FUNERALS
May 12, 1917 – April 7, 2003
Mary Radu was born on May 12, 1917 in Warren, Ohio. She was the youngest child, with four older
brothers, including one who lived in Romania.
Her father passed away before she was born, which caused significant
hardship on the family. Nevertheless,
she grew up surrounded by many friends, many of whom were her friends for life.
She attended the Romanian Orthodox church regularly in Warren and
dearly loved the Romanian and community dances. She met her future husband, Emil Radu, at one of these dances and
they were married on August 4, 1940.
They moved to Niles, Ohio and in July 1941, their only son, Emil
Jr., was born. In 1944, Mary’s oldest
brother, George, moved to Los Angeles, California to start a business and then
convinced Mary and Emil to join him there.
They soon became members of the Holy Trinity Romanian Orthodox
Church where Mary loved to sing in the choir and never missed a church
dance. Her son, Emil, and
daughter-in-law, Dorothy, were married there in 1964.
In 1967, Mary and Emil became grandparents for the first
time—Twin grandsons--and in 1974, they had a third grandson. Mary loved to take her grandsons to the park
to feed the ducks and to the store to ride the merry-go-round.
When Emil retired, they bought a beautiful mobile home in Huntington Beach, CA to be closer to their
family. Mary played bingo and cards
regularly, and took long walks around the park with her friends. She also accompanied her brother, Tony, to
Romania to visit her brother and extended family.
In 1994, Emil passed away and shortly thereafter, Mary moved to
Leisure World in Laguna Hills. She
loved to take the Leisure World bus to the mall and sit and visit with her
friends. When her son and
daughter-in-law retired to Phoenix, Arizona in 2001, she went too. She made many new friends in her retirement
community, again sharing bus rides to the mall and playing bingo. She also was able to frequently visit some
of her oldest friends from her childhood days who lived in Phoenix..
Mary enjoyed her friends her whole life. She would do anything for them—take them
where they needed to go, help care for an ailing relative, etc.. In January 2003, her own health began to
deteriorate and on April 7, 2003 she passed away peacefully, with her son and
daughter-in-law at her bedside.
She was buried in ValHalla Mortuary, in Canoga Park, on April 12,
2003, following a memorial service led by Very Rev. Father Constantin
Alecse.
She is survived by her son, Emil, and daughter-in-law,
Dorothy. Grandsons Mike, Steve and
Bob. Sisters-in-law, Pauline and Annie;
nephews Daniel, John and Ronnie; nieces Gloria, and Diane, and many friends and
godchildren.
VASILE PIRVU
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One of the strong pillar of the Holy Trinity
ROC in Los Angeles, CA – Vasile Parvu – passed away just before Easter 2003,
due to an unfortunate car accident almost 2 years ago, which left him in coma
during all this period of time.
He was burried in Romania, at Curtea de
Arges.
Vasile Pirvu was a wonderful person, with a
beautiful mind and a great heart. He was a patient man. He was kind. He did not
envy or boast
“He was patient. He was kind. He did not envy or boast, he was
not proud and he was not rude. He was not self seeking, not easily angered and
kept no records of wrong.. He did not delight in evils but rejoiced with the
truth. He always protected, trusted, hoped and persevered. He never failed.”
Vasile Pirvu was as
“love” is described in the biblical passage from the Corinthians 13:4-7.
Vasile Pirvu was
born on January 15th 1943 in Romania. He cane to the United States
in 1974 with his wife and three-year old daughter. In Romania, he had been a
bridge engineer and in America he worked as a Civil Engineer. His last job was
at V.T.N. where he was the project engineer for the company.
Vasile Pirvu was a
wonderful father and a dedicated husband, Ever since I have known him, he has
made sure that his family was taken care of and protected. He was a good
provider and care – taker.
Vasile Pirvu
approached people around him and life in general with a great deal of strength,
patience and kindness. He was a very giving and forgiving man. He did not like
arguing or fighting but when necessary, he did stand up for what was right. He
had exquisite manners, he never forced his opinions upon anyone , but when
asked for advice, he shared his wisdom freely.
Vasile Pirvu
enjoyed going to work each day. He would entertain his friends at work with
amusing stories about himself and his daughter and their many adventures. He is
remembered by his colleagues as a “great man with a wonderful sense of humor”
His presence lit up the work place as
well as any other place he happen to be in.. Vasile Pirvu had an
extremely friendly and magnetic personality. He was the type of person that
people were naturally drawn to and wanted to be around.
Vasile Pirvu’s
favorite activity was hiking and taking long relaxing walks. He loved the
mountains for their strength and their tranquility. He would take his daughter
on long hikes and point out all the beauty there was to see...the birds, the
lizards and the different types of trees and plants. Sometimes he would just
stop and enjoy the silence.
I still remember
the sound of my dad’s hiking boots on the dirt roads as I followed close behind
him. Even now, I try to follow as close behind him as I can in my thoughts and
actions.
Some people ask themselves “what would Jesus do?” I ask myself” What would my dad have done?”
and I go from there. I had always had a great deal of admiration and
consideration for my dad and his wisdom. I wand to resemble him not only in
looks, but in my actions as well.
I wish I had taken
more hikes with my dad and had more talks with him buy one does not know when a
persons time is up.
On January 20th 2001, while my dad
was taking a walk he was hit by a car. After the accident he was in a coma from
which he never recovered. On May 4th 2003, as dad took his last
breath, an angel left the earth.
Vasile Pirvu is and will be sorely missed and
deeply loved by all who knew him. May his beautiful soul rest in peace.
By Ioana Pirvu
Robles
Cristea Gurita
(21 sept. 1913 - 10 mai 2003)
Cu 60 de ani in urma, in acceasi luna de mai in 1943, 2 tineri (veniti din
Albania) se unesc, se casatoresc, la biserica Sf. Dumitru din Suceava; Cristea
Gurita, 29 de ani si Andromachia Pacea, 16 ani.
Pe 10 mai 2003 (10 mai fiind ziua de nastere a mamei) tata i-a facut
aceasta imens de indurerata surpriza. Parca ar fi planuit-o (era un om foarte
calculat si cumpatat).
S-a nascut la 21 sept. 1913 in Albania in satul Greava (Grabova, oficial),
peste 4 luni ne pregateam sa-l sarbatorim la 90 de ani dar nu am apucat. Era al
9-lea copil (din parinti: Mihali si Naunca Gurita) el fiind mezinul familiei.
Greava (scrie tata) satul unde m-am nascut, era o clima foarte buna, aer
curat, apa rece ca si de la frigider, peste tot, izvoare, munti, paduri cu
fagi, pini, stejari, nici o masina nu exista ca sa polueze aerul, din aceasta
cauza, cu toate ca oamenii nu puneau accent pe hrana (hrana foarte slaba) dar
majoritatea oamenilor treceau suta de ani, datorita climei.
El si-a scris memoriile “Istoria familiei noastre”. Cartea lui incepe asa…
“Ca orice planta care incoltesete, creste si poi se usuca si moare
pentru vecie, la fel si omul se naste, creste si intalneste multe in viata lui…”
Urmeaza clasele primare in Albania. Intreaga familie pleaca din Albania
sosind in Romania, in 1928 (fiind primii macedoneni din sat care au plecat)
luand cu ei (dupa expresia lui) un bagaj ca-l ducea barza in cioc…” in Romania sosind urmeaza din nou clasele primare.
Anul acesta de sarbatori primeste o scrisoare de la
un nepot (de la sora lui, Petrica) si ni-l descrie pe tara asa cum l-a cunoscut
el:
“ – Erai cavaler, neinsurat, inalt, subtirel. In
cautare de a-ti gasi o pereche potrivita ai pus ochii pe cea mai frumoasa fata
din oras (Suceava) la acea data, Machia, tu aproape 30 de ani si ea numai 16
ani si a-ti adus pe lume 2 copii: Geta si Mircea.
Papul nostru nu te-a dat sa inveti meserii,
dar ajutat de propria ta minte:
-
ai
taiat geamuri cu diamantul, ca un profesionist
-
ai
inlocuit spite si obezi la rotile de carute
-
ai
ajustat la forje, si negroase de metal
-
ai fost
potcovar si nu numai ca ai potcovit caii dar faceai tu potcoave pe nicovala cu
ciocanul si barosul si nimeni nu s-a plans ca le-ai ranit vreun cal.
-
ai fost
7 ani de zile gestionar, in orasul Braila
-
dar
peste toate, relativ la batranete, ai devenit artist sculptor. Ai sculptat, la
Constanta, zeci de rame pentru oglinzi, fiecare, in parte, alt model si toate
din imaginatie.
-
scrisul
tau nu se deosebeste de scrisul unuia cu multa scoala.
In ceea ce priveste atitudinea fata de altii
si moralitatea ta, ai fost la fel de superior. Fire deschisa, vesel in
permanenta, plin de haz, glume si bancuri, chiar si in conditiile grele.”
S-au refugiat de 33 de ori ( numai sa le numeri,
spunea tata, iti ia timp) dar apoi sa treci prin ele, unde te duci, sa te
asezi, sa-ti faci o casuta si iar sa pleci, sa o iei de capat. Vrednicia l-a
caracterizat din totdeauna, calitate care a mostenit-o de la mama lui.
Ii placea sa citeasca foarte mult, ii placea
scrisul citet, mare, caligrafic, ii placeau foarte mult animalele. Canta foare
frumos, din adancul sufletului, era o placere sa-l asculti cantand. Cantam
mereu, mereu impreuna. Cantecul atat de cunoscut “Greava” nu am auzit pe altcineva cantand mai frumos ca el, canta din
adancul sufletului lui de adevarat gravean, fiind vorba de satul lui natal.
Mare iubitor de oameni, foarte
prietenos, cu suflet curat si sincer. Un om correct. Corectitudinea si
punctualitatea l-au cracterizat. Scria tata: “un
lucru depret era ca omul avea cuvant, daca isi dadea cuvantul era sfant, daca
lua bani imprumut nu era nevoie de martori, zicea ca pe unde a iesit cuvantul,
iese si sufletul, Dumnezeu este martor ( asa descria el oamenii din satul lui).
S-a stins din viata pe 10 Mai 2003 la orele
7:40am la spitalul din Tarzana, California, in urma unui strock. Pe 3 Mai 2003
(in sambata Tomii) a facut un strock, a stat in coma exact o saptamana, din
care nu si-a mai revenit.
Cate nu poti vorbi despre un parinte drag, pe
care l-ai pierdut dintr-o data, pe negandite.
Scumpului nostru Papu, ii
spunem “Ramas Bun”.
Sa se odihneasca in Pace, sa-i fie calea deschisa spre Ceruri. Iar cand vom
imbatrani si noi ca tine “Papule”
ne vom inatalni in Ceruri, in Rai.
Ai grija de tine, Papu!!
Noi toti
te-am iubit intotdeauna cat si tu ne-ai iubit pe noi toti si nu vom putea sa te
uitam niciodata.
Dumnezeu sa te aibe in paza Lui, Tata!
Dumnezeu
sa te ierte, Tata!
Duminica, 10 august 2003, la ora 21.00.
A doua zi, a trecut la Domnul, dupa o indelungata suferinta, Prea Cucernicului
Parinte Profesor Doctor Constantin Galeriu, parohul Bisericii Sfantul
Silvestru, din Bucuresti.
Trupul neinsufletit al slujitorului lui
Dumnezeu a fost prohodit de un sobor de Episcopi, preoţi şi diaconi, în frunte cu PF Sa
Teoctist, Patriarhul României, în ziua de 13 august, zi in care Biserica Ortodoxa praznuieste
dintotdeauna Mutarea moastelor Sfantului Maxim Marturisitorul, şi înhumat
în curtea Bisericii Sf. Silvestru din Bucuresti, pe care
a pastorit-o peste 30 de ani.
Fara a incepe enumerarea anilor
vietii Parintelui Galeriu voi aminti doar despre titlurile si premiile
pe care sfintia sa le-a primit ca urmare a discursurilor sale originale si pe
intelesul tuturor, fiind considerat un misionar si mare aparator al ortodoxiei:
Presedinte de onoare al Ligii Culturale a
Romanilor de Pretutindeni; membru in Comisia Nationala UNESCO; membru fondator
si presedinte de onoare al Asociatie medical – crestine “Christiana”;
presedinte al Editurii “Harisma”, presedinte al Asociatiei “Sf. Stelian –
copiii strazii”, al Fundatiei “Elena Doamna”; membru de onoare al Fundatiei
“Memoria”, Presedinte executiv al Fratiei Ortodoxe Romane. Distins cu Premiul
Senatului Universitatii din Bucuresti (1942); Premiul revistei “Flacara”
(1990); Doctor Honoris Causa al Universitatii Ecologice din Bucuresti (1992);
Diploma de Onoare a Societatii Academice “Titu Maiorescu” (octombrie 1993), si
cu toate acestea el se considera un simplu preot paroh prezent la toate slujbele
savarsite la Biserica Sfantul Silvestru, casatorit si cu patru copii.
De ce
era Parintele iubit si ascultat de tineri, nu numai teologi, ci studenti de
la toate facultatile indiferent de profil ? De ce salile de
conferinte erau pline acolo unde era el si de ce Biserica Sfantul Silvestru din Bucuresti aduna credinciosi din toata capitala si din
alte locuri din tara, fiind o oaza de lumina si de har; iar în fiecare
saptamâna, tineri de diferite confesiuni se întâlnesc, într-un adevarat spirit
ecumenic care depaseste granitele tarii ? Raspunsul la aceste intrebari il
poate da numai cel care, macar
odata, a ascultat sau a primit un sfat,
un indemn sau o mangaiere de la Parintele Galeriu.
Puterea lui de convingere, faptul ca era
mereu actual in discursul sau si mai ales maiestria de a imbina citatele
biblice cu cele ale oamenilor de stiinta in sustinerea adevarurilor crestine
fac din Parintele Galeriu un predicator desavarsit.
Cu toate ca era trecut de 80 de ani
a incercat sa gaseasca raspunsuri si argumente, prin prisma ortodoxiei,
pentru tinerii din societatea moderna, modele de urmat in viata si valori
infinite pe care Biserica Ortodoxa poate sa ofere societatii indiferent de timp
Trecerea la cele vesnice
a marelui teolog, predicator si duhovnic Constantin Galeriu ne-a indurerat
sufletele tuturor celor ce l-am cunoscut, apreciat si venerat pentru Cine a
fost ca preot si duhovnic, ce a facut (in scris, prin prelegeri, si prin
predica-i neobosita, si
bine-documentata, pentru
teologia ortodoxa Romaneasca, si mai ales prin conduita sa: desi preot de mir,
un adevarat sfant al Bisericii drept-maritoare. (Pr. Constantin Alecse) http://romanialibera.com/4CUL/21c4cgal.htm
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pomenirea
speciala a răposatei
Maria Scarlatescu
(Mama
distinsei doamne Sabina Stoicescu)
CORESPONDENŢĂ - Subject:
Multumiri!
Preacucernice Parinte Alecse,
Nu avem cuvinte sa va multumim pentru frumoasa slujba de astazi si pentru
pomenirea speciala a bunicei noastre Maria Scarlatescu a carei zi de nastere
era in aceasta binecuvintata zi a Nasterii Sfantului Ioan Botezatorul.
Mama-mare, cum ii spuneam noi, a fost o buna credicioasa si in ciuda
greutatilor prin care a trecut in viata (doua razboaie mondiale, foamete, pierderea
sotului si a intregei averi dupa 1944) nu s-a vaitat niciodata, nu a dat raului
pe nimeni, nu a birfit si nu a facut rau
nimanui; dimpotriva, a ajutat intotdeauna pe toti ce i-au cerut parerea,
sfatul si ajutorul. Si nu lipsea de la biserica. Parintele duhovnic
Ionel Marinescu de la
parohia"Precupetii Vechi" din Bucuresti (Bunul Dumnezeu sa-l
odihneasca in pace cu cei dragi ai dumisale) a respectat-o si iubit-o ca pe
propria sa mama ; imi amintesc ca ultima oara cind mama-mare a mai putut merge
la biserica i-a dat Sfanta Impartasanie asezata pe scaun. Nu imi aduc aminte sa
fi fost vreodata la slujba "dragacei", deoarece se petrecea in timpul
saptamanii si eram la scoala sau la servici!
Astazi, cu acordul colegei mele (o buna crestina, adventista) am putut
lua dimineata libera (minune, nu?); mai mult, dupa o noapte zbuciumata in care
am dormit de la 5 la 7:15 am, mama s-a simtit totusi in stare sa participe la
slujba, si sa aducem cele citeva pregatiri facute aseara in cinstea bunicii. Vedeti ce de minuni a
savirsit Bunul Dumnezeu cu noi doar intr-o zi?
Inca odata, toata gratitudinea noastra pentru pomenirea de astazi,
si pentru dragostea si cinstea ce ne-o
acordati! Bunul Dumnezeu sa va tina sanatos si sa va implineasca insutit
bunatatea cu care ne onorati. Toate
cele bune minunatei dumneavoastra familii.
Cu respect si multumiri, Familiile Stoicescu si Fanous
Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh - Obituary
Russian Orthodox
patriarch who balanced the interests of his flock against the complexities of
religious politics in the Soviet Union
Michael Bourdeaux
Wednesday August 6,
2003
The Guardian - http://www.guardian.co.uk
For many people in
Britain, Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh, who has died aged 89, was the Russian
Orthodox Church. He was not only its most accessible representative, a man who
had resided in this country for very many years; his look and voice, too,
carried the
corresponding
authority.
His talks on radio
and television, unfailingly presented with charm and substance, drew thousands
of people close to him, resulting in a significant number of conversions,
especially among intellectuals. The late BBC religious affairs correspondent,
Gerald Priestland, once called him the single most powerful Christian voice in
the land. The heart of his life's work was building up the Russian Orthodox
diocese in Britain.
Yet, curiously, in
personal relations he could be distant. While gifted as a confessor and
counsellor, to his spiritual protégés he could be authoritarian, sometimes
failing to empathise with the complex difficulties in which they found themselves.
For all his public warmth, and his membership of the central committee of the World
Council of Churches, he was not an ecumenical figure, and did less than some
others to bring closer the prospect of Christian unity, east and west.
Although of Russian
parentage, André Borisovich Bloom was born in Lausanne, Switzerland, where his
father was a member of the Russian imperial diplomatic corps. His mother was
the sister of the composer Scriabin. The family returned to Russia just before
the outbreak of the first world war, only to be posted to Persia.
When the 1917
revolution destroyed the old order, the family fled, along with so many others,
to exile in Paris, where the young Bloom grew up. Distant from the church at
this time, he was brought up bilingually. His interests developed along
scientific lines, his first degree being in physics, chemistry and biology,
leading to a doctorate in medicine from the Sorbonne in 1943.
He served in the
French army and, after the fall of France in 1940, worked in a Paris hospital,
having some contacts with the resistance.
He had already
turned to the Christian faith - his account of his conversion is very moving -
and, like some other Russian Orthodox clerics of the Soviet period, he studied
theology while practising medicine, professing monastic vows in 1943 and being
ordained to the priesthood five years later.
What may have
seemed a temporary move in 1949 now forged the direction of his whole career.
Wishing to support the beleaguered clergy in the Soviet Union, he chose the
controversial path of loyalty to the just re-established Moscow patriarchate,
while being personally deeply critical of communism.
He came to England
in 1949, as Orthodox chaplain to the fellowship of St Alban and St Sergius, an
organisation that sought to establish unity between Anglicans and Orthodox, but
from which he moved the following year to take over the London parish under
Moscow's jurisdiction. In November 1957, he was consecrated bishop of the titular
diocese of Sergievo. Five years later, he was elevated to archbishop (in the
Orthodox church, the rank is simply a mark of seniority).
This was a bad year
for Soviet believers, although it saw the creation of a full Russian diocese in
Britain. In the USSR, Khrushchev's persecution, which had begun in 1959, was in
full spate. Churches were being closed, and those who resisted were imprisoned.
The very future of monasticism - and therefore the episcopate - was under
threat.
Archbishop
Anthony's position became delicate, to say the least. On the one hand, there
were those who ex pected him to speak out, and unambiguously address the
universal constituency of the World Council of Churches, which his church had
joined in 1961.
On the other hand,
he was now in a position of great trust, accorded him by the threatened
patriarchate. In 1963, he was created exarch in western Europe, with oversight
of all patriarchal parishes in the area. On the BBC Russian service, his
authoritative voice became a lifeline for the persecuted, yet Metropolitan Anthony
- as he was from 1966 - remained diplomatic, speaking on spiritual, but never political,
themes. Thus, he kept open his access to Moscow.
As exarch, he
reported, from time to time, to the patriarch. The KGB, not always
successfully, tried to prevent personal contact when he visited the churches,
and he occasionally addressed the Theological Academy at Zagorsk. He also
sometimes met Soviet government officials.
But maintaining a
discreet silence was not always possible. In 1970, he said that "during the
revolution, we lost the Christ of the great cathedrals ... we discovered the
Christ who was rejected just as we were rejected". He went on to speak of
the "eradication of the faith in the Stalin period by extreme violence and
then systematic propaganda".
In 1974, there
occurred an event of such enormity that Metropolitan Anthony condemned it in a
sermon in his own cathedral: the expulsion of Alexander Solzhenitsyn from the
Soviet Union. This act of barbarity was made worse for the metropolitan by the
fact that Solzhenitsyn was a member of the Russian Orthodox Church, and the
Moscow patriarchate did not defend him. They failed even to answer Metropolitan
Anthony's telephone calls.
This episode led to
a cooling of his relations with the patriarchate, and the temporary cessation
of his visits to Moscow; he renounced the office of exarch over the radio. Yet
he continued to attend official bishops' meetings and the councils ( pomestniye
sobory ) of the church. When he spoke, he commanded rapt attention. In 1971, he
had begged the sobor not to condemn the anti-Soviet Russian Church in Exile.
Metropolitan
Anthony's short, but influential, spiritual works were published together in
The Essence Of Prayer (1986), and, with his sermons, are now freely available
in Russia, maintaining his reputation there.
As old age
approached, he appeared less frequently in public, but by no means went into
retirement. In 1994, his 81st year, he delivered an unforgettable talk on
pilgrimage to the clerical leaders of tours organised by Inter-Church Travel.
The following year, Cambridge University awarded him a much-prized doctorate of
divinity, and his lectures continued into his late 80s, his charisma and vigour
undiminished.
His last years were
clouded by dissension over the issue of Bishop Ilarion (Alfeyev), sent to
London supposedly to serve in a senior, but supportive, role. The new Russians
in London were in conflict with the English-speaking converts, and Ilarion was
moved to Brussels. However, Metropolitan Anthony's ministry of almost half a
century in London, western Europe and - at some remove - Russia, was unique and
irreplaceable.