A Year Of Grace The community of Blaj has experienced a year of grace with various jubilees

The community of Blaj has experienced a year of grace with various jubilees, birthdays, and anniversaries. The « patriarch » of Blaj, Fr. Bernard Stef, turned 90 and celebrated 65 years of priesthood.

On that occasion Fr. Bernnrd Le Leannec from Moscow and the community of Margineni joined us. Fr. Teofil Pop celebrated 60 years of religious profession.

Fr. Teofil Pop, Fr. Bernnrd Le Leannec,Fr. Gheorghe Hang , Fr. Bernard Stef

He loves to laugh when he reminds us that in one week in 1948 he passed through all the steps to become a priest just like Patriarch Photius of Constantinople : sub-diaconate Tuesday, diaconate Wednesday, and priesthood Thursday.

It was on the eve of the suppression of the Greek Catholic Church. These two brothers are tested witnesses who were able to keep the flame of the love of God, the Virgin, and the Church burning during the troubled period of Communist rule.

It is incumbent upon us to give these « patriarchs » their due and to thank them for their fidelity and for everything they have done for Assumption.

Fr. Gheorghe Hang also celebrated a birthday, his 40th, and his tenth anniversary of priesthood. He is one of those disciples that began his formation with Fr. Bernard Stef before the regime’s fall.

Thanks be to God and to them for everything they are and for all these moments of grace which they have allowed us to experience.

Ionel Antoci