useless. Again, the
faithful sought clarification and direction from Fr. Cleopa.
“Are prayers for the dead of any use?”
“Brother, what does Christ say? He who hears you hears Me, he who
rejects you rejects Me.29 Now remember that the bishops and priest are all
disciples of Christ and they intercede at the holy altar through prayers and the
particles [taken from the loaves at the proskomedia before the Divine Liturgy],
You know that the prayer lists the faithful bring to the priest are taken into the
holy altar and a particle is removed from the loaves for each of those names;
these particles are later placed in the chalice with the Body of Christ. All of those
particles that are cut with the spear in the morning during the proskomedia are
first placed on the disc; during that time, they are blessed. After the Epiclesis
these particles are placed in the holy chalice and thus those who were
remembered among both the living and the dead commune invisibly of the Holy
Gifts and are granted forgiveness of sins.
“You see how important the Divine Liturgy is! That is why it is so
essential for us to attend the Divine Liturgy regularly where we can partake
noetically of the Holy Gifts, both through prayer and through the particles that
are removed for us and placed in the chalice.
The ecumenical movement, and particularly the thrust for union

between Orthodoxy and the Roman Church, was a topic of great discussion
during Fr. Cleopa’s later years. The Romanian Orthodox Church had been very
active in the ecumenical movement. This was not necessarily the desire of the
Church in Romania, but more at the instigation of the government which sought
to convince the outside
29 Luke 10:16
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world that Romania was “modem” and in step with the times; it was also a ploy
used by the communists to convince the western world that the Church was
completely free in Romania. Yet, as we read the elder’s words, we see that his
mind was on his own approaching death as he encouraged the faithful to see more
to their souls and not to force things that are not the will of God.
“Father, do you see a union between the Churches?”
“Brothers, the union of the Churches is a divine matter, not a human
one. It is not something within our power. This is how I see it: we need to fast
and pray to God so that when the Holy Spirit comes He will find us in a state like
the holy apostles. What does the book of Acts say about the holy apostles at the
time of the descent of the Holy Spirit? Now all who believed were together, and
had all things in common.30 This is the working of the Holy Spirit. No one said
‘this is my house’ or ‘that is my coat!’
“If we beseech God with fasting and prayer, then when the Holy Spirit
comes, the minds of both Orthodox and Roman Catholic hierarchs will be one
single thought: ‘Let’s come together, for in the beginning there were not two
Churches, but only one.’ This is what we must ask of God, for He can bring about
union in every aspect that divides us. It is not up to us. Doesn’t He say Abide in
Me, for without Me you can do nothing? 31
“This is the way it is. I told you before. Yes! Unity in faith is very
important. The Savior said This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the
world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. 32 If it is as a
witness, then the end should be tomorrow, for even the Japanese, Chinese and
Indians have heard the Gospel. Everyone has heard it. But if it means that
everyone has to believe and that there be unity of the faith, then only God knows.
“But we should be more interested in ‘how will I end my life?’ and not
when the end of the world will be. The Savior said of that day and hour no one
knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.33 And if I should think
about the end of die world? ‘Hey, wait! In a day or two I will die! So what if this
world lasts another thousand
30 Acts 2:44
31 John 15:5
32 Matt. 24:14
33 Matt. 24:30

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years? What will I take with me from here? What have I put in my knapsack for
eternal life?’ The Savior said Watch and pray, for you do not know the day nor
the hour. ”34
The Orthodoxy of the Romanian People

The Romanians are a people who consider that they, as a nation and a
people, were “bom Orthodox.” The land of Romania was largely ancient Dacia
at the time of the apostles and the early Church. Many of the soldiers from the
Roman Empire, upon conquering Dacia, settled there and married the local
women; thus the Romanian people were bom. This was at the same time that the
apostle Andrew preached in that very area, and the people accepted the Christian
faith. Although largely a Latin people, at the time of the schism between East
and West, the Romanian Christians from the three main provinces that today
form the country of Romania firmly adhered to the Orthodox Faith. There is no
confusion in the minds of the people that to be Romanian means to be Orthodox;
while to be Romanian and not Orthodox is an anomaly.
Again, in combating the waves of sectarianism that bombarded the
country, Fr. Cleopa drew on the history of the nation and the strong national pride
that is inherent in the people.
“You have to know that the root and life of our people, beta the face
of God, is the right Faith in Christ, in other words, Orthodo. | We have been
Christian for nearly two thousand years, since the tii of the holy apostle Andrew.
“The Roman colonists had heard the preaching of the holy apostles
Peter and Paul in Rome and throughout Greece; when they came here with the
Roman legions they brought with them the Orthodox Faith. At the time, the
peoples living here were the Dacians; our ancestors were the Dacians and the
Romans, giving birth to us, Romanians. From then, from the time we received
the holy and right Faith in God, our people were given life; before that, they were
dead, alive only in body but dead in soul. The life of the Romanian people is the
right Faith in Jesus Christ. Pay attention! We are a Christian people for two
thousand years, taking care of all our administration and all our Holy Traditions.
Let us hold fast to the Orthodox Faith!
34 cf. Matt. 25:13
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“You are aware that the first Christian princes of the Romanian lands
of Moldavia, Muntenia and Ardeal were all Orthodox. You know about Michael
the Brave? His mother became a nun. Go to Cozia monastery and next to the
grave of Mircea the Elder who founded the monastery you will see a gravestone
that says ‘Here rests the Nun Teo- phana, the mother of Michael the Brave.’ Did
you hear that? He was ruler over the three principalities, and his mother became
a nun. And Stephen the Great. Go to Probota Monastery where Peter Rares, who
founded the monastery, is buried; near his gravestone you will see another that
says, ‘Here rests the handmaid of God, Nun Maria Oltea, the mother of Stephen
the Great.’ They were leaders, and their mothers became nuns! Do you see what
unity then existed between the Faith and the civil rulers? The one who ruled the
country had a mother who became a nun and a brother who became a monk. That
is how we also should end our days!
“They knew that everything earthly is vanity. They were, therefore,
truly rulers. Our forefathers kept these thoughts in mind: However it may seem,
life is but a shadow and dream. Nothing but a brief excursion. But when I die, I
will go to a life that has no end. Who will pray for me?
“Haven’t you seen how each of the former rulers would build at least
one monastery and arrange to be buried in that monastery? Our Orthodox leaders
were blessed, thrice-blessed: Stephen the Holy and Great is at Putna; Jeremiah
Movila and George Movila are at Sucevita; Peter Rares at Probota; Lapusneanu
at Slatina; Alexander the Good at Bistrita; Mircea the Elder at Cozia. You see
where their hearts were? For where your treasure is, there your heart -will be
also.35 They built monasteries so that they would be remembered for centuries at
the Divine Liturgy.
“Stephen the Great was not a Baptist! Mircea the Elder was not an
Evangelical or Adventist! Alexander the Good was not a Jehovah Witness! These
foolish things that have just recently come up! No kind of sect existed in our
country then. These are coming here now from foreign countries, financed by
Masons, in order to tear apart the right Faith and our origins, and our roots as an
Orthodox people.
“What does St. Ephraim the Syrian say? ‘Do not speak with a heretic,
nor receive him in your house, nor sit down together with him to eat; do not so
much as greet him.’ They are the forerunners of the
35 Matt. 6:21
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antichrist. The Savior said to the Ephesians through the apostle Paul that the
Church is the Body of Christ, and the head of the Church is Christ. 36 Every sect
that broke away from the Church has separated itself from Christ and belongs to
the devil.
“The Gospel says False christs and false prophets will rise in those last
days and deceive many.37 Stay away from sects as they hand out pamphlets on
the trains, in the stations and through the mail, wherever they can find people to
poison. If you see a book that does not have the approval of the Holy Synod and
does not have a cross on it, throw it on the fire, even if it is a Bible!38 If any book
says that you should not venerate an icon, throw it on the fire! It is not a sin for
you to do so. Those are things that are poison sown by the forerunners of the
antichrist. It is all poison.
“Hold fast to the Faith that you were nurtured on from your mothers’
breasts! Keep the Faith that has been ours for two thousand years! Don’t follow
after the servants of satan who come from the west with millions of dollars. They
are buying those who are foolish and unlearned in the Faith in order to tear
asunder the unity and soul of the Romanian people and seek to create the greatest
of heresies and foolishness in this country.
“Preserve yourselves from this craziness! They have houses of prayer,
but those are satan’s houses. Christ is not present in a faith that has no priests and
bishops. The Savior said this to the apostles: Receive the Holy Spirit. If you
forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them, if you retain the sins of any, they
are retained.39 He did not say this to the sectarians, but to the apostles, the
bishops and the priests, since through the laying on of hands the apostles passed
on apostolic succession through ordination to the bishops and priests, giving
them the gift of the Holy Spirit.
“So, pay attention; these sectarians do not have a canonical hierarchy;
they do not have the Holy Spirit; they do not have the seven holy sacraments;
they do not honor the Theotokos and the holy cross, and you will not find
salvation with them. So stay away from these
36 c.f. Ephes. 5:23
37 Matt. 24:24
38 Since the Jehovah
Witnesses go about handing out what they tell people is

the Bible.
39 Jn. 20:22-23
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sectarians! Have you heard what the apostle Paul says? Take heed to yourselves
and to all the flock, among -which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.40 He
is saying this to the priests and bishops.
“As He was ascending to heaven, Christ said to his chosen twelve
apostles, Tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued -with power from
on high.41 Then, ten days later, on the feast of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit
descended upon them in the form of tongues of fire; then they began to speak in
all the languages under heaven. After being clothed with power from above, the
Savior sent them out, saying, Go, preach the Gospel throughout all the world,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will
be condemned.42 So, the Church of Christ has a canonical hierarchy, the Holy
Spirit is in the Church, and the head of the Church is Christ. All these sectarians
who broke away from Christ and do not go to the Church are sons of the antichrist
and the forerunners of satan. Do not follow them! You cannot say that I have not
shown you the truth!
“Let us hold fast to our Faith, the same Faith that our earliest leaders
held, the same Faith as our ancestors and all true Romanians. If you want to be a
true son of Christ and of the Romanian country, then hold fast to the right Faith,
Orthodoxy, which has been ours for two thousand years. If not, then you are
neither a son of Christ’s nor of the Church, and you are a foreigner to the
Romanian people. You cannot be a citizen of Christ’s and a Romanian if you do
not have the right Faith in Christ. You are a foreigner. You are not a son of the
country, for the true son of Romania is one who is Orthodox, since the Orthodox
Church has prevailed in our land for two thousand years. Do not so much as
receive these sectarians in your houses.
“There are some confessions that are approved by the State, such as the
Roman Catholics and a few others; that is their business. But they are also
severed from the Orthodox Church and have become sectarians, no longer true
sons of our country nor of the Church, and are the forerunners of satan. You need
to know this. They are lying prophets who want to tear apart your faith and take
our gentle people down into perdition. Hold fast to the right Faith and do not
listen to them!
40 Acts 20:28
41 Luke 24:49
42 cf. Matt. 28:19; Mark 19:16

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Our Romanian land has always been Orthodox, and we have to keep
this line of Orthodoxy. We were bom Orthodox from the beginning, from the
colonization of Dacia; we have lived Orthodox for two thousand years, and we
have to remain Orthodox until our death. This is the true Orthodox faith of
Romania. Do not accept anything from outside, for they all want to tear apart the
unity of our people, the Faith, and the Church. They are all enemies of the Cross
of Christ.”
On Reading the Bible

During the decades of communism, Bibles were very scarce in
Romania.43 Following their newly found freedom as the twentieth century was
drawing to a close, not only did the faithful obtain Bibles printed by the Holy
Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, but the invading proselytizers came
into the country with suitcases full of them, telling the people that Orthodoxy
cannot be the true Faith because it does not adhere to the Bible. News of this
reached Fr. Cleopa and he addressed this problem one day to the crowd that had
gathered at his ceil:
“Whoever wants to be saved has to travel along the road asking
questions. If you try to teach a university lesson to a child in first grade, what use
is it to him? He has barely learned a few words: door, duck, cat, etc. He has just
learned how to make a comma, how to write his a-b-c’s, and if you try to teach
him advanced things, he will not understand anything. That is the way it is also
with holy Scripture. If I try to tell you some of the deep things of holy Scripture,
you will either fall asleep or leave. You will be bored because the food would be
too solid for you.
“Haven’t you heard what the apostle Paul says? I... could not speak to
you as to spiritual people but... as to babes in Christ. 1 fed you with milk and not
with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you
are still not able.44 That is the way it is with the Bible. There are deep words and
strong food in Scripture for
43 At one time in the early 1980’s Hungarian language Bibles were smuggled into
Romania to distribute to Romanians in the western part of the country who knew
Hungarian; the communists confiscated these Bibles, took them apart and semi-washed
the pages, turning the paper into toilet paper, however, parts of the print could still be
deciphered.
44 1 Cor. 3:1-2
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those who are advanced, but not for simple peasant people. If you try to give
meat to a child who is still nursing at his mother’s breast, are you nourishing him
or killing him? You would kill him. Why? Because he barely has soft teeth for
milk. That is how it is for those who still have milk teeth and try to penetrate into
holy Scripture. That is why St. Gregory of Nyssa says, ‘While you still have soft
teeth suitable for nothing but milk, do not break the bones of Scripture, for you
will perish.’
“Holy Scripture can be likened to a situation where you are walking
through a field and come upon a well with a bucket. If you were thirsty, you
would not drink the entire well. What would you do? You would draw water out
with the bucket, pour the water from the bucket into you own pail, empty part of
the pail into a pitcher, and then pour water from the pitcher into a glass; then you
would drink as much water as you need from the glass. The well remains clean,
and you have satisfied your thirst.
“That is the way you should read holy Scripture. The various sects have
sprung up because each one has interpreted holy Scripture on its own. Holy
Scripture is very deep, and whoever tries to read it without guidance, without
knowing how the holy fathers explain it, will be lost. It is not the fault of holy
Scripture, for that water is the Word of God. The fault lies in the man who dives
into Scripture unprepared and without understanding.
“Do not follow after the sectarians who interpret Scripture on their
own, for you will be lost. Listen to what St. Peter the apostle says about the
writings of the holy apostle Paul: In all his epistles, speaking in them of these
things, in which some things are hard to understand, which untaught and
unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the
Scriptures.45
“I will give you an example: Thou didst walk through the sea with
Thine horses, through the heap of great waters. 46 You think that this is
talking’about the sea and horses and water. Instead ‘sea’ means the world;
‘horses’ are the apostles who hastened to preach the word of God to all the world;
‘the great waters’ are all the pagan peoples who were aroused at the preaching of
the Gospel and cast down the pagan
452 Pet. 3:16
“Hab. 3:15
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idols. Look at the difference between how holy Scripture should be read and how
we understand it!
“A young child cannot understand lofty things, and the same can be
said for people who are very simple, village folk. These heretics go and say to a
simple villager, ‘Do not venerate icons, they are carved idols.’ What connection
is there between an idol and holy icons? The second commandment says You
shall not make for yourself a carved image - any likeness of anything that is in
heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the
earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.47
“This is speaking about idols. That is what the second commandment
is about. But turn a few more pages in Scripture in the book of Exodus and you
will see that it says there The Lord told Moses to make an ark of acacia wood...
and to put into the ark the Testimony... of pure gold... with two cherubim of gold
at the two ends... and a veil woven of blue, purple and scarlet thread and fine
woven linen... with an artistic design of cherubim48 to cover the ark.
“Look! There in the Ten Commandments, God said not to make carved
images, and here he says to make images of the cherubim. Icons! Right?
“It seems as if God is saying in one place not to make icons and in
another place to make them. One of these sectarians will come up to you, know
that you do not know Scripture well, and he will just show you one of these places
in Scripture, but not the other one. But it was still God who said to make icons!
The sectarian is not stupid enough to show you the very weapon that you can use
against him.
“That is why I tell you to stay close to your priest and to the Church!
Our holy and godly father, Ephraim the Syrian says, ‘If, when reading holy
Scripture, we find something that we do not understand, we should not interpret
it on our own, saying that it is something unjust or mixed up. Say this to the devil,
that tempter who is trying to lead you away into heresy: You listen to me, devil!
Why are you trying to tell me that here in holy Scripture there is something
unjust? I have heard what the Holy Spirit says: The word of the Lord is right, and
all His work is done in truth.49.
47 Ex. 20:4-5
48 Ex. 25:1,16,18; 26:31
49 Ps. 33:4
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340
“Clear! God is faithful in His words. Then if the devil puts more doubts
into your mind about something else in Scripture, you say to him, ‘Listen to me,
devil,’ you say this in your mind, ‘I have heard the Holy Spirit saying this: The
words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace, purified seven
times.50 Have you heard about the words of the Lord? They are words of silver,
silver that has been purified seven times by fire. That should be clear enough!
“I have wanted to talk to you about this because we have been invaded
by sectarians. Do not follow them. You have shepherds, you have your Church
which is the historic Church from throughout the centuries. Our Church is two
thousand years old, but where did these sectarians come from? They are like
mushrooms that sprout up after a good rain; 51 they are like weeds in the wheat.
Nothing but weeds that have grown in the shadow of the Church.
“These are the people that the Savior spoke about in the Gospel, saying
that in the last days many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 52 These
sectarians change the truth of Scripture and twist the meanings according to their
own minds, wandering off the right path and leading others with them.
“This has been the theme of my words to you today, that you do not
believe the sectarians’ words, just as St. John the Evangelist says: Beloved, do
not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God. 53 If anyone
teaches you that you should not venerate the holy icons, or that you should not
listen to the priest, or that you should not go to church, or that you should not
make the sign of the cross, or that you should not venerate the holy relics, or that
you should not keep Sundays, or anything else bad like this, then you should flee
from him, for he is the seal of the antichrist.
“The antichrist will cause all to receive a mark on their right hand or
on their foreheads.54 Do you know what this is? St. Andrew of Ceasarea, in his
commentary on Revelations, says, ‘Lying and deceit will enter into their minds,
for the mind is the rational part of man.’ The
50 Ps. 12:6
51 Mushrooms can fill you up, but give absolutely no nutritional value to the body, and
many mushrooms are either poisonous or make one very sick.
52 Matt. 24:11
531 Jn. 4:1
54 Rev. 13:16

341
right hand is marked whenever you see someone who will not raise his hand to
make the sign of the holy cross. He is invisibly marked already by the antichrist.
Run away from him! ‘Make the sign of the cross! You won’t do it? Then you are
marked by the antichrist! I flee from you for your right hand and forehead are
already marked.’
“Whenever you see that someone will not raise his hand to his forehead
to make the sign of the cross, he already has the mark. The mark is not as we
think in the numbers 666. Stupid! The mark is the threefold passions of the devil:
uncontrollable carnal passions, careless conjectures and unjustifiable anger;
these are present in all those sectarians who refuse to venerate the cross and the
Theotokos.
“Not just anyone can understand holy Scripture; only those can
understand who have studied theology, who lead a pure life in Christ, and who
have the grace of understanding the spirits and the Holy Spirit, in whose spirit
the Scriptures were written.”
The fact that Sihastria Monastery, largely due to Fr. Cleopa’s presence,
had become a true pillar of defense for Orthodoxy is attested to in a letter sent to
the community by Fr. Dimitrie Bejan, a very well known priest in Romania, for
the new year of 1993. Although the greeting in the letter is specifically to Fr.
Cleopa andFr. loanichie Balan, the letter was addressed to the entire community
of Sihastria:
“Fr. Cleopa and Fr. loanichie,
“I greet each of you with a kiss on your right hands. I have always held
both of you very dear and close to me, for you both know the will of God. Forgive
me, Fr. Cleopa! This is what I have felt in my own conscience ever since I first
saw you, up to this very day as I write these words. Fr. Cleopa is the most pure
Romanian Orthodox monk living today.
“Perhaps you might find men on the Holy Mountain who surpass our
monks. Fr. loanichie constantly seeks God. He is super-busy with his books.
Writing all the time! He has a gift of writing and can thus spread the word of
God! This is true especially regarding practical aspects of our Christianity. May
God help him to raise up novices like himself!
“If Fr. Cleopa and Fr. loanichie do not leave disciples behind them,
then Sihastria will become a desert! What a sin that would be! What a spirit [has
reigned at Sihastria]: Paisius, Cleopa, loanichie, and their great abbot, Fr.
loanichie Moroi...
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“There has always been a good spirit at Sihastria from its very inception
as a skete which later grew to a monastery. I would like to die there, but I think
God has decided that I will die here instead. This does not upset me. We are still
in the body, Fr. Cleopa and Fr. loanichie...and these bodies will nurture other
aspects of God’s creation. When? Maybe after a thousand years, maybe sooner.
Flowers will grow from our bodies, or trees, or nettles and briars!
“If our soul is pleasing to God, then a plum or apple tree or some other
fruit tree will grow on top of us; but if we are not pleasing o God, then it will be
nothing but nettles and thorns. After a thousand years no one will know about
Cleopa or loanichie. You will be in paradise! You can look down from there,
without binoculars, at the monks in Sihastria! Future monks! Come then, with
the help of God, and guide them! Sihastria is our only cenobitic monastic
community that has found the direct path to salvation! Maybe there are also some
monks at Frasinei Monastery, too. They could be even more advanced since they
do not allow women to enter that monastery at all.
“Fr. Cleopa and Fr. loanichie, tonsure more monks, but when they are
older, at about 30 years of age. They need to pass through fire first. Can you take
someone from the school bench and make him a priest when he is only eighteen
years old? There are some priests like that here; they are very young and do not
know much and have not even heard of the canons. They need to be raised for
years in the shadow of a good spiritual father, someone chosen, in order to be
good priests, with a discerning conscience.
“Some of these priests are practically children! Way too young! They
do not know that they have one foot in paradise! They don’t know! They don’t
even know what paradise is! No! How can they know? You need to tell them!..
.It isn’t necessary for the monasteries to be full. The monasteries, as always, need
to be the places where we can all go to commune.
“I kiss your hands, Fr. Cleopa and Fr. loanichie! When I die and stand
before God, I will tell Him that you are doing such good works, and I will wait
for you in paradise! If our sufferings on this earth are put on God’s scale and
come to 51%, while our sins are only 49%, then we will enter into paradise!
When our gracious God sees that the good outweighs the bad by even a little, He
presses on the scale with His finger and says, ‘Let it be! Enter into My
blessedness! ’
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“I say these words to you, Fr. Cleopa and Fr. loanichie, for you are so
dear to me and so superior to me in your character and spirit. We cannot come
before God except with love! That is what the Holy Book tells us. With virtue,
and virtue only! We have to be loving not only with those who give us food and
clothing, but with all who are in need...
“I kiss your hands and thank you saying: May you live longer upon
this earth, for you are very needed. Amen.”
Fr. Cleopa personally answered Fr. Dimitrie Bejan’s letter for the
entire community of Sihastria. His words show the continuing care he had for his
own soul, for those who came to him and for the Church:
“Dear Fr. Dimitrie, we thank you in the name of Jesus Christ, the
Savior of the world, for the spiritual words you recently sent to us at this new
year. The beginning of a new year of life means, for us, the beginning of a new
life in Christ.
“Pray for us, beloved Fr. Dimitrie, that God may grant us, for our
remaining days, more zeal in prayer for the Church and tears of repentance so
that we may be saved.
“Pray for us, that we may be sheltered by the grace of the Holy Spirit
in this passing life, so that we may thus comfort those who come to us for advice
and prayers with the comfort that we receive from God.
“Pray for our country, Romania, that it may be protected through
God’s hand from all danger and temptations that press on it from all sides!
“Pray to God and the Theotokos for priests and hierarchs, for the
faithfid and monasteries, so that we can all do His will and obtain salvation for
our souls which are more precious than all the world.
“Pray that the Orthodox Church may come forth victorious from these
horrible attacks launched against it by satan, sectarians and atheism, and that we
may raise up spiritual children who are worthy of the Church of Christ.
“I have known you for so many years. Although unworthy, I was your
spiritual father for a while and I admire your courage, your steadfastness and the
faith with which God has strengthened you and which enabled you to come forth
victorious from so many troubles,
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beatings and imprisonment. You have truly suffered for Christ. The Lord said,
He who endures to the end shall be saved.55
“You have perfectly fulfilled this word of Christ. Therefore you can
say, like St. John Chrysostom: ‘Glory to God for all things!’
“Tomorrow you and I and everyone will depart from the body and will
stand before the righteous Judge, Jesus Christ, for judgment. Let us pray for each
other so that we may obtain together the mercy of God both in this life and in
that which is to come.
“If we do not see each other again in the body, since both of us are old
and ill, then we hope to be worthy to be in paradise so that together with all the
saints and righteous we may glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen
“Beloved Fr. Dimitrie, forgive me a sinner,
“Archimandrite Cleopa Hie”
Fr. Cleopa in his cell

55 Mark 13:13
9
9
FINAL YEARS AND REPOSE
I n the few years prior to the elder’s death, he often reflected

on his life experiences when addressing people, although
he still rarely divulged details from those years of with-
drawal into the wilderness. Having seen so many of his generation al-
ready fall asleep in the Lord, Fr. Cleopa looked back on his own life as
he looked ahead to his repose. He still lived in his cell on the hill that
shelters Sihastria, but whenever he was called by the abbot to come
down and deliver a sermon, he always obeyed.
On the feast of St. Cleopa, October 30, 1994, the brotherhood
of Sihastria went up the hill to Fr. Cleopa’s cell to greet him in honor of
his patronal feast day. Looking at the gathering of monks and novices
the elder was visibly moved and spoke to the brotherhood:
“Very Reverend Father Abbot, venerable fathers and brothers,
as I see you all here, I am filled with great joy. My hope is that we will
look upon each other in the life to come with our ever eternal Savior in
that joy that has no end.
“My dear children, those of you who are professed monks and
those who are the newest and youngest in the community, the righteous
Job, in chapter seven, speaks of how man’s life on earth is nothing but
struggle and toil. Pay attention to this, dear ones, so that we may grow
in spiritual maturity as we grow in years. May the mercy of God help
you! I pray to God with tears asking that He protect you from danger
and trials. Be good monks, dear ones! Just as we rejoice together here
in knowing each other, so may we see each other there where the joy is
unending.
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“My children, I feel very ill and no longer have much strength. The
days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty
years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow. 1 Why then do you sing ‘Many
years’ to a rotten old man who has to descend into the grave tomorrow or the day
after?
“Fulfill all your obediences with love, and may ‘Lord Jesus Christ...’
always be in your mind. The body is Martha, and the Savior told her Martha,
Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, but one thing is
needful.2 There was Mary sitting at the Lord’s feet and listening to His words.
Martha is the body, and Mary is the soul, according to the teachings of St. John
Chrysostom.
“Beloved children, it makes me so happy to see you here. May the
mercy of the all holy Trinity and the Mother of the Lord preserve you from
temptations, for protection is so necessary for those who are young. Fulfill your
obediences with love, be watchful in your minds, for God does not look upon our
outward appearance, but into the depths of our hearts in order to see if we love
Him and if we keep ourselves from sin.
“Beloved and dear children, the body is Martha; make it work. The
soul is Mary, make it pray ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a
sinner!’ Strive in obedience, renunciation of your own will, and watchfulness.
Prayer does not depend on the time or place: ‘Now I can pray, but now I cannot.’
Psalm 103 says Jn all places of His iominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul! 3 4 And
the apostle Paul says Pray ■vithout ceasingf
“Do you see how we must have the Savior in our hearts at all times
and in every place, wherever we may be? The Savior looks into our hearts
constantly. Be watchful! The enemy wars against us, seeking to snatch our souls.
It was not a saint or prophet or an apostle who told us about the value of the soul,
but the Savior Himself: What will a man give in exchange for his soul?5
“I thank you from the depths of, my heart that you have come here to
see me. If someone should ask you what my name is, then tell
'Ps. 90:10
2
Luke 10:41
3
Ps. 103:22
4
2Thes. 5:17
5
Mark 8:37
Final Years and Repose
347
him, ‘Rotten old man! Rotten old man!’ Do not say that my name is Cleopa! I
am rotten. When I look and see all of you, I want to put you all in a knapsack and
take all of you to paradise. I love all of you, each one in the obedience that has
been given to him.
“Those of us who are old are busy with thousands of souls. You need
to take care of your souls. Listen to what St. John Chrysostom says in his book
The Wellspring-. ‘If it is possible, 0 Christian, then you should confess every
hour.’ Why? Because we sin against God every single minute either in thought
or word or deed, willingly or unwillingly, knowingly or unknowingly. Everyone
needs to keep watch over himself and always remember that the angel of the Lord
is ever with him.
“Don’t you see how we can’t endure even the slightest prick of a
needle, or a little spark to fall on us, or a piece of lit charcoal to touch us? Then,
St. Basil says, how will we endure the fire of gehenna? He tells us that the fire of
gehenna is black like tar and bums millions and millions of times hotter than
pitch. Any fire on earth is as cool as a shadow compared to the fire of gehenna
which is an eternal bottomless ocean of black flames. Millions upon millions of
devils and millions upon millions of sinners will bum in that fire. At least in an
earthly type of fire you would see how someone, a mother, sister, brother-in- law,
would bum, but you cannot see anything in the fire of gehenna. There you only
hear the moans, the grinding of teeth, the screams, but you cannot see anyone.
“When our abbot, loanichie, had become very weak and wanted to
have me as his successor, he said, ‘Bring that young boy here from the
sheepfold!’ When they called me, I asked Fr. Paisius what I should do. The elder
said to me, ‘You must say neither ‘yes’ nor ‘no.’ Don’t be glad when they elevate
you and do not be upset when they remove you from that position!’
“With those instructions, I accepted to be the egumen of Sihastria in
the summer of 1942. When the church burned in 1941, there was a great miracle:
the holy relics that were in the altar of the chapel came out of the fire through a
divine miracle, as if someone had thrown them into the monastery courtyard.
“My beloved ones, may I see all of you in paradise, together with Fr.
Abbot, just as I see you here. Keep your lives pure. Maintain the fear of God
always in your minds and heart. Confess everything on your souls in purity.
Fulfill all your obediences with love. Stay away
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from every kind of bad or evil associations, for tomorrow we will depart from
this life and be gone. You know what the Savior says in the Gospel: Watch and
pray for you know neither the day nor the hour...6 W& do not know when we will
depart, but depart we will, for no one remains here forever.
“Father Abbot, I thank you from my whole heart. I ask that you pray
for me. May God reward you for your efforts and your love.”
In 1994 everyone at Sihastria and those outside the monastery realized

that Fr. Cleopa’s health was failing, and all wanted to hear him speak as much as
possible. Those near to him could not imagine their lives without him, and fervent
prayers were offered to God constantly that the elder would live longer to further
guide his loving sheep. Their prayers were answered, for the beloved shepherd
was to live another four years. On the eve of the beginning of the Nativity Fast
in 1994, Abbot loanichie asked Fr. Cleopa to come and speak to the brotherhood.
His words recounted much of his life and were a great encouragement to those
who heard him speak.
The beloved elder began by invoking the Holy Trinity. Then, in his
obedience and humility, he asked the much younger abbot for a blessing: “In the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Bless, Father Abbot,
that I may speak.”
The abbot said the traditional, “Through the prayers of our Holy
Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen.”
“Very Reverend Father Abbot, venerable Fathers and Brothers, above
all else, I offer thanks from my whole heart to the all holy Trinity, our almighty
and ever eternal God, and the Mother of the Lord, together with all the saints who
intercede for us, that I, a sinner, am still here on this day.
“I feel very weak and worn out from all the people, so poor, who come
here from all over. I love to see their faith, and I feel such compassion for them,
but I cannot go on much longer, dear ones, I cannot! The doctor told me that I
can talk only for a half hour at a time because my heart is weak. I have undergone
four operations, including a broken arm; still I have to talk for tens of hours
because so many of these poor people come and tell me all their troubles and
sorrows.
6 Matt. 25:13
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“Father Abbot called me to come here this evening, and I thank God
that I can again see this beautiful refectory 7 and the community of this holy
monastery. The all gracious God has multiplied your numbers here! When I came
here in 1929,1 found fourteen old monks with white beards; together with my
two brothers, the community numbered only sixteen.
“I remember Abbot loanichie Moroi, poor man! He served the Divine
Liturgy daily for almost twenty years. He lived only with holy communion! I was
in obedience in the kitchen; Saturdays and Sundays he would come to eat, but
the other days he lived only with holy communion. When he came on Saturdays
and Sundays, he would ask me, ‘Little brother, do you have any sauerkraut juice’
- we Moldavians call it ‘moare’ - ‘and a little boiled wheat?’ That is how I know
what he ate. He would take a little boiled wheat and some moare, but not before
he read for us at the table.
“I am so glad that Father Abbot has preserved this holy tradition of
reading during meals. Our Abbot loanichie always read from St. Theodore the
Studite and the rules of St. Basil the Great, then he would ask us, ‘OK, my dear
one, now tell me, what did I read here?’ Well! If our thoughts were on the beans
or the potatoes or whatever, then he would say, ‘When I am reading, you need to
pay attention; remember that! ’ Shortly thereafter he made poor Fr. Joel a priest.
After he was ordained, Fr. Joel also served a lot.
“By the time I was made a priest at Neamts Monasteiy in 1945, poor
Fr. Joel had served 136 days straight When he saw me coming from Neamts - I
had to stay there for forty days since that was the custom - he began to cry, ‘Thank
God that there is another priest here now! ’ I came in and served for forty days;
it was just he and I to serve since the elder had died, so we each served in rotations
of forty days.
“My beloved fathers and brothers! The all holy Trinity and the Mother
of the Lord have increased your numbers, dear ones. There are so many of you,
young and old. I cannot come down here from the hill any more because my legs
hurt so badly. If they hadn’t come for me with a car, I would not be here now. I
cannot walk! But when you turn the loud speakers on from the church, I can hear
the service up on the
7 The new refectory was built at Sihastria between 1992 and 1994 and was completely
frescoed by Archimandrite Bartholomew of Sihastria.
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hill.8 Sometimes I cry; I go out on the porch and sit on a chair there listening to
you singing so beautifully in church. Look, now that there are so many of you,
and so many young ones, how beautiful the singing is! I see the indescribable
might of God in this, for He brought you here, He upholds the church services
and your obediences—everything!
“I beseech you, dear ones, to pay particular attention to confession.
There are some who used to come to me but who now go to another priest because
I have so many for confession. But there are some of you who don’t come to me,
and I don’t know if you are going to anyone! I do not need for you to come to
me! You can go to another priest because I cannot find the time for everyone.
But there are a few who no longer come, and I don’t know anything about them;
I don’t know if they are going to someone else. If they go to another priest, they
are blessed because I just can’t go on anymore. There are too many who come to
me; I am old and no longer have much strength.
“But I beg you to confess often and completely. Listen to what St. John
Chrysostom says in his book The Wellspring: ‘If it is possible, O Christian, then
you should confess every hour.’ Why does he say this? Because we sin against
God every minute either in word, in thought, willingly or unwilling, with
knowledge or in ignorance.
“That is why I tell you that frequent and sincere confession will keep a
man on the right path. I see some who come to me, dear poor people, with their
confessions written out, and I have to be patient; other times there are so many
people who come that I no longer have the strength! But when I see them coming,
I force myself to be patient. Let them come, poor people, so that they can unload
what is on their consciences and be relieved of this.
“Now I want to tell you, dear ones, that the nights are longer, and you
no longer have to hurry through the fields so much. All of you need to be at
Matins. It is so beautiful at night when I hear you, because, you see, I go out on
my porch and hear you singing in the middle of the night. There is such a
beautiful echo in these woods at night! Just as I see all of you here, dear ones, so
may I see you all in paradise. All of you! All of you! I feel such compassion for
you; the all holy Trinity brought you here, into this cenobitic community, and I
am so glad that
8 So many people come to the monasteries for services that they cannot all fit in the
churches. Following the fall of communism, many of the monasteries had loud speakers
installed to enable the faithful outside to hear the services.
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all the rules are preserved and that there is reading at the meals and in church.
“The philosopher Eubulos, who studied with St. Basil the Great in
Athens, asked him, ‘Basil, what is the greatest wisdom that preserves a man from
every sin and leads him to paradise?’ ‘Oh, Philosopher,’ answered St. Basil, “The
greatest wisdom that keeps a man from every kind of sin and leads him to eternal
blessedness is this: that he always remember death and that he keep the name of
the Lord Jesus in his mind and heart.’
“Lord, may we be worthy never to forget this advice! The first
instruction that God gave man in paradise was ‘Do not eat of that tree or you will
die! ’ When he forgot about death, then he brought the entire human race to death.
So, let us never forget that we are here today and gone tomorrow. The Savior
says in the Gospel that we must watch and pray, for we do not know the day nor
the hour when the Son of Mar will come.
“There used to be a priest here, you knew him, from Bucium Benjamin
lorga. No one paid much attention to him. You know who I am talking about!
What a zealous man he was! I was his spiritual father. He came from Bucium.
Metropolitan Justin, may the Lord grant him forgiveness and rest, said to him,
‘Look at this, Fr. Benjamin, what a palace I have built! Roznoveanul Palace!’
This happened when I was in Iasi, when the metropolitan had me stay there for
ten days to preach and hear confessions. The elder answered the metropolitan,
‘Your Eminence, that is for future generations; but as far as I am concerned,
allow me to leave here and die in a shack at Sihastria.’
“That is how he died! He called for me so that I would hear his
confession and give him communion. You know Christopher Radu; he was with
me and Julian Lazar who now is on Mount Athos, too. Fr. Benjamin said, ‘Thank
you for coming,’ to all of us, ‘but I will not die today. Tomorrow morning at
10:00. Come then, for tomorrow at 10:00 I will die!’ As soon as we walked out
the door Christopher Radu said, ‘I want to live just to see if this is true!’
“The next day we went to him again at 9:00. We found him struggling
against the coming of death. You could see his tongue moving in his mouth as
he prayed. When he saw us, he said, ‘Fathers, pray together with me, for the time
of my departure has come!’ Finally he looked toward one side and said, ‘Forgive
me, my beloved ones!’ and
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reposed. When we looked at the clock, it was exactly 10:00, just as he had said.
“That is also how Fr. Benjamin Barbacaru died. Poor man! He was
truly a great person among us! He lived for seventy-two years in the monastery,
having entered Vorona Monastery in 1918. He was the spiritual father for nuns
for forty years: twenty-six years at Agafton and fourteen years at Varatec. I was
his spiritual father for about twenty years; he came here from Varatec for
confession.
“I went to see him and give him communion on a Friday, and he said,
‘Come here in exactly one week, at this very time,’ - it was 3:00 in the afternoon
- ‘and we will then be separated as I depart to eternity.’ I got there at 2:00. When
he saw me, he said with such joy, ‘Welcome, Father. Pray together with me!’ Oh,
how I cried! He gazed at the icons and began to weep. You cannot imagine how
his tears flowed. Then he looked at me and said, ‘Forgive me! ’ and gave up his
soul.
“When I looked, it was exactly 3:00.1 remembered his words, ‘At this
horn-, in one week, I will depart.’ He went to his grave just as he was bom from
his mother, untouched by any carnal sin. I can almost see his poor brother,
Cosmas, here in this refectory, with his black camilafca and white beard! The last
time I ever saw him was right here. He spent his life between the church and his
cell. He lived to be just one month shy of eighty-four, and Fr. Benjamin lorga
was one month shy of ninety.
“O, Lord! Our poor fathers! I remember how many of them died under
my epitrachilion: first there was John, Fr. John Rosu who lived in the forest. He
is the one who read the prayer for the departure of the soul for Fr. Paisius. When
I read it for him, he died under my epitrachilion. Vasile Miron who stayed at the
sheepfold also died under my epitrachilion. Poor Pelaghia, you knew her,
Irenaeus Protcencu’s wife, also died under my epitrachilion. Bessarion, the abbot
of Sihla, was also under my epitrachilion; he had said to me, ‘Please, read the
absolution for the departed for me! ’
“Who else died? There are more who died. When I was the abbot at
Slatina I went to Varatec with Anthony, who is now a metropolitan, and with
some others, with Gerontius and others, and there was a nun who was near death.
The Abbess Pelaghia, not the one who is abbess now, came and said, ‘Come with
me; there is a nun who wants you to read the prayer of absolution. Read also the
prayer for the depar
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ture of the soul.’ She died under my epitrachilion as I was reading the prayers.
“There are others like that who also died. Our loved ones have left us!
“Just recently, on November ninth, I walked through the cemetery.
When I came to the front of Fr. Abbot loanichie and saw his photograph I began
to weep uncontrollably. I remembered his ascetic efforts and how he taught us so
beautifully, poor man! He came to the refectory for the sole purpose of teaching
us, and then he would leave. He lived only on holy communion.
“Listen to what St. John Chrysostom says: ‘Go often to the graves,
brother, and to the cemetery! If you visit them often you will learn great wisdom,
more than all the philosophical schools in the world could possibly teach you!’
Fr. Cleopa among the graves at Sihastria’s cemetery

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“They are silent, but they speak with us through the heart. When I visit
the cemetery I find drat I am the only one left from my generation! There is no
one older than I! No one! Then I remember that I lived with them not for weeks
or months or even years, but for decades! Now they are all there. I weep at all
their crosses. My young novice came, and while I sat on a small bench, I had him
read prayers at every cross. He read for this one and that one....
“I remember all of them! Our loved ones have left! I remember their
lives. When the young brother read their names: Fr. Vasile Mitosaru, Fr.
Bessarion Palade, my brother Gerasim, Constantins Uri- caru...these would all
sleep a little during the night in a coffin and eat only once a day, after the setting
of the sun, and they all knew the Psalter by heart!
“While I had the obedience of taking care of the cattle, I shared a cell
with my brother, Fr. Gerasim. He knew the entire Psalter by heart, together with
the Biblical Songs of Moses. Everything! He would say three kathismata from
the Psalter by heart, together with their ending prayers, and make thirty-three
prostrations; then another three kathismata and another thirty-three prostrations.
Me? I was tired and lay down. I would be tired from taking care of the cattle;
there were not so many cows then, only about five or six, and maybe two oxen
and two horses; that’s all there were back then.
“Then suddenly while I was lying down I would hear: Smack! Smack!
He would clap his hands together loudly and say, ‘Don’t sleep, you horse! Look
at the coffin!’ That is how he would spend his nights. He had a coffin in his cell.
I can almost hear Nectarius Pintilie saying to him, ‘Fr. Gerasim, how many of
these coffins will rot before you die!’ He answered, ‘I believe with Christ that
this very one will be my home for eternity!’ And that is how it was! He died in
1933, on the feast of the Cross. He departed to the Lord!
“The Old Testament reading is so applicable for them: He has been
carried off so that evil may not warp his understanding or treachery seduce his
soul... coming to perfection in so short a while, he achieved long life; his soul
being pleasing to the Lord, he has taken him quickly.9 What ascetic struggles they
endured! We would go out to cut the hay in the fields with scythes, and all they
would say was, ‘Forgive me’ as they cut. They worked all day; we ate three times
during
9 Wisdom 4:10-14
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the day, but not they. When they came back in the evening, they would take a
little holy bread and then say the entire Psalter by heart! May the Lord forgive
them!10
“Do you know why I am reminding you of them, dear ones? Because
I do not think I will be with you again! Maybe I will make it until Great Lent; the
Theotokos alone knows! I feel very weak. I wanted to tell you about the monks
that I found when I came here. No one had a bed in his cell! There were four of
us young brothers w'ho were novices in Fr. Peter Ganea’s cell. He was from
Ardeal. Those were the old cells. He, the elder, had just a few old planks set up
as a bed.
“When the bell would ring for Matins, he would wake us up saying,
‘Hey, boys, did you hear the archangel’s voice? Come on, my children, to the
holy prayers!’ Hearing the bell for Matins, we would get up; there was snow on
the ground in the winter, but I would not put my shoes on since they were still
wet near the fireplace, and we would run to the chapel, the chapel that later
burned. When the elder would see me running through the snow, he said, ‘No,
you are going to get sick, Brother!’ But how was I to put on my shoes? I went to
church barefoot.
“I would stand where the old sacristy was. When the library burned, a
lot of books from the sacristy burned, too. There was a history of this monastery
written by the researcher Dometius from Neamts Monastery in 1713, and that
burned, too. That history showed how the seven hermits who founded Sihastria
also cursed it saying, ‘If this place is defiled by fleshly sins, if those living here
have their own purses, or if meat is eaten here, then may God punish this place
with fire and desolation!’
“I am telling you these things, my children, because there is no one
else to tell you. I read this and I remembered it, but tomorrow or the day after I
will be in the grave. I feel very weak and have no strength. I am almost eighty-
three years old. I’ve had four operations, my heart is weak, and people still come
to me day and night.
“Listen! I have met great monks! Constantins Uricaru from Ciumasi
Township in Bacau County. He kept a coffin near his fireplace; he recited the
entire Psalter by heart every day. He would say,
10Fr. Cleopa is not implying that what they did was sinful; rather this expression in
Romanian is always used when referring to someone who is departed.
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attention, brother, that you always have prayer of the mind and do not forget
death! ’ Poor man, he endured so much! Balta, the thief, beat him about the head
and he lost his eye the next day.
“Oh, Lord! When I think of all I have lived through: thieves, fires and
wars! These have all passed, through the mercy of the Lord. And now I see this
beautiful refectory, full of monks, and I do not know what to say before the Lord
or how to give Him thanks!
“May the mercy and compassion of the Lord be with you, and may you
increase in numbers, dear ones; may you be strengthened in the Faith and may
you be examples to follow for those who come here in the future after you.
“Forgive me, a sinner, for I have kept you so long.”
Metropolitan Daniel of Moldavia with his spiritual father, Elder

Cleopa a few years before the elder’s repose
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The Last Years
The eider’s reputation had spread far beyond the borders of Romania,
so that the peace he longed for in his last years would not be found, for he was
besieged daily. Yet, in his love and patience, he did not turn anyone away.
Everyone could see that his life on this earth was drawing near to its end, and no
one wanted him to depart without giving one last counsel, one last blessing.
Romania was, and is, full of outstanding spiritual fathers, but Fr. Cleopa was
unequaled, not only as a theologian or superb preacher, but especially in his
prayers to God for all who came to him.
The elder had a great gift of discernment. He would often give quite
different advice to two people who had the same problem, saying one thing to
one person and something completely different to the other. Once when a busload
of people came to see the elder, he spoke to them for twenty or thirty minutes
before the people began to ask him questions regarding their pains and sufferings.
There were a number of ill people in the group, and they began one by one to ask
him:
“Father, I have been suffering from this disease for so many years. I
have gone to the doctor. What should I do?”
“Go to the doctor again and find out exactly what is wrong. Have an
operation,” said the elder.
Then another person asked, “Father, I have a daughter at hoir who has
been sick for several, years. I have problems with her. W should I do? Should I
take her to the doctor or not?”
“Go to the doctor,” the elder answered.
A third voice in the crowd asked him, “Father, I am sick. Vt should I
do?”
“Have an Unction Service!”
“Shouldn’t I go to the doctor?”
“No! No! Go to the Unction Service!”
Following that, yet another person asked, “Father, I am sick. What
should I do?”
“Go to the doctor and find out what is wrong.”
Thus, without even knowing the people personally Fr. Cleopa was able
to give the advice that they needed.
The grace of Christ working in him illumined the beloved elder to
know the hearts of the faithful who came to him. He immediately knew if people
came to him to test him or if they came with true faith. He knew how much each
person could bear and never gave a
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penance or instruction that would be too difficult for that particular person or that
would cause someone to complain. Many people came to the elder seeking
counsel regarding what path they should take in this life; then, inspired by the
Holy Spirit, Fr. Cleopa would answer them directly. Those who followed his
advice were always grateful in their souls, while those who ignored his words
often found that they could not endure the path which they chose against his
counsel.
Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople,

Fr. Cleopa, and Patriarch Teoctist of Romania
For the most part during his life, Fr. Cleopa enjoyed good health, but
from the time he reached the age of seventy, he began to feel more and more
tired. His years of struggle in solitude in the wilderness, as well as his sufferings
during the atheistic period in Romania, began to tell on his resistance and
physical well-being.
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The elder often remarked that he had had four operations. In 1985 he
was hospitalized at the St. Spiridon Hospital in Iasi for a double hernia which
required two operations; a few years before his repose he was again hospitalized
for a kidney problem, which is recounted below; he also suffered through a facial
operation due to dental infections; and in his elderly years, he broke his right arm
as well. Fr. Cleopa endured all these sufferings in a state of watchfulness,
awaiting his last hour with his mind on Christ and in constant prayer of the heart.
During those last years of the elder’s life, more and more people were
able to come to him. By that time, Fr. Cleopa was feeling very old, ill and
exhausted. At times, his exhaustion was so great that he would not want to
receive anyone. He would tell his cell attendant, “Close the door and double lock
it; even if the Japanese emperor comes, I don’t want to get up!” Perhaps the elder
would not have opened the door for the emperor of Japan, but in his love for the
Emperor Christ and for the faithful, he arose without fail whenever he was called
to comfort, teach and bless all who came to him.
Before the fall of communism, the road leading to Sihastria was a
typical dirt, forest road, full of rocks and often washed out in places. When
freedom came to Romania in the last decade of the 20 th century, the road to
Sihastria was vastly improved, and a bus route brought pilgrims right to tlfe gate
of the monastery. Benches were placed in the yard outside the elder’s cell, and
the roof from the building was extended to cover this area. There, Fr. Cleopa sat
and addressed the faithful and pilgrims who wound their way up the hill to hear
him speak. Some came with specific questions, others simply sat quietly waiting
for him to talk. His words and counsels very often in these last years turned to
suffering, illness and death.
“What are we? Nothing but a handful of dirt in the depth of the grave.
We were formed from good soil, but we defiled it; now we go into the earth and
corrupt the earth! What are we? Grime and food for the worms!”
When people greeted him, he would frequently reply, “Tomorrow or
the day after, I will go to Christ! Tomorrow the old rotten one departs”;
“Tomorrow you won’t see anything except a cross in the cemetery”; “Tomorrow
or the day after, it’s ‘memory eternal’ to the old rotten one”; “Tomorrow I will
go to my brothers. They are calling to me, ‘come on, brother, quit talking to
people all the time!’ ”
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Fr. Cleopa’s humility was remarkable. He never understood why
people came to him, why they loved him, why anyone would seek his counsel or
show him any respect, even the respect due to one his age. Whenever people
began to sing “many years” for him, he stopped them and said, “No, no. Not that
way. Sing like this, ‘Memory eternal, memory eternal, memory eternal.’” If those
present persisted in singing or wishing him the customary “many years”, then he
would say, “Humph! ‘Many years’ to the rotten old man! I’m a broken old clay
pot held together by a piece of wire.”
This last reference showed not only the elder’s humility and wit, but
also how he incorporated theology into everything he said: man is made from
clay, as is pottery; the broken pot is to recognize one’s sinfulness and uselessness;
it is held together by a piece of wire, showing that one needs healing and
repairing.
During the elder’s last years he saw developments at Sihastria that
could not have even been dreamt of during communist times. St. Theodora of
Sihla was canonized, and a large church was being constructed at Sihastria
dedicated to her; existing buildings within the monastery compound were being
renovated, and newer structures were being added, such as the refectory that the
elder spoke of in one of his addresses to the community. Sihastria, which means
hermitage in Romania, was becoming a true lavra, both in the size of the
brotherhood as well as in its physical structures. Everyone knew that Sihastria’s
renown was largely due to the fame of the beloved elder, and many wondered
what the monastery would be like after his death.
In his cell on the hill above the monastery, the elder could hear the
pounding of nails as work was being done in the monastery. One day one of the
fathers from the monastery asked Fr. Cleopa, “Father, what will happen to
Sihastria if you depart to the Lord?”
The elder looked down and said, “more building, more building...!”
The elder seemed to consider the new freedom of the country as a mixed
blessing in many ways. He obviously feared there was a danger of an exaggerated
emphasis on buildings and material advancement in a land that had been
repressed for so many decades, and that the spiritual life would suffer for this.
Once when someone was showing him the new church to St. Theodora at the
monastery, Fr. Cleopa remarked, “It is harder to make a real monk than it is to
build a cathedral!”
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Church of St. Theodora of Sihla at Sihastria

Built just prior to the elder’s repose
Considering the difficulties the elder had endured his entire life, no one
expected him to live so long, least of all Fr. Cleopa himself. There were always
the typical aches and pains that one associates with growing old, but from 1996
until his falling asleep two years later, the elder began to suffer tremendous pain
resulting from his right kidney which no longer functioned properly. Although
he had previously gone
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to physicians for other ailments, now he refused to see a doctor or to take any
medications to alleviate the pain from this ailment. He ate very little, but only
took a little bit of tea at mealtimes, and gradually those who knew him became
used to hearing him say, “The best of foods is tea with bread, light food!”
Alarmed at the elder’s failing health, the abbot of Sihastria as well as
Metropolitan Daniel of Iasi ordered Fr. Cleopa, under obedience, to seek medical
attention. Obedient even in his advanced old age, the elder reluctantly went to
the arranged appointment. Medications and injections were prescribed for Fr.
Cleopa which he did take, although not very willingly. Finally, under a great deal
of pressure from doctors and his own hierarch, the elder agreed to be hospitalized
for an operation.
Fr. Cleopa’s presence in the hospital in Iasi was quite an occasion for
everyone there. Even the doctors arranged schedules and conferences for the
elder to speak and address people in the hospital! When the faithfill in the city
heard that Fr. Cleopa was a patient at the hospital, countless numbers of them
brought various foods to him there. The elder graciously accepted their offerings
and then called the nurses to take the food to the hospital kitchen in order to share
it with the other patients. When he was finally discharged, the doctors told him,
“Father, we did not lack any provisions during the whole time you were here;
everything that people brought here for you proved to be enough for the entire
hospital!”
Fr. Cleopa certainly had stories to tell after he returned to Sihastria.
“After the operation, I was taken to the recovery room. I slept there on a reclining
chair for three days and three nights. When I woke up, they said to me, ‘Father,
do you know that you were talking while you slept these three days and nights?’
“ ‘I don’t know anything about it! What did I say?’
“ ‘Father, do you know how many sermons we recorded from you
during this time? Look at these tapes!’ Then they showed me whole cassettes,
and on them were sermons I remembered giving thirty and forty years ago. I
didn’t remember talking at all during those three days, yet I was delivering
sermons!”
The elder also used another incident from this time to emphasize the
importance of fasting, even—or perhaps we should say particularly—when one
is ill:
“When I was in Iasi for my operation, they had to take x-rays of my
kidneys. This was during Great Lent. They took the tests, but
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they did not come out, so a doctor came to me and said, ‘Father, in order for these
tests to come out, you have to eat three little eggs!’
“ ‘Ma’am, listen to me: You can give me mountains of gold that reach
from Nicolina to Copou, but I will not eat three eggs during Great Lent!’
“ ‘Look! That is why you have ended up in the hospital, and that is
why you will die!’ she answered.
“ ‘And so what if I die? Is it a king that is dying? A rotten old man
dies! So what! Am I the only one that is ever going to die? Isn’t everyone going
to die?’
“ ‘Why won’t you eat an egg?’
“ ‘Because I do not believe in an egg!’
“ ‘Then what do you believe in?’
“ ‘I believe in the Father and in the Son and in the Holy Spirit!’
“Then she went to the director of the hospital and told him, ‘There is
a priest here who refuses to eat an egg in order for this test to come out! ’
“The director knew me and told the doctor, ‘Don’t you know who that
priest is? That is Fr. Cleopa! He lived for almost ten years in the wilderness with
only one potato a day and some wild weeds.’
“When the doctor heard that, she came and brought me some lenten
food that she had prepared herself, and asked me for forgiveness. Then I went
and had the tests taken again.
“They took the test without my having eaten any eggs. When the x-
rays came out, she showed them to me and said, ‘Father, look how nicely they
came out!’
“ ‘Doctor, did they come out alright without those three little eggs?’
“Everyone laughed. The x-rays showed that the left kidney was
swollen, but the right one was normal.
“ ‘You see, they came out fine without those little eggs.’
“ ‘Father, forgive us! We have never seen anything like this!’
“When I was discharged from the hospital, the porter there told me,
‘Father, if you had stayed a little longer in the hospital, I would have had enough
money from your visitors to finish building my house!”’
From his youth, and especially from the time he had lived alone in the
wilderness, Fr. Cleopa had a great love for birds and found
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tremendous comfort in them. He often spoke of the birds, calling them the
“youths of the forests,” and he liked to talk about the owls, pelicans and other
birds. One of the elder’s disciples said, “He used to identify the various birds and
even imitated their songs. As he did this, he brought real joy to our hearts. What
we loved the most at these times was seeing him so joyful!”
The elder often recalled, “Oh, what delight I felt when I received holy
communion the first time in the wilderness and a flock of birds came and sang
so beautifully!” Whenever the elder could, he always put food outside his cell for
the wild birds.
Two years before his falling asleep, the elder, accompanied by two
other monks, was returning to his cell after receiving holy communion in the
monastery main church. As they were walking along, a flock of small birds came
around them, chirping and flying very close, finally lighting upon Fr. Cleopa’s
head, his hands, pecking at his beard and pulling on his rasa; however, they never
touched the other monks. Then they all flew and perched on branches in a nearby
pine tree and began singing. The elder stopped and sighed, saying, “Oh, how I
wish I could live again with the birds in the forest!”
From 1996 to 1997 Fr. Cleopa began to feel more and more tired. In
spite of this, he was still constantly besieged with visitors from within Romania
as well as far beyond its borders. His memory and voice were still very healthy
and strong, and he continued to receive those who came to him, comforting the
faithful, the sick, the elderly and his beloved spiritual children in the monastery.
Yet, his health was slipping away day by day. It became increasingly difficult for
him to walk at all, and he could only do so accompanied by his cell attendants,
both inside and when he would go out of his cell for fresh air. His cell attendants
could, for the most part, assist the elder to go out onto the porch of his cell where
the faithful would gather around him to inhale his words which were still so full
of God’s grace.
The elder ate very little during these last years. He would barely taste
a little food and then say right away, “That’s enough. I’m full. Glory be to God
for all things!”
While he all but abandoned food, he did not cease in his own prayers.
By that time, he could not stand for prayer, but would sit on his bed or a chair
and immerse himself in prayer. The times that he preferred the most to pray were
between 4:00 and 8:00 a.m., after which he would rest a bit. Following that, the
elder would receive the
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monks and faithful who came to him for confession. About 4:00 p.m., he would
begin his evening rule of prayer: the Canon of Repentance, two or three of the
Compline canons to the Theotokos, the Paradis to the Theotokos, Compline and
other prayers. Later in the evening, his cell attendants would take him outside on
the porch for fresh air, where he would sit and practice the Jesus Prayer, admiring
the natural beauty that God had bestowed around him. After an hour or two on
the porch, he would return to his cell for a little rest before awakening around
midnight to pray again.
As ill and weak as he was in the last two years of his life, he did not
abandon those who were especially close to him, regardless of how exhausted or
ill he felt himself. Father Barsanuphius, who had been one of his most faithful
disciples, was on his deathbed, and the loving elder went to be with him in those
final moments. Placing his epitrachilion over Fr. Barsanuphius, Fr. Cleopa began
reading the prayers for the parting of the soul. As he said the very words,
“Absolve Thy servant, Barsanuphius from this insufferable pain and bitter weak-
ness that has hold of him, and grant him rest among the souls of the righteous...
” Fr. Barsanuphius breathed twice and gave his soul into the hands of the Lord.
Fr. Cleopa continued with the prayers, saying, “For Thou art the rest of our souls
and bodies and to Thee we offer glory...”
Fr. Cleopa’s Last Address to the Monks of Sihastria

(March 1, 1998)
Toward the end of his life, the elder’s failing health prevented him
from leaving his cell and going down the hill to the main part of the monastery.
Finally, just before the beginning of Great Lent in 1998, at the abbot’s insistence
and with a great deal of help, he was brought to the assembled community to
speak to them for what would prove to be the last time. Many of the things he
said in this last address are repetitive of what we have already recorded; however,
we include his words in full:
“In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
“Very Reverend Father Abbot, Reverend Fathers and Brothers, may I
see all of you in paradise, in that joy which knows no bounds, just I see you now,
dear ones, for we are all in the service of
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the Savior and the Theotokos, each one fulfilling the obedience which is assigned
to him.
“I feel such love when I look at all of you! But there are some of you
that I do not know since I so seldom come here now. I do know those who come
to me for confession or who have been here for a while. My desire is that all of
you, all of you, will go to that eternal joy, and that not one of you, God forbid,
will go to eternal torment.
“My beloved fathers and brothers, know that the Church is our spiritual
mother. She gave birth to us through baptism, through water and the spirit. You
have heard what the holy apostle Paul says: You received the spirit of adoption
through the -washing ofregeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit.'4 Since
that time of our baptism in the name of the all holy Trinity we are all sons of God
according to grace.
“That is why I beg you from my heart to love the Church, dear ones!
Love the church, and as much as is possible, go to church day and night. Those
who are elderly and no longer have strength, poor ones, can stay a shorter time
at the services. Those who are young can stay longer. The Church’s services
enrich everyone’s memory, and the grace of the all-holy Spirit comes upon those
who piously listen to the holy services of the Church.
“My beloved ones, I the unworthy sinner, am old; I am eighty- six and
have had six operations, my right arm was broken and in a cast for thirty-two
days, tomorrow or the day after you will be singing ‘memory eternal’ for me.
What else can I do? Psalm 90 says clearly, The days of our lives are seventy
years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, then the next verse says
yet their boast is only labor and sorrow! I have passed into the years of labor and
sorrow. I am old; on April 10,1 will have completed eighty-six years of life.
“My dear fathers, I beg you from my whole heart: do not forget me in
your prayers, those of you who feel love and are able to do so. Remember me!
“I feel such love when I see all of you serving the Savior and the
Mother of the Lord. May I see you like this in paradise, my beloved ones, all of
you! All of you are serving the Savior and the Theotokos!
“Our monastery is a monastery with a rule that is fully canonical: meat
is not eaten, confessions are regular, the services are done according to the order
of St. Sabbas....
14 Rom. 8:15; Titus 3:5

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“When I came here there were only fourteen fathers, all with opinci 15
on their feet and with beards down to their knees and prayer ropes in their hands.
My brother Vasile brought me here. When I came I was fifteen and a half years
old and did not know anything.
“When I saw all the monks together in the refectory, with the elderly
abbot at the head of the table, reading from St. Theodore the Studite, I asked my
brother, ‘Is today a feast?’ I had stayed at Cozancea skete where the life was
semi-idiorrythmic and each one ate by himself in his own hut. ‘Brother,’ he said
to me, ‘it is not a feast! This monastery is cenobitic. The monks always eat
together!’ The elder himself read at meals. He served the Divine Liturgy and was
nourished only with holy communion for nearly twenty years. On Saturdays and
Sundays he would taste a little bit, right out of the cooking pots. I know that
because I was the cook. May God grant him rest, poor man! He had such strong
fear of God and such great faith! He professed me in 1937, during great Lent. I
remember it all.
“There was a priest, Nicholas Gradinaru, who had a long beard, maybe
some of you remember him. When I was led before the altar 16 he said, ‘Father
Abbot, let’s give him the name Cleopa, because we don’t have a single Cleopa
here!’ The abbot put his hands on the scissors and named me Cleopa. That is
what was decided by God.
“May God grant him rest. I have a prayer list in my cell with all those
who have reposed here, including bishops and patriarchs. As long as I have a
spark of life in me, I remember them all eveiy day!
“But I beseech you, dear ones, all of you, do not forget me in your
holy prayers! Just as I see all of you here now, so may I see you in paradise, in
the eternal joy that has no bounds.
“May the mercy of the all holy Trinity and the protection of the
prayers of the all holy Theotokos and all the saints, be with all of you and bring
you all, my dear ones, to paradise. Amen.”
The Elder’s Repose

Fr. Cleopa was tired. He could not understand why people continued
to come to him, and although he did not turn them away, he
15Footwear wom by shepherds and many peasants. See chapter 2, footnote #7.
16In the service of monastic tonsure a professed monk (or nun in the case of a women’s
monastery) leads the one to be professed into the church and right up to in front of the
Royal Doors.
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finally began to try to discourage them from coming. He often spoke of his
weaknesses and illnesses, saying of himself, “Rotten old man! Eighty-six years
old, six operations, broken arm, broken ribs....” When people came to his cell
seeking him, the elder made his cell attendant say these very words about him to
the guests. Some would say to the young monk, “Why do you say these things?
We come to Fr. Cleopa like to a saint! Why do you keep telling us about his
illnesses and weaknesses?”
In May of 1998 the elder felt great pains in his body and agreed to go
for a medical examination in Iasi where he stayed for one week; however, he
refused to be admitted to the hospital during that time, saying, “My brothers are
waiting for me and I need to prepare to go to them!” He repeated these same
exact words in November, 1998 when he was urged again to go for a medical
exam, which this time, he refused to do.
During those summer months in 1998 a bishop from Greece was
visiting Romania and went to see the elder. He would not leave Fr. Cleopa until
the elder gave him his own prayer rope as a blessing; for many years prior to that
Fr. Cleopa, inspired by the Holy Spirit, had foretold that this man would become
a bishop,
As summer of that year faded into autumn, the months of September
through November were clearly announcing that Fr. Cleopa’s life on this earth
was coming to an end. He spoke very little, and when he did, his voice was very
soft and quiet, as he repeated the same words, “I am going now to my brothers!”
“Let me go to my brothers!” “I am going to Christ! Pray for me, a sinner!”
One day, toward the end of September, as the sun was about to set, Fr.
Cleopa asked for help so that he could visit the cemetery one last time to see his
brothers’ graves, as well as the graves of the great abbot, loanichie Moroi, his
spiritual father, Hieroschemamonk Paisius, and the graves of other monks and
spiritual fathers who were older than he. He was brought to the gate of the
cemetery in a car, and from there his cell attendants took him from one grave to
another, all those whom he had loved and known, who had been his disciples,
brothers, spiritual sons and spiritual fathers.
•He prayed at each of the graves, making bows, supported by his
novices, and kissed the crosses at each grave as he offered a prayer, saying, “Pray
for the sinner Cleopa, because tomorrow or the day after, we shall meet again in
Christ.” Finally, he said, “Mother of the Lord,
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have mercy on us and all the fathers in this cemeteiy and intercede before the
throne of the all holy Trinity that we may obtain forgiveness from the righteous
Judge.”
Since the region around Sihastria Monastery is excellent for raising
fruit trees, all of the monasteries in Moldavia have beautiful orchards, and
Sihastria is no exception. As the fruit ripened in 1998, one of the brothers
discovered that one particular apple tree in the monastery orchard had very
delicious fruit; in fact, the monks called the apples from that tree “apples from
the garden of paradise.” The brother wanted to bring Fr. Cleopa a few of the
apples, but was embarrassed to do so. The elder, however, knew the novice’s
desire and said to him, “Go and bring them to me now, because next year you
won’t be able to give me any,” referring to his approaching repose.
In the late fall of 1998 two faithful Orthodox Christians from Poiana
Teiului came to the elder to receive his blessing. When they asked him for a word
of spiritual advice, Fr. Cleopa told them, “I will be departing to the Lord soon,
but difficult times are ahead for you!”
When another monk asked the elder what things would be like for all
of them after his repose, Fr. Cleopa answered, “There will be a very difficult and
cold winter after I die!”
Fr. Cleopa knew that he would repose very soon and often spoke about
this in a round-about way. Once he said, “What a beautiful cross I will have at
my head.” Indeed, the cross that now stands in the middle of the monasteiy
cemeteiy at the head of his grave was completed just a few days before the elder’s
repose. Even before work was begun on the beautiful carved cross, Fr. Cleopa
would quote exactly what would be inscribed on it, but no one knew what he was
talking about.
One Orthodox woman from Constanta came to Sihastria a month
before the elder’s repose. She knew the elder well and later related, “I came to
Fr. Cleopa’s cell on October 29, 1998 to ask him for word for salvation, and he
said to me, ‘Sister, when you come to Sihaj tria in the future, go to the cross in
the cemeteiy and tell me all that yo< have on your soul; if it is the will of God, I
will hear and help you.’”
A few days later, on November 3, Fr. Cleopa told his novices, “My
days are numbered and can be counted on your fingers! Soon you will be singing
‘memory eternal’ for me. Please, remember me in your prayers!”
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The elder’s cell attendant said, “Thursday and Friday night, just a few
days before he departed to the Lord, I stayed in the elder’s cell. I was amazed at
his ascetical efforts. He did not sleep at all during the night, but was trying to
read prayers and could not because he was so tired and weak. His mind, however,
was constantly in prayer, and his hand moved over his prayer rope, but he could
not keep his eyes open in order to read from the prayer book. He would lie down
for a very short time, and then get up again and continue in prayer.”
On Friday and Saturday, November 27 and 28, Fr. Cleopa was still
offering counsel and blessing those who came to see him, both monks and
faithful. His face appeared very peacefill, and he spoke calmly and beautifully to
those who questioned him, not refusing to see anyone. He comforted everyone
and encouraged them to be strong, peaceful and joyful, for those who saw him
were mourning his approaching departure.
Sunday, November 29, the eve of the feast of St. Andrew, he was again
surrounded by people. He spoke to them warmly and gently, but briefly. As some
people came, others left, but his disciples took Teat care to look after everyone.
At 11:30 a.m. a novice came to the elder to receive his bless- for
monastic tonsure, saying, “Bless me, Fr. Cleopa, for tonight I I be
professed!”
After giving his blessing and placing his hand on the young wvice’s
head, the brother asked the elder for a word about profession. The elder said,
“From now on, you do not have a father or a mother or brothers or relatives, nor
do you have friends or countrymen, not even a home. You have nothing except
Christ!”
“Father,” the novice said, “if you obtain boldness before God,
remember me in your prayers!”
“May the mercy of the Mother of the Lord be with all of us!”
At 4:00 p.m. another brother came to ask for a blessing for profession,
but this time Fr. Cleopa did not say anything; he only put his hand on the novice’s
head. From that time on, the elder did not answer any questions from his
disciples. He sat on the chair that he always used to hear confessions, his eyes
half closed, as if he were carried out of his own body. This lasted for more than
eleven hours.
Monday morning at 3:30 a.m. the elder awoke as if from a deep sleep.
He was very well-disposed and seemed very peaceful and
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grateful in his soul. He asked for something to eat, saying, “Have you ever seen
a monk eat at this hour of the morning?”
Monday, November 30, and Tuesday, December 1, Fr. Cleopa again
received the faithful, offering advice as he had done for decades. But on Tuesday
afternoon, the elder did something very curious: he began reading the Morning
Prayers. His disciples said, “Father, it is nearly evening. Read the Morning
Prayers tomorrow morning!”
The elder answered, “I am reading them now because I am going to
my brothers.”
The novices looked on, in a state of wonder.
Tuesday evening, Fr. Cleopa went to bed late, feeling very tired. At
2:20 a.m. on Wednesday, his cell attendant heard the elder breathing more and
more slowly. When he approached Fr. Cleopa, the elder took a deep breath and
delivered his soul into the hands of Christ.
The monks of the monastery immediately gathered together, led by the
abbot, and began to prepare the beloved elder for burial. The breathless body of
Fr. Cleopa was brought from his cell to the sound of the monastery bells and
placed in the monastery’s main church. Hieromonks and monks of the monastery
as well as the innumerable faithful who came from every comer of the country,
all kept vigil at the side of the elder’s body as it lay in the^hurch.
The news of Fr. Cleopa’s departure spread throughout Romania and
beyond its borders with a rapidity that was unknown in former times. Even as far
away as Salina, Kansas, the heartland of America, the local newspaper had a
story: “Romanian Holy Man Dies”!
Dirring the days preceding his burial, thousands of faithful came to bid
farewell to the elder, while monks read the Psalter uninterruptedly in the church
near his body.
Archimandrite Cleopa Hie, the great abbot and spiritual father of
Romanian monasteries, lived, struggled and ended his life surrounded by people.
Monastics, clergy and faithful who all looked to him as a shining light, as their
spiritual father and guide, all wept his departure from them.
Eternal be his memory!
Burial
For three days and nights, the entire monastic community of Sihastria
and those faithful in the region all prayed for the reposed soul
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of Fr. Cleopa. The date for the funeral was set for on Saturday, December 5,
1998.
God brought about a true miracle, for that day was beautifully sunny,
warm and bright, while the days prior to that had all been dark and very cold.
The beloved elder in repose

The Divine Liturgy on December 5 th was served by a sobor of eight
hierarchs: Metropolitan Daniel of Moldavia and Bucovina, Metropolitan
Bartholomew of Cluj, Bishop John of Oradia, Bishop Casian
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of the lower Danube, Bishop Joachim of Husi, Bishop Calinic of Iasi, Bishop
Bcssarion of Ardeal and Bishop Gerasim of Suceava. Following the Divine
Liturgy the funeral service was officiated in the monastery courtyard by these
same bishops. There were too many abbots, hieromonks and priests to even
count, as well as over ten thousand faithful who had come from throughout the
country. The monastery courtyard, all the balconies, and the entire road from the
courtyard to the cemetery were packed with people. Almost all of the hierarchs
present spoke of the beloved elder; however, Metropolitan Daniel of Moldavia
and Bucovina, himself one of Fr. Cleopa’s spiritual sons, gave the main ser-
mon/eulogy:17
Metropolitan Daniel prays at the body of Elder Cleopa

December 5, 1998
17 Translated from Candela Moldovei Year 7, Nr. 11-12, Nov/Dec. 1998
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“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints! 18
“Our venerable Fr. Cleopa’s passing into eternal life is a great loss for
our Church and an indescribable anguish for our souls. In Fr. Cleopa’s death the
Church on earth has lost a holy monk, a spiritual father who was a true
theologian, and a resolute missionary of immeasurable spiritual value and
tremendous importance.
“In these times when people are becoming so secularized and falling
into spiritual confusion, what could be more precious than to meet a Christian
saint living in the uninterrupted tradition of the Church?
“Fr. Cleopa did not only intellectually know the writings of the great
holy fathers of the desert and great lavras: Saints Anthony, Pa- chomius, Paisius
and Sabbas the Sanctified whose memory we celebrate today, December 5; but
also for more than seventy years, day by day, he lived according to the canons
and rules established and organized by these holy fathers. Fr. Cleopa’s holy way
of life, completely faithful to the unbroken tradition of the Church, made him a
contemporary and friend of the saints from throughout the centuries.
“Fr. Cleopa often said, ‘This monastery is traditional according to the
rules of the fathers from ages past. ’ He constantly gave examples of great
ascetics from Romanian monasteries living in our own times as well as the holy
fathers from centuries past. In doing this, he showed that the truth of tradition is
found in the fact that the same Holy Spirit working hundreds of years ago is
working in our own times as well, for true tradition does not belong only to the
past centuries.
“Fr. Cleopa never expressed his own opinions above the teachings of
the holy fathers. He never lessened his zeal for his own ascetical struggles under
the pretext that in our days it would be impossible for someone to fulfill the holy
canons.
“Yet, it is also true that he never asked anyone to do anything that he
did not personally practice. He was severe with himself, but lenient with others.
He showed by example that tradition becomes alive through spiritual growth and
through measured zeal in ascetical struggles, in repentance and in holiness.
“Fr. Cleopa was completely faithful to monastic traditions, yet tradition
is never constraining nor rigid. The Holy Spirit, in the fullness of His presence
in the rules of monastic life, awakens in man the unin
18
Ps. 115:6
377
terrupted zeal and unbounded longing for holiness. For Fr. Cleopa, tradition was
a communion in sanctification throughout the centuries in which he was both free
and stable.
“As a spiritual father, Fr. Cleopa was a guiding teacher and a
theological pastor. Everything that he taught had the fullness of the teachings of
the saints. His instructions were fully based on holy Scripture and the holy
fathers. He did not offer arbitrary opinions, but rather the oneness of the universal
Orthodox thought, profoundly theological and anthropological. That is why
hierarchs and monastics, political figures and common folks, university
professors and peasants chose him as their spiritual father. He loved and guided
everyone in a fatherly manner. That is why everyone irresistibly rejoiced at being
one of his spiritual children. He loved all creation: people, mountains, birds and
flowers, meadows and stars. He saw all things as a cosmic Divine Liturgy.
“He had the gift of talking about profound things in a way that was
simple and comprehensible to everyone. His wisdom came simultaneously from
constantly reading holy books and from tremendous prayer and great ascetical
efforts. His spiritual counsels, supported by the holy books, gave the surety and
certainty of truth to intellectuals and theologians while at the same time granting
joy and admiration in the souls of the simplest of men. The tens of thousands of
spiritual children who came to his cell felt that he had a kinship with eveiyone.
“From now on, Fr. Cleopa will not be found in his cell, but he remains
noetically present through his light-bearing and beneficial counsels in the minds
and hearts of all those who had him as their spiritual father; he is ever present in
the written counsels found in his books and letters, or those that were tape
recorded. At the same time, his spiritual children will remain ever present and
bom in his prayers that continue in heaven, for a true spiritual father assists his
spiritual children not only through his counsels, but even more through his never-
ceasing prayers for their salvation.
“Fr. Cleopa was an absolute missionary while living in his cell. In a
wondrous way, he showed how people could be lead to God, how they could
change their lives, heal wounds and nourish their souls. He did this without
wandering about through the world or knocking door to door; instead he opened
the door of his cell with fatherly love and helped every sinner to open the door
of his own soul to come face to face with God’s love for mankind.
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“Fr. Cleopa was a great missionary through the words that he preached,
through the words that he wrote, but especially through the way he lived and
conducted himself with everyone. Fr. Cleopa lived in the ancient tradition and
the present times simultaneously, knowing how to distinguish between what is
essential and what is not, between the unlimited value of every single human soul
and the limits and weaknesses of men fallen in sin. He was always a missionary,
specifically because he knew to hate sin and love the sinner in eveiy situation—
to awaken in every man the desire to turn his life around and to rejoice and
believe in God.
“Fr. Cleopa was a great missionary because he combined the severity
of his personal ascetical struggles with the joy of living in monastic community.
He knew struggles and temptations, as well as the peace that the soul obtains
through forgiveness and deliverance from sin.
“Fr. Cleopa showed in his own way of life that the Christian life is both
cross and resurrection, struggles and joy, sighs and hope. That is why, in his
monastery isolated here in the mountains, he never gave the impression of
isolation to anyone. The great mission that Fr. Cleopa fulfilled here was to
receive in the monastery all people who were weighed down by the cares and
problems of the world and to send them back to their homes in the world full of
the joy of forgiveness and the desire for a new and holy life. The way in which
he received the faithful, prayed for them and counseled them, Fr. Cleopa made
all of his spiritual children, monastic and laymen, quiet Orthodox missionaries
whose ambitions were not to travel throughout the entire world, but rather to
work harder for their own salvation.
“During a time when ‘missionaries’ from other countries are coming
into Romania and using extensive material means, our missionary, Fr. Cleopa,
has shown us that we are only true missionaries in this world when we cast aside
worldly spirits and become full of the Holy Spirit.
“The body of Fr. Cleopa is transferred today from his cell to the
cemetery, but his spirit of prayer unites heaven and earth and gathers together
everyone who knew and loved him. His cell will be a museum and place of
veneration, a true image of a place of prayer, that will urge us to bring into the
world around us the spiritual gifts that we have received in the Church through
the prayers of the saints.
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“In these moments of great mourning for the entire monastic
community of Sihastria, for all of you present and for all who honored Fr. Cleopa,
we beseech the gracious God to establish his soul together with the righteous and
holy ones, and that He will hear our beloved spiritual father’s prayers there in
heaven for the Church, for our people and for everyone.
“May his memory' be eternal!”
Twelve priests then carried the coffin that held Fr. Cleopa’s body, and
a procession began which first went around the church and then out to the
monastery cemetery. In honor of Fr. Cleopa’s love for his days as a shepherd,
many shepherds gathered and blew on the horns that had been used for centuries
to call the sheep. Together with this meaningful sound, the monastery bells began
to ring, and burial hymns were sung as Fr. Cleopa was laid to rest by the clergy
in the place that had been prepared for him in the middle of the cemetery, next to
his beloved spiritual father, Hieroschemamonk Paisius Olaru.
Fr. Cleopa’s funeral

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Many of the people had tears in their eyes. Everyone wanted to touch,
for the last time, the hand that had bestowed blessing for more than fifty years as
a priest. The sun’s rays came shining through the pine trees that surround the
cemeteiy and illumined the newly dug grave. The victorious “Christ is risen” was
sung repeatedly, resonating from eveiyone’s throats. Everyone present felt the
grief of their temporary separation from the great priest, spiritual father and guide
of souls whom they loved and who had loved them.
The funeral procession leaving the monastery courtyard

Thus was the funeral service of the greatest spiritual father in Romania
during the 20th century, Archimandrite Cleopa Hie, who departed from us to
God’s paradise, to receive his due reward for his many sufferings.
Fr. Cleopa’s departure brought to a close a rich chapter of Romanian
hesychasm and monasticism at the end of the second millen
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nium. It is a golden page in the history of Sihastria Monastery and our ancestral
Orthodox Church.
40-Day Memorial Service

On January 9, 1999, forty days after Archimandrite Cleopa’s repose,
the Divine Liturgy and Memorial Service were served in the winter chapel at
Sihastria. Metropolitan Daniel led the service, together with a sobor of clergy
from the area. The metropolitan gave a eulogy for Fr. Cleopa, after which the
monastic community, led by the metropolitan and Archimandrite Victorin, abbot
of the monastery, and surrounded by a large group of faithful, all went to the
cemetery where the short Memorial Service was sung at the grave of our beloved
and unforgettable spiritual father, Archimandrite Cleopa. The monastic com-
munity of Sihastria then offered a meal to all present: monastic, faithful and tire
poor who had gathered, for the repose of the soul of the one who will ever remain
in our hearts: Fr. Cleopa.
Fr. Cleopa’s grave at Sihastria

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Sihastria After Fr. Cleopa
Just as during his lifetime, so also following his repose, people wind
their way up the hill behind Sihastria to visit the elder’s cell which has been
repaired and restored as it was during Fr. Cleopa’s life. Almost everyone who
visits Sihastria makes a point of going to the cemetery to pray at the elder’s
grave—praying both for the reposed soul of the beloved elder, as well as asking
Fr. Cleopa’s intercessions for their needs. So many people long for one more
blessing from Fr. Cleopa, that they pick the flowers from his grave as a sign of
this blessing. As the faithful continued to beseech the elder’s intercession, they
lit so many candles on his grave that finally the monastery had to place a sign at
the gravesite that reads, “Please, do not light candles on the grave!”
The elder’s cell attendant said, “Many who remember Fr. Cleopa
receive great courage and zeal to follow the Lord’s path. A lot of those who visit
his cell feel great peace, joy and grace there, regardless of whether they are
clergy, monastics or laymen. Even when the cell was empty, without even an
icon,19 people still felt this grace. Until just a short time ago, Father Cleopa
imparted words, but now he imparts grace to the hearts of the faithful.”
One faithful woman, who had been very close to Fr. Cleopa, went to
Sihastria for Pascha in 1999, but did not go to the elder’s cell, for she felt that
there was no sense in going there anymore since the elder had reposed. As she
was sleeping in the monastery guest house before the Resurrection Service, she
had a dream: she was in front of Fr. Cleopa’s cell, thinking to herself that now
the elder was dead, when suddenly he appeared at the door and said, “Come
inside! Why don’t you come in?”
“But aren’t you dead, Father?” she asked.
“Don’t you see that I am alive?” asked the elder.
The next day, Pascha, the woman went to Fr. Cleopa’s cell and
venerated the icons there, knowing that the beloved elder is indeed alive and
prays for all who seek his aid.
Many of the faithful have written to Sihastria after Fr. Cleopa’s
departure, saying that they can feel the help that comes to them through the
elder’s continuing prayers. One woman said that one
19 When the cell was being restored and painted.
383
of her relatives was very ill and near despair, but when she cried out, “Fr. Cleopa,
help me!” she at once was filled with such peace and joy that she did not even
long for good health anymore, but instead carried her cross with joy.
Elder Cleopa’s cell today continues to be a place for prayer and

veneration
384
384
We await the time in the future years when Fr. Cleopa will be officially
recognized together with the other great ascetics of Romania: St. Paisius
Velichkovsky of Neamt, Venerable Vasile of Poiana Maru- lui, Abbot George of
Cemica, St. John Jacob of Neamt, Hieroschema- monk Paisius of Sihastria, and
the many others whose names the angel has inscribed in the Book of Life, to the
glory of the all holy Trinity.
As we reflect on the many examples contained in this humble book, as
well as the countless other details and words that have not been written here, we
truly believe that our gracious God has granted a place among the righteous to
our beloved Fr. Cleopa. That is why we dare to pray in his cell and at his grave,
saying:
Holy Father Cleopa, if you have received grace and mercy before
Christ God, intercede for us sinners, your children!
RE
LIGION
RE
LIGION
Abbot, spiritual father,
missionary, confessor, hesychast
...
Fr. Cleopa was all of these.
His “university” was the more
than
eight years of complete solitude
and withdrawal he spent in
the forests of Romania.
He fulfilled the obedience
of caring for the monastery’s
sheep for nearly fifteen years.
From shepherding sheep, he was
summoned directly to be the
abbot and spiritual guide
not only of one monastery,
but for the entire nation.
When Patriarch Justinian

invited Fr. Cleopa to speak to students in Bucharest, the elder replied, “Your
Beatitude, leave me in my wilderness. You have wise and learned men in
Bucharest who have doctorates in theology. I am a stupid sinner, a rotten old
man, a potsherd tied together with wire. After a trip to the
city, it takes me a month to regain my peace. Here in the mountains,
I see a bird, a sheep, a beautiful tree ... and I find salvation."
Fr. Cleopa has found his place in history as the most representative elder
and spiritual father of contemporary Romanian Orthodox spirituality.
N EW VARATEC
PROTECTION
LAKE GEORGE
PUBLISHING
OF THE HOLY VIRGIN
, COLORADO
MONASTERY
(71 9) 748-3999
COVER DESIGN
Elder
Cleona
BY ARCHIMANDRITE IOANICHIE BALAN TRANSLATED WITH ADDITIONS TO THE TEXT BY

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In the Tradition

BY ARCHIMANDRITE IOANICHIE BALAN TRANSLATED WITH ADDITIONS TO THE TEXT BY MOTHER

A GENUINE SPIRITUAL FATHER

humor of Philip of Nerri whom Geothe immortalized in his Letters from

Archimandrite Roman Braga

CHILDHOOD AND FAMILY

. ur beloved spiritual father, Archimandrite Cleopa Hie,

O jwas bom in the town of Sulita, Botosani County on

Mother Cassiana Holy

A GENUINE SPIRITUAL FATHER

Archimandrite Roman Braga

Monasteries and major cities of Romanian Moldavia

CHILDHOOD AND FAMILY

ur beloved spiritual father, Archimandrite Cleopa Die,

Having been healed as an infant by the Theotokos, the young

Having been healed as an infant by the Theotokos, the young

As Constantine grew to a more responsible age, he was given

Hieroschemamonk Paisius was bom in the town of Lunca, Botosani,

BEGINNING OF MONASTIC LIFE

Often the three brothers reached an age acceptable to WW consider

George Enters the Monastic Life

As much as he loved Fr. Paisius, Brother George felt very drawn to

3 The archondaric is the name given to the guest quarters of a monastery.

How Sihastria Was Founded

Elder loanichie Moroi

In 1909 Metropolitan Pimen Georgescu of Moldavia used his

Whenever he was able, Fr. loanichic helped the brothers in their

Brother Constantine’s Early Years at Sihastria

Brother Constantine Die, novice at Sihastria

8 “Costache” is a diminutive form of Constantine.

George Die, during his military service

Brother Vasile’s Death

Brother Vasile’s Death

Fr. Gerasim (Brother George) Dies

When he awoke, his soul was completely at peace, and he felt as if a

“Fr. Abbot loanichie continued to speak to Fr. Calistrat, ‘Look! Has

A Prophecy about young Brother Constantine

Brother Constantine, Iconographer

Brother Constantine at the Sheepfold

attributes of God in Trinity, about paradise and about hell, he became so

One spring Brother Constantine came down with a sickness that

Sister Catherine Die, nun at Agapia Veche Monastery

The people who came in contact with Brother Constantine (later

Brother Constantine’s Military Service

24 “Nevointa” in Romanian would be the equivalent of the Russian “podvig”: ascetic

As the required time of military service—one year—drew to a close,

Brother Constantine is Tonsured

The elder however, replied, “Brother Costica, I am 77 years old now

pilgrimage climaxes as tens, perhaps hundreds, of thousands of people converge

Nativity of the Theotokos Church at Sihastria

The Death of Abbot loanichie Moroi

The Election and Installation of Monk Cleopa as Abbot

cannot be saved! Besides, who will guide tlie skete’s brotherhood if

priest, father and spiritual guide to everyone who came to him—monks,

Fr. Cleopa’s love for the Theotokos

Bishop John of Kiev, Hermit of Neamts Forest

Sihastria Skete elevated to rank of Monastery

Fr. Cleopa’s Mother Becomes a Nun

Fr. Cleopa’s First Withdrawal to Seclusion in the Mountains

9 Translated, “The Cuckoo’s Foot”